News Direct: Media releases
Climate Change Commission chair to retire
27 May 2024
Media release | The Climate Change Commission Chair, Dr Rod Carr, has confirmed his plans to retire at the end of his term later this year, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says.
Flood damage a growing risk for NZ’s kelp forests
27 May 2024
Media release | Timber slash and debris from flooding events is decimating Aotearoa New Zealand’s vital underwater kelp forests, a nationwide study shows.
New project targets methane reduction in dairy effluent ponds
23 May 2024
Media release | A new project led by Lincoln University and Ravensdown marks the next step towards providing farmers with a cost-effective tool to reduce methane emissions from effluent storage ponds.
Over 60% bounty increase for refrigerant recovery
22 May 2024
Media release | Cool-Safe is increasing Bounty Buy-Back payments from $25.00/kg to $40.00/kg for recovered synthetic refrigerants to help meet their target of 90% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from F-gas discharge, by 2035.
Antarctica likely storing more carbon than previously thought
21 May 2024
Media release | Antarctica is likely a carbon storage powerhouse, according to NIWA.
Improving buildings could save NZ almost $40 billion
20 May 2024
Media release | Improving buildings could slash emissions equivalent to taking half our country’s petrol cars off the road.
Carbon pricing works: major meta-study
17 May 2024
Media release | Carbon pricing systems achieve between 5% and 21% emission reductions in their first few years of operation, according to a new study.
Fast-track applicant to pay $216,000 for failed mine bid
16 May 2024
Media release | A mining company that lobbied Resources Minister Shane Jones and RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop to be fast-tracked has been ordered to pay more than $200,000 in court costs.
AgriZeroNZ invests $9.9M in US company in race for ‘holy grail’ methane vaccine
13 May 2024
Media release | AgriZeroNZ, the joint venture fast-tracking emissions reduction tools for Kiwi farmers, is doubling down on efforts to deliver a methane vaccine with an investment in US ag-biotech start-up, ArkeaBio.
Boost energy efficiency to slash coal imports and high power bills – it’s a no brainer
10 May 2024
Media release | Energy efficiency is an obvious way to fix New Zealand’s struggling power system, an energy efficiency expert says.
Climate now a housing issue: research reveals a whopping 90% want flood info when buying
9 May 2024
Media release | New nationwide research from insurers AMI, State and NZI released today reveals that climate concerns have grown to the point that 86% of people would now consider climate risk when choosing a home, compared to 55% only two years ago.
Low gas production threatens energy security
8 May 2024
Media release | Simeon Brown, Minister for Energy, and Shane Jones, Minister for Resources - There has been a material decline in gas production according to figures released today by the Gas Industry Co.
Midwives vital part of the solution to climate challenges
6 May 2024
Media release| Midwives may not be the first profession you think of when it comes to climate change but in a climate crisis they are an essential part of the emergency healthcare response.
Air New Zealand announces changes to Sustainability Advisory Panel
2 May 2024
Media release | Former Green Party co-leader and minister for climate change, James Shaw, is joining Air New Zealand's Sustainability Advisory Panel.
Contract awarded to recloak Coronet Forest
1 May 2024
Media release | The contract to deliver an aspirational vision to “recloak” Coronet Forest with native planting has been awarded to Te Tapu o Tāne and e3Scientific Limited.
Updated standard paves the way for introducing biomethane into existing gas pipeline network
30 Apr 2024
Media release: Gas NZ | The recent updating of the standard for reticulated natural gas by Standards New Zealand to allow for renewable gas to be injected into gas pipelines is a significant step towards New Zealand’s transition to renewable gas, GasNZ chief executive Jeffrey Clarke says.
Tzay is right to raise human rights concerns about carbon markets
29 Apr 2024
Media release | Amnesty International’s Advisor on Indigenous Rights, Chris Chapman has reacted to a call by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples to consider a moratorium on carbon markets.
Ipsos Earth Day Report 2024 - NZ Edition
23 Apr 2024
Media release | Ipsos, one of the world’s leading market research companies, has released a 33-country study as part of Earth Day, looking at how attitudes to climate change are changing.
