News Direct: Media releases
Labour and National fail environmental test, say green groups
4 Nov 2008
New Zealand’s two biggest political parties have failed the environment test, put to them by two major New Zealand environmental groups.
Anderton challenges Act on its centre-piece policy
4 Nov 2008
The policy at the centre of the Act Party's election campaign is completely implausible, and Act need to be pressed on the implications, Progressive leader Jim Anderton says.
Green forum on the global financial crisis
4 Nov 2008
Green solutions to the current global financial crisis will be discussed by Green Party leaders from Australia and New Zealand, and an economic panel, in central Auckland tomorrow.
New areas for international environmental co-operation
4 Nov 2008
These new goals were agreed in October at the Second Meeting of the Parties to the Environment Cooperation Agreement of the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (P4 Agreement) in Santiago.
Genesis considers bond issue
4 Nov 2008
Genesis Energy says that it is considering an offer of bonds to the New Zealand public.
TrustPower opens Australian wind farm
4 Nov 2008
New Zealand-based TrustPower officially openied of Stage 1 of its first Australian wind farm, located at Snowtown 170km north of Adelaide, at the weekend.
Economies continue to grow with emissions trading, says Parker
31 Oct 2008
A report released yesterday by the Australian government has confirmed that a country's economy will continue to grow with an emissions trading scheme, and it's cheaper to act sooner rather than later, Climate Change Minister David Parker said.
PaintPlus first small enterprise in NZ to be carbon neutral
28 Oct 2008
Paint manufacturer PaintPlus has become the first small enterprise in New Zealand to be carbon neutral, achieving government body LandCare Research’s CarboNZero certification.
New electricity information website launched
28 Oct 2008
Transpower subsidiary Energy Market Services has launched a new electricity site (www.em6live.co.nz (http://www.em6live.co.nz/)) that allows greater accessibility to NZ electricity market data.
Hermitage Hotel takes gold for environmental work
28 Oct 2008
One of the first to achieve Qualmark’s prestigious new Enviro-Gold rating, The Hermitage General Manager Denis Callesen says it’s a natural fit with the hotel’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility.
Anne Blackburn appointed to NZVIF Board
28 Oct 2008
Auckland businessperson Anne Blackburn has been appointed to the board of the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund.
The United Group branches out into carbon
24 Oct 2008
The Fortis Intertrust’s carbon team has moved to the Amsterdam-based United Group, and has launched a carbon financial services business.
Carbon rating agency appoints CEO in Singapore
24 Oct 2008
IDEAcarbon, the strategic advice and information-provider for the carbon market, hasannounced the appointment of Dinesh Babu as CEO of The Carbon Rating Agency (CRA), IDEAcarbon's wholly-owned subsidiary.
New homes targeted in light-bulb push
24 Oct 2008
National Party energy spokesman Gerry Brownlee says not only is Labour spending $3.5 million promoting the looming light-bulb ban, but also plans to tell us how many lights we should have.
Tsakounis Global to investigate JI coal methane projects in Australia.
22 Oct 2008
Following the recent passing of the New Zealand Emissions Trading legislation, Environmental Intermediaries & Trading Group Limited has appointed Tsakounis Global to investigate Joint Implementation Projects for Coal Mine Methane in Australia.
Labour commits to R&D tax credits and Fast Forward
22 Oct 2008
Prime Minister Helen Clark and Research Science and Technology Minister Pete Hodgson today confirmed Labour’s commitment to significant investment in innovation saying it would produce a step change in New Zealand’s economy.
National’s approach to energy efficiency 'costed and workable'
17 Oct 2008
"National is not committed to the Labour/Greens household insulation policy because it is unfunded and impractical, and we have a better approach", says National’s Climate Change spokesman, Nick Smith.
