New Zealand: Politics
ETS PAPER 1: Businesses feel the costs
11 Mar 2011
The Emissions Trading Scheme has increased the cost of electricity and fuel for businesses by about 1 per cent of revenue, the panel reviewing the scheme says.
ETS PAPER 2: World situation unclear
11 Mar 2011
New Zealand could decide it is economically sensible to push ahead with the Emissions Trading Scheme even if the world fails to negotiate a successor for the Kyoto Protocol, the panel reviewing the ETS says.
Business lobby group tries to set the tone
11 Mar 2011
Business New Zealand is making a bid to set the tone of the Emissions Trading Scheme review by pre-empting the launch of the review panel’s issues paper today with one of its own.
Caygill crew meets business leaders
11 Mar 2011
The committee reviewing the Emissions Trading Scheme has already met with some of the country’s most influential bodies as it works towards its June deadline.
Garnaut: Climate change risks greater
11 Mar 2011
The Australian Government’s climate change adviser says that the science on climate change has got stronger since he released his 2008 review and it now appears that the risks are greater.
UK expert to talk with ETS review group
4 Mar 2011
The committee reviewing the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme is to hear from one of Britain’s top carbon markets advisers.
Labour: It's the same old story
25 Feb 2011
The Labour Party says the opposition in Australia to putting a price on carbon is reminiscent of what happened in New Zealand.
Emissions target proposal seen as a trick
11 Feb 2011
A row has broken out over whether New Zealand’s proposed 2050 emissions reduction target is any sort of reduction at all.
ETS group looks at oral submissions
11 Feb 2011
The committee reviewing the Emissions Trading Scheme says it will try to hear oral submissions from those who want to make them.
Engineers warn of infrastructure chaos
11 Feb 2011
Engineers are warning the British Government that the country’s infrastructure will not cope with the effects of climate change.
Weather chaos just the start, warn scientists
4 Feb 2011
The wild weather in Australia should sound a warning to New Zealand business on what to expect from climate change, says one of our leading climate scientists.
Action group gives nod to Green Growth move
4 Feb 2011
A group of top business people pushing for a clean-tech strategy for New Zealand says it will work with the Government’s new Green Growth advisory group.
Garnaut backs fixed carbon price
4 Feb 2011
Australia’s chief climate change adviser is backing the idea of a fixed carbon price.
Smith calls for carbon reduction submissions
4 Feb 2011
The Government is calling for submissions on New Zealand’s 2050 emissions reduction target.
EDS wants new way to manage our oceans
4 Feb 2011
The Environmental Defence Society wants an overhaul of the way in which we manage our oceans - including extending the coverage of the Resource Management Act out to the 200-mile limit.
Caygill committee eyes start next month
21 Jan 2011
The committee reviewing the Emissions Trading Scheme is yet to hold its first meeting, but chairman David Caygill expects those advocating changes to the scheme are already hard at work on submissions.
Study reveals history of southern ice melts
21 Jan 2011
Research from Victoria University has revealed new findings on why Antarctic ice sheets have melted in the past, as well as how future melting might affect sea levels.
Review rules out some ETS challenges
23 Dec 2010
Questions about whether the Emissions Trading Scheme is the best way for New Zealand to tackle climate change have been ruled out of a review of the scheme.
Public might not appear before panel
23 Dec 2010
The public might not get a chance to make oral submissions on the review of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Farmers renew call to keep agriculture out
23 Dec 2010
Federated Farmers says it will use the review of the Emissions Trading Scheme to try to keep agriculture out of the scheme.
Clean-tech strategists will go it alone
17 Dec 2010
Business leaders pushing for a clean-tech development strategy for New Zealand say they’re ready to launch it next year – with or without the Government.
ETS review terms out soon
17 Dec 2010
The terms of reference for a review of the Emissions Trading Scheme will be out by the end of the year, the Government says.
CANCUN: Significant step forward
17 Dec 2010
New Zealand climate change minister Tim Groser and Nick Smith say that the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Cancún, Mexico, is a significant step towards a global, legally binding and comprehensive agreement on climate change.
