New Zealand: Energy
Jobs ahead for 24m renewable energy workers
30 May 2017
The number of people employed in the renewable energy sector across the globe could rise to 24 million by 2030.
Road transport killing our clean-energy benefits
29 May 2017
The climate benefits of New Zealand’s increasing use of renewable electricity generation are being wiped out by our love affair with road transport.
TUNNEL VISION: New energy lines up job for old mines
29 May 2017
Abandoned coal shafts could be turned into giant storage devices to hold vast amounts of renewable power.
World's largest floating solar platform just went on line
29 May 2017
The world's largest floating solar energy platform has has gone on line in China.
Drought brings drop in greenhouse gas emissions
26 May 2017
New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions fell slightly in 2015 - but only because a drought forced dairy farmers to cut production.
Move over, Tesla, here come batteries made in Europe
24 May 2017
Battery-making gigafactories are about to arrive in Europe, challenging Tesla and opening the way for a quicker shift toward green power for both cars and utilities.
The new energy highway leads in one direction ... to the sun
23 May 2017
Humans consume 221 tonnes of coal, 1066 barrels of oil, and 93,000 metric cubes of natural gas per second.
Welcome to the Wild West world of deep-sea mining
23 May 2017
The International Seabed Authority is racing to draft regulations for the nascent deep-sea mining industry.
Sharing green energy tips good for cutting business costs
22 May 2017
Sharing energy-saving ideas such as using seawater pumps to heat buildings is helping big charities and businesses to cut costs while protecting the planet.
New Buller mines could emit CO2 of 3m cars
19 May 2017
Emissions resulting from potential new coal mines on the Buller plateau could put as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as another three million cars on New Zealand’s roads for the next 20 years, an environmental group warns.
UK nuclear industry faces Brexit fall-out
19 May 2017
Leaving the EU treaty that prevents radioactive waste falling into the wrong hands could prove costly for the UK nuclear industry.
World’s largest wind turbines go on line
19 May 2017
The largest wind turbines in the world have begun generating electricity off the coast of Liverpool.
Fossil fuel lobby could be forced to declare interests
18 May 2017
A push from developing countries to force fossil fuel lobbyists taking part in the Bonn climate talks to declare their conflicts of interest has won a significant battle against resistance from countries including New Zealand.
Indian coal plant gets $150m to sit idle
18 May 2017
An Indian coal-fired power plant is to be paid $150 million this financial year for generators that are sitting idle.
China (and others) pay for coal plants in Africa
17 May 2017
New coal plants in Africa are largely being paid for by China and developed countries that are turning away from the technology at home.
Vegan football club dines out on success
16 May 2017
Forest Green Rovers, a club based in Stroud, western England, and believed to be the first well-known “vegan” football club, hit the big time on Sunday after winning a Wembley play-off to reach the Football League in England for the first time.
SLIP SLINDING AWAY: Big Oil losing its grip on power
15 May 2017
With oil prices remaining low, hopes of combating climate change through emissions reduction are improving as the oil industry shrinks.
Europe opens door to Canada’s dirty oil
15 May 2017
Oil extracted from tar sands is far more polluting than conventional hydrocarbons. The EU’s decision to change the way it classifies the fuel is good news for Canadian exports and bad news for the environment.
Wood energy project start less than spectacular
12 May 2017
The Wood Energy South energy efficiency programme has prevented just 530 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions being released, Parliament has heard.
Indian solar power prices hit record low
12 May 2017
Wholesale solar power prices have reached another record low in India, faster than analysts predicted and further undercutting the price of fossil fuel-generated power in the country.
Problems with nuclear waste launch a gold rush
10 May 2017
Staggering sums of money involved in the long-term challenge of solving the world’s nuclear waste problems make it a booming business.
Germany’s weekend powered 85% by renewables
9 May 2017
Renewable energy sources – including wind and solar – provided the majority of Germany’s power over the weekend, generating more than 85 per cent of electricity on Sunday.
Our big houses bad for better insulation
8 May 2017
The benefits of better home insulation are being cancelled out by the trend toward bigger houses.
Spray on, printables next for the solar panel market
5 May 2017
Thin film technology is touted as a gamechanger for the solar panel market, but it’s not without drawbacks.
Coal price of $150 a tonne key to new Coast mine
3 May 2017
The Government is counting on a coking-coal price of $US150 a tonne in estimates about the economic benefits of proposed new mining on the Buller Plateau.
Clean energy now employs over 9.4 million
3 May 2017
More than 9.4 million people across the world are now employed in the renewable energy sector.
It takes only a few countries to kickstart a revolution
2 May 2017
In 2016, more renewable energy was added to the global grid than ever before, and at a lower cost. A global energy revolution is clearly under way.
Power plants must cut emissions under new EU rules
1 May 2017
POWER plants in the EU will have to cut the amount of toxic pollutants such as nitrogen oxides they emit under new rules approved by member states.
Is deep sea mining worth the risk?
28 Apr 2017
Scientists have discovered massive amounts of a rare metal called tellurium, a key element in cutting-edge solar technology.
