New Zealand: Energy
Australia's air pollution increases 69%
19 Apr 2016
Air quality across Australia has deteriorated to alarming levels with the coal industry the nation's worst polluter, new data has shown.
Japan’s emissions fall to three-year low
19 Apr 2016
Japan’s greenhouse gas emissions have fallen to a three-year low due to growing use of renewable energy and reduced power demand.
Forgetting fossil fuels a turning point in history
18 Apr 2016
The head of a global philanthropic foundation says that the world turning away from fossil fuels is a critical moment in human history, akin to the abolition of slavery.
World Bank head warns against new coal plants
18 Apr 2016
The planet is in a race against time to stop construction of new coal-fired power plants across the globe, Word Bank head Jim Kim has told media.
Biggest coal company files for bankruptcy
15 Apr 2016
Peabody Energy, the world’s largest privately owned coal company, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, following a significant downturn in the coal market that left the company saddled with debt.
Solar sets UK record by beating coal for a day
15 Apr 2016
The sun provided British homes and businesses with more power than coal-fired power stations for 24 hours last weekend.
Big powers in push for small nuclear reactors
14 Apr 2016
Concerns are being raised about the billions of dollars being spent on research to design and build small nuclear reactors for electricity production.
China coal use: Here’s how to read the tea leaves
14 Apr 2016
As the largest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, how much coal China is burning is of global interest.
BP playing fast and loose with future, by Bill McKibben
14 Apr 2016
As shareholders gather for BP’s AGM in London this week, they deserve to be made aware of just how at-risk their investments are — and what BP thinks about the future of the firm and the planet. Because the company their investments allow to operate is fourth in a list of the world’s top-emitting companies and was responsible for 2.47 per cent of global emissions from 1751-2010.
Nine ways steel could build a greener economy
13 Apr 2016
Steel might be the largest industrial carbon dioxide emitter, but Britain’s troubled industry could be a big part of a cleaner, greener future.
Couch potatoes have outsized energy footprints
13 Apr 2016
It is alluringly easy to use averages, but when most of a group is far from average, they can lead us astray. This is no less true in the area of energy consumption.
Why it makes sense for offshore drilling to wait
11 Apr 2016
From chants of “Drill, Baby, Drill” to outrage over the BP oil spill, offshore drilling has been highly controversial in recent years. Some view it as a vastly underused revenue source, while others see it as a grave environmental threat.
We keep flushing valuable energy down the drain
11 Apr 2016
Every time you flush your toilet or drain the bath, you’re losing something surprisingly valuable: heat.
Banks threaten to unleash infrastructure tsunami
8 Apr 2016
We are living in the most explosive era of infrastructure expansion in human history. The G20 nations, when they met in Australia in 2014, argued for between US$60 trillion and $70 trillion in new infrastructure investments by 2030, which would more than double the global total value of infrastructure.
Green business awards finalists pack energy punch
7 Apr 2016
Clean-energy projects highlighted in this year’s EECA awards will cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions by 120,000 tonnes a year.
Solar energy shines as power business shrinks
7 Apr 2016
The solar energy business was the bright spot in the shrinking global power business last year, a new report says.
Students give university the good oil on ethical investing
6 Apr 2016
Auckland University might be promoting the talk on sustainable investment this week, but that doesn’t mean it’s walking the walk itself.
That good addresses might not be so good for solar
31 Mar 2016
Auckland’s better-off suburbs are not as good for solar roof-top electricity generation as many of the city’s poorer suburbs, a computer modelling project by Auckland University school shows.
Beware the Exxon factor, lawyer warns big business
30 Mar 2016
Air New Zealand, Fonterra and other companies operating in heavy-emitting industries should be planning how to deal with their emissions to avoid “becoming an Exxon”, warns a Wellington environmental lawyer.
LanzaTech signs first US biofuels deal
30 Mar 2016
New Zealand-founded LanzaTech has signed its first North American deal, giving United States biofuels and biochemicals maker Aemetis exclusive rights to its patented technology to convert various types of waste gas to ethanol in California.
Emitters, you have until Thursday
29 Mar 2016
Emitters have until Thursday to file returns for last year.
'Unless you make the price of fossil fuels honest, people will just keep burning them'
29 Mar 2016
"They talk like they realise there’s a problem, but they’re not taking the only action that would be effective. Unless you make the price of fossil fuels honest, by including their cost to society, people will just keep burning them." That's retired Nasa scientist Dr James Hansen, talking to Radio New Zealand’s Kim Hill on Saturday morning.
Does doing renewable energy demand the undoable?
29 Mar 2016
Switching to renewable energy as fast as the world needs to will require changes so massive that they are unlikely to happen, scientists say.
It looks like Asia is losing its appetite for coal
29 Mar 2016
Many hundreds of planned coal-fired power plants in Asia will probably be shelved as economies slow and climate change and air pollution worsen.
US energy firm boosts Christchurch plant
23 Mar 2016
United States energy technology company Enphase Energy has expanded its Christchurch research plant.
Electric cars the answer for NZ, says report
22 Mar 2016
Switching to electric vehicles will do more to prevent climate change than installing solar panels will – even if the electricity to power the cars comes from burning fossil fuels, says a new report.
Beehive blind to one big fact, says energy expert
22 Mar 2016
The Government’s argument that New Zealand should search for natural gas because it’s cleaner than coal ignores the fact that the world already has more fossil fuels than it can safely burn, says a world expert on energy and climate change.
