News Direct: Media releases
Scientists find link between temperature and carbon storage rates
4 Dec 2024
Media release | A huge global study has used teabags to measure carbon storage in wetlands.
Pacific Youth hope historic hearing in the Hague delivers climate justice where COP did not
3 Dec 2024
Media release | Save the Children is urging world leaders to heed the call of Pacific children and young people as a landmark action to clarify states’ obligations to tackle the climate crisis gets underway before the International Court of Justice.
New Zealand must step up and pay our fair share post-COP29
29 Nov 2024
Media release | World Vision New Zealand and Oxfam Aotearoa are urging the New Zealand Government to seize the momentum off the back of the global climate conference, Cop29, and pay our fair share toward global climate action.
Princess Cruises confronted by climate protestors
28 Nov 2024
Media release | Climate Liberation Aotearoa gave Diamond Princess cruise ship passengers an informative spirited welcome to Ōtepoti Dunedin on Tuesday.
Science minister 'asleep at the wheel' says science community, as reforms continually delayed
27 Nov 2024
Media release | Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology Judith Collins is further delaying reforms of the science sector, and ignoring pleas from the science community for resolutions, says science advocacy group Save Science Coalition.
Microbes behind unprecedented surge in methane emissions
26 Nov 2024
Media release | Microbes - such as those living in wetlands, landfills or the digestive tracts of livestock - are behind unprecedented spikes in methane emissions, according to new research from the University of Colorado and NIWA.
Single agency needed to coordinate climate adaptation and recovery
25 Nov 2024
Media release: Infrastructure New Zealand is calling for the establishment of a single, central authority to coordinate climate adaptation and recovery efforts in New Zealand.
Complex Article 6 rules pave way to unruly carbon markets
25 Nov 2024
Media release | Despite the best efforts of activists and some climate negotiators, the agreement reached on Article 6 carbon markets at COP29 in Baku risks facilitating cowboy carbon markets at a time when the world needs a sheriff.
New Zealand drops in global ranking on climate action
21 Nov 2024
Media release | Greenpeace is accusing the New Zealand government of ‘quiet quitting’ on climate change as the country drops seven points in the global rankings on climate action.
Scientists develop tool to monitor coastal erosion in fine detail
21 Nov 2024
Media release | An online tool developed by scientists at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland allows for detailed monitoring of the nation’s coastal erosion from satellite imagery.
Youth call for NZ parliament to take urgent climate action
20 Nov 2024
Media release | World Vision youth advocacy ambassadors will this week deliver more than 2,000 postcards from Kiwi children and young people calling on the Government to take urgent climate action.
Climate science inspires Wellington kids to drive down school-run emissions
20 Nov 2024
Media release | Primary school students at Silverstream and Seatoun schools are busting out their bikes, scooters, and walking shoes in attempt to curb carbon dioxide concentrations outside their school – with a little help from GNS Science atmospheric greenhouse gas sensors.
Auckland diverts over 30,000 tonnes of food scraps from landfill
19 Nov 2024
Media release | More than 30,000 tonnes of food scraps contributed by Aucklanders since the food scraps collections began in April last year have been used to produce renewable energy and fertiliser.
Kiwi trailblazers in sustainability recognised in new 'Next 95' list
19 Nov 2024
Media release | Kiwi visionaries and innovators have been rewarded for pushing the boundaries by featuring on a newly-established list as part of the Sustainable Business Awards 2024.
Pacific debt surging as climate impacts hit
18 Nov 2024
Media release | With Pacific countries swamped by surging climate debt, New Zealand has the moral authority to head off a regional debt crisis, says Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand.
COP29: Countries’ early delivery of national climate plans welcome, but more ambition required, say health orgs
14 Nov 2024
Media release | Welcoming the announcement of new Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) targets by several countries during the COP29 climate summit, the Global Climate and Health Alliance said today that some of the commitments require greater ambition and clarity to lead the way on climate action that will protect people and planet.
International eyes on Cook Strait ferries
13 Nov 2024
Media release: The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Ferry Taskforce is backing the call for the new Interislander ferries to be publicly-owned and rail-enabled.
