New Zealand: Energy
Shell knew dangers in the 1980s, company papers show
6 Apr 2018
Internal company documents uncovered by a Dutch news organization show that Shell had a deep understanding, dating at least to the 1980s, of the science and risks of global warming caused by fossil fuel emissions.
GREECE'S DIRTY SECRET: Life in a 625 square mile coal mine
26 Mar 2018
Mining for lignite (brown coal) in Greece is a huge industry. But for the people who live near the mines - one of them covers 625 square miles - the industry has huge impacts.
The real reasons we’re not building clean energy
20 Mar 2018
At this rate, it’s going to take nearly 400 years to transform the energy system.
NUCLEAR FUSION: Don't hold your breath
16 Mar 2018
One of the cliches of nuclear power research is that a commercial fusion reactor is only ever a few decades away – and always will be.
RAIN OR SHINE: New solar cell captures energy from raindrops
15 Mar 2018
A solar panel that can generate electricity from falling raindrops has been invented, enabling power to flow even when skies cloud over or the sun has set.
How protons can power our future energy needs
14 Mar 2018
As the world embraces inherently variable renewable energy sources to tackle climate change, we will need a truly gargantuan amount of electrical energy storage.
Nuclear fusion on brink of being realised, say scientists
12 Mar 2018
The dream of nuclear fusion is on the brink of being realised, according to a major new US initiative that says it will put fusion power on the grid within 15 years.
Is sustainable investing a better way to go?
7 Mar 2018
Sustainable investing might be a better way to tackle climate change than switching to renewable energy.
What's next for getting energy from the sun?
2 Mar 2018
The fall in costs that has driven solar’s rapid growth is slowing - but scientists are exploring the next generation of materials that can harness more energy from the sun.
Nuclear waste mountains just keep on growing
2 Mar 2018
Some politicians still claim atomic energy is the answer to climate change while leaving the problem of nuclear waste to our descendants.
Z aims for A-plus in transition to new energy
28 Feb 2018
Mike Bennetts is determined his company, Z Energy, will not have a Kodak moment.
Biofuels need backing of the nation, says Scion
27 Feb 2018
New Zealand could run its heavy vehicles on locally produced low-carbon biofuels – but only if the country decides collectively to act.
OPINION: Biofuels not easy, but worth the effort
27 Feb 2018
Biofuels, liquid and gaseous, will have a role to play in moving towards net zero greenhouse gas emissions by around mid-century in both New Zealand and globally, says Professor Ralph Sims.
Floating windfarms are proving a smash hit
23 Feb 2018
Floating windfarms are likely to be the next large-scale development in renewable energy.
Plastic bans will dent oil demand growth, says BP
22 Feb 2018
International bans on single-use plastic items such as carrier bags will dent growth in oil demand over the next two decades, according to BP.
Minister offers money for good emissions moves
21 Feb 2018
Got a good idea to cut greenhouse gas emissions in your business or in the transport sector? The Government wants to give you money.
Energy producers want mandatory disclosure
15 Feb 2018
European energy producers are calling for mandatory disclosure to customers of information about where their electricity comes from.
China will show the way with solar power
15 Feb 2018
China will be the first major country in which solar energy gives fossil fuels a run for its money, says Lloyds Register.
Lack of women in energy ‘holding back the fight’
13 Feb 2018
The lack of women in energy companies is holding back the sector’s efforts to tackle climate change, a leading industry watcher has warned.
BP aims to invest more in clean energy
9 Feb 2018
BP has declared it is looking to acquire more green energy firms, as the British oil giant pledged to set carbon targets for its operations.
We'll soon feel the effects of China's market
8 Feb 2018
China’s new carbon market will have a profound impact on electricity companies, says Standard & Poors.
After an oil-soaked past, Saudi wants to let the sunshine in
8 Feb 2018
Oil kingdom Saudi Arabia is trying to tie its future to another natural resource it has in abundance: sunlight.
Sweden setting up first fossil-free steel plant
5 Feb 2018
A new Swedish venture is working to establish a first-of-its-kind pilot steel plant to be fuelled with hydrogen.
One way to save energy is to stay at home
5 Feb 2018
Americans spent nearly eight more days at home in 2012 compared with2003 - with the result that they consumed less energy.
Time to put the kettle on as solar power scheme tees off
30 Jan 2018
Aucklanders buying and selling solar-generated electricity to each other have shared enough power to make five million cups of tea, says peer-to-peer energy company P2 Power.
TAKE FIVE: Renewable energy projects are out to impress
30 Jan 2018
As renewable energy is no longer considered a niche technology, countries and energy companies have embarked on a race to impress the world with majestic clean energy projects of all kinds.
Localised heating warms cities without fossil fuels
25 Jan 2018
Heating homes and offices without adding to the dangers of climate change is a major challenge for many cities, but re-imagined district heating is now offering an answer.
IT'S A GAS: Cook dinner on energy from food you dumped
23 Jan 2018
In an age of worrying climate change and looming fossil energy decline, home-produced biogas is an extremely promising technology whose time has come.
