New Zealand: Transport
New study reveals shattering effect of roads on nature
16 Dec 2016
Rampant road building has shattered the Earth’s land into 600,000 fragments, most of which are too tiny to support significant wildlife, a new study has revealed.
Vehicles in Paris must have 'clean stickers'
13 Dec 2016
Paris has passed a new regulation which requires vehicles to display a “clean sticker” indicating the cleanliness of the vehicle in high pollution areas.
Takanini joins e-charger network
9 Dec 2016
Auckland’s southern-most public electric vehicle charger has opened in Takanini.
Britain paves way for EVs and green aviation
7 Dec 2016
British transport is set for a significant low-carbon boost with several new Government consultations and funding schemes announced in a bid to drive a green transport overhaul.
Toyota to expand hybrid development
7 Dec 2016
Toyota will expand the development of its gasoline-hybrid technology over the next five years to speed up the introduction of lower-emission engines.
Major cities move to ban diesel cars and trucks by 2025
5 Dec 2016
The leaders of four major global cities say they will stop the use of all diesel-powered cars and trucks by the middle of the next decade.
GM ready to lose $9000 a pop on all-electric Chevy Bolt
5 Dec 2016
General Motors stands to lose as much as $US9000 on every Chevrolet Bolt that leaves a showroom once the all-electric subcompact starts rolling out.
Toyota likes sales of luxury hybrid SUVs
2 Dec 2016
Sales of luxury hybrid sport vehicles are on the rise in New Zealand.
Copenhagen boasts more bicycles than cars
1 Dec 2016
Denmark's capital city, Copenhagen, is now home to more bikes than cars.
MAKE SOME NOISE: E-vehicles must turn up the volume
29 Nov 2016
US authorities have ruled that all hybrids and EVs must emit an artificial noise by the year 2019.
PAIN IN SPAIN: Fast train, but what about the birds?
29 Nov 2016
The European Court of Justice has ruled that Spain forgot about the birds when it built a high-speed train link between Seville and Almería.
Why faster roads don't sit with our plans for electric cars
25 Nov 2016
Increasing the speed limit will negate the climate benefits of the Government’s electric vehicle policy, says an expert on climate change and transport.
VW shifts gear to e-cars and US market
23 Nov 2016
Volkswagen said it wants to be the world leader in electric cars by 2025 as it unveiled a major shift to clean-energy vehicles in the wake of the dieselgate emissions cheating scandal.
Cars use much more fuel than manufacturers let on
22 Nov 2016
Cars consume much more than makers claim they do and the gap between lab and real-world performance can reach up to 42 per cent, according to a new study.
Alaska flies first jet powered by local forest biomass
22 Nov 2016
Alaska Airline passengers have taken to the skies in a world-first commercial flight running on sustainable alternative jet fuel made from forest residuals from the Pacific Northwest.
Air NZ flies high at sustainable business awards
18 Nov 2016
Air New Zealand is the supreme winner in this year’s Sustainable Business Network Awards, announced in Auckland last night.
Bike to work ... and get yourself a tax break
11 Nov 2016
People should receive £250 ($NZ425) a year in tax breaks if they cycle to work, according to a proposal to improve public health and business productivity backed by some of the UK’s biggest companies.
US designates e-vehicle charging corridors
7 Nov 2016
The US government is designating 48 electric vehicle charging corridors along 25,000 miles of major highways as a way to cut greenhouse gas emissions and make it easier for drivers to switch to electric cars.
California ups e-car rebate for the not-so-rich
3 Nov 2016
California recently tweaked its green car incentive programme so more benefits are available for lower-income households and high-income earners are excluded from getting the rebates.
German vice-chancellor attacks China’s e-car targets
3 Nov 2016
Germany has criticised a Chinese proposal that would set a minimum quota for sales of electric vehicles.
Are priority measures for e-cars really a good idea?
1 Nov 2016
With as many as 40,000 premature deaths linked to air pollution each year, five UK cities are considering a novel approach to reduce emissions.
UN to deliver climate plan for shipping in 2023
31 Oct 2016
The UN’s shipping body will produce a strategy to curb greenhouse gases by 2023, over 170 countries agreed at talks in London.
UN faces deadlock over shipping climate plans
26 Oct 2016
Countries remain split on a framework for tackling the climate impact from shipping after two days of UN-backed talks in London.
Connected cars could be big energy savers ... or not
26 Oct 2016
Connected cars and trucks are intended to make driving safer and easier. The chances of success all come down to humans.
Why you may never need to buy your child a bike again
25 Oct 2016
Imagine Project sets out to cut waste in the industry by renting rather than selling bikes, which can then be returned and refurbished when the child outgrows them.
National electric vehicle fleet grows to 2000
19 Oct 2016
New Zealand now has more than 2000 electric vehicles – twice as many as at the start of the year.
Big business gives big yes to vehicle fleets going electric
17 Oct 2016
Some of New Zealand’s largest businesses are pledging to convert their vehicle fleets to electricity, collectively avoiding more than 3000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year within three years.
Electric cars set to pass two million mark
14 Oct 2016
The number of plug-in electric cars on the world’s roads is set to pass the landmark of 2m vehicles by the end of this year, with industry observers saying the electric car revolution is finally under way.
