News Direct: Media releases
Asia-Pacific business leaders call for action on climate and economic inclusion
16 Feb 2023
Media release - Members of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) met in Auckland, New Zealand this week to develop a work plan that calls on policymakers to leverage trade and economic policies to address the region’s sustainability and economic inclusion challenges.
Climate action should not be left to our children: Vanuatu PM
13 Feb 2023
An historic vote at the United Nations General Assembly in New York calling for decisive action on global warming is expected to take place next month.
Climate cuts rife in Auckland budget proposal: Forest & Bird
10 Feb 2023
News release - The mayoral proposal for Auckland’s 2023/2024 annual budget is not fit-for-purpose in a climate emergency and biodiversity crisis, says Forest & Bird.
New $20k fund for tāngata whenua environmental monitoring
10 Feb 2023
News release - Tāngata whenua are being invited to apply for a share of a new $20,000 fund designed to support them in undertaking their own environmental monitoring within Te Taitokerau.
Bus owners call on government to make half-price fares permanent
7 Feb 2023
Media release - The Bus and Coach Association supports the Government’s decision to continue half-price fares on public transport services. The fare reduction was set to expire on 31 March 2023, but will nowcontinue to 30 June 2023.
Oat milk in NZ uses 93% less emissions than dairy: study
3 Feb 2023
Media release - A new study released today shows farming oats in New Zealand is much more sustainable than dairy, but dairy is still more profitable.
Marine heat wave linked to death of Fiordland sponges
2 Feb 2023
Media release - Warming waters in Fiordland could be responsible for the loss of up to 10 percent of one of the most abundant marine sponges in Pātea—Doubtful Sound. More sponges may have been lost further south in Tamatea—Dusky Sound and Te Puaitaha—Breaksea Sound.
Call to halt decline of wetlands ahead of World Wetlands Day
1 Feb 2023
New Zealanders are being encouraged to consider creating and preserving wetlands to help halt the decline of these threatened habitats across the country.
Dunedin’s emissions down 9% - A good first step
27 Jan 2023
Media release -The latest Dunedin City Community Carbon Footprint shows that Dunedin’s total gross emissions dropped by 9% over the last four years. When carbon absorbed by the city’s forests is included, net emissions are down 21%.
Replacing red meat with chickpeas & lentils good for the wallet, climate, and health
21 Dec 2022
New Zealand researchers investigated five diets which replace some or all red meat, finding they all could provide the recommended amount of nutrition, save the health system thousands of dollars per person, and cut diet-related greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 35%.
NZ Super Fund to invest US$100 million in climate mitigation and adaptation
20 Dec 2022
Media release - The NZ Super Fund has committed US$100m to a fund that will invest in companies developing products and solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Final July and August extreme weather claims top $123 million
15 Dec 2022
Media release | Final claims data released by the Insurance Council of New Zealand Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa (ICNZ) show that extreme weather-related claims spanning five events across July and August has reached 11,086 claims valued at $123.8 million.
NZ Battery Project Cabinet decision-point delayed
13 Dec 2022
Press release - The findings of the NZ Battery Project’s Phase 1 feasibility studies, expected to be considered by cabinet ministers this month, will now be considered early in the new year, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Energy Projects and Programmes Manager Dr David Darby say
Microplastics in Auckland’s air equal 3 million plastic bottles per year: new study
12 Dec 2022
Media release - Researchers from the University of Auckland calculated that 74 metric tonnes of microplastics are dropping out of the atmosphere onto the city annually, the equivalent of more than 3 million plastic bottles falling from the sky.
New electric-hydrofoil to ply Hauraki Gulf
9 Dec 2022
Media release - Fullers360, the country’s largest ferry operator, has partnered with Auckland-based sustainable boating designers, Seachange, to bring a premium 10-seater zero-emission hydrofoiling F8 vessel to the Hauraki Gulf from September 2023.
Transport drives household carbon footprint down in 2020
8 Dec 2022
Media release - The carbon footprint of households, which reflects the emissions embodied in households' consumption and lifestyle choices, decreased 6.3% (2,677 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) during 2020, Stats NZ says.
Marine heatwave developing
5 Dec 2022
Media release - Coastal waters around Aotearoa New Zealand became unusually warm last month, say NIWA.
