News Direct: Media releases
Figures show why ETS should go ahead quickly
17 Apr 2009
The latest figures on New Zealand’s net position under the Kyoto Protocol shows why an emissions trading scheme is a good idea, says the Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Reality check time on emissions trading, says Federated Farmers
17 Apr 2009
This week's net position report on Kyoto Liabilities, which shows a possible surplus, represents an important reality check for New Zealand, says Federated Farmers.
More headroom for a better carbon scheme
17 Apr 2009
Business NZ says our changed position on greenhouse gas emissions gives us room to move on emissions trading.
ETS uncertainty points to serious energy problems, says Labour
14 Apr 2009
The confusion and uncertainty created by National’s climate change policy is putting New Zealand’s energy security at risk, Labour’s Energy spokesman Charles Chauvel says.
GetReal anti-plastic bag campaign hits the streets
14 Apr 2009
GetReal campaign teams say they are taking to the streets of South Island towns as part of their campaign to stop supermarkets giving away plastic bags.
TZ1 and American Carbon Registry form partnership
9 Apr 2009
American Carbon Registry, an enterprise of Winrock International and the longest serving US carbon registry, and TZ1 Environmental Registry, a financial-market-based platform for carbon and other environmental assets, have announced a strategic partnership to stimulate the market for trading US pre-compliance and global voluntary market carbon offsets.
NZ shamed at Bonn talks, says Greenpeace
9 Apr 2009
New Zealand should be ashamed of itself in front of its Pacific Island neighbours, Greenpeace said today, as UN climate talks wrap up in Bonn, Germany.
Government uncertainty over ETS must end, say Greens
9 Apr 2009
Business leaders and the public favour prompt Emissions Trading Scheme action to doing nothing by a margin of 2:1, according to a survey by the Business Council for Sustainable Development, says the Green Party.
Green cleaning saves businesses money
9 Apr 2009
New Zealand businesses are being urged to do their bit for their employees, the environment and their bottom line by using green cleaning products.
Lodge top for environment and accommodation
9 Apr 2009
A Wanaka lodge is the first accommodation provider in the area to be awarded both Qualmark’s 5 star grading and the prestigious Enviro-Gold rating.
'Polar bear' ministry cuts expected today
7 Apr 2009
The Green Party expects the Government's 'polar bear hunt' to close in for the kill at the Ministry for the Environment today, culling initiatives that have saved the taxpayer money.
NZ 'rearranges deckchairs' while ice shelf melts
7 Apr 2009
As the Wilkins ice Shelf draws closer to collapse in Antarctica, the New Zealand Government continues to contribute absolutely nothing towards progress on a climate deal in Bonn, says Greenpeace.
Cycleway idea too good to leave unfunded, say Greens
7 Apr 2009
Money that could otherwise fund the Prime Minister’s national cycleway looks set to go to roads if Bill English’s comments on TVNZ’s Q&A programme on Sunday are anything to go by, says the Green Party.
Reining in energy use in Christchurch
7 Apr 2009
Christchurch City's energy use is around 11 per cent of its $15 billion GDP, 29 per cent of its $5.5 billion total household income and increases at a rate of two percent per annum, the city council says.
Farmers care about fertilisers
7 Apr 2009
Farmers do care about responsible fertiliser use combined with precise application, according to the Fertiliser Quality Council.
Waitakere residents' pride in 'eco city'
7 Apr 2009
Waitakere's reputation as New Zealand's leading eco city is a tag its residents take a lot of pride in.
Environment Canterbury becomes authority for large dams
7 Apr 2009
Environment Canterbury has become a building consent authority, with responsibility for the consenting and safety of large dams throughout Canterbury.
CarboNZeroCert programme ranked No.1 in Australasia
3 Apr 2009
Consumers searching Carbon Catalog (www.carboncatalog.org) for the most transparent carbon offset provider in Australasia will find Landcare Research’s carboNZero programme at the very top of the list, the organisation says.
PC-makers clean up their act on climate
3 Apr 2009
The latest edition of Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics ranking shows a disappointing slump from some major companies in the toxics category, but an overall improvement on climate change criteria, the environmental organisation says.
Ministerial review of electricity market
3 Apr 2009
The Energy and Resources Minister, Gerry Brownlee, says a Ministerial review of the electricity sector will start work immediately.
Action starts for levy on supermarket bags
31 Mar 2009
A nationwide campaign to introduce a levy on plastic supermarket bags has been launched.
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.
Minister not concerned about potential economic impacts of ruling out offshore mitigation
Today 12:15pm
By Liz Kivi | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts isn’t worried that ruling out using offshore mitigation is effectively reneging from the Paris Agreement with potential to damage New Zealand’s economy and access to export markets.
Neighbours fume over plans to axe trees for solar farm
Today 12:15pm
Diane McCarthy, Local Democracy Reporter | Whakatāne District Council has thrown its support behind residents of a country lane distressed about Genesis Energy’s plans to axe their trees.
Govt warned that scrapping ag emission pricing comes with risks
Today 12:15pm
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s move to halt plans for agricultural emissions pricing without replacing it with any other action will leave New Zealand facing a bigger gap to meet its third emissions budget, Environment ministry officials have warned.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
Wed 10 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Transport pollution was the biggest contributor to an increase in New Zealand’s consumption-based emissions in 2023, with emissions from household travel up 12%, and consumption-based emissions totalling 58.3 million tonnes – up 1.6% from the previous year.
Christchurch Airport boasts world-first liquid-hydrogen refuelling for test aircraft
30 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Local companies working on hydrogen-electric flight have made ‘a significant step forward’ in successfully filling aviation tanks with liquid hydrogen produced and stored on-site at an international airport for the first time.
Uncertainty eroding confidence in forestry sector
Fri 5 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Warnings are mounting that tree planting is set to plunge to “very close to zero”, as new Ministry for Primary Industries data shows ETS registration applications falling sharply as confidence in forestry declines.
Investors must support positive climate-tech
28 Nov 2025
OPINION: We need better leadership than the current ‘climate opportunism’ that is rife in the Beehive, and we need to back a marketplace that will make it happen, writes Rob Campbell.
