New Zealand: Politics
Economy needs new growth path, says Robertson
8 Aug 2018
More details of the Government’s new “well-being” approach to setting the nation’s budget are emerging.
Air New Zealand sees benefits in simplified ETS
2 Aug 2018
More native trees would be planted if the Emissions Trading Scheme were simplified, says Air New Zealand.
Government hears Paris pact means methane cuts
1 Aug 2018
The Paris Agreement cannot be met without cutting methane emissions, the Government has been told.
STATS SHOW: Shaw about to change the story
31 Jul 2018
Green Party co-leader James Shaw might be the climate minister, but it’s in his statistics portfolio that he is about to change everything.
Minister silent on arbitrage as prices climb
30 Jul 2018
Climate minister James Shaw isn’t commenting on the risk of arbitrage as carbon prices climb closer to the Government’s artificial price cap.
Bridges ignores climate change in party address
30 Jul 2018
National Party leader Simon Bridges is promising to have “the best ideas” on the environment.
Taranaki Maori make stand against oil and gas
25 Jul 2018
Maori in Taranaki say they will oppose climate-damaging activities like oil and gas extraction and intensive farming.
Farmers want methane left out of 2050 targets
24 Jul 2018
New Zealand should stick to its current target of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and leave methane out of the equation, says Federated Farmers.
Exotics rate second to natives, says minister
24 Jul 2018
Exotic carbon forestry is unlikely to be allowed on scrubland – and even less likely in national parks.
Parties eye early start to zero-carbon talks
23 Jul 2018
Cross-party talks on the Zero Carbon Bill could be under way within a month.
Shaw applauds China's work on climate change
20 Jul 2018
China’s action on climate change makes New Zealand look like its “pussy-footing around”, says climate minister James Shaw.
Beehive might have carbon job for Reserve Bank
18 Jul 2018
The Government is looking at the role the Reserve Bank should play in monitoring and managing the country’s carbon exposure.
Latest ETS review kicks off next month
18 Jul 2018
Consultation on the next review of the Emissions Trading Scheme will start next month.
Act or face financial crisis, warns leading banker
13 Jul 2018
New central bank head Adrian Orr is warning of financial crisis and mass social unrest if the world doesn’t urgently address climate change.
Farmers like the idea of opting in to ETS
12 Jul 2018
Farmers could be interested into opting into the Emissions Trading Scheme – if the settings are right.
Let farmers opt in to ETS, says regional council
11 Jul 2018
Farmers should be able to opt into the Emissions Trading Scheme so they can get credit for introducing climate-friendly practices, says the Greater Wellington Regional Council.
We don't want to be like Australia, says Vector
6 Jul 2018
One of the 53 big companies stepping up to publicly support the Zero Carbon Bill says it doesn’t want New Zealand’s climate policy to end up like that of Australia.
Climate change security threat, says defence minister
6 Jul 2018
Climate change threatens New Zealand’s security, says defence minister Ron Mark.
Shaw schedules carbon talks with China
5 Jul 2018
Climate minister James Shaw is bound for China next week for talks on climate change and developing closer carbon markets.
Poll shows majority ready to act on emissions
3 Jul 2018
Two-thirds of New Zealanders are prepared to take action to cut greenhouse gas emissions – although half might require some level of personal interest to take action, a new poll suggests.
Check methane reporting, urges climate expert
2 Jul 2018
New Zealand should check the accuracy of its methane-reporting figures in the wake of revelations of possibly inaccurate reporting from natural gas production in the United States, says an expert in climate and energy.
We can use organic waste, says landfill operator
29 Jun 2018
Keeping organic waste out of rubbish dumps will double its carbon footprint and deny the country an important source of renewable energy, says the country’s largest landfill operator.
Big Business gets ready to back carbon neutrality
28 Jun 2018
Fifty-three of New Zealand’s biggest companies - including major players in the farming, forestry and fishing industries - appear to be ready to announce their support for the Zero Carbon Bill.
Don't bet on the future of our cars being electric
27 Jun 2018
The future of low-emissions transport is not necessarily electric, car makers are telling the Government.
Get climate house in order, Trustpower tells Govt
26 Jun 2018
Energy company Trustpower says the Government needs to use “joined-up thinking” on climate change.
Government might aim for more carbon cuts
25 Jun 2018
The Government might increase New Zealand’s 2030 emissions reduction target.
These days, Rio Tinto is a big fan of our ETS
22 Jun 2018
Pacific Aluminium – whose parent company Rio Tinto threatened to leave New Zealand if a carbon price was introduced – is now a fan of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Govt hears of value in overseas carbon credits
20 Jun 2018
Access to international carbon credits could lower the cost of decarbonising the economy, the Government has been told.
20% of Nats don't want zero carbon, says survey
19 Jun 2018
One in five National Party supporters opposes the idea of New Zealand being carbon-neutral, a recent survey suggests.