European politicians push nuclear ‘poison pill’
22 Mar 2016
The economics of nuclear power in Europe are in meltdown, leaving taxpayers facing a heavy burden as the industry clings to pledges of huge public cash injections.
Drilling for gas is good for us, says Government
21 Mar 2016
Drilling for gas in New Zealand will be good for the climate, the Government says.
Energy efficiency in itself can become a market
21 Mar 2016
New research by the European Commission suggests that energy efficiency can become a “niche” market that will attract investors away from fossil fuels.
Emissions standstill boosts Paris pact hopes
21 Mar 2016
The link between global economic growth and emissions growth has been further weakened as greenhouse gas levels show no increase for the second year in succession.
New energy cuts our greenhouse gas emissions
18 Mar 2016
New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions from electricity generation are falling on the back of rising renewable generation.
Warm welcome could be awaiting oil industry bigwigs
18 Mar 2016
Oil industry executives meeting in Auckland on Monday might find they have a rather noisy reception.
Clean energy is a win-win for the US
16 Mar 2016
Simply implementing its Paris climate conference commitments on reducing greenhouse gas emissions could save the US billions of dollars – and save hundreds of thousands of lives.
Minister goes back to school on sustainability
15 Mar 2016
New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young is representing New Zealand at an international conference on sustainability.
China's electricity sector soars
15 Mar 2016
China’s electricity sector transformation accelerated in the first two months of this year, new data shows.
Greens want probe into future of Huntly
4 Mar 2016
The Green Party is calling for an independent investigation into the best options for replacing coal-burning electricity generation at Huntly with cleaner alternatives.
It's time to look at energy goals, says minister
3 Mar 2016
The Government says it is looking at setting national energy targets to “send a strong signal to businesses about what New Zealand’s energy future should look like”.
Yes to solar, but we're light years behind
3 Mar 2016
New Zealand electricity company leaders say solar power has become part of the energy mix for consumers, but less so than in Australia.
Give MOOC a chance ...
3 Mar 2016
Want to know more about the global transition to sustainable energy? The Massive Online Open Course could be what you’re looking for.
Here's how we can make power plants green and beautiful
3 Mar 2016
Energy suppliers often refer to their industry as being caught in a 'trilemma', as people demand electricity that is both secure and cheap, while also being clean. But maybe it’s time to add a forth consideration to the list – beauty.
How Africa could leapfrog fossil fuels to clean energy
3 Mar 2016
Revolutions are, as a rule, rare and momentous processes. But across the African continent the potential is ripe for a clean energy revolution that upsets and leapfrogs the old fossil-fuel order.
Clean energy reaches record heights in China
1 Mar 2016
China has formally confirmed two new clean energy world records in 2015.
US uses trade rules to hinder India’s solar hopes
29 Feb 2016
World trade regulations have been invoked by the US to challenge India’s ambitious programme to expand massively its renewable energy capacity and provide local jobs.
Carbon budget is only half as big as we thought
26 Feb 2016
Fossil fuel use will have to fall twice as fast as predicted if global warming is to be kept within the 2deg limit agreed internationally as being the point of no return, researchers say.
Stand by for a miracle, says billionaire Bill
25 Feb 2016
The world will have a “miracle” new clean energy within 15 years that will save the planet, Microsoft founder and billionaire Bill Gates is predicting.
If you don't like your power, turn it off
24 Feb 2016
A new app is encouraging New Zealand electricity users to turn off when the country is running on carbon-emitting power.
We're streets ahead on renewables, says Mighty River
23 Feb 2016
Mighty River Power says it has gone “beyond 100 per cent renewable” generation.
British power stations burning biomass from America
23 Feb 2016
Last year, 6m tonnes of wood pellets harvested from forests in Louisiana, Georgia, Florida, Alabama and Virginia were shipped across the Atlantic, to be burnt in renewable biomass power plants.
Solid Energy might be short of fix-it funds
15 Feb 2016
Solid Energy’s liability for future environmental remediation could be larger than expected.
Greens slam move to disband Environment Ministry
Fri 20 Feb 2026
The Green Party has joined climate and health advocates in condemning the Government's decision to disestablish the Ministry for the Environment as part of a multi-ministry merger.
Govt's solar on farms initiative to cut costs, boost resilience
Tue 17 Feb 2026
Farms across Aotearoa will begin installing solar panels and battery systems as part of a government-backed demonstration programme designed to test whether on-farm renewable energy can reduce electricity costs and improve energy security for the food and fibre sector.
Annual emissions fell to lowest in 15 years in Sept 2025
5 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions fell to their lowest annual total in the year to September 2025 since records began 2010, according to Statistics New Zealand data published this morning.
NZ could become ‘dumping ground’ for dirty vehicles: Commissioner
16 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Simon Upton, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, has warned the Government that its changes to the clean car standard could turn the country into a dumping ground for high emitting cars, making future emissions budgets harder to achieve.
Slash for cash turns storm debris into jobs and climate resilience
Thu 19 Feb 2026
A community-led initiative in Tairāwhiti is transforming storm-damaged forestry slash into jobs, soil regeneration and long-term climate resilience.
Kiwi startup takes on global plastic pollution
12 Feb 2026
A New Zealand startup is launching what it says is the world’s first plastic-free effervescent drink tablet, with the ambitious aim of eliminating bottled beverages to reduce global plastic pollution.
