New Zealand: Transport
Air NZ fits planes with fuel-saving winglets
14 Jul 2009
Air New Zealand’s bid to cut carbon emissions and fuel consumption by fitting blended winglets to its five Boeing 767-300ER aircraft began yesterday.
'Green capital' to show off zero-emissions vehicle
30 Jun 2009
Palmerston North is consolidating its reputation as New Zealand’s green capital with the pending roll out of a locally designed and built zero-emissions vehicle.
Biofuel source important to us, says Air NZ
16 Jun 2009
Air New Zealand says that where a biofuel is produced will be part of its selection criteria for any future biofuel it may use.
Ecologist queries Air NZ enviroment award
12 Jun 2009
Air New Zealand’s Qualmark’s Enviro-Gold accreditation is based in part on a false view of sustainability, says Pacific Ecologist editor Kay Weir.
New bill will ignite local biofuel debate
12 Jun 2009
A new private member’s bill will spark an interesting debate about whether New Zealand-produced biofuel is disadvantaged compared with imported biofuel, says Gull’s New Zealand manager Dave Bodger.
Capital clearing way for e-car stations
9 Jun 2009
The Wellington City Council is evaluating all of its transport policies to remove anything that stands in the way of kerbside charging stations for electric vehicles.
Airline test raises questions, says biofuel pioneer
5 Jun 2009
Air New Zealand’s biofuel test flight is a “proof point” in the development of a certified aviation biofuel, but questions remain about the crop source, says Blenheim-based Aquaflow.
Biofuel test-flight shows 'significant' fuel saving
29 May 2009
Scientific testing has found that up to 1.4 tonnes of fuel can be saved on a 12-hour long-haul flight powered by a 50/50 blend of second generation jatropha sustainable biofuel and traditional Jet A1, says Air New Zealand.
Government cans electric car think-tank
22 May 2009
A group of leading industry experts promoting the use of renewable energy in transport has been disbanded less than a year after it was set up.
Capital carpool operation hits the road
22 May 2009
Greater Wellington Regional Council’s carpool scheme is open for business
Auckland-Wellington for $4.40 in the Green Machine
12 May 2009
The public has to overcome “range anxiety” and convert interest in electric vehicles into owning and using the technology, says electric vehicle enthusiast Pat Boyle.
Timber mill train decision clears roads
14 Apr 2009
A shift by a major timber mill from road to rail will mean around 2000 fewer truck movements a year, KiwiRail says.
Baroness slams dual-purpose biofuel crops
7 Apr 2009
British House of Lords crossbencher Baroness Caroline Cox, often described as the “voice for the voiceless” for her work in exposing slavery, says that bio fuel must be derived from vegetation specifically grown for that purpose.
ARC sees back-to-the-future transport solution
31 Mar 2009
The Auckland Regional Council is recommending a back-to-the-future approach to fixing Auckland’s transport woes in the light of the Government’s recent transport infrastructure funding announcements.
Biofuels and e-car experts in capital talks
24 Mar 2009
Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee will open EECA’s fifth biofuels and electric vehicles conference in Wellington this morning, kicking off a programme strong on international perspectives.
NZ-UK business group criticises airport taxes
24 Mar 2009
The sole New Zealand-United Kingdom trade lobby group has broken cover and come out publicly against proposals advanced in recent months by the British Government to increase and reshape future airport departure taxes.
Mapp urges biofuel crops for our badlands
13 Mar 2009
Crown Research Minister Wayne Mapp says that the parts of New Zealand unsuitable for growing food should be cultivated for biofuels.
Biofuels bad news for third world, ecologists warn
10 Mar 2009
Having large numbers of motorists switch to biofuels would be “bad news for the planet and for many millions of third world people suffering through the expansion of agrofuels to feed the rich world's cars", warns the Pacific Institute of Resource Management.
Australian researchers claim algae breakthrough
10 Mar 2009
Australian researchers say they have scored a world first by being able to quantify algae’s ability to sequester greenhouse gas.
Think concrete, lobby tells government roadmakers
3 Mar 2009
The Cement and Concrete Association is promoting to the Government the sustainability of cement instead of bitumen for roads.
Electric car on trial, but price still a mystery
24 Feb 2009
New Zealanders won’t know how much they’ll have to pay for Mitsubishi’s iMiEV electric vehicle until at least June.
Get rid of our flimsy houses, says leading architect
13 Feb 2009
The Cement & Concrete Association has brought household-name architect Ian Athfield into the debate on domestic heat loss.
Capital moves car-pool targets closer to city
27 Jan 2009
The Wellington Regional Council has calibrated its pending car-pooling scheme to appeal to residents who live too far away from work to walk, but not far enough away to benefit from public transport.
Brownlee's biofuels backdown hurts tallow pioneer
16 Jan 2009
Biofuel manufacturer Biodiesel Oils says that the forced mothballing of its Waikato tallow-to-diesel plant is affecting its ability to sell its technology overseas.
Shipowners seek rewards for cutting emissions
19 Dec 2008
The New Zealand shipping industry wants rewards built into the emissions trading scheme for companies that cut greenhouse gas emissions from their fleets.
Aquaflow eyes world-first algae biofuel flight
16 Dec 2008
The world's first test-flight using Aquaflow's algae-based biofuel blend could be just months away - and it might be in New Zealand.
