News Direct: All stories
Budget 2025 needs to prioritise a thriving and resilient Pacific region
Fri 16 May 2025
Media release | World Vision New Zealand is urging the government to prioritise Pacific prosperity and resilience with strong investment in climate finance and foreign aid as part of Budget 2025.
NZ’s methane reducing vaccine selected as global finalist for Innovation Showcase
Fri 16 May 2025
Media release | New Zealand agricultural biotech company Lucidome Bio has been selected as one of just fourteen global finalists to pitch at the Animal Health, Nutrition and Technology Innovation USA event this week in Boston – a significant opportunity to showcase its world-first methane-reducing vaccine on the international stage.
CLIMATE CALENDAR
Fri 16 May 2025
The Carbon News calendar of talks, events, conferences, consultations, and petitions related to climate change.
Antarctic expedition unearths clues to climate catastrophe
Thu 15 May 2025
Media release | Rocks from the coldest continent hold clues to an extinction event 183 million years ago.
Ampol exits retail electricity, Meridian takes on customers
Wed 14 May 2025
Media release | Meridian Energy Limited (Meridian) has entered into an agreement with Z Energy (100% owned by Ampol Limited (Ampol) (that will see Flick and Z Energy customer contracts and the related hedge book move to Meridian.
Council steps up climate action with Toitū carbon reduce certification programme
Wed 14 May 2025
Media release: Ruapehu District Council is taking a significant step in its climate change response by undertaking the Toitū Carbon Reduce certification programme, a science-based initiative that supports organisations to measure, verify, and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
‘Serious’ game looks at coastal climate change
Tue 13 May 2025
Media release | A new online game that enables New Zealanders to experience a climate-changed future and explore choices has been launched this month to get 10,000 game-plays over the wettest time of the year.
New study reveals climate change is already impacting The Andes
Mon 12 May 2025
Media release | Seven nations sharing world’s longest mountain range already impacted by climate change.
Conference to tackle flooding and storms to build a climate-resilient future
9 May 2025
Protecting communities from flooding and ensuring a sustainable and climate resilient water future will be a key focus at a major stormwater conference in Rotorua next week.
Transpower proposes up to $1.4 billion investment in Cook Strait electricity link
8 May 2025
Media release | Transpower is seeking views on a proposed investment of up to $1.4 billion in Aotearoa New Zealand’s Cook Strait electricity link to ensure it can deliver an affordable and reliable electricity supply to the country as the economy electrifies over the next 40 years.
AgriZeroNZ backs methane-cutting probiotic in first Australian investment
8 May 2025
Media release | AgriZeroNZ, the public-private partnership accelerating development of tools to help farmers cut emissions, is investing NZ$1.5 million in Bovotica, a pioneering Australian start-up aiming to reduce methane emissions from cattle and boost productivity.
Commissioner recommends federated system to improve environmental information
6 May 2025
Media release | The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has written to Ministers recommending they start work on developing a federated system for environmental information.
Cookstove carbon credits: Recipe for cooking the climate books
6 May 2025
Media release | A new report reveals that cookstove carbon projects eligible for the Korean Emissions Trading Scheme are at risk of issuing 18 times more credits than they should, echoing past EU carbon market mistakes.
Climate effects of volcanoes beneath the waves
5 May 2025
Media release | Volcanoes erupting underwater have a distinctive effect on the climate that is larger and more widespread than previously thought, according to an international group led by University of Auckland and Tongan scientists.
EECA and Centre for Sustainable Finance partner to unlock private capital for clean energy
1 May 2025
Media release | The Centre for Sustainable Finance: Toitū Tahua (CSF) and EECA (Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority) have, today, announced a strategic partnership to accelerate private investment in New Zealand’s energy transition. This collaboration aims to address barriers to financing renewable energy projects and energy efficiency projects.
New VCMI guidance risks justifying carbon offsetting and delaying real corporate climate action, NGOs say
1 May 2025
Media realease | In new guidance, the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) is promoting the use of carbon credits to camouflage the fact that companies grappling with their indirect (scope 3) emissions are off track to reach their commitments. But carbon credits must not replace direct emissions reductions, NGOs warn.