New game to help Kiwis adapt to sea level rise
28 Nov 2022
Media release: NIWA | A new online game is being used to help New Zealanders think about how they might adapt to rising sea levels.
Yealands turns green grapes into green apples with global sustainability award
23 Nov 2022
Media release - New Zealand premium wine producer, Yealands Wine Group, has won two golds at the 2022 International Green Apple Awards for its ground-breaking Biodiversity Plan, officially launched yesterday.
Nature missing in RMA reform: Green Party
17 Nov 2022
Media release - The Government has missed a crucial opportunity to redesign the resource management system with climate and nature at its heart.
New Zealand Sovereign Green Bonds issued
16 Nov 2022
Media release - NZ Government | The Government welcomes New Zealand Debt Management’s issuance of NZ$3 billion of the New Zealand Sovereign Green Bonds that will mature in 2034.
New research reveals climate change origins of great barrier reef
15 Nov 2022
Media release - University of Canterbury | Sea-level changes caused by melting ice sheets hundreds of thousands of years ago triggered the formation of K’gari (Fraser Island) – the world’s largest sand island – and the creation of Australia’s iconic Great Barrier Reef, a new study has found.
Pacific Islanders present historic declaration to leaders at COP27
10 Nov 2022
Media release - Pacific island youth met with Australian and Pacific Island leaders at COP27 on Nov 8, to present their demands on decarbonisation, additional loss and damage commitments and accessible climate finance.
Strong global interest in New Zealand decarbonisation challenge
8 Nov 2022
Media release -Aotearoa New Zealand’s future energy centre, Ara Ake, has welcomed the strong international interest in its Electricity Distribution Business (EDB) Decarbonisation Challenge, with five of the six finalists being from offshore.
Climate change much deadlier than cancer in some places, UNDP data shows
7 Nov 2022
Media release: UN News | The impact of climate change on health if carbon emissions remain high, could be up to twice as deadly as cancer in some parts of the world, according to new data released on Friday by the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Climate Impact Lab.
Climate change to alter heights of New Zealand waves: modelling shows
4 Nov 2022
Media release - Climate change may reduce the heights of New Zealand’s waves from today’s levels in autumn and summer and increase wave heights in spring and winter, according to modelling by University of Auckland scientist Dr João Albuquerque.
Whaling’s link to climate change
3 Nov 2022
Media release: Royal Society Te Apārangi | Whales can store vast amounts of carbon throughout their lifetime. When they die, they bring that carbon with them to the bottom of the sea, where they sustain the local food web or get buried, effectively trapping carbon for centuries to millennia.
NZ's leading NGOs call on PM to keep 'No New Mines' promise
2 Nov 2022
Media Release - New Zealand’s leading environmental organisations have joined forces to call on the Prime Minister to honour her government’s 2017 promise to stop new mines on conservation land.
One in 10 Kiwi kids face double threat of high climate risk and poverty
27 Oct 2022
Media Release - Almost 110,000 children - 10% of Aotearoa New Zealand’s child population - are living with the dual impacts of poverty and high climate risk, according to a new report by Save the Children.
Heatwaves to impact almost every child on Earth by 2050: UNICEF Report
26 Oct 2022
Media Release - Heatwaves have become an unavoidable health hazard for many nations, but new data indicates that they are set to affect virtually every child on earth by 2050, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, warned on Tuesday.
Dunedin public transport study into boosting bus use, reducing emissions
25 Oct 2022
Media Release - Dunedin City Council | An eight-month study into the future of Dunedin’s public transport system will be underway shortly - with a long-term emphasis on boosting bus use.
Tātaki Auckland Unlimited launches climate innovation hub
21 Oct 2022
Media Release - Tātaki Auckland Unlimited has launched Climate Connect Aotearoa – a hub for collaborative climate innovation – that will help the transition to a climate resilient and low carbon Tāmaki Makaurau while benefiting the nation.
Air quality improves as EV bus numbers increase
20 Oct 2022
Media Release - A new report from Greater Wellington’s Environmental Science team shows the positive impact Metlink’s EV buses are having on Wellington’s air quality along the Golden Mile, leading both to positive health benefits and climate change mitigation.