Climate researchers drill deep for Antarctic climate clues
13 Nov 2024
Media release | Kiwi climate researchers are part of an ambitious mission to recover critical geological records to help forecast future sea-level rise.
NZ and Irish govts partner to support farming through research
12 Nov 2024
Media release | New Zealand and Ireland are investing $9.6 million in targeted research to deliver practical solutions that reduce emissions for New Zealand’s primary producers, announced Agriculture Minister Todd McClay.
New report spotlights how energy efficiency can reduce electricity demand
8 Nov 2024
Media release | A new report says energy efficiency has been a significant factor in subduing power demand and therefore household bills over the past 20 years.
Review identifies risk to retail electricity competition
7 Nov 2024
Media release | A review of risk management options for electricity retailers by the Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko has found that while there are a range and combination of solutions available to retailers, there is a potential risk to retail competition that the authority cannot ignore.
Carbon markets could boost climate action in least developed countries
6 Nov 2024
Media release | UNCTAD’s Least Developed Countries Report 2024 highlighted on Monday that the group of 45 least developed countries (LDCs) could use carbon market projects to enhance climate action by offsetting the buyers’ emissions at improved rates which will allow more investment.
Multiple drainage and environmental outcomes from new floodgate project
5 Nov 2024
Media release | Waikato Regional Council’s three-year asset rationalisation project near the Piako River mouth has been completed, with positive outcomes for flood protection, land drainage and the environment.
Greens call for bottom trawling ban
4 Nov 2024
Media release | The Green Party is urgently calling on the Government to ban bottom trawling, following news a New Zealand bottom trawler caught 37kg of coral in international waters, prompting the suspension of all fishing in the area until 2026.
Iwi works with scientists to protect community from natural hazards
1 Nov 2024
Media release | Porirua’s Takapūwāhia community has partnered with It’s Our Fault scientists to map its exposure to natural hazards and is using the information to protect people and property from future events.
Gisborne community team up with experts to combat climate challenges
31 Oct 2024
Media release | University of Auckland researchers are working with a Gisborne iwi to tackle the pressing issues facing their remote community.
Germany and New Zealand partner to support agriculture and tackle global emissions
25 Oct 2024
Media release | New Zealand and Germany have announced the official start of a partnership aimed at supporting the agriculture sector and tackling global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, agriculture minister Todd McClay announced today.
Use KiwiSaver for climate action, urges charity
25 Oct 2024
Media release | New Zealand charity Mindful Money is calling on Kiwis to drive climate action with their investments.
Connecting Kiwi cleantech ventures with global opportunities
24 Oct 2024
Media release | Fourteen ambitious Kiwi cleantech startups will soon chase global investment and partnership opportunities as part of the 2024 Cleantech Trek to the USA and Europe.
The money is there to meet global biodiversity targets: COP16 expectations
24 Oct 2024
Media release | Finance is the big focus at the next round of crucial UN biodiversity talks taking place in Cali, Colombia over the next two weeks.
Research sheds light on climate change education gaps
21 Oct 2024
Media release | Dr Thomas Everth is on a mission to reshape how climate change is taught in New Zealand schools, to shift society toward a more sustainable future.
Tackling nature-loss could bring major economic boost for NZ
18 Oct 2024
Media release | Protecting nature could save Aotearoa New Zealand more than $270 billion over the next 50 years, according to a major new report from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) New Zealand and EY New Zealand.
Vanuatu’s landmark climate change case advances
18 Oct 2024
Media release | A record-breaking number of states and inter-governmental organizations will make their case following a year of droughts, floods, heatwaves and storms worldwide.
Greater investment critical for the Pacific’s economic future as growth slows: World Bank
16 Oct 2024
Media release | The World Bank today launched its latest Pacific Economic Update, calling for a major boost in investment to address the region's slowing economic growth.
Sustainability in design of new Te Ngaengae Pool in Naenae
16 Oct 2024
Media release | Te Ngaengae Pool and Fitness aims to be New Zealand’s most sustainable pool when it opens in early December, through massively reduced carbon emissions and lower energy use.
