News Direct: Media releases
Council questions whether Govt should be taxing plastic bags
31 Mar 2009
The Packaging Council says that the current discussion about whether the Government should introduce a levy on plastic bags needs to be put in the context of the facts.
Glass claims inaccurate, says forum
31 Mar 2009
The Glass Packaging Forum says that rumors of a demise in the glass-recycling market have been misleading and inaccurate, and it welcomes new reports which it says are addressing the facts.
Biodiesel blend reaches Mobil pumps
31 Mar 2009
Renewable transport energy in New Zealand is making progress, with biodiesel now on retail sale and approval granted for 85 per cent ethanol blends in petrol, Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee says.
Make polluters pay, say businesses
31 Mar 2009
A new national survey shows that 80 per cent of business people think polluters, not taxpayers, should pay for their excess greenhouse gas emissions.
Greenpeace increases call for emission cuts
27 Mar 2009
New Zealand must make deeper and faster cuts in its greenhouse gas emissions than previously thought, Greenpeace is warning ahead of the first of the year’s global climate talks which begin in Bonn over the weekend.
Heat pump water heaters get $1000 boost in EECA pilot
27 Mar 2009
A new funding pilot for heat pump water heating will test another choice of efficient water heating for consumers, the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority's chief executive Mike Underhill says.
Businesses back Earth Hour
27 Mar 2009
A diverse group of New Zealand businesses have committed to switching off lights and signage to show their support for action on climate change in tomorrow's Earth Hour event.
'Big Picture' partnership claims top environmental prize
27 Mar 2009
A "big-picture vision" has earned an organic dairy farming partnership the top award in the 2009 Waikato Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Minister refuses to rule out further delays to ETS - Labour
27 Mar 2009
Environment Minister Nick Smith’s refusal in Parliament on Wednesday to rule out further delays in the implementation of New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme is a cause for considerable alarm, says Labour’s Climate Change Issues spokesperson Charles Chauvel.
New Zealanders want faster action on climate change
24 Mar 2009
A new national survey of New Zealanders’ attitudes to climate change deals a major blow to those who argue it is not happening.
Gull backs renewable-energy vehicle research
24 Mar 2009
Gull Petroleum has made a commitment to support the University of Western Australia’s Renewable Energy Vehicle project.
Kiwi icons to go black for WWF’s Earth Hour
24 Mar 2009
The Mission Bay Fountain and the Eiffel Tower don’t have much in common, but both are among hundreds of global icons that will be plunged into darkness this Saturday at 8.30pm for WWF’s Earth Hour 2009.
National wastes opportunity to reduce waste, say Greens
24 Mar 2009
The government wants to dump meaningful waste reduction targets as well as crucial recycling programmes, says Green Party co-leader Russel Norman.
New name for water association
24 Mar 2009
New Zealand’s largest water industry representative body says it is changing its name to reflect the need for a more cohesive approach to the management, use and conservation of our most precious natural resource.
Green ideas on display at Bayfair
24 Mar 2009
The green knowledge-wave is gathering force as a new Sustainable Information Expo makes its debut this week at Bayfair Shopping Centre.
Business Roundtable releases climate change submission
20 Mar 2009
The Business Roundtable has released the submission which it presented yesterday to the emissions trading scheme review committee of Parliament.
Trans-Tasman climate ministers meet
20 Mar 2009
The Australian Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, and New Zealand Minister for Climate Change Issues, Dr Nick Smith, met in Canberra yesterday to discuss climate change and water issues, says a joint press release.
UN chief urges people to join Earth Hour
20 Mar 2009
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged citizens around the world to join WWF's Earth Hour to demand action on climate change
Meridian and NZ Antarctic Institute sign MOU
20 Mar 2009
Antarctica New Zealand and Meridian Energy have signed a memorandum of understanding setting out how the two organisations will work together to achieve their mutual aims of long-term environmental viability in Antarctica.