Shell doubles up on green spending and vows change
29 Nov 2017
Shell has doubled its spending on clean power and bowed to shareholder pressure by promising to halve the carbon footprint of the energy it sells by 2050.
Green bonds reach $100 billion milestone
27 Nov 2017
The latest Climate Bonds Initiative analysis shows that green bond issuances in 2017 have reached the significant $100 billion benchmark.
Mexico about to generate world's cheapest solar power
22 Nov 2017
Mexico is on track to generate the world’s cheapest solar power — with prices as low as 1.77c a kilowatt hour.
We're prisoners of the old way, says solar flight pioneer
17 Nov 2017
The visionary innovator who flew 40,000km in a solar-fuelled plane has urged companies to pursue revolutionary ideas as the only way to fight climate change.
The allure (and perils) of hydropower
17 Nov 2017
Damming rivers may seem like a clean and easy solution for energy-hungry countries. But the devil is in the details.
It's high time for a global agreement on minerals
16 Nov 2017
The Paris Agreement has created a global framework for managing carbon, but nothing similar exists for minerals.
Mining giant about to go coal-free
13 Nov 2017
Just five years ago it would have been almost unthinkable that one of the world’s biggest mining companies would not dig any coal. It’s now likely to become a reality.
‘War on coal’ goes global with $50m fund
13 Nov 2017
A billionaire’s campaign has seen half of US coal plants close in six years. Now he is targeting Europe and beyond to fight climate change and air pollution.
Contact Energy likes what it's doing with green bonds
10 Nov 2017
Contact Energy is getting a lot of attention for its pioneering green borrowing programme, certified by Climate Bonds Initiatives and launched in mid-August.
POWER PLAY: 100% renewable in reach by 2050
9 Nov 2017
Researchers say a world running on 100 per cent renewable electricity is attainable by mid-century, or even earlier.
Polish grab for carbon-market cash
8 Nov 2017
A Polish bid to siphon off up to €29bn of EU carbon market money for ageing coal plants has been slapped down in a backroom statement by the UK, France, Germany and four other countries.
Bishops urge Church to divest from Exxon because of climate change
8 Nov 2017
The Church of England should "show moral leadership" and immediately sell its investments in the oil giant ExxonMobil, according to a group of bishops and other clergy.
Report: oil refineries will close as world decarbonises
7 Nov 2017
A quarter of global oil-refining capacity could become unviable and be forced to close by 2035 as a swelling tide of climate regulations and rapid advances in clean technologies cut oil demand, a new report shows.
Memo coalminers: we're looking at your climate policies
7 Nov 2017
ANZ BANK is telling thermal coalminers to clean up their act ,as it starts to pick and choose which it will back through a transition to a low-carbon economy.
Scots on track to be 100% renewable
7 Nov 2017
Scotland is on target to generate all of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
Cape Verde may beat NZ to 100% renewable power
6 Nov 2017
By ERIK NORDMAN | Cape Verde, the small island archipelago nation off Africa’s northwest coast, has set itself a very bold renewable energy target - to obtain 100 per cent of its electricity from renewale resources by 2025.
Shell and BP planning for 5deg global warming
31 Oct 2017
Oil giants Shell and BP are planning for global temperatures to rise as much as 5deg by the middle of the century.
Falling solar costs further boost booming market
27 Oct 2017
Solar power costs will fall by another 60 per cent over the next decade giving an already booming market another boost.
Electric cars emit 50% less greenhouse gas than diesel
27 Oct 2017
Electric cars emit significantly less greenhouse gases over their lifetimes than diesel engines even when they are powered by the most carbon intensive energy, says a new report.
France looks to solar power ‘prosumers’
19 Oct 2017
France plans to more than double its solar power capacity in the next 10 years and make it easier for citizens to become energy independent.
Worldwide demand for petrol likely to reach peak by 2030
18 Oct 2017
World petrol demand will peak within 13 years thanks to the impact of electric cars and more efficient engines, energy experts have predicted.
The tide has turned globally, analyst tells politicians
17 Oct 2017
The global shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy will continue regardless of political action from politicians such as Donald Trump and Tony Abbott, a senior ratings analyst says.
'Atrocious' and 'bizarre': experts slam Act Party's climate policy
Wed 3 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Act Party is promising to challenge New Zealand’s Paris Agreement climate target, while the coalition Government’s other minor partner, NZ First, also says it wants to reevaluate the country’s commitment to the international treaty.
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
Marginal drop in last year's regional emissions
27 Aug 2025
Regional greenhouse gas emissions were down slightly last year, with a fall in gas supply leading to a big drop in Taranaki, but more coal burnt leading to higher emissions in Waikato, according to new figures from Stats NZ
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.
Certainty crucial to emissions cuts – Watts
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.
Climate-friendly investment still lagging in NZ
Tue 2 Sep 2025
While local financial firms have made recent strides in climate governance and emissions reporting, New Zealand’s institutional investors are still missing in action when it comes to backing clean technologies and climate solutions, according to a new report.