Government and sector to improve Forestry ETS Registry
14 Oct 2024
Media release | Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced the establishment of a Forestry Sector Reference Group to drive better outcomes from the Forestry Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Registry.
World on the brink of an irreversible climate disaster, scientists warn
9 Oct 2024
An international team of scientists is warning that the Earth is stepping into a critical and unpredictable new phase of the climate crisis, with environmental conditions that have never been encountered in human history.
Water is ‘canary in the coalmine’ of climate change: WMO
9 Oct 2024
Media release | The year 2023 marked the driest year in over three decades for rivers around the world, according to a new report coordinated by the UN’s World Meteorological Organization.
New research finds significant warming of Ross Sea region
8 Oct 2024
Media release | PhD candidate Eva Nielsen has created a new dataset of Antarctica’s temperature over the past 20 years analysing its trends and temperature extremes.
Incinerator will put NZ on the wrong track
8 Oct 2024
Media release | A large-scale rubbish incinerator has been included in the list of projects to go into Schedule 2 of the Coalition Government’s Fast Track Bill.
New fund to clean up old landfill and dump sites
7 Oct 2024
Media release | A new Contaminated Sites and Vulnerable Landfills Fund will help councils and landowners clean up historic landfills and other contaminated sites that are vulnerable to the effects of severe weather, Environment Minister Penny Simmonds says.
Cross party consensus needed to prepare NZ for increased climate risk
3 Oct 2024
A parliamentary report on climate adaptation is an important signal of the need to urgently tackle the impact of climate change on communities and protect people lives and property, the Insurance Council of New Zealand Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa (ICNZ) says.
Intense marine heatwaves disrupt fish populations and fisheries in NZ
2 Oct 2024
Marine heatwaves, where sea surface temperatures are unusually warm, can lead to increased or decreased fisheries catches, depending on their intensity.
Select committee recommendations on Resource Management Amendment Bill disappoint
1 Oct 2024
Media release | The Environmental Defence Society says proposals enable a full-blown assault on freshwater and indigenous biodiversity and take the country further off-track from meeting future climate goals.
UN General Assembly closes with growing consensus on fossil fuel phase out imperative
1 Oct 2024
Media release | The 79th United Nations General Assembly concluded with a growing global consensus on the urgent need to phase out fossil fuels.
Air pollutant trends decrease at most monitoring sites over the last eight years
30 Sep 2024
Media release | Concentrations of air pollutants decreased at many air quality monitoring sites between 2016 and 2023, according to figures released by Stats NZ.
Could vertical farming help future-proof our food needs?
27 Sep 2024
Media release | Technology and improved plant science are the keys to indoor farming contributing to global food needs, according to The University of Queensland’s Professor of Protected Cropping.
Heat, animal illness, and erosion: climate risks to NZ agriculture
26 Sep 2024
Media release | The effects of climate change on agriculture will vary around NZ, according to modelling of four greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
Meridian's Ruakākā solar farm gets consent
26 Sep 2024
Media release | Meridian Energy has been granted resource consent to build a 120 MW solar farm in Tai Tokerau Northland.
New Kiwi methane venture gets $13.5M boost
25 Sep 2024
Media release | The two key players working to provide Kiwi farmers with tools to reduce emissions are stepping up their support of a methane vaccine with multimillion-dollar funding for new company, Lucidome Bio.
Energy and environment enters an election year pressure cooker
Tue 27 Jan 2026
Parliament resumes this week but the year ahead is already framed by the November 7 election.
Govt weighs LNG backstop as gas decline accelerates
Wed 28 Jan 2026
Liquefied natural gas imports are moving from a back-pocket idea to an active procurement process, with ministers expected to make decisions soon on whether – and how – to add LNG as an emergency backstop for New Zealand’s tightening gas and electricity system.
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.
Govt consulting on further ETS fee cuts for foresters
Tue 27 Jan 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has moved to reduce compliance costs for forest owners, announcing a further cut to ETS registry charges and a new consultation on service fees, a move welcomed by forestry industry groups.
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.