Five leading New Zealand minds for Eco-Minds
20 Mar 2009
Five leading university students have been selected to represent New Zealand at the prestigious Asia-Pacific regional Eco-Minds sustainable development forum, being hosted by The University of Auckland on May 25 – 29 in Auckland and Rotorua.
New directory of green services
20 Mar 2009
The Sustainable Business Network, in collaboration with green living site Ecobob.co.nz, has launched what it says is the world’s first online directory of green products and services where listings are compared against basic principles of sustainability.
Auckland still up in the air over transport funding, says Labour
20 Mar 2009
Yesterday's road talkfest still leaves Auckland hanging in air over transport funding, says the Labour Party.
First 'Roads of National Significance' identified
20 Mar 2009
The government yesterday announced the first seven Roads of National Significance, which have been singled out as essential routes that require priority treatment.
Labour calls for Government investment in jobs and warm homes for Dunedin
20 Mar 2009
Dunedin South Labour MP Clare Curran has called for the National Government to urgently invest in a comprehensive programme to create hundreds of jobs and make Dunedin’s 40,000 cold houses warm and dry.
Auckland road tax shows National doesn’t get agriculture
20 Mar 2009
Taxing rural communities more to pay for Auckland’s roads shows that National doesn’t understand the importance of agriculture for New Zealand’s economy, Opposition agriculture spokesperson Jim Anderton says.
Solid Energy says it continues improvement in environmental performance
20 Mar 2009
A 3.2 per cent reduction in its environmental impact and substantial progress in improving the quality of the water at Stockton opencast mine in Buller are the main achievements highlighted in Solid Energy’s 2008 environmental report, released yesterday.
Anti-business cuts surely unsustainable?
17 Mar 2009
Cutting funding to the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) shows the Government is taking an unsustainable and anti-business approach to sustainability, said Green Party co-leader Dr Russel Norman.
$1 billion more for state highways
17 Mar 2009
As part of the government’s Jobs and Growth plan, Prime Minister John Key and Transport Minister Steven Joyce have announced almost a billion dollars of additional investment in the state highway network over the next three years.
Pike River, raising NZ$45 mln in share sale, has stock halted
17 Mar 2009
Pike River Coal, the mining company raising NZ$45 million by selling shares to cover unforeseen costs until it can produce coal, had its stock halted from trading pending an announcement.
Government says it's committed to Auckland rail electrification
17 Mar 2009
Transport Minister Steven Joyce has confirmed the government’s commitment to the electrification of Auckland rail, which was to have been funded through the regional fuel tax.
Don't short-circuit rail electrification, say Greens
17 Mar 2009
Auckland Green Party MP Keith Locke has warned against any "pause" in Auckland's rail electrification project.
Revamped packaging awards announced
17 Mar 2009
The Packaging Council has announced the new categories and criteria for its 2009 Environmental Packaging Awards.
Unprecedented demand for recycled glass, says forum
17 Mar 2009
The Glass Packaging Forum is challenging claims that “glass along with other recyclables holds no value”.
Mixed fortunes for energy SOEs at half-year
17 Mar 2009
The energy SOE's produced mixed results for the half-year to December 31, 2008, reflecting a combination of high wholesale electricity prices, expanded generation portfolios, slumping export orders, and the variable impact of new international accounting standards on the bottom line.
Chauvel says Government speaking out of both sides of its mouth on SOE energy profits
17 Mar 2009
Labour Energy spokesperson Charles Chauvel says he doesn’t believe the public will be fooled for one minute by Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee’s calls over recent weeks for moderation from SOEs like Meridian Energy over recent power price rises in Christchurch.
Use power company profits to reduce winter power bills, says Anderton
17 Mar 2009
Strong profit increases in the state-owned power companies should be returned to consumers to help with winter power bills, Progressive Wigram MP Jim Anderton says.
Diesel’s award-winning excellence must fuel Government review of road user charges - Hyundai
17 Mar 2009
Hyundai Motors New Zealand says the award-winning performance of its compact diesel i30 in this year’s AA Motoring Excellence Awards is ultimate proof that it’s high time the Government scrapped discriminatory road user charges for diesel cars.