Brownlee decision disappoints biofuel makers
12 Dec 2008
The Government’s decision to repeal the obligation placed on oil companies to sell a certain proportion of biofuel has polarised opinion in the biofuel sector.
Ministry wants to know plans for electric cars
12 Dec 2008
The Ministry of Transport wants to know whether the new government supports plans to make New Zealand one of the first countries in the world to shift to electric cars.
Oil price fall poses problem for exploration
9 Dec 2008
The fall this week of Brent Crude to $37 a barrel is a further disincentive to oil exploration at a time when at least one New Zealand producer has been caught without forward price cover.
UK airport tax 'reprisal' for NZ stand on food miles
5 Dec 2008
Britain’s $240-a-head airport surcharge scheme amounts to a reprisal against New Zealand's stance on the food miles issue, some industry sources believe.
Crash delays Air NZ biofuel test flight
2 Dec 2008
Air New Zealand has postponed tomorrow's biofuel test flight to early January in the wake of the crash of one of its aircraft in France.
Trolley lines could power cars, says Wellington mayor
28 Nov 2008
Wellington mayor Kerry Prendergast wants to bury the city's trolley bus overhead powerlines in order to create a dual conduit – one for the buses, the other for the recharging of electric cars.
Key seeks further talks on UK's passenger tax
28 Nov 2008
Prime Minister John Key has requested further discussions with British counterpart Gordon Brown over the UK Government’s increases in air-passenger duty.
Why you should know your carbon footprint
28 Nov 2008
Taxes aren’t a barrier to operating profitably in a carbon economy, but a lack of knowledge is, says Landcare Research’s carboNZero technical manager Ann Smith.
Youthful manager drives Meridian's electric cars project
21 Nov 2008
Youthful and somewhat wary of the limelight, Meridian’s corporate strategy manager K-J Dillon is perhaps an unlikely public face for the company’s electric vehicles programme.
People-pods developer woos NZ investors
11 Nov 2008
A company that has patented a lightweight above-the-streets system that could revolutionise public transport says it’s willing to set up in New Zealand – if investors here come to the party.
Hitch-a-ride pioneer adopts TradeMe approach
11 Nov 2008
A small New Zealand internet-based transport-sharing service might be only a month old, but already it has its eyes on the European market.
Add coconut to biofuel mix, says PNG politician
7 Nov 2008
A Papua New Guinea MP and former deputy prime minister is promoting coconut - either virgin or as copra - as a potential fuel feedstock.
Aquaflow signs 'significant' US clean-tech deal
31 Oct 2008
New Zealand biofuel pioneer Aquaflow has signed a deal with one of the world's biggest suppliers of oil processing technology.
$1-a-litre southern diesel might be closer than we think
28 Oct 2008
Turning Otago Southland's lignite coal reserves into transport fuel might not be the pipe-dream that many people think - despite the Government playing-down the prospect.
E-car entrepreneur eyes charging stations network for NZ
28 Oct 2008
An American company planning to blanket Australia with electric-car charging stations also has its eyes on a network for New Zealand.
EXCLUSIVE: Government might back first bioethanol plant
24 Oct 2008
The Government is involved in talks which could see a 10-million-litre biorefinery, converting plant material to enthanol, built in New Zealand within three years.
Government dragging chain on Envirosol project
21 Oct 2008
Envirosol, the non-contaminating, non-greenhouse gas generating fumigant under private sector joint-venture development by the Government through Crop and Food appears to have stalled.
Airport has high hopes for $50m green pier building
10 Oct 2008
A building the Auckland Airport company hopes will be the first in the country to win the prestigious Leed green-building certification opens today.
Our shipping treated badly, say West Coast businesses
7 Oct 2008
West Coast business interests say that the carbon emissions trading regime is being deliberately slanted to favour rail over coastal shipping, effectively by-passing Westport and Greymouth as coal exporting ports.
London might get Olympics buses from Ashburton
7 Oct 2008
Ashburton’s Designline appears to have won a bid to supply eco-buses for London’s Olympic Games in 2012.
Bank offers customers fixed-price diesel deal
23 Sep 2008
Westpac is leveraging off its drive into industrial equipment leasing by expanding the package, and is now offering its customers a longer-term fixed price on their diesel supply.
Want a new Mitsi electric? Don't hold your breath
19 Sep 2008
Only one of Mitsubishi’s i MiEV electric vehicles is confirmed as coming to New Zealand in 2009 for display and evaluation purposes – and there are doubts the car maker will ever bring “useful” numbers them into the country for sale.
Kiwi boffin says he can turn tyres into fuel
16 Sep 2008
A New Zealander has developed a compact and mobile refinery appliance that he says can derive automotive fuel from the nation’s dumped tyres.
NZ algae-to-fuels pioneer claims world breakthrough
12 Sep 2008
New Zealand’s Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation says it has become the first company in the world to produce green-crude from wild algae.
'Back-to-basics' approach for councils ignores climate risk
Fri 11 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | While ACT is standing local government candidates to oppose councils' attempts to manage emissions and ministers are calling for local authorities to 'get back to basics' - or even suggesting scrapping regional councils altogether - one expert says this narrative is putting communities at risk in the face of climate change.
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.
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.