Parker's view at odds with NZIER report - Beard
17 Oct 2008
Climate Change Minister David Parker’s claims that making the productive sectors pay for emissions via the emissions trading scheme is cheaper than if the taxpayer (government) paid for the Kyoto shortfall is completely at odds with analysis undertaken by leading economists, NZIER, says the Greenhouse Policy Coalition
Survey shows energy market opportunities
17 Oct 2008
The latest annual survey of how New Zealanders will cut personal greenhouse gas emissions reveals there is a major market opportunity for those promoting energy efficient appliances.
Green Globe offers carbon 'health check'
17 Oct 2008
Green Globe Lite, a global on-line programme released on Wednesday, will provide tourism operators with a user-friendly, affordable tool to measure their business’s carbon footprint and environment performance, the company says.
Top economist supports chamber's views on carbon taxes
14 Oct 2008
The latest pronouncement from one of the world's top economists that a carbon tax is better than an emissions trading scheme to fight global warming is welcome news, according to the Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce.
ETS will hinder economic growth, says Kiwi Party
14 Oct 2008
Kiwi Party leader Larry Baldock rhas enewed his party's call for the repeal of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Paraoa Bakehouse judged New Zealand’s sustainable business of the year
14 Oct 2008
Paraoa Bakehouse has been recognised as New Zealand’s sustainable business of the year at the 2008 NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards.
Reducing greenhouse gases one fridge at a time.
10 Oct 2008
Natural refrigeration specialist company Arneg New Zealand is to tell this year’s New Zealand Cold Storage Association conference that the industry needs to do more to reduce the effect of refrigeration systems on the environment.
NZ students to work on climate change study in Europe
10 Oct 2008
New Zealand engineering students will have the opportunity to study climate change in Europe through a new student exchange programme, Tertiary Education Minister Pete Hodgson announced yesterday.
Time for green thinking on the economy, say Greens
7 Oct 2008
It is time for Government to set its sights on a green economy to ensure there will be jobs for New Zealanders, that food will be affordable, and it won’t be out of people’s reach to get around, the Green Party says.
Water, water - not everywhere
7 Oct 2008
New Zealanders must move away from the attitude of thinking water should be freely available as of “right” and start treating it as the valuable and limited natural resource if they want to remain sustainable and prosperous says IPENZ, the Institution of Professional Engineers of New Zealand.
Farmers working hard for the environment
7 Oct 2008
Otago dairy farmer Philip Wilson and his family had a point to prove when they entered this year’s Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Brewery project wins cement industry sustainability award
7 Oct 2008
A building project using considerable quantities of recycled waste-glass has won the inaugural Concrete3 Sustainability Award.
Tax cuts eaten into by emissions trading
3 Oct 2008
The executive director of the Greenhouse Policy Coalition, Catherine Beard, says the much needed tax cuts will unfortunately be eaten into significantly by the increased costs households will face from the emissions trading scheme.
Nat's climate change stance 'window dressing'
3 Oct 2008
Act's Rodney Hide has provided further evidence that National MPs don't really mean what they say about taking action on climate change, Climate Change Minister David Parker says in a statement.
Further 32 turbines ordered for TRH wind farm
3 Oct 2008
Windflow Technology has received a further order from the Te Rere Hau (TRH) Joint Venture for the 32 turbines required to complete the initial TRH wind farm near Palmerston North.
Tourism businesses sign up for energy-efficiency programme
30 Sep 2008
A pilot energy-efficiency programme for tourism businesses is well under way, with nine businesses from around the country undergoing detailed assessments of their energy use.
Hyundai to sell electric cars in New Zealand
30 Sep 2008
Hyundai has announced that it will be the first automotive manufacturer to offer new electric cars for sale in New Zealand - and off the back of local manufacturing.
IDEAcarbon rates Joint Implementation projects
30 Sep 2008
The Carbon Rating Agency, a dedicated ratings subsidiary of IDEAcarbon, has released the first set of ratings for Joint Implementation (JI) projects under JI guidelines.
New Zealand’s sustainability trailblazers announced
26 Sep 2008
After an extensive six-month search across the country, the finalists of the 2008 NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards have been announced.