Regional fuel tax decision avoids colour coded diesel
17 Mar 2009
“The spectre of UK-style colour coded diesel has been avoided by National dumping the previous Government’s proposed Regional Fuel Tax (RFT),” says Don Aubrey, Federated Farmers transport spokesperson.
North Shore says 'no' to privatised water
17 Mar 2009
North Shore City Council has strongly opposed any moves to privatise the city’s or the Auckland region’s water supply and wastewater disposal systems.
Concrete national cycleway would save jobs, says industry
13 Mar 2009
The concrete sector has welcomed the Government's commitment to a national cycleway, and says that concrete must be considered as a suitable construction material.
New 'green' freight hub opens
13 Mar 2009
A new environmentally friendly temperature-controlled international freight-forwarding and logistics hubs was opened by Hellmann Worldwide Logistics in Christchurch on yesterday.
Clean streams accord part of a much bigger picture, says industry
13 Mar 2009
DairyNZ says the Dairying and Clean Streams Accord is just one example of the initiatives undertaken to improve dairy farming’s effect on the environment, and it is a strong supporter of farmers taking action to meet the accord.
National breaks election promise again with job cuts, says Labour
13 Mar 2009
Cut-backs at the Ministry for Environment once again show the Government is intending to drastically reduce the public service, Labour’s State Services spokesperson Grant Robertson said.
Superfund continues to invest in nuclear weapons, say Greens
6 Mar 2009
Four months after a commitment to divest the New Zealand Superfund from companies involved in manufacturing nuclear weapons and cluster bombs, the Green Party called on the Government to set a deadline to sell its remaining $25 million investment.
Seismic search for oil and gas starts
6 Mar 2009
Energy and Resources Minister,Gerry Brownlee,says survey work has started by the ship the Pacific Titan to assess the oil and gas potential of the Reinga Basin.
NZ must legislate biofuels, says Kiwi world-record holder
6 Mar 2009
New Zealanders will not get to use greener biofuels unless the government introduces legislation to replace the Biofuels Bill it dumped recently, according to the Kiwi holding the record for fastest circumnavigation of the earth in a powerboat.
Prime Minister further undermining progress on climate change: Labour
6 Mar 2009
The withdrawal by Greenpeace on Wednewday from the ETS Review Select Committee, when it learned of John Key's latest position on climate change science, puts progress in this area at further risk, says Labour spokesperson for Climate Change Charles Chauvel.
Govt releases draft new rules for Electricity Commission
3 Mar 2009
Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee has released a revised policy direction for the Electricity Commission for public comment.
Don’t trade the environment for short term jobs - Eco
3 Mar 2009
The Government should reject proposals from the Job Summit to trade environmental quality for elusory short-term gains, the Environment and Conservation Organisations says.
Obama's commitment to ETS a signal to NZ
27 Feb 2009
A renewed strong commitment to introduce emissions trading by US President Barrack Obama sends New Zealand a signal to get on with implementing its own ETS scheme and securing the country’s trade and tourism, says the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Growth, energy and climate in focus at Trans-Tasman bilateral talks
Today 11:00am
Trans-Tasman climate cooperation was one of the themes at the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum, with senior government officials and business leaders from both sides of the ditch meeting in Canberra this week.
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
Vector hits emissions reduction goal five years early
Today 11:00am
By Liz Kivi | Auckland lines company Vector has met its 2030 emissions reduction reduction target five years early, more than halving its direct emissions, and crediting innovation and a laser-focus for its success in a hard-to-abate sector.
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.
Forest carbon stores massive blind spot - study
Thu 4 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Aotearoa New Zealand’s planted forests hold significant deep soil organic carbon — with over half of it stored below 30 cm, and much of it over 1,000 years old.
XRB consults on delaying climate reporting requirements
Thu 4 Sep 2025
The External Reporting Board is proposing a further two years relief for companies to adopt anticipated financial impacts reporting and scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions reporting and assurance.
