News Direct: Media releases
YHA and Sunshine in line for energy excellence award
10 Jul 2019
YHA New Zealand and partners Sunshine Solar have been recognised as finalists in the Deloitte Energy Excellence Awards.
Kangaroo Island shows rock-solid promise for lithium
25 Jun 2019
Mining and energy company Lithium Australia has reported it has found anomalous lithium and tantalum samples that suggest mining potential on Kangaroo Island in South Australia.
Bottled water giants back new global plan to cut plastic waste
13 Jun 2019
The world’s biggest yoghurt maker Danone and food packaging giant Tetra Pak are among companies leading a global scheme to reduce plastic waste.
CellCube to bring grid battery to South Australia
23 May 2019
Renewables firm Pangea Energy and vanadium battery producer CellCube have signed on to build a 50MW storage system alongside a solar farm in South Australia.
Minesto partners with leading financial adviser
22 May 2019
Swedish marine energy developer Minesto has engaged with leading financial adviser Pareto Securities to intensify relationships with institutional investors.
Finland using circular economy of textiles
21 May 2019
In Finland, end-of-life textiles no longer end up in landfills, but there is still a lot of room for improved efficiency in their recycling and reuse.
Adidas launches 100% recyclable footwear
26 Apr 2019
Adidas has launched a 100 per cent recyclable shoe aimed at unlocking a circular future for the sports industry.
Whangarei likes electric vehicles
16 Aug 2018
Whangarei, winner of the most electric vehicle friendly town in New Zealand award, has a big advantage over other regions.
Mercury mission to convert hearts as well as minds
7 Mar 2018
Mercury has taken a step to inspire New Zealanders to embrace the future of transportation with a hi-tech conversion of a classic car.
Calix gets finance for carbon-captue project
1 Feb 2018
Australian technology company Calix says it has secured 3.4 million euros in working capital from Efic, the Australian Government’s export credit agency, to build a carbon dioxide-capture facility for the Low Emissions Intensity Lime and Cement project in Belgium.
Minesto eyes first ocean current electricity generation
24 Jan 2018
Swedish marine energy developer Minesto is intensifying activities in Taiwan to establish the company's unique Deep Green technology in the Asian market.
Mercury confirms Tesla battery for grid trial
23 Jan 2018
Tesla has been confirmed as the battery provider for Mercury’s scalable national grid-connected battery trial, following a competitive tender process that began in September last year.
Auckland takes zero-waste world crown
6 Dec 2017
Auckland is one of 10 international cities honoured today at the C40 Cities Awards in Chicago which recognises the world’s most inspiring and innovative cities tackling climate change.
Ravensdown appoints consenting planner
1 Dec 2017
Ravensdown has appointed Victoria Caseley as a principal planner to develop the consenting capability in its environmental consultancy.
Ethical retailer attracts $2m in investments
27 Nov 2017
In one of the biggest capital raises for a social enterprise in New Zealand’s history, the ethical retailer champion Conscious Consumers has attracted $2 million of investment for its upcoming launch into the United Kingdom.
AirNZ first airline to join EV100
13 Nov 2017
Reinforcing its leadership position in the shift to electric vehicles, Air New Zealand has been announced as the first airline to join The Climate Group’s EV100 initiative.
Auckland Council wins waste award
13 Nov 2017
Auckland Council has again been recognised for its commitment to delivering zero-waste, this time by the New Zealand waste management industry’s WasteMINZ Awards for Excellence.
Youth hostels reach sustainable milestone
24 Nov 2016
YHA New Zealand is the first accommodation network in the world be certified by CarboNZero.
Sharp's green efforts pay dividend
24 Nov 2016
Sharp Corporation’s efforts to responsibly manage the environmental effects of its products have been recognised with accreditation to the Product Stewardship Scheme, Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith says.
Business network wins sustainability award
10 Oct 2016
The Sustainable Business Network has won the Sustainability Support category in AUT’s Excellence in Business Support Awards.
Children's sunscreen fails tests
22 Sep 2016
Makers of a children’s sunscreen marketed as “organic” have been warned by the Commerce Commission following a complaint from Consumer NZ.
Child labour not for us, says Karen Walker
12 Aug 2016
Kiwi clothing designer Karen Walker has certified that none of its garments are made using child labour.
Farm trust honours regional winners
8 Jun 2016
Supreme winners from the 11 regions participating in the 2016 Ballance Farm Environment Awards will be honoured at New Zealand Farm Environment Trust’s National Sustainability Showcase this month.
Canon offers prizes to environmentalists
7 Jun 2016
Canon New Zealand’s 2016 Environmental Grants Programme is open.
School gets first Powerwall battery
16 May 2016
New Zealand’s first Tesla Energy Powerwall battery has been switched on at a South Auckland primary school.
Small meat producer wins help from the experts
28 Apr 2016
A specialist pork and beef producer has won a nationwide competition to have some of the country’s top experts help to promote the business.
Business incubator has high hopes for Northland
7 Apr 2016
Ranui Sustainable, a Whangarei-based business incubator with the mission to make Northland the most sustainable region in the Southern Hemisphere by 2025, is launching a Kiwi Innovators programme to connect Northlanders with New Zealand’s best thinkers in sustainable innovation.
Sunny days bring out new storage battery
1 Apr 2016
Wellington’s sunny weather has attracted a nationwide solar power company to launch the first installation in New Zealand of a new technology residential storage battery, charged by solar power at a Wellington home today.