CANCUN: A clearer picture is emerging
17 Dec 2010
A clearer overall framework for global greenhouse gas emissions reductions is emerging - even if more work is needed to develop market mechanisms, writes Business New Zealand energy, enviornment and infrastructure manager John Carnegie from Cancun.
CANCUN: What the scientists are saying
17 Dec 2010
Leading climate scientists from New Zealand, Australia and Britain say progress was made in Cancun - but not enough to prevent dangerous climate warming.
CANCUN: We're committed, says Smith
10 Dec 2010
Climate Change Issues Minister Nick Smith has told delegates at climate change negotiations in Mexico that New Zealand is committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
CANCUN: We're fooling nobody, says Chauvel
10 Dec 2010
Labour's Climate Change Issues spokesman, Charles Chauvel, reports from Cancun:
Nats refuse to commit at Cancun, say Greens
10 Dec 2010
The Green Party says it is deeply disturbed by the New Zealand Government’s statement yesterday that it will not commit to specific greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets unless it gets its way on "dubious" forestry rule changes.
We must change our thinking, says think tank
3 Dec 2010
New Zealand needs to change its thinking if it wants to get a competitive advantage from shifting to a low-carbon economy, says New Zealand Institute director Dr Rick Boven.
ETS should be suspended, says NZ First
3 Dec 2010
New Zealand First is reassessing its position on climate change policy – and says that the Emissions Trading Scheme should be put on hold.
Act now or face more droughts, warn Greens
3 Dec 2010
New Zealand can expect more droughts and erosion if no progress is made in climate change talks under way in Cancun, the Green Party says.
Cancun should show up our ETS, says ACT
3 Dec 2010
The Climate Change Conference in Cancun might be nothing more than a meaningless and actionless talkfest, but it does have one saving grace – it should show the National Government how foolhardy it would be to continue forging ahead with its Emissions Trading Scheme, the ACT Party says.
We've got politicians thinking, say Greens
26 Nov 2010
A cross-party conference in Parliament has put sustainable economics on the road to becoming mainstream thinking, says the Green Party.
Public begins to question free carbon credits
19 Nov 2010
Public support for free carbon credits to help trade-exposed businesses and farmers to adjust to a price on carbon is falling.
How would YOU answer Suzuki's five questions for NZ?
12 Nov 2010
David Suzuki wants to ask New Zealand business some questions.
Well, look who's talking sustainability ...
12 Nov 2010
The fact that both National and Labour are taking part in a conference in Parliament today to discuss building sustainability into the economy shows the idea is catching on, organisers say.
Groser leads NZ to exclusive Washington forum
12 Nov 2010
New Zealand is to take part in a meeting of the world’s 17 largest carbon-emitting countries.
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.
Bill to ban new coal mines fails at first reading
Fri 24 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A bid to outlaw new coal mines was defeated at its first hurdle in Parliament this week, after a heated debate pitting climate imperatives against energy security and affordability.
Council buys dairy farm to help clean up Lake Rotorua
Tue 21 Oct 2025
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has bought a 266-hectare dairy farm in the Lake Rotorua catchment and plans to retire it from production to reduce nitrogen entering the lake.
Emissions down slightly - Stats NZ
Fri 24 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Greenhouse gas emissions fell 1.5% in the June 2025 quarter, although the decline seems to reflect the economy continuing to contract rather than Aoteoroa inching towards decarbonisation goals.
NZ’s government wants tourism to drive economic growth – but how will it deal with aviation emissions?
Wed 22 Oct 2025
By Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University | Following a brief dip during the COVID pandemic, aviation is back in a growth phase.
Emails show forestry lobby fought Gisborne crackdown as slash clean-up drags on
26 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Sustainable land use advocates are accusing Eastland Wood Council of stonewalling efforts to tighten forestry rules, after correspondence between the group and the local council was released under the Official Information Act.
Govt to ease climate reporting thresholds, water down liability
Wed 22 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The rollback of climate change reporting requirements has produced a wave of relief in corporate New Zealand as managed investment funds and listed companies with annual revenue under $1 billion are exempted.