EDS releases concerning assessment of RMA reform proposals
30 Apr 2025
Media release | EDS has released its comprehensive analysis of the Government’s proposals for a new resource management system and, overall, finds the design concerning.
MEUG welcomes the launch of the Energy Transition Framework
30 Apr 2025
Media release | The Framework brings together generation, retail, the local lines companies and national grid operator Transpower to navigate toward a low-carbon electrified future.
AgriZeroNZ partners with Innovate UK to unlock new investment opportunities
28 Apr 2025
Media release | AgriZeroNZ has entered a new partnership with Britain’s national innovation agency, Innovate UK.
Lodestone Energy completes equity raise
24 Apr 2025
Media release | Lodestone Energy, New Zealand’s leading solar energy company, has recently completed a successful capital raise for an additional $50 million, adding to the $50 million development fund it raised in 2024.
Global livestock industry exposed for rampant rainforest destruction, despite no-deforestation pledges
23 Apr 2025
Media release | Greenpeace Aotearoa says a new investigation revealing that the world’s largest meat company, JBS, will fail to meet its deforestation-free commitment is yet more proof of false promises from the intensive livestock industry.
Balance needed in Waste Minimisation Act – Zero Waste Network
23 Apr 2025
Media release | The Government announced its proposals for updating the Waste Minimisation Act and the Litter Act.
Concern over climate change declining
22 Apr 2025
Ipsos New Zealand has released the findings of a new 32-country study for Earth Day, perceptions of the risks facing us from the climate crisis as well as where is the responsibility for greater action.
Environment Court rules Mackenzie biodiversity deserves bespoke protection
17 Apr 2025
Media release | In a decision years in the making, the Environment Court has upheld EDS’s contention that Te Manahuna / the Mackenzie Basin’s significant ecology and indigenous biodiversity warrants a bespoke planning regime to protect it from farming intensification.
Straterra has a new name: the New Zealand Minerals Council
16 Apr 2025
Media release | Straterra has been renamed as New Zealand Minerals Council, says chief executive Josie Vidal.
NZCTU announces transformative policy vision for Aotearoa
15 Apr 2025
Media release | The plan would ensure that Aotearoa meets its climate obligations and guarantees a just transition for the workers and communities who will bear the brunt of the climate crisis and technological change.
NZ could make better use of natural processes to reduce flood risk
15 Apr 2025
Media release | New Zealand could make better use of natural processes to reduce the risk of flooding, according to research by the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA).
New Zealand’s glacier volume down 42% since 2005
14 Apr 2025
Media release | Total glacier ice volumes in Aotearoa New Zealand decreased by 42 percent between 2005 and 2023, according to figures released by Stats NZ.
Global EV adoption fails to cut CO2
11 Apr 2025
There's little point in buying an electric vehicle if you're charging it with electricity generated by fossil fuels. In fact, when it comes to carbon dioxide emissions, your EV may be doing more harm than good.
Take a stand for climate health at Friday’s climate strike: OraTaiao
10 Apr 2025
Media release | “As health practitioners, we know that the health of our environment is fundamental to human wellbeing” says Dr. Steve Grimson, executive member of OraTaiao.
Consumers hold line on sustainability, expect business to do the same
9 Apr 2025
Media release | New research shows that while the cost of living remains top concern for New Zealand’s consumers, their commitment to sustainability remains strong.
Can the future of energy be affordable, secure and sustainable?
9 Apr 2025
Media release | Global experts are coming together to address the challenge of creating energy solutions that are both sustainable and achievable by 2050.
Question mark over Government modelling for pine planting on public conservation land
8 Apr 2025
Media release | Forest & Bird is concerned about modelling revealing that meeting the Government’s climate commitments would require planting vast areas of conservation and other Crown land in permanent pine forests, in a desperate attempt to meet Aotearoa New Zealand’s net zero emissions 2050 goal.
Are carrots threatened by climate change?
