New Zealand: Energy
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.
Rich investors call on G20 leaders to ratify Paris
25 Aug 2016
A group of 130 institutions that control $13 trillion of investments have called on G20 nations to ratify the Paris Agreement this year and accelerate investment in clean energy and forced disclosure of climate-related financial risk.
It's official, King Coal has been dethroned
24 Aug 2016
This is the worst year in decades for US coal. During the first six months of 2016, US coal production was down a staggering 28 per cent compared to 2015, and down 33 per cent compared to 2014.
Energy breakthrough could save billions
24 Aug 2016
Engineers have developed a new way to separate chemicals that could drastically cut the energy required to make fuels or synthetic polymers.
Musk wants to build entire roofs of solar panels
23 Aug 2016
A new venture spearheaded by Elon Musk will create house roofs made entirely of solar panels, in a sweeping expansion of Tesla’s clean energy ambitions.
Sugarcane waste takes on new powers
23 Aug 2016
Sugarcane waste is to be turned into power in new biomass plants in the Philippines.
Are our computers chewing up the power supply?
22 Aug 2016
Switch off your computer, dust off your old typewriter, sharpen all the pencils you can find, lay in stocks of postage stamps − and that’s just the start.
Welcome to the world of the community solar farm
18 Aug 2016
A growing number of consumers are buying into community solar farms that allow renters and apartment dwellers to access renewable energy produced on neighborhood plots.
Nordic countries could inspire EU bioenergy
18 Aug 2016
The experience of sustainable forestry management in Sweden and the other Nordic countries could serve as an inspiration for the EU when it draws up sustainability criteria for biomass.
Renewables up 70% in G20 countries
17 Aug 2016
New figures have shown that renewable energy generation in the world’s 20 major economies has increased by 70 per cent in the past five years.
LA switches on to virtual power plants
17 Aug 2016
Los Angeles area utilities are starting to turn to the new concept of “virtual power plants”.
UK to build largest offshore wind farm
17 Aug 2016
The giant Hornsea Project Two wind farm off the coast of Yorkshire is on track to become the world's largest offshore wind project.
Fonterra manager wins energy plaudits
15 Aug 2016
Fonterra energy manager Linda Thompson has been named Young Energy Professional of the Year 2016 at the Deloitte Energy Excellence Awards.
Wind covers Scotland's electricity needs for a day
12 Aug 2016
High winds recently boosted renewable energy output to provide 106 per cent of Scotland’s electricity needs for a day.
Swiss pioneer new way of storing energy
11 Aug 2016
A pilot project is developing a new system that stores electricity in the form of compressed air in the Swiss Alps.
Renewable electricity hits 90% mark
10 Aug 2016
New Zealand has hit its target of 90 per cent renewable electricity production this year.
RIGS TO REEFS: Should we leave oil platforms alone?
10 Aug 2016
The global offshore oil and gas industry has installed a wide variety of infrastructure throughout our oceans, including tens of thousands of wells, thousands of platforms and many thousands of kilometres of seabed pipelines.
Christchurch office wins 5-star rating
9 Aug 2016
Insurance company IAG and property investor Goodman have been awarded a 5-star NABERSNZ whole-building rating for their Christchurch office.
Can Tesla go from sexy cars to clean energy?
9 Aug 2016
Elon Musk, who tapped into branding magic at Tesla Motors when he built electric cars that are stylish and drive fast, is now looking to get into the bigger and less-sexy realm of sustainable energy, solar power and batteries.
Giant Amazon dam fails environment test
8 Aug 2016
Plans to build a giant hydroelectric dam in the heart of the Amazon rainforest have been halted by Brazil’s environmental protection agency because of mounting concerns about the fate of indigenous communities and wildlife living in the area.
New York eyes 50% renewable energy by 2030
3 Aug 2016
New York state will aim to generate half its power from renewable sources by the year 2030, an ambitious plan that will rely on big subsidies to nuclear power plants.
Britain's nuclear white elephant stumbles
1 Aug 2016
Celebrations by the nuclear industry planned for today have been cancelled following the shock decision by Britain to put the world’s largest electricity project on hold.
State fracking controls don't exist, study finds
1 Aug 2016
Most local authorities in the United States are setting no controls on the impacts of fracking on communities, a new study says.
Fossil fuel workers to retrain in clean energy
1 Aug 2016
Scottish workers leaving the increasingly embattled oil and gas sector are being offered the chance to retrain for work in clean energy industries, under a new training scheme funded by the Scottish Government.
Call me Mercury, says Mighty River
29 Jul 2016
Mighty River Power says a rebranding campaign launched today reflects New Zealand’s future in clean energy.
A short history of nuclear fission ...
29 Jul 2016
An Italian physicist, Enrico Fermi, was the first to achieve it but just recently nuclear fission’s popularity has been decreasing.
Renewables overtake coal in UK power generation
29 Jul 2016
Biomass, wind and other clean sources produced a quarter of UK electricity last year, government figures show, as plant closures reduced coal’s share to 22 per cent.
Denmark targets 100% renewable electricity by 2050
29 Jul 2016
Currently, 40 per cent of Denmark’s electricity comes from wind, and the country’s target is to reach 50 per cent by 2020 and 100 per cent renewables by 2050.
Big emitters face landmark human rights case
28 Jul 2016
The world’s largest oil, coal, cement and mining companies have been given 45 days to respond to a complaint that their greenhouse gas emissions have violated the human rights of millions of people living in the Phillippines.
Z gets an A for corporate responsibility
27 Jul 2016
New kid on the block Z Energy was the only New Zealand-owned company to get top marks in this year’s review of the state of corporate social responsibility in New Zealand and Australia.
A nuclear reactor in every town? Don't laugh
27 Jul 2016
The nuclear industry sees the UK as a springboard for its plans to expand in the next 20 years, especially as a pioneer in the deployment of a new breed of small reactors.
China's coal peak hailed as turning point
26 Jul 2016
The global battle against climate change has passed a historic turning point with China’s huge coal burning finally having peaked, according to senior economists.
MINE GAMES: Plunder of Earth’s natural resources is rising
25 Jul 2016
Humans’ appetite for gnawing away at the fabric of the Earth itself is growing prodigiously.
As nuclear power plants close, states need to bet big on energy storage
25 Jul 2016
Pacific Gas and Electric has started the process of shutting down the Diablo Canyon generation facility, the last active nuclear power plant in California.
US oil sector fights climate disclosure push
25 Jul 2016
Oil companies say a campaign by environmentalists to force them to reveal more about their climate change risks and carbon emissions in financial documents could cause "disclosure overload" that would not better inform investors.
Growth, energy and climate in focus at Trans-Tasman bilateral talks
Fri 5 Sep 2025
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
Fri 5 Sep 2025
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.
