New Zealand: Politics
NZ lends helping hand with Australian ETS
5 Nov 2010
New Zealand is helping Australia to work towards putting a price on carbon.
Mexico our latest clean-tech partner
5 Nov 2010
New Zealand and Mexico are working together on clean-tech development.
NZ will talk up markets and forestry at Cancun
29 Oct 2010
Carbon markets and forestry accounting rules will be top of New Zealand’s agenda at Cancun.
We seem to have got ETS right, says Smith
29 Oct 2010
Climate Change Issues Minister Nick Smith says the fact that he’s being told the Emissions Trading Scheme is both too weak and too harsh probably means it is about right.
Frankly speaking - Groser addresses Brazil conference
29 Oct 2010
The challenges of life as an international climate change negotiator have been revealed.
Lawyers shoot down ETS secrecy clause
15 Oct 2010
The Official Information Act over-rides a confidentiality clause in the Emissions Trading Scheme legislation, according to MAF lawyers.
Environment the key, says migrant survey
8 Oct 2010
Effective environmental management is critical to attracting skilled migrants to New Zealand, latest research shows.
Poor leadership means NZ's a climate change flop
1 Oct 2010
New Zealand’s performance on climate change has been given a fail mark – and the blame is being laid at the feet of our political and business leaders who "continue to live high-emission lifestyles".
ETS changes leave Kiwis with $820m Kyoto bill
1 Oct 2010
Changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme will leave the public with an $820 million deficit for the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
Mayoral hopefuls quiet on eco-city proposals
24 Sep 2010
Politicians vying to lead the Auckland super-city have not yet responded to a proposal to turn the city into an environmentally friendly economic powerhouse.
Clean-tech lobbyists get ear of Lord Stern
17 Sep 2010
The 100% Plan lobby group is talking to former World Bank chief economist Lord Nicholas Stern about international collaboration on a clean-tech development plan for New Zealand.
We're about to get the word on water
17 Sep 2010
The results of consultation over future freshwater policy will be released next week.
Stern: It's out there if you want it
10 Sep 2010
Lord Nicholas Stern has told New Zealanders that the future could be bright – if we are willing to do what’s needed to get our greenhouse gas emissions under control.
Stern brings country chance to listen and learn
3 Sep 2010
Next week’s visit by Lord Nicholas Stern might help New Zealanders to understand that this country is lagging behind in action on climate change, says a sustainable business champion.
Journals not court is place for scientific debate - experts
20 Aug 2010
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) faces a legal challenge by climate sceptics group the Climate Science Coalition which is taking the Crown Research Institute to court over the accuracy of its climate data.
Climate Science Coalition criticises Science Media Centre
20 Aug 2010
New Zealand Climate Science Coalition chairman Barry Brill has taken issue with comments gathered by the Science Media Centre relating to the case being taken to the High Court seeking invalidation of NIWA temperature records.
High Court asked to invalidate NIWA’s official NZ temperature record
20 Aug 2010
The High Court has been asked to invalidate the New Zealand official temperature record as promoted by the Crown Research Institute, Niwa.
Boardroom doesn't get it, says climate talks chief
13 Aug 2010
The business community has not yet got its head around the implications and opportunities of climate change, says the chair of the latest Australia New Zealand Climate Change and Business Conference.
Kiwi ETS wins minister a rare bouquet
13 Aug 2010
Climate Change Issues Minister Nick Smith has had an unusual experience this week – he’s being feted for the Emissions Trading Scheme.
What Nick Smith said to transtasman business leaders
13 Aug 2010
This week Climate Change Issues Minister Nick Smith spoke at the 6th annual Climate Change and Business Conference, being held in Sydney. This is what he said:
Tasman challenge: Cut emissions by 15 per cent
13 Aug 2010
Australia and New Zealand can cut their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 15 per cent by 2020 in economically beneficial ways, say business leaders at the 6th Australia-New Zealand Climate Change and Business Conference in Sydney.
Business leaders put muscle behind clean tech
16 Jul 2010
New Zealand will develop a clean-tech strategy to exploit what many business leaders believe is a multi-billion dollar opportunity for the country.
Rain and recession cut our pollution figures
16 Jul 2010
New Zealand’s emissions of greenhouse gases have fallen, thanks to rain and the recession.
ETS free credits wrong, says watchdog
2 Jul 2010
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Jan Wright is continuing her opposition to big-emitting companies being given free carbon credits by the taxpayer.