UK acts to get gas out of the atmosphere
27 Apr 2017
The UK has launched a £8.6 million national research programme to investigate how to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, the first of its kind.
UK power generation achieves first coal-free day
26 Apr 2017
Friday was Britain’s first working day without coal power since the Industrial Revolution.
Scottish wind powers affordable housing
26 Apr 2017
Three wind turbines in Scotland are generating electricity for the national grid and helping to raise funds to build affordable homes in rural communities.
Energy Star rating loses its twinkle
21 Apr 2017
The Government is scrapping the Energy Star rating on home appliances.
Who wants to work with wind turbines? Plenty, it seems
21 Apr 2017
The fastest-growing occupation in the United States — by a long shot, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — is wind turbine technician.
Food carts get taste of solar
21 Apr 2017
New York’s thousands of food carts are generating carbon credits.
Fracking brings new oil boom to Alaska
20 Apr 2017
Despite opposition from environmental groups and President Obama’s 2016 ban on drilling in federal Arctic waters, exploration in Alaska has revealed massive new volumes of oil.
Scientist seeks capital backing for adaptation projects
19 Apr 2017
Ekos founder Dr Sean Weaver is working on a new project – a non-market mechanism to raise private capital to fund climate-change adaptation projects in developing countries.
Pool operator splashes out on electric pumps
19 Apr 2017
Auckland swimming pool operator Northern Arena says switching to electric heat-pumps for its pools has been good for swimmers and good for the climate.
World's nuclear giants limp toward extinction
18 Apr 2017
Any lingering hope that a worldwide nuclear power renaissance would contribute to combating climate change appears to have been dashed by US company Westinghouse, the largest provider of nuclear technology in the world, filing for bankruptcy, and the severe financial difficulties of its Japanese parent company, Toshiba.
SEND IN THE DRONES: Sky-high power stations find a friend
12 Apr 2017
Technology that uses flying drones to generate electricity from the wind is getting a boost from a German utility.
Solar power and saltwater to grow veges in desert
10 Apr 2017
A Norwegian company plans to establish a solar-powered facility in the Aqaba desert in Jordan, capable of growing a variety of crops without wasting any fresh water.
POWER POSERS: Energy industry worries and waits
7 Apr 2017
Uncertainty over the Government’s plans to implement the Paris Agreement on climate change is keeping New Zealand’s energy executives awake at night, says the World Energy Council.
Brexit barrier to clean energy, says WEC
7 Apr 2017
Brexit is undermining Europe’s switch to renewable energy, the World Energy Council says.
Green HQ gets green light
7 Apr 2017
In a case of gamekeeper-turned-poacher, New Zealand’s Green Building Council has improved the environmental performance of its own office.
Europe votes to take action on palm oil
7 Apr 2017
The European Parliament this week adopted a resolution calling the European Commission to phase out the use of biofuels based on vegetable oils by 2020, and to establish a single certification scheme to guarantee only sustainably produced palm oil enters the EU market.
Europe vows no new coal-fired plants from 2020
6 Apr 2017
Europe’s energy utilities have rung a death knell for coal, with a historic pledge that no new coal-fired plants will be built in the EU after 2020.
Renewables cut Europe's carbon emissions by 10%
5 Apr 2017
A surge in the use of wind and solar energy helped Europe to cut its fossil fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by about 10 per cent in 2015.
Carbon law could make Paris promise a reality
4 Apr 2017
By 2020, fossil fuels will no longer be subsidised by the taxpayer, anywhere in the world. And by then, carbon dioxide emissions worldwide will have started to fall.
SOLAR SURGE: Renewable energy sets new record
31 Mar 2017
Global renewable energy capacity increased by 161GW last year, setting a new deployment record for the sector.
How an energy icon bet on nuclear power - and lost
30 Mar 2017
Westinghouse, once synonymous with America’s industrial might, wagered its future on nuclear power ... and lost.
Growth, energy and climate in focus at Trans-Tasman bilateral talks
Today 11:00am
Trans-Tasman climate cooperation was one of the themes at the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum, with senior government officials and business leaders from both sides of the ditch meeting in Canberra this week.
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
Vector hits emissions reduction goal five years early
Today 11:00am
By Liz Kivi | Auckland lines company Vector has met its 2030 emissions reduction reduction target five years early, more than halving its direct emissions, and crediting innovation and a laser-focus for its success in a hard-to-abate sector.
Air NZ declares surprisingly low SAF prices
Wed 3 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand is able to source sustainable aviation fuel at between 1.5 and 2.5 times the price of conventional fossil fuels used for flying, all sourced from the US.
Forest carbon stores massive blind spot - study
Thu 4 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Aotearoa New Zealand’s planted forests hold significant deep soil organic carbon — with over half of it stored below 30 cm, and much of it over 1,000 years old.
XRB consults on delaying climate reporting requirements
Thu 4 Sep 2025
The External Reporting Board is proposing a further two years relief for companies to adopt anticipated financial impacts reporting and scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions reporting and assurance.
