New Zealand: Politics
US climate deniers push views of Kiwi academic
5 May 2009
Auckland University climate figure Chris de Freitas put New Zealand into the top slot over the weekend in what is emerging as the United States’ leading denier forum.
ETS should be suspended, says coalition
5 May 2009
Greenhouse Policy Coalition executive director Catherine Beard, representing the energy-intensive sector on climate change issues, is calling on the select committee reviewing the emissions trading scheme to suspend the introduction of the industrial sector into the scheme until such time as the "flawed legislation has been properly reviewed and fixed".
Business leaders: emissions trading policy delays causing major investment blight
5 May 2009
Business leaders told the Parliamentary select committee reviewing the emissions trading scheme yesterday that indecision is stalling hundreds of millions in investments in sectors which will both benefit from or fear having a price of carbon.
Gull wants fixed carbon price after ETS
1 May 2009
Independent oil company Gull has asked the emissions trading scheme review committee to set the price of carbon for at least the first 18 months after the liquid fuel sector enters the ETS.
Smith still quiet on Labour ETS offer
1 May 2009
The Government has not yet responded to Labour's offer to work with it on an emissions trading scheme.
Fifty years of work under threat, says Oxfam
1 May 2009
Climate change could reverse all the international development work of the past 50 years, the emissions trading scheme review committee heard yesterday.
Minister delays release of ETS risk report
28 Apr 2009
A new report into the economic risks of the emissions trading scheme has not yet been made public amid concerns that it does not adequately cover the potential benefits.
NZ scientists: We're being gagged
28 Apr 2009
New Zealand’s public science institutes are “rife” with cases of scientists being gagged, Carbon News has been told.
Labour expects ETS answer this week
28 Apr 2009
The Labour Party expects a formal response from the Government this week on its offer to co-operate on an emissions trading scheme.
Forest focus wrong, institute tells ETS hearing
28 Apr 2009
New Zealand should focus on the role that forests play in mitigation of climate change - and not just on forestry emissions, says the Institute of Forestry.
Climate deal fraught with problems, says EU envoy
21 Apr 2009
An address by David Daly, the new head of the European Union delegation to Australia, to the recent Greenhouse 2009 conference in Western Australia is being carefully scrutinised by his counterparts throughout Oceania - especially in New Zealand.
Wellington shelves 'green capital' plans
21 Apr 2009
A forecast that Wellington city ratepayers would have to shoulder a stiff annual additional cost has prompted the city council to shelve plans that, in the words of Mayor Kerry Prendergast, would have made Wellington the “first green capital in the world.”
Most Kiwis want climate deal at Copenhagen
14 Apr 2009
New Zealanders support signing up to a new international agreement requiring countries to limit greenhouse gas emissions beyond 2013, a new survey shows.
Foresters get carbon credits ... but what now?
14 Apr 2009
Forest owners have received their first batch of carbon credits but are unsure about insuring and on-selling them.
Uncertainty keeps NZUs volatile, says trader
14 Apr 2009
The price of New Zealand Units is likely to remain volatile for another six months, says a leading trader.
Cross-party pact vital for ETS, says Vector
9 Apr 2009
A strong cross-party agreement on durable climate change policy is the single most important thing that the emissions trading scheme review committee must deliver, the committee is being told this morning.
Energy leaders have big day out at ETS hearings
9 Apr 2009
The energy sector gets its chance to be heard by the ETS review committee this morning.
HFCs clampdown could backfire, company warns
9 Apr 2009
Clamping down on the so-called “bad boys” of human-induced climate change -hydroflourocarbons (HFCs) - in the emissions trading scheme could backfire and actually lead to increased emissions, warns an air conditioning company.
Labour: We're ready to start work on joint ETS
7 Apr 2009
Work on a joint National/Labour emissions trading scheme could start as early as this week, says Labour climate change spokesman Charles Chauvel.
NZ Steel seeks suspension of ETS
7 Apr 2009
The stakes are high for NZ Steel as it contemplates the impact that its presentation to the ETS review committee last week might have had.
Concrete plant swings on ETS, says manufacturer
7 Apr 2009
The axe could fall on plans for a major new concrete manufacturing plant if the emissions trading scheme review committee does not heed industry warnings.
Dunne: With Labour, we'll reach ETS agreement
3 Apr 2009
The chairman of the emissions trading scheme review committee is predicting that Labour and National will reach agreement over a scheme which will have some degree of harmonisation with Australia.
US cap-and-trade bill may pose problems for NZ large emitters
3 Apr 2009
The latest cap-and-trade bill introduced in Congress offers the United States’ large emitters less transitional assistance than their New Zealand counterparts.
NZUs allocation clear sign of future ETS plans
3 Apr 2009
The Government’s allocation of eight million NZUs to the Crown’s holding account on Wednesday is a clear sign that the emissions trading scheme is here to stay.
Banks add climate clause to new loan agreements
3 Apr 2009
Banks are writing climate change clauses into their loan agreements.
Business leaders welcome multi-party deal talks on ETS
3 Apr 2009
Business leaders are welcoming statements by the National, Labour and Green parties that they are prepared to discuss a multi-party deal on an emissions trading law.
NZ carbon price cap backward step, says trader
31 Mar 2009
Capping New Zealand carbon prices as part of harmonising an emissions trading scheme with Australia would be a backward step, says a leading trader.