Investors tell car industry to get a move on
13 Oct 2016
Major investors have warned the automotive industry it needs to accelerate its readiness for a low-carbon world if it is to retain their support and prosper.
Germany wants to see end of gas and diesel cars by 2030
12 Oct 2016
Germany’s Bundesrat has approved a resolution that calls for a ban on new internal combustion engines by 2030.
Europe eyes e-car plug in every new home
12 Oct 2016
Every new or refurbished house in Europe will need to be equipped with an electric vehicle recharging point, under a draft EU directive expected to come into effect by 2019.
Delaying action on ship emissions would kill many
11 Oct 2016
A push by the shipping and oil industries for a five-year delay to curbs on toxic sulphur emissions would cause an extra 200,000 premature deaths from lung cancer and heart disease, says a new report.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane?
10 Oct 2016
A futuristic electric urban car has met its half-million-euros funding target in less than two days.
Global aviation emissions deal gets wings
7 Oct 2016
A global carbon market for aviation that could see New Zealand offsetting three million tonnes of emissions a year is going ahead.
Americans buy more EVs than ever before
7 Oct 2016
US plug-in vehicle sales reached a quarterly record for the three-month period that ended September 30.
Freight operators can make huge savings, says expert
4 Oct 2016
Planning and co-operation could see the freight sector cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent, says an international expert.
Airline emissions deal could boost offset bills
3 Oct 2016
A new global market-based measure for aviation emissions could see New Zealand having to offset 3 million tonnes of greenhouse gases a year.
We've pumped out an extra 500,000 tonnes of gases
3 Oct 2016
Last year’s jump in New Zealand's fossil-fuel consumption from transport probably put an extra 500,000 tonnes of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, an expert says.
UN close to landmark deal on aircraft emissions
3 Oct 2016
A UN negotiation is inching towards a landmark deal to curb emissions from airplanes, although environmental groups have warned that the plan will not go far enough to help slow climate change.
Every future Prius might be a plug-in hybrid
30 Sep 2016
Toyota is considering making every future Prius a plug-in hybrid.
Are we finally about to get an aviation emissions deal?
27 Sep 2016
Delegates from more than 190 nations today will begin an 11-day meeting in Montreal to determine the final form of a scheme to reduce greenhouse emissions from the aviation industry.
NZ will join aviation emissions agreement
23 Sep 2016
New Zealand will join an international market-based system to reduce aviation emissions, the Government has just announced.
NZ mulls over stand on aviation emissions
22 Sep 2016
New Zealand is considering its position on international plans to reduce the aviation industry’s impact on the climate.
Emissions targets need all-electric cars
22 Sep 2016
A new study says that achieving limits on temperature rise agreed at last year’s Paris climate conference will require a massive switch to zero emissions electric-powered vehicles, coupled with the development of a completely decarbonised power sector.
Tokyo wants self-drive cars for 2020 Olympics
22 Sep 2016
Tokyo aims to introduce self-driving vehicles by the time the Olympic Games are staged there in 2020.
CARMAGEDDON | Let's face it, cars always were a dumb idea
21 Sep 2016
It was a mistake – a monumental, world-class mistake. Cars for everyone was one of the most stupid promises politicians ever made.
Toyota using sewage to power new electric car
21 Sep 2016
For unlimited clean energy, Toyota is turning to one of the dirtiest places there is: the toilet.
We need a million electric vehicles, says report
20 Sep 2016
New Zealand needs 1.2 million light electric vehicles on the road by 2030 to meet its Paris Agreement emissions reduction target, a report shows.
Minister admits Government can't afford e-cars
20 Sep 2016
Government departments are so cash-strapped they can’t afford to buy electric vehicles, the transport minister says.
'Not giving up' – Right to repair bill in doubt
Thu 21 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A bill that would make it easier for New Zealanders to access spare parts and the information to repair a product themselves while also cutting carbon emissions is looking unlikely to make it into law.
NZ must strengthen energy system
Tue 19 Aug 2025
New Zealand must keep strengthening its energy system if it is to remain competitive on the world stage while moving towards net-zero emissions, according to a new benchmarking report from the BusinessNZ Energy Council.
International scientists slam NZ govt's proposed approach to methane
13 Aug 2025
New Zealand's proposed approach to methane emissions has again been attacked by international climate scientists, with a new study saying the attempt to redefine climate target-setting by livestock-exporting countries undermines the transition to a sustainable and equitable food system
Dry winter pushed up Spark’s emissions
Thu 21 Aug 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Increased use of coal and natural gas to generate electricity in the last year caused a spike in scope 1 and 2 emissions reported by telecommunications operator Spark NZ.
Certainty crucial to emissions cuts – Watts
Wed 20 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says that policy certainty is the Government’s primary lever for unlocking private capital and meeting climate targets, telling a carbon forestry conference that ETS settings are 'locked' through 2030.
NZ still lagging behind in ESG reporting
Mon 18 Aug 2025
The number of companies reporting on ESG and sustainability performance in New Zealand is improving, but we are still lagging behind compared with our key trading partners, according to a report.