SIMON SAYS: We'll work for sensible solutions
15 Jun 2018
The National Party says it will work with the Government to establish a climate change commission.
Key report dangerously misleading, say Wise men
15 Jun 2018
A document likely to underpin the Government’s plans to decarbonise the economy is being called dangerously misleading.
Trust ticks off benefits of higher carbon prices
14 Jun 2018
Carbon prices of $50 to $350 a tonne by 2020 will drive investments in low-emissions development of Maori land, creating jobs and alleviating poverty along the way, the Government is being told.
Exempting methane won't change our obligations
13 Jun 2018
Exempting methane from New Zealand’s 2050 emissions-reduction target will not stop the country being held liable for it under international rules.
Shaw invites Nats to work on Zero Carbon Act
12 Jun 2018
Climate minister James Shaw has invited the National Party to help him to draft the Zero Carbon Act.
Climate stand gives us trade edge, says Shaw
8 Jun 2018
New Zealand's tougher stand on climate change is already paying dividends, earning the country support for a free-trade agreement with Europe, says climate minister James Shaw.
Carbon Bill provides certainty for fuels chief
8 Jun 2018
The Zero Carbon Bill gives the certainty that has been lacking to tackle one of the biggest problems facing business, says Z Energy chief executive Mike Bennetts.
Government hears of $800 carbon price possibility
7 Jun 2018
Carbon prices of more than $800 a tonne will be needed if New Zealand doesn’t tackle greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, the Government has been told.
ICCC to probe impact of oil and gas exploration
6 Jun 2018
The Interim Climate Change Committee will investigate the impact of further oil and gas exploration on New Zealand’s emissions reduction targets.
We could switch millions of hectares, say officials
5 Jun 2018
Two million hectares of New Zealand farmland could be switched from meat and dairy to more environmentally friendly horticulture, officials say.
Methane is a different beast, say scientists
5 Jun 2018
Methane – a gas causing New Zealand major headaches as it tries to cut its emissions - should be treated differently from other greenhouse gases, scientists say.
Officials look at carbon liability hedging
1 Jun 2018
Officials say they will advise the Government on the potential to hedge New Zealand’s future carbon liability.
Sea-level rise will cost councils billions of dollars
30 May 2018
Local authorities face at least $4 billion worth of infrastructure damage if sea-levels rise 1.5 metres, Local Government New Zealand is warning.
Govt hears of pitfalls in property damage payouts
25 May 2018
New Zealanders’ expectation of insurance payouts for property affected by the impact of climate change is stopping them from taking action to prevent it, the Government has been told.
EU trade deal could include carbon trading
24 May 2018
Linking New Zealand’s carbon market to the European Emissions Trading Scheme could be part of a new free-trade deal.
Stop reacting and start planning, says report
24 May 2018
Climate change adaptation must be part of the Climate Change Commission’s agenda, says a new government report calling for strong action.
CCC bill points to cost of carbon-free economy
22 May 2018
The bureaucratic costs of shifting to a carbon-free economy are starting to be felt.
Low warming goal vital to our primary production
21 May 2018
New research with serious implications for New Zealand’s primary production-based economy and the country’s rare and endangered species says global warming needs to be kept below 1.5deg.
NZ to stand by Pacific climate change victims
18 May 2018
New Zealand is softening its stance on climate refugees.
Green Investment Fund eyes start this year
18 May 2018
Climate minister James Shaw’s Green Investment Fund will be in business by the end of the year, he says.
BUDGET 2018: Green is good
17 May 2018
There are no changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme, but the promised Green Investment Fund is being backed with $100 million of taxpayer dollars in a budget being described as the greenest in history.
Fast, sustained phase-out of fossil fuels: best-performing countries in coal and transport sectors
Thu 10 Jul 2025
By Robert McLachlan | It’s true that climate change is getting worse – it will continue to get worse until emissions fall to near zero. But is action on phasing out fossil fuels really stalling?
Clear-sighted view to trade-offs crucial to reimagining our relationship with the land
Mon 7 Jul 2025
By Nick Swallow | COMMENT: New Zealand could see a 70% drop in the value of dairy land if we pursue our emissions targets for agriculture, according to a new report.
Mangroves' overlooked climate role
30 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand’s mangrove forests are pulling tens of thousands of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere each year, yet their climate benefits remain unrecognised in national emissions reporting.
How flying can be a climate solution
16 Jun 2025
By Paul Callister and Robert McLachlan - Planetary Ecology | How can aviation contribute to tackling climate change when no practicable technology-based solutions are on the horizon?
Emissions Trading Scheme needs deep reform - commissioner
Fri 11 Jul 2025
The government’s attempt to limit forestry conversions on rural land is unlikely to lead to meaningful change, according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
NZ Post drops science-based climate target
Tue 8 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | NZ Post has dropped its science-based emissions reduction target of 42% by 2030 with no plans to replace it.