No hurry on methane emissions, says Groser
31 Mar 2009
Trade and Associate Climate Change Minister Tim Groser says that with no technology available to counter agricultural methane emissions, New Zealand will not push the case just for a 'first' on emissions trading.
ETS review hearings start on Thursday
31 Mar 2009
The ETS review committee will begin hearing submissions on Thursday morning, with the list of those who will be presenting being provided to committee members tonight.
National-Labour-Green deal possible on ETS
27 Mar 2009
The National Government could have a majority for a revised emissions trading scheme without the Act Party.
Energy leader backs cross-party action on ETS
27 Mar 2009
The prospect of cross-party support for an emissions trading scheme is being welcomed by energy infrastructure company Vector.
ETS hearings timetable out today
27 Mar 2009
Submitters to the ETS review committee should know later today the timetable for submission hearings.
Insurers work through climate disasters liability
27 Mar 2009
The insurance industry is grappling with the issue of how to insure against carbon lost through fires, biosecurity breaches, cyclones and other disasters.
Energy leader calls for carbon tax solution
24 Mar 2009
New Zealand’s largest domestically owned and operated energy company is calling for the government to postpone the emissions trading scheme and reconsider a carbon tax.
Harmonising Tasman emissions schemes could mean massive losses
24 Mar 2009
Harmonising the Australian and New Zealand emissions trading schemes could cause massive losses for forestry firms here and bring fuels into the scheme six months early.
NZ business leaders slow on carbon market uptake
24 Mar 2009
TZ1 chief Mark Franklin says that New Zealand businesses are slow at coming to terms with carbon markets.
Australia move could cut agriculture from ETS
20 Mar 2009
Aligning New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme more closely with that of Australia could mean an indefinite delay to bringing agriculture into the scheme, opening this country to charges of unfair subsidies, Greenpeace says.
ETS select committee starts hearing views
20 Mar 2009
The select committee reviewing the emissions trading scheme has started hearing submissions.
Capital acts to reduce carbon footprint
17 Mar 2009
Greater Wellington's Regional Sustainability Committee has implemented what it describes as a new regional greenhouse gas emissions inventory - a plan to reduce the region's overall carbon footprint.
Govt setting bad example, says UN award winner
13 Mar 2009
The scaling back of government green initiatives is setting a bad example for the private sector, says a Wellington environmental consultancy that has just been recognised by the United Nations.
Select committee has a chance to get it right
13 Mar 2009
The emissions trading scheme review is a good process which could give New Zealand a chance to “get it right”, says a leading climate change adviser.
Chauvel: Forget Australia and get on with our ETS
13 Mar 2009
Calls for alignment with Australia are really calls for New Zealand to delay the implementation of its emissions trading scheme, says Labour’s climate change spokesman Charles Chauvel.
Good week for the Roundtable
10 Mar 2009
COMMENT: The Business Roundtable will be pleased with the influence it is achieving through Nick Smith’s office.
Smith calls for new report on cost of ETS
6 Mar 2009
Two teams of economists with different opinions about the cost of the emissions trading scheme have been told to come up with a joint report for the ETS review.
Include biochar in ETS, urges top scientist
6 Mar 2009
World-renowned Australian scientist Professor Tim Flannery says that biochar technology – acknowledged as possibly our greatest chance of reducing atmospheric carbon – should be included in New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme.
Minister backs ETS review climate change stand
6 Mar 2009
The emissions trading scheme review is standing by its decision not to hear debate about the validity of climate change science - and has the backing of Climate Change Minister Nick Smith.
ETS delay hampers lake protection moves
6 Mar 2009
Delays in establishing a domestic carbon market are hampering the efforts of a trust set up to protect an iconic New Zealand natural landmark.
Key Business NZ manager now minister's ETS kingpin
3 Mar 2009
Business New Zealand's energy, environment and infrastructure manager has a new job advising the government on climate change and emissions trading.
CTU pushes for environment and social projects
3 Mar 2009
The Council of Trade Unions is calling on the Government to set up a major programme of environmental and social projects as part of its package to kick start the economy.
ETS submissions close, but numbers are secret
3 Mar 2009
Submisisons on the review of the emissions trading scheme have closed - but just how many there are is still under wraps.
NZ hydrogen regulation to catch up with the world
18 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The government has announced a regulatory reset for New Zealand’s emerging clean tech hydrogen sector.
State-owned farmer drives profit growth with emissions reductions
19 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Government-owned Landcorp, trading as Pāmu, is one-third of the way to meeting its 2031 emissions reduction targets, with five years left to run to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30.3% against 2021 emissions.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
10 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Transport pollution was the biggest contributor to an increase in New Zealand’s consumption-based emissions in 2023, with emissions from household travel up 12%, and consumption-based emissions totalling 58.3 million tonnes – up 1.6% from the previous year.
NZ could become ‘dumping ground’ for dirty vehicles: Commissioner
16 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Simon Upton, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, has warned the Government that its changes to the clean car standard could turn the country into a dumping ground for high emitting cars, making future emissions budgets harder to achieve.
Uncertainty eroding confidence in forestry sector
5 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Warnings are mounting that tree planting is set to plunge to “very close to zero”, as new Ministry for Primary Industries data shows ETS registration applications falling sharply as confidence in forestry declines.
Investors must support positive climate-tech
28 Nov 2025
OPINION: We need better leadership than the current ‘climate opportunism’ that is rife in the Beehive, and we need to back a marketplace that will make it happen, writes Rob Campbell.