We're doing our fair share, says Smith
2 Jul 2010
The entry of transport fuels, electricity and industry into the emissions trading scheme this week marks an important step in New Zealand doing its fair share on climate change, Climate Change Minister Nick Smith says.
Climate change key issue for new Australian leader
25 Jun 2010
Climate change will be the defining issue of the Australian election and could lead to a change of leadership in the Liberals as well, predicts New Zealand Labour's climate change spokesman.
Minister happy to talk to anyone ... or no one
25 Jun 2010
Climate Change Issues Minister Nick Smith will press ahead with public meetings on the Emissions Trading Scheme – even if not many people turn up.
NZ climate man gets key Kyoto job
18 Jun 2010
New Zealand’s Climate Change Ambassador, Adrian Macey, has been elected vice-chair of the Kyoto Protocol Negotiations process.
ETS rules out soon for two more industries
11 Jun 2010
Draft rules governing the way in which another two industries are treated under the Emissions Trading Scheme are about to be released.
Changes needed to air quality standard, says Smith
11 Jun 2010
Hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs will be put at risk if changes are not made to the unrealistic and unfair air quality standard adopted by the previous Government, Environment Minister Nick Smith says.
MAF issues several new ETS guides for forestry and agriculture
4 Jun 2010
MAF has produced several new guides relating to the ETS and forestry and agriculture.
BUDGET 2010: Billion set aside to kickstart ETS
21 May 2010
The Government is putting its money where its mouth is with the emissions trading scheme, setting aside nearly a billion dollars for the cost of implementing it this year.
Ministry pushes to meet allocations deadline
21 May 2010
The Ministry for the Environment says it is making “all reasonable endeavours” to provide businesses with some certainty over who will get free carbon credits before emitters start entering the scheme on July 1.
NZ on right road with ETS, says negotiator
21 May 2010
Political developments in the United States and elsewhere back the New Zealand Government’s decision to press ahead with the Emissions Trading Scheme, says Climate Change Negotiations Minister Tim Groser.
Minister's credit allocation powers remain on hold
14 May 2010
The Government says it has not considered using ministerial discretion on the allocation of free carbon credits to big emitters of greenhouse gases.
Business group wants right to use hot-air AAUs
14 May 2010
Business lobbyists are pushing for the right to use foreign AAUs (assigned amount units) to offset their New Zealand carbon liabilities.
Business lobby gives up on ETS demands
30 Apr 2010
New Zealand’s biggest business lobby group appears to have conceded defeat in its campaign to delay provisions of the emissions trading scheme.
Markit chief slams Kiwis' lack of carbon nous
23 Apr 2010
New Zealand risks missing the chance to reap the rewards of the emerging clean-tech economy because its leaders are fixated on the negatives, warns the head of the world's leading environmental exchange.
EXCLUSIVE: Business lobby eyes big role in ETS review
16 Apr 2010
Business New Zealand is telling members that it has the chance to influence the make-up of the panel that will review the emissions trading scheme next year.
What the emitters and minister are writing to each other
16 Apr 2010
Carbon News has the correspondence between the Climate Change Issues Minister and large emiters on the future of the emissions trading scheme.
Drought and slump trim our gas emissions
16 Apr 2010
Drought and the economic recession together pushed New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions down in 2008.
Govt stays silent over future of ETS
1 Apr 2010
The Government appears to have gone to ground over rumours it is considering postponing the entry of heavy emitters into the emissions trading scheme.
Kiwis sticking to green values, despite recession
1 Apr 2010
Politicians ignore New Zealanders' concerns about the environment at their peril, says the Business Council for Sustainable Development.
ETS first step will push inflation, says bank
12 Mar 2010
The entry of the first wave of emitters into the emissions trading scheme will push up inflation, the Reserve Bank predicts.
Government (slowly) gets green-tech message
5 Mar 2010
The idea of a public/private taskforce to develop a New Zealand clean-tech strategy seems set to go before Cabinet.
Clean-tech: One day we won't give it a thought
5 Mar 2010
Clean technology will become so commonplace that we will no longer talk about it, says the head of an economic thinktank.
Beehive still working through carbon free list
5 Mar 2010
The Government is still working out just which industrial activities will qualify for free carbon credits under the emissions trading scheme.
Others dither, but NZ certain about ETS
26 Feb 2010
The Government says it is committed to pressing ahead with the emissions trading scheme, despite uncertainty over whether two of our major trading partners will adopt cap-and-trade schemes.
Key carbon credits submissions close today
12 Feb 2010
Submissions on the way in which free carbon credits will be shared out close today.
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
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.