Christchurch and Hamburg airports join forces on green hydrogen
19 Oct 2022
Media release: Christchurch Airport | Christchurch and Hamburg Airports are on opposite sides of the world, but definitely on the same page for decarbonisation.
Greener future takes root in Taranaki schools
13 Oct 2022
Media Release - Tamariki at Waitara East School are growing a new outdoor classroom where future generations will learn thanks to funding from the New Plymouth District Council.
Import limits reduced for potent greenhouse gases
12 Oct 2022
Media Release: Environmental Protection Authority | The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has lowered import limits for hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a group of harmful greenhouse gases used in heat pumps, air conditioning and refrigeration.
City partnership a world leader in climate change planning
7 Oct 2022
Media release - University of Canterbury | A partnership between the University of Canterbury (UC) and Christchurch City Council is leading the world in understanding and adapting to risk from climate change.
Groundbreaking global report says zero waste an essential part of any climate plan
6 Oct 2022
Media Release - The release of a groundbreaking international report, Zero Waste to Zero Emissions: How Waste Reduction is a Climate Gamechanger, says that at the global scale the two main sources of GHGs from the waste sector are methane from organics in landfill and CO2 from burning waste plastic.
New agreement with mana whenua over Tiwai Smelter
5 Oct 2022
Media Release - Murihiku Rūnaka and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu have reached an agreement with New Zealand Aluminium Smelters Limited (NZAS) and Rio Tinto Aluminum Limited to work together on restoring the whenua (land) at the Tiwai Peninsula and the future of the Tiwai aluminium smelter beyond December 2024.
New research to future-proof New Zealand wine sector
30 Sep 2022
Media Release - A new experimental vineyard in Blenheim will help enhance the supply of quality grapes for New Zealand’s wine sector into the future.
Progress continues on future-proofing Auckland’s transport infrastructure
29 Sep 2022
Media Release - Transport minister Michael Wood has welcomed the latest progress on Auckland’s two most transformational transport projects in a generation – Auckland Light Rail and the Additional Waitematā Harbour Connections.
Partnership supports climate action in Latin America and Caribbean
27 Sep 2022
Media Release - Aotearoa New Zealand is extending the reach of its support for climate action to a new agriculture initiative with partners in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Deel offers 'digital nomad e-van-gelist' scholarship
22 Sep 2022
Media Release - Deel opens applications for ‘digital nomad e-van-gelist’ role paying NZD $5,000 per month to travel Australia and New Zealand in a van, documenting the whole experience.
Research predicts big climate change impacts on marine mammals
19 Sep 2022
Media release - A new Department of Conservation report predicts that climate change could have a major impact on some of New Zealand’s marine mammals.
Sea-level rise increasing at faster rate around Aotearoa New Zealand
16 Sep 2022
Media Release - Sea levels around Aotearoa New Zealand have risen at a faster rate in recent decades compared with the first half of last century, Stats NZ says.
July extreme weather insurance claims hit $43.7m
15 Sep 2022
Media Release - New claims data released by the Insurance Council of New Zealand Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa (ICNZ) show that weeks of extreme weather over July resulted in 6,266 general insurance claims with a provisional value of $43.7 million.
Wooden cities key to cutting worldwide carbon emissions
14 Sep 2022
Media Release - The Forest Owners Association president is predicting massive increases in the worldwide demand for engineered timber construction.
Agriculture drives more than 90% of tropical deforestation
9 Sep 2022
Media Release - Halting deforestation will require a step-change in approach, and to be effective measures must address underlying and indirect roles of agriculture, says study.
Māori authorities demonstrate their commitment to kaitiakitanga in response to climate change
8 Sep 2022
Media Release - Over half of Māori authorities, compared with a third of all New Zealand businesses, took actions in response to climate change in the last two years, Stats NZ said today.
NZ school students to kick off international wave of protest
7 Sep 2022
Media Release - On September 23rd, Aotearoa will be the first country in the world to kick off the next Global Climate Strike led by Fridays For Future. Protestors will be rallying in Tāmaki Makaurau from 1pm at Aotea Square. Simultaneous events are also being planned in Wellington and Christchurch.
'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.
Meridian reports worst earnings in a decade
Wed 3 Sep 2025
Meridian Energy has posted its weakest result in 10 years, with earnings hit by a combination of droughts, low wind and declining gas supply.
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.
