News Direct: Media releases
NZ's first chance in 20 years to catch up on waste
Fri 30 May 2025
Media release | The government has announced proposals for updating the Waste Minimisation Act and the Litter Act. For the first time in nearly 20 years, Kiwis have a chance to catch up with other countries to reduce our waste and litter.
New research reveals NZ’s natural resource footprint
Thu 29 May 2025
Media release | New research from the office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment reveals that about 107 million tonnes of natural resources were required to produce the goods and services consumed by New Zealanders in 2019 – approximately 21 tonnes per person on average.
Urban rewilding combats global biodiversity decline
Wed 28 May 2025
Media release | A new study led by the University of Sydney reveals how cities around the world are restoring wildlife to their former habitats in the face of ongoing urban sprawl.
Water crisis on the horizon?
Mon 26 May 2025
Media release | Sewage contaminating Auckland oyster farms highlights the “dire state” of water infrastructure in Aotearoa, says University of Auckland Associate Professor Daniel Hikuroa.
Almost half a million blue sharks caught as ‘bycatch’ in Pacific - Greenpeace
22 May 2025
Media release | A new analysis of the latest fisheries data by Greenpeace Australia Pacific has revealed widespread slaughter of sharks in the Pacific Ocean by industrial longline fishers.
Most people trust climate scientists less than other scientists, but not everywhere
21 May 2025
Media release | Climate scientists are overall less trusted than other types of scientists, according to a new study led by the UNSW Institute for Climate Risk & Response.
Key rules agreed for credible climate project crediting under UN carbon market
19 May 2025
Media release | A UN Body responsible for setting up a carbon market under the Paris Agreement adopted important new standards to guide how emission-reducing projects measure their impact.
Greenpeace slams govt for failure to commit to protecting rivers
19 May 2025
Media release | Greenpeace Aotearoa is slamming the Government after Parliamentary Under-Secretary for RMA Reform, Simon Court, refused to commit to upholding Water Conservation Orders, which protect lakes and rivers.
Budget 2025 needs to prioritise a thriving and resilient Pacific region
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
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.
Antarctic expedition unearths clues to climate catastrophe
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
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
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
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
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.
'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.
Cuts to climate finance put exports in jeopardy: Lawyers
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has halved international climate finance, a move aid organisations describe as “devastating,” and which lawyers say could put our Paris Agreement commitments and export market access at risk.
Could ‘orange’ hydrogen be NZ’s key to net-zero?
Fri 30 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand could be sitting on resources for a thriving multi-billion-dollar, low-carbon hydrogen economy, which might even be capable of creating a net reduction of carbon dioxide, according to scientists.
Fed Farmers ‘ready to go into battle’ over methane target
21 May 2025
Federated Farmers say they will never accept a 24% methane reduction target, and they are prepared to go into battle with the government over the issue.
Carbon price too low to fund carbon capture
20 May 2025
The government’s climate target to 2030 is at risk, after revelations that a carbon capture project which the government was relying on to deliver one third of its carbon reductions, might not go ahead.
While govt ‘refreshes’ fund for low carbon trucks, are transport emissions set to accelerate?
Wed 28 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has announced it is updating the Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund, however cuts to funds to decarbonise transport in last week’s budget, and potential changes to road user charges, could stall transport emissions reductions.
Council delays forestry plan as national rules remain unclear
21 May 2025
Tairāwhiti’s forestry reforms are facing fresh delays, with Gisborne District Council now tying its plan changes to national direction that remains uncertain.
Kiwi cleantech companies on the world stage
Tue 27 May 2025
Six New Zealand 'cleantech' companies were in Singapore earlier this month, along with a venture capital firm and the MacDiarmid Institute, to meet investors and multinational partners.