Kaimira wins wines sustainability award
31 Mar 2016
The debut Organic Wine Awards Sustainable Vineyard of the Year title has been awarded to Kaimira Estate.
Eco tours operators win Marlborough accolade
31 Mar 2016
Will and Rose Parsons have long known that good environmental practice is good business practice, too.
Huhtamaki plans energy cuts
10 Mar 2016
Moulded-fibre manufacturer Huhtamaki plans to cut energy consumption by 5 per cent a year, reducing annual carbon emissions by 417 tonnes.
Watercare sets 2025 biogas target
29 Feb 2016
Auckland water company Watercare says that by 2025, its two biggest wastewater treatment plants will be powered entirely from biogas produced from the city’s sewage.
Concrete innovator wins expansion money
26 Feb 2016
Concrete-block manufacturer Interbloc has been recognised for its efforts to manage the environmental effects of its products – and received $430,000 of Government money to expand its recycling project.
NZ Post switches to electric mail delivery
15 Feb 2016
New Zealand Post is making a significant investment in its parcel and mail business with the addition of new Paxster electric delivery vehicles to its fleet.
Panasonic launches home storage battery
15 Feb 2016
Panasonic New Zealand has launched its first lithium-ion home storage battery - a system that can sense and store excess clean solar energy to power the household in the evening once the solar system has stopped producing.
Harrisons signs solar panel deal
15 Feb 2016
Harrisons Energy Solutions has announced an exclusive distribution partnership that brings one its solar panel optimisers to New Zealand households.
Toyota dealers save on energy costs
30 Nov 2015
Toyota dealers around the country have saved a total of $125,000 in energy costs as part of a drive to get Enviro-Mark Gold certification.
Eco tours operator impresses judges
12 Oct 2015
A successful business driven by the ethos of inspiration through adventure is how judges described Queenstown’s Ziptrek Ecotours in announcing it as the winner of the Environmental Tourism Award at this year’s Tourism Industry Awards.
Green cleaners no better than water, says watchdog
7 Sep 2015
Manufacturers of laundry balls market them as an “environmentally friendly” cleaning option.
Kia remains our only CarboNZero certified car company
7 Sep 2015
Kia is the only car company in New Zealand that has gained certification by CarboNZero.
Accounting for your Meridian bill takes Xero energy
7 Sep 2015
Xero and Meridian Energy have announced a partnership that will save Kiwi businesses time, energy and paper when accounting for their electricity bill.
Coca-Cola meeting water marks
31 Aug 2015
Coca-Cola says it will meet its 2020 water replenishment goal – to return to local communities as much water as the company uses - by the end of this year.
Peace Park gets new plantings
31 Aug 2015
Making a difference to the environment is something the team at Crowne Plaza Queenstown is passionate about – and they’re happy to get their hands dirty to prove it.
Green Star rating widens field
3 Aug 2015
The Green Star building rating has been widened to include social and financial innovation as well as environmental excellence.
Canon opens grants programme
8 Jun 2015
Canon New Zealand is calling for not-for-profit organisations and schools championing environmental initiatives to apply for its 2015 environmental grants programme.
Japan and Mongolia switch on to planting plan
8 Jun 2015
Panasonic’s international tree-planting project has hit Japan and China.
Artificial grass goes green
8 Jun 2015
Artificial grass just went green with Eco Lawn providing new eco-friendly artificial grass options that tick all the boxes, the company says.
Bank's Auckland office wins green accolade
18 May 2015
Innovative design and exemplary waste minimisation has helped BNZ to achieve a 5 Green Star Office Interiors rating for the two newest floors of its central Auckland office.
Fibreboard coffins out, pine caskets in
11 May 2015
Davis Funerals now uses caskets that are better for the environment.
Waste Warriors shift the waste
11 May 2015
Z Energy’s Waste Warriors competition has diverted 191 tonnes of waste - the equivalent of two Olympic-sized swimming pools full of waste – away from landfills in two months.
Gene tech reforms face political split
Today 11:00am
By Shannon Morris-Williams |The Government’s Gene Technology Bill continues to divide Parliament, after the Health Select Committee released its long-awaited report last week outlining key recommendations and lingering concerns.
Govt launches strategy backing wood-based heat sector
Today 11:00am
By Pattrick Smellie | Forestry biomass could replace as much as 40% of fossil fuel-generated process heat by 2050, but access to supply, regulatory settings and business cases for converting to wood-based heat sources are required, the Government says in a series of documents released yesterday.
Council buys dairy farm to help clean up Lake Rotorua
Tue 21 Oct 2025
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has bought a 266-hectare dairy farm in the Lake Rotorua catchment and plans to retire it from production to reduce nitrogen entering the lake.
Govt releases updated emissions projections
13 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Ministry for the Environment has released updated emissions projections to 2050, which show significant differences to the Climate Change Commission's recent projections for the same period.
NZ’s government wants tourism to drive economic growth – but how will it deal with aviation emissions?
Wed 22 Oct 2025
By Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University | Following a brief dip during the COVID pandemic, aviation is back in a growth phase.
Emails show forestry lobby fought Gisborne crackdown as slash clean-up drags on
26 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Sustainable land use advocates are accusing Eastland Wood Council of stonewalling efforts to tighten forestry rules, after correspondence between the group and the local council was released under the Official Information Act.
Govt to ease climate reporting thresholds, water down liability
Wed 22 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The rollback of climate change reporting requirements has produced a wave of relief in corporate New Zealand as managed investment funds and listed companies with annual revenue under $1 billion are exempted.
