New Zealand: Politics
Big-spending business votes to buy green, says country can't risk going slow on climate change
13 Jun 2008
New Zealand can't afford to run the strategic risks involved in delaying climate change management - "simply to placate those who must adjust most, or resist adjustment”, business people in Auckland were told yesterday.
No carbon invoices, says Hyde
13 Jun 2008
Act Party leader Rodney Hyde is ruling out a policy of individual invoices for a carbon flat-tax.
Backroom deal guts agricultural targets: Greens
13 Jun 2008
A backroom deal between the Government and the agriculture sector has gutted the industry's voluntary emissions targets and directly contradicts Government policy, according to Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons.
Heavy emitters' bull turned loose in Maori Party's china shop
12 Jun 2008
The heavy emitters' organisation yesterday launched a public attack on the Maori Party in a move which might indicate it has given up on getting the party's support to delay the ETS bill.
Stop the climate change talking and do something, says Skilling
12 Jun 2008
New Zealand is skirting around the issues and failing to reach the consensus needed to deal with climate change, says the New Zealand Institute.
ACT working on individual carbon tax?
12 Jun 2008
ACT will cover the ETS debate in Parliament with the concept of individual invoices for a carbon flat tax.
$400,000+ price-tag for NZIER report?
11 Jun 2008
The secretly funded NZIER report on the potential impacts of the emissions trading scheme may have cost at least $400,000.
Maori party attacks proposed heavy emitter subsidies as “outrageous”
11 Jun 2008
The Maori Party’s co-leaders yesterday described the proposed 90% subsidy of heavy emitters under the emissions trading scheme as “outrageous”, indicating a tough line in any support for the ETS bill.
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.
Batteries and flexible electricity use could save NZ $20b by 2050
Fri 31 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | Rapid expansion of batteries and flexible electricity use could save energy users between $5.4 billion and $20.8b through to 2050, new modelling suggests.
Study outlines methane-cutting options for NZ livestock
21 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Breeding, feed and forage strategies could play a key role in reducing methane emissions from New Zealand's grazing livestock, with researchers concluding that a combination of approaches will be needed to achieve meaningful cuts.
'Terrible result': Emissions barely budged in 2024
5 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions were virtually unchanged in 2024, falling by 0.03%, despite the economy shrinking by ten times that amount during the same period, according to new data.
Rail revival key to reducing transport emissions: new strategy
Thu 30 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Future is Rail has launched an election manifesto setting out a national strategy for the incoming Government to rebuild New Zealand's passenger and freight rail network, with proposals ranging from overnight train services to nationwide electrification.
National deer management strategy urgently needed to halt 'catastrophe' for native forests
27 Jul 2026
Scientists are calling for an urgent national deer management strategy, with deer numbers now at unsustainable levels and decimating native forests.
NZ Steel closes in on first heat from electric arc furnace
Thu 30 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The first truckloads of scrap steel are being delivered to New Zealand Steel as the company works through the final stages of a significant emissions reduction project.
