New Zealand: Energy
Energy efficiency makes impact on carbon emissions
25 Oct 2016
Improved energy efficiency is helping New Zealand to cut thousands of tonnes of carbon emissions, as well as saving millions of dollars a year, the Government energy efficiency agency reports.
Corporate climate risk is all about turning a profit
25 Oct 2016
Risk has become a central construct for how businesses should respond to climate change.
Clinton says clean energy economy will create millions of jobs. Can it?
25 Oct 2016
Job growth is a prime topic in the US presidential race, but Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton have very different takes on the role clean energy could play in creating employment.
Diesel use boosts national gas emissions
21 Oct 2016
New Zealanders are producing more greenhouse gas emissions from the use of diesel, according to new figures.
Exxon says world needs oil of five Saudis
21 Oct 2016
Global demand for energy will grow 25 per cent in the next 25 years and countries will guzzle oil five times the size of Saudi Arabia’s reserves, predicts Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson.
Saudis say oil industry must do its bit
21 Oct 2016
Oil companies must cut their carbon footprints to play a part in meeting the Paris Agreement on climate change, says Saudi Arabia oil chief Khalid Al-Falih.
Meet the US companies with the most solar
21 Oct 2016
Target is now the US. company that produces the most solar power at its facilities, beating out Walmart for the first time, and heading off Prologis, Apple, Costco, Kohl’s, and IKEA.
Big Oil might be emerging stronger than ever
20 Oct 2016
After a heart-stopping plunge in the price of crude over the last two years, along with slashed dividends and the elimination of tens of thousands of jobs, the biggest oil companies are proving surprisingly adept at again pumping profits, as well as oil, out of the ground.
Nuclear fusion record big boost for clean energy
18 Oct 2016
A nuclear fusion world record has been set in the US, marking another step on the long road toward the unlocking of limitless clean energy.
Biofuels turn out to be a climate mistake – here’s why
18 Oct 2016
Ever since the 1973 oil embargo, US energy policy has sought to replace petroleum-based transportation fuels with alternatives. One prominent option is using biofuels, such as ethanol in place of gasoline and biodiesel instead of ordinary diesel.
Fracking pumps up public’s climate fears
18 Oct 2016
Public opposition to pumping water and chemicals into the ground to extract gas from shale − the technique known as fracking − is growing even in the countries whose governments are most in favour.
Nations sign 'monumental' deal on coolants
17 Oct 2016
A global deal to limit the use of hydrofluorocarbons in the battle to combat climate change has been hailed as a “monumental step forward”.
... but it will make little difference in the West
17 Oct 2016
They went to Kigali to eliminate hydrofluorocarbons and take 0.5deg out of future global warming, and the 170 countries who successfully negotiated an amendment to the Montreal Protocol agreed to get rid of 90 per cent of them. Job done. Not bad for four days and three long nights’ work.
Global wind capacity will hit 500GW by year end
14 Oct 2016
Global wind capacity is set to hit 500GW by the end of 2016, accounting for around 5 per cent of global power demand, according to new data.
US energy emissions fall to lowest in 25 years
14 Oct 2016
The US has recorded its lowest energy-related CO2 emissions for the first six months of any year since 1991.
Investing in renewable energy falls to new low point
12 Oct 2016
Global investment in clean energy fell to the lowest in more than three years as demand for new renewable energy sources slumped in China, Japan and Europe.
BP ditches plans to drill for oil in Bight
12 Oct 2016
BP has decided not to go ahead with its controversial plans to drill for oil in the commonwealth marine reserve in the Great Australian Bight.
Fossil fuel industry must halt expansion
12 Oct 2016
Governments need to call an immediate halt to new coal, oil and gas projects if the world is to meet its climate change targets, a new report concludes.
Global demand for energy will peak in 2030, says world body
11 Oct 2016
Global demand for energy per capita will peak in 2030 thanks to new technology and stricter government policies, the World Energy Council has predicted.
Energy leaders want stability for renewables
11 Oct 2016
Stable tariffs and policy support are needed to boost the growth of the renewable energy sector, say industry leaders at the 23rd World Energy Congress.
We're not doing enough, warn global energy leaders
10 Oct 2016
Current market signals are not strong enough to drive the decarbonisation the world needs to avoid dangerous levels of climate change, say energy leaders meeting in Istanbul.
Trustpower hits pause on Aust renewables spin-off
10 Oct 2016
Trustpower has put the brakes on its plans to spin-off its wind energy assets into an Australia-based renewables-only entity, while it reviews the timing and business case of the move in light of the recent electricity system failure in South Australia.
Fossil fuel emissions much higher than thought
6 Oct 2016
Emissions of the powerful greenhouse gas from coal, oil and gas are up to 60% greater than previously estimated, meaning current climate prediction models should be revised, research shows.
Brazil shifts funds from coal to solar power
6 Oct 2016
Brazil’s mighty National Development Bank is boosting solar funds while cutting credit for fossil fuels and large hydro.
World's largest carbon-capture plant opening soon
6 Oct 2016
It’s a tall order for any new technology, but for a commercial carbon capture and storage system, it might be the start of a revolution.
Fossil fuel investors seek risks disclosure
5 Oct 2016
On one side are the big oil and gas companies. On the other is an increasingly vocal group of investors – both big and small – who are worried about the declining value of billions of dollars’ worth of shares they hold in these mighty conglomerates.
Global energy graphs that might surprise you ...