8 Apr 2025
Media release | The humble carrot is a staple in many diets worldwide, but it may soon be under threat as the effects of climate change intensify, impacting seed production and global food security.
Gene Tech Bill risks farmers’ livelihoods, trade, and NZ’s global reputation: OANZ
7 Apr 2025
Media release | Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) has told Parliament that the proposed Gene Technology Bill will have devastating impacts on the organic sector.
Construction starts on New Zealand’s largest solar farm
4 Apr 2025
Media release | Construction on New Zealand’s largest solar farm project has officially begun at Te Aroha in Waikato, marking a significant milestone for the country’s renewable energy future.
Southern Ocean warming may affect tropical drought and rainfall more than Arctic warming
3 Apr 2025
Southern Ocean warming may have a greater impact than Arctic warming in some regions, particularly affecting tropical rainfall patterns, according to a study published in Nature Communications.
Xero and Sumday partner to offer free carbon accounting tools
2 Apr 2025
Media release | Xero, the global small business platform, today announced an expanded partnership with Sumday, a carbon accounting software provider, making it easier for small businesses and accountants and bookkeepers to track and manage their carbon footprint.
New tool reveals shallow groundwater elevations
2 Apr 2025
Media release: NIWA | A new online tool that identifies areas at risk from groundwater flooding has been developed by New Zealand scientists.
Hawke's Bay Schools Climate Change Challenge now open
1 Apr 2025
Media Release │ Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has announced the launch of the Hawke’s Bay Schools Climate Change Challenge, open to all schools across the region.
New deep sea mining study shows ecosystem recovery from mining could take centuries
28 Mar 2025
Media release | A new study shows that the damage from deep sea mining would be so severe that any recovery from mining could take hundreds of years.
Interactive climate change exhibition at Te Papa
27 Mar 2025
Media release | Our Changing City is an interactive digital installation that is changing the way Wellingtonians understand climate impacts in the capital.
Giving rivers more room to move could benefit people and nature
26 Mar 2025
Media release | Giving rivers space to roam rather than increasing conventional flood infrastructure to control them would help keep human settlements safer in a changing climate while also supporting freshwater ecosystems, says University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha (UC) School of Biological Sciences Associate Professor Jonathan Tonkin.
Kiwi aid agencies urge govt to increase climate finance and foreign aid spending
25 Mar 2025
Media release | In the lead-up to the 2025 budget, an open letter from New Zealand’s international development NGOs has asked the government to increase aid spending in the Pacific region, at a time of significant cutbacks by other bilateral donors.
'Profound' drop in oxygen in the world's lakes in past 20 years
24 Mar 2025
Media release | Globally, dissolved oxygen levels in lakes are dropping due to climate change and heatwaves, modeling suggests.
Iwi join discussion on geothermal potential
21 Mar 2025
Media release | Progressing a holistic strategy to unlock the potential of New Zealand's geothermal resources, possibly in applications beyond energy generation, is at the centre of discussions with mana whenua at a hui in Rotorua, Resources and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones says.
New report exposes climate finance failures
20 Mar 2025
Media release | A new climate finance report highlights failings in funding urgent climate action.
Extreme atmospheric rivers could double in future climate
19 Mar 2025
Media release | New Zealand could face twice as many of the most extreme atmospheric rivers by the end of the century, according to new research by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.
Fiordland's marine habitats surveyed to develop first complete picture of biodiversity
17 Mar 2025
Media release | Scientists have long known Fiordland's marine habitats are home to a diverse range of species, from bright orange cup corals to huge black corals. A project to survey and catalogue these habitats is now underway to help support evidence-based management of this unique environment.
Shifting climate behaviours tops conference agenda
14 Mar 2025
Carbon and Energy Professionals (CEP) has just announced the first Keynote speaker for its conference in Auckland in May as Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh, MBE.
Budget 2025 needs to prioritise a thriving and resilient Pacific region
Fri 16 May 2025
Media release | World Vision New Zealand is urging the government to prioritise Pacific prosperity and resilience with strong investment in climate finance and foreign aid as part of Budget 2025.
