New Zealand: Politics
Solid Energy one of NZIER emissions trading study funders
10 Jun 2008
State owned enterprise Solid Energy is one of the funders of the NZIER’s study on the possible economic impacts of the emissions trading scheme.
Scoping work under way to enhance register for start of ETS
10 Jun 2008
The public service is waiting for the ETS bill to become law before appointing people to key new roles administering emissions trading.
Don't rush the ETS - Field
9 Jun 2008
Independent MP Taito Philip Field is unlikely to support the Government’s emissions trading scheme, telling Carbon News that he fears it could damage the economy and that he doesn’t believe it needs to be passed before the election.
National prepared to gut emissions trading scheme
9 Jun 2008
National has once again proved it’s slippery on climate change, and will tell audiences whatever they think they want to hear, according to Climate Change Issues Minister David Parker.
Note reveals China's central bank working on cap and trade scheme
9 Jun 2008
China's central bank has drawn up a tentative outline for a domestic emissions trading scheme that could cover everything from greenhouse gases to water pollutants, and speed the country's push for greener growth.
US cap and trade bill dies in the Senate
9 Jun 2008
A bill which would have introduced a cap and trade scheme in the US, died in the Senate with a 48 to 36 vote against allowing amendments to be read.
McCain: cap and trade will change the dynamic of US economy
9 Jun 2008
BACKGROUNDER.- The Republican presidential candidate claims he wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 60%. That is 20% less than Obama’s (or Clinton’s) 80% by 2050.
Greentick spends entire marketing budget on legal action to protect trademark
6 Jun 2008
New Zealand-owned international eco-label company Greentick is on the offensive over false use of its trademark green tick, saying it has diverted its entire marketing budget to the legal department.
Garnaut says excluding petrol from Australian ETS "unwise"
6 Jun 2008
The economist advising the Australian Government on how to deal with climate change, Ross Garnaut, has suggested it would be unwise to exclude petrol from any emissions trading scheme.
Memo NZIER: Millions of workers will benefit from strong climate change action
6 Jun 2008
While the secretly funded study on the NZ ETS by the NZIER ignored job creation outcomes arising from climate change action, a new report in the US says millions of workers will benefit.
Greens caution against being diverted by promise of electric vehicles
6 Jun 2008
Greens co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons cautions against overlooking more immediate emission reduction solutions for New Zealand’s light vehicle fleet because of a general enthusiasm for electric vehicles.
AgResearch unveils world leading methane-measuring facility
6 Jun 2008
A world-leading facility for measuring methane emissions from sheep and cattle will help in New Zealand’s response to climate change and build on the country’s reputation as an international leader in pastoral agriculture.
Progress on new climate change deal "extremely disconcerting" says UN leader
5 Jun 2008
The director of the UN’s Environment Programme describes current progress in negotiating a new agreement to replace the Kyoto Treaty as “extremely disconcerting”.
PM: Significant risks to export industries without ETS and sustainability
5 Jun 2008
Prime Minister Helen Clark says she sees climate change as one of the biggest environmental and political challenges of our time and singificant risks to export industries if the country doesn't act to become more sustainable.
Lieberman: We've got a fight ahead of us on US ETS bill
5 Jun 2008
The senator behind the bill to introduce emissions trading in the US admits it is going to be a fight to get the 60 votes to shield it from the filibuster threat.
ETS bill goes on the block today at select committee
4 Jun 2008
The shape of New Zealand's emissions trading scheme goes on the block today.
Climate Change Governator due in town
4 Jun 2008
Californian Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger was due in town today – by video link.
Anderton weighs into Greens again: Are they Arthur or Martha on dairy prices?
4 Jun 2008
Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton has made his scond strong attack in three days on the Greens.
Together we can change the world, says UN envrionmental head
4 Jun 2008
Four million new Zealanders alone cannot resolve the global warming programme, but can when they join with the world’s other 6.5 billion people, the head of the UN’s environmental programme said in Auckland last night.
Australian Minister talks on ETS and fuel prices
4 Jun 2008
Australia's Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Tony Burke, has talked with The Sunday agenda programme on fuel prices and the proposed emissions trading scheme.
Conference-bolstered Greens going to play hard ball on ETS
3 Jun 2008
Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimmons has come away from the party’s annual conference at the weekend strengthened in her position to play hardball over the emissions trading scheme.
Forum assures committee: parliamentary process is parliamentary process
3 Jun 2008
The Government-appointed multi-sector Leadership Forum on Climate Change is not working as an alternative to the select committee process – and has told the select committee considering the emissions trading scheme so.
Farm level obligation possible in ETS bill
3 Jun 2008
The ETS bill is likely to be framed so individual farms can become the point of obligation to account for emissions.
Key reveals thoughts on "bastardised" ETS scheme to student blogger
3 Jun 2008
National leader John Key has referred to different credit phase out timelines for different sectors as “a bit of a bastardised way to develop an emissions trading scheme”.
