New Zealand: Politics
Smith reveals National’s goal for integrated trans-Tasman ETS, plans to protect emitting industries beyond 2025
18 Mar 2008
Avoiding a repeat of Labour’s economic strip-tease of the 1980s, and integrating the New Zealand emissions trading scheme (ETS) with Australia’s will be key planks in the National Party’s climate change policy at this year’s general election.
Key backs ETS – with balance
18 Mar 2008
Opposition Leader John Key says his party supports the proposed New Zealand emissions trading system, describing it as “a good model, market-based, it works”. He also talked of further reforming the planning laws so renewable energy projects could proceed.
Business leader says to trust prices to look after the environment
18 Mar 2008
Businesses should reinforce their belief in the power of markets to put a price on carbon and take care of the environment.
EXCLUSIVE: Government to plead for forest off-setting option
17 Mar 2008
The Government will plead with its Kyoto Protocol partners to introduce forest offsetting to the rules covering the second commitment period from 2012 to 2025, but its chances of success are remote, a well-placed source has told Carbon News.
Business wants New Zealand to go nuclear on emission credits
17 Mar 2008
Businesses being required to enter New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme want to be able to trade nuclear-sourced emissions credits.
Corporate tax group's views on treatment of New Zealand emission trading units
12 Mar 2008
Inland Revenue is being asked to clarify how emissions trading units, used in the coming New Zealand emissions trading scheme, will be treated. This paper prepared by Deloitte for the Corporate Tax Group (representing 32 major corporations) and submitted to the IRD, sets out the issues – and proposed solutions in how ETUs should be treated for tax purposes.
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.