5 Oct 2016
Love data? Care about the energy transition? Here's the story in a nutshell ...
Minister wants a clean-tech 'second revolution'
4 Oct 2016
The environment minister wants a “second revolution” in clean technologies to reduce the use of synthetic gases that cause climate warming.
Nation still dining out on fossil fuels, report shows
30 Sep 2016
New Zealanders continue to guzzle fossil fuels, with 76 per cent of the country’s energy last year coming from oil, gas and coal, Government figures show.
Burning existing fossil fuels will break the Paris bank
27 Sep 2016
Burning all the carbon in existing coal mines and developed oil and gas fields will push the world past the Paris Agreement climate limit.
Scientists find better way to run gas turbines
27 Sep 2016
Molybdenum silicides can improve the efficiency of turbine blades in ultra-high-temperature combustion systems, researchers at Kyoto University have found.
Why NZ doesn't need foreign carbon credits
26 Sep 2016
New Zealand could meet its Paris Agreement pledge without using foreign carbon credits and develop a $6 billion industry at the same time, says the Bioenergy Association.
China to slow green growth after boom
26 Sep 2016
After installing more wind and solar farms than anywhere else on the planet, China is ratcheting back the pace of growth in an industry that’s helped lower the costs of green energy worldwide.
Solar behemoth arises in China
23 Sep 2016
A massive 2-gigawatt solar project is under development in China's Ningxia region. The $2.34 billion project will need about six million panels and will likely be the world's largest solar farm.
Asia eyes renewable energy super grid
23 Sep 2016
Entrepreneurs in China, Russia, Japan and South Korea have signed a memorandum of understanding which sets out plans to create an Asian renewable energy super grid.
Native American pipeline resistance is about climate justice
21 Sep 2016
Over the past months, hundreds of indigenous persons and their allies have gathered near the crossing of the Missouri and Cannon Ball rivers in the ancestral territories of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe.
Renewables establish economic lead
16 Sep 2016
The cheapest way of generating energy today is to use renewable fuels – and the authors of a new analysis predict that renewables are set to enjoy even more of an advantage within a few years.
Investment in new renewables outpaces demand
16 Sep 2016
The International Energy Agency has released a report showing that investment in new renewables has covered the global electricity demand in 2015.
Scientists get closer to methane answers
15 Sep 2016
New research has added yet another layer to a major scientific debate about the global emissions of methane.
Gas pipelines run over EU energy policy
15 Sep 2016
Civil society campaigners have accused the European Union of pouring unprecedented amounts of state aid into a huge energy project that runs counter to its own climate change objectives.
Green-powered boat readies for round-world voyage
14 Sep 2016
Dubbed the “Solar Impulse of the Seas”, the first boat to be powered solely by renewable energies and hydrogen aims to make its own historic trip around the world.
New fabric generates electric power on the go
13 Sep 2016
A super-thin fabric that generates electricity from both sunlight and movement promises a lightweight, flexible, foldable power source on the go.
BIOGAS BONUS: NZ is slow to get the message
8 Sep 2016
New Zealand is slow to grasp the potential to cut greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution by turning waste into biogas, says a company providing the technology all over the world.
Europe’s nuclear club slows emissions cuts
8 Sep 2016
The prospect of using nuclear energy appears to deter European countries from adopting renewable technologies such as wind and solar, and from introducing energy efficiency measures.
Biggest funds blocking climate action
7 Sep 2016
Some of the world’s biggest funds are not living up to their responsible investment rhetoric, an analysis of ExxonMobil investors reveals.
Banks put high price on climate change risks
6 Sep 2016
Twenty-eight per cent of banks operating in Asia and the Pacific say that exposure to climate change risk is a reason for not lending money.
US eyes public land for renewables
6 Sep 2016
More wind turbines and solar power plants could be coming to vast tracts of public lands in theUS if the Obama administration finalises a new rule aiming to streamline how federal lands can be developed for renewable energy.
G20 emissions pledges are far too low
2 Sep 2016
The promises made by the G20 group of the world’s leading economies to meet the goals reached in last December’s Paris Agreement on emissions reduction are nowhere near adequate, according to new analysis by a global consortium.
The fact is eco housing is not expensive
30 Aug 2016
Low-energy or zero-energy housing is international best practice, but is still considered costly. Part of the problem is that studies of housing standards typically use only cost-benefit analysis to assess their value, and so often wrongly conclude that sustainable housing is unaffordable.
How long weekends can help to save the world
29 Aug 2016
Three-day weekends might be one of the easiest steps we can take to radically reduce our environmental impact – and future-proof our economy.
Local govt bill 'completely misses the point,' passes first reading
Fri 18 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government’s bill making changes to the Local Government Act to "refocus" councils on their core functions passed its first reading in Parliament last night, with critics saying it will set back climate resilience.
Expert rejects farmers call to ditch green investment framework
Thu 17 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Scrapping a proposed 'green' finance taxonomy before work on it is even finished would risk New Zealand being left behind in the transition to more sustainable systems, according to an expert.
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.
How flying can be a climate solution
16 Jun 2025
By Paul Callister and Robert McLachlan - Planetary Ecology | How can aviation contribute to tackling climate change when no practicable technology-based solutions are on the horizon?
Foresters seek time; end to using ETS as a land use tool
Wed 16 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Production and carbon forestry owners have begged the environment select committee to at least give the sector more time to come up with workable rules for legislation intended to cap forest planting on farmland.
NZ Post drops science-based climate target
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.