Today's the day of the big debate on crucial United States ETS bill
3 Jun 2008
The major Liebermann-Warner cap and trade bill is due to be debated in the US Senate today NZ time.
Aussie truck drivers: include fuel in ETS
3 Jun 2008
Australian truck drivers back the inclusion of fuel in their Government's emissions trading scheme and consider cuts to the fuel excise to be bad policy.
ETS impact modelling problems in Australia
3 Jun 2008
Economists in Australia are struggling to measure the impact on the economy of a proposed 90% emissions cut by 2050.
EU experience shows cement industry's ETS worries 'exaggerated'
30 May 2008
Cement firms’ worries about international competitiveness effects and leakage, caused by emissions trading, may be exaggerated, according to a new analysis by carbon market experts.
Mercury emission threat reappears
30 May 2008
A mercury poisoning disease may make a comeback as climate change dries out wetlands.
Banrock Station boss: make money by carbon sinking local reserves
30 May 2008
Money should be made from reserves by turning them into carbon sinks.
Federated Farmers: We did not fund secret report
29 May 2008
Federated Farmers is strongly denying rumours that it is one of the secret funders of last month's NZIER report which predicts that the emissions trading scheme will cost New Zealand 22,000 jobs and billions of dollars.
Farmers: Green move to get agriculture into ETS early "not a runner"
29 May 2008
Farmers say a Green Party attempt to get them into the emissions trading scheme early as part of a deal for the party’s support for the climate change bill is not a political runner.
Dunne lines himself up for an anti-ETS bill vote, or a household protector victory
29 May 2008
Is United Future leader Peter Dunne lining himself up for a vote against the emsission trading scheme? Or accolades for delivering a policy concession from the Government?
Stern's global climate change deal proposal
29 May 2008
Several Carbon News readers describe the latest Stern plan to manage climate change an essentail reading.
EXCLUSIVE: Greens push for early ETS entry for agriculture
28 May 2008
The Green Party is looking to force the Government to bring agriculture into the emissions trading scheme early.
ACT: climate change a "pup" but let's have a tax
28 May 2008
ACT has released a 20 point plan for the country, including managing climate change.
Time for industry to step up to the plate on climate change
28 May 2008
The Council of Trade Unions is calling on industry to be more constructive on climate change issues.
Australians shift on free emissions
27 May 2008
The New Zealand Government is continuing to rule out free carbon credits to most sectors of the economy, despite a shift in thinking in Australia on the issue.
Greens reveal more of their conditions for ETS support
27 May 2008
The Greens have set out some of their policy demands for support of the emissions trading bill.
Parker rules out personal carbon rationing
27 May 2008
Climate Change Issues Minister David Parker is ruling out a personal carbon emissions trading scheme here.
Forum heads to the select committee
26 May 2008
A high-powered group of business and community leaders who back an emissions trading scheme will appear before the finance and expenditure select committee today to answer questions from MPs.
Dunne does a dance on ETS costs to households
26 May 2008
UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne says the party’s future support of both the Emissions Trading Scheme and the biofuels legislation currently before Parliament hinge on the issue of the impact on household budgets.
Assumptions used to delay fossil fuel in ETS may prove unreliable
26 May 2008
Key data behind the Government’s major decision to defer including liquid fuels in the emissions trading scheme until 2011 rely on multiple assumptions which may prove unreliable.
Greenpeace: Good initiatives at risk under polluter subsidy plans
26 May 2008
Greenpeace welcomes today's Green Party announcement that all state houses will be properly insulated within five years but warns initiatives like this could be at risk if big polluters get their way.
"Aspirational goal" G8 ministers told climate change not waiting for any of us
26 May 2008
Ministers from G8 Countries say their leaders are likely to agree only aspirational goals when they meet in July.
EXCLUSIVE - National answers questions on ETS: No bill backing even if it gets all it wants
23 May 2008
In response to a series of questions from Carbon News, National says it will bring farmers into the emissions trading scheme, but won’t vote to pass it before the election – even if it can get all six of its key demands into the draft legislation.
Price for NZ First support of ETS not paid yet
23 May 2008
A Budget commitment to help the elderly meet the rising cost of electricity under an emissions trading scheme is just the first concession of several being demanded by New Zealand First as its price for supporting the climate change bill.
Fiscal forecast: ETS will lose Govt $121m net in first commitment period
23 May 2008
The Government will allocate $2,151 million in emission credits and earn $2,030 million from them in the first Kyoto commitment period, making a net loss of $121 million.
Dunne: More than tax cuts needed for households to counter ETS price rises
23 May 2008
There will be justifiable outrage and anger if the Government decides to treat these cuts as effectively a down payment on increases in the cost of living brought on by the Emissions Trading Scheme, according to United Future leader Peter Dunne.
Cullen quizzed on multi-billion ETS surplus from sale of credits
23 May 2008
The Government will make a net revenue gain from the emissions trading system of up to about $159 million a year between 2013 and 2018 - $795 million over five years - and "perhaps" $1b to $1.5 b a year out to 2030.
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.