Is the end of higher fert prices on the horizon?
26 Sep 2008
There are signs that farmers might be in for some respite from rising fertiliser prices, says Ballance Agri-Nutrients Chairman, David Graham.
Water management leaking through the cracks
26 Sep 2008
A report card on the state of water infrastructure in New Zealand shows that management of one of New Zealand's most valuable assets, water, is only "adequate", at best, and that significant improvements are required to bring New Zealand's water services up to world's best practise.
National's forestry policy ignores the obvious
26 Sep 2008
National needs to tackle corporate dairy farming's role in deforestation if it wants to truly improve forestry in New Zealand, says Greenpeace.
Electricity Commission making some progress toward environmental goals, says PCE
26 Sep 2008
Dr Jan Wright, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, has commended the Electricity Commission for its work on improving electricity efficiency and integrating wind generation into the grid.
Key must explain Williamson’s rail comments
26 Sep 2008
Maurice Williamson’s warning that a John Key-led government would not invest any new money in Auckland’s rail system shows National cannot be trusted to keep KiwiRail in Kiwi hands, Finance Minister Michael Cullen said.
Bill to help aquaculture development passes
26 Sep 2008
Environment Minister Trevor Mallard has welcomed the passage of the Aquaculture Legislation Amendment Bill, which is aimed at improving the operation and development of the aquaculture industry in New Zealand.
Online calculator gives emissions measure
23 Sep 2008
A new online guide and calculator have been launched to help businesses to measure and cut their emissions - and boost profits.
Retravision goes energy-wise
23 Sep 2008
Retravision, New Zealand’s fastest growing home appliance retail group, has made a commitment to energy efficiency by becoming the latest retail chain to sign up as an ENERGY STAR partner, the company says in a statement.
HVDC upgrade must proceed, says MEUG
23 Sep 2008
“The Major Electricity Users’ Group fully supports Transpower’s proposed upgrade of the HVDC and re-affirm our support for the Electricity Commission’s intention to approve the expected cost of up to $672m,” said Ralph Matthes, executive director of MEUG.
Holcim sets benchmark in sustainability
19 Sep 2008
For the fourth year in succession, Holcim Ltd has been named "Leader of the Industry" in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and once again acknowledged as the company with the best sustainability performance in the building materials industry.
Air New Zealand fits winglets to reduce fuel, emissions
19 Sep 2008
Air New Zealand estimates it will save more than $7.5 million in fuel and 16,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually by fitting performance-enhancing blended winglets on to its five Boeing 767-300ER aircraft.
Glaciers continue to show significant ice loss
16 Sep 2008
New Zealand’s glaciers are showing the lowest total ice mass on record and most are continuing to shrink at a rapid rate, scientists say.
New Zealand maintains world-class paperboard recycling rate
16 Sep 2008
Latest statistics released yesterday by the paper packaging sector show that New Zealand has continued to improve its paperboard recovery rate, with an impressive 78 per cent of all paperboard consumed now being collected for recycling into new products.
REACTION: Greenhouse Policy Coalition - Emissions trading scheme is flawed
12 Sep 2008
The passage of the most ambitious emissions trading scheme in the world will come at a high cost to the New Zealand economy, according to the Greenhouse Policy Coalition, representing the energy-intensive sector.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
NZ hydrogen regulation to catch up with the world
18 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The government has announced a regulatory reset for New Zealand’s emerging clean tech hydrogen sector.
State-owned farmer drives profit growth with emissions reductions
19 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Government-owned Landcorp, trading as Pāmu, is one-third of the way to meeting its 2031 emissions reduction targets, with five years left to run to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30.3% against 2021 emissions.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
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.
NZ could become ‘dumping ground’ for dirty vehicles: Commissioner
16 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Simon Upton, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, has warned the Government that its changes to the clean car standard could turn the country into a dumping ground for high emitting cars, making future emissions budgets harder to achieve.
Uncertainty eroding confidence in forestry sector
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.