AgriZeroNZ investment in Biolumic to shine light on low emissions pasture solution
19 Apr 2024
Media release | AgriZeroNZ, the joint venture fast-tracking emissions reduction tools for farmers, is investing up to $5 million (USD $3million) in BioLumic, an agriculture biotech company utilising ultraviolet (UV) light to develop a low emissions farm pasture with increased productivity gains.
Agriculture needs innovation to stay open for business
18 Apr 2024
Media release | The agricultural sector is facing a crisis, with forecasts for registering innovative animal and crop health products hitting an all-time low.
Emissions Trading Scheme underperforming - study
12 Apr 2024
Media release | The impact of Aotearoa’s main tool in the fight against climate change could be heightened if five sectors were better regulated, according to a new study.
Planned plant to produce low emissions fuel a step closer
10 Apr 2024
Media release | Plans to build New Zealand’s first plant to produce low emissions fossil free fuel to replace coal have moved a step closer with the signing of an agreement to lease a site at Kawerau.
Purpose Capital Consortium increases investment in Lodestone Energy to $17.4M
10 Apr 2024
Media release | In March 2024 Purpose Capital led a $7.4M syndicated follow-on investment into Lodestone Energy.
Plug-in hybrid vehicles sales on the rise in Australia
8 Apr 2024
Media release | The EV fringe benefit tax exemption, a desire to save on vehicle running costs and expanded model availability are driving demand for plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV), according to Australia’s National Automotive Leasing and Salary Packaging Association (NALSPA).
Business survey: Only a third of small Kiwi businesses prioritising climate action
5 Apr 2024
Media release | Even though small businesses know there are benefits to taking climate action, only 36% are making it a priority.
Scrapping Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary a ‘huge blow’ for marine protection
2 Apr 2024
Media release | The Government’s announcement that it will scrap plans for a vast marine sanctuary around the Kermadec Islands is ‘shameful’ and will make it impossible for Aotearoa to meet its international commitments, says the WWF for Nature NZ.
Business sustainability efforts still falling short of consumer expectations, says new research
26 Mar 2024
Media release | New research from Kantar and the Sustainable Business Council (SBC) reveals Kiwi consumers believe business action is falling short of business responsibility, both in terms of climate change and environmental issues and community and social challenges.
Legal activists double down on greenwashing claims against Z Energy
20 Mar 2024
Media release | Consumer NZ, the Environmental Law Initiative and Lawyers for Climate Action NZ are doubling down on claims that Z Energy is greenwashing New Zealanders.
New record for NZ’s costliest weather events
20 Mar 2024
Media release | A leading global professional services firm, has published its 2024 Climate and Catastrophe Insights Report, shedding light on global natural disaster and climate trends.
Historic data reveals unprecedented heatwaves
13 Mar 2024
Media release - A thermometer dipped in a bucket of sea water on New Year’s Day in 1967 began a unique record which shows the dramatic intensification of warming in the Hauraki Gulf.
Govt announcements make this a bad week for the climate
11 Mar 2024
Media release | “The Government has made a series of announcements this week which are bad news for the climate in Aotearoa”, says Jessica Palairet, Executive Director at Lawyers for Climate Action NZ.
Hundreds of marae exposed to natural hazards
7 Mar 2024
Media release - New research aims to bolster marae resilience against flooding, landslides and other natural hazards.
UN body steps up pace to implement carbon crediting mechanism
4 Mar 2024
Media release - The United Nations Body charged with implementing a new carbon crediting mechanism under the Paris Agreement has expedited plans for action at their first meeting since COP28.
Native snails heading for extinction
27 Feb 2024
Media release | New Zealand has some of the most spectacular land snails in the world, but they’re sliding to extinction – and climate change is a major factor.
Tohatoha launches new climate change education initiative – The Climate Disinformation Night School
21 Feb 2024
Media release | Non-profit community education group Tohatoha announced it is launching a new initiative that aims to counter the spread of disinformation around climate change both in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally.
Water quality and climate change top survey issues again: Otago Regional Council
21 Feb 2024
Media release | Water quality and climate change remain the most important environmental issues to people around Otago, according to the latest survey results just released by the Otago Regional Council.
Time to name the silent killer: heatwaves
20 Feb 2024
Media release - As Western Australia reels from record-breaking heat, the Climate Council is calling for heatwaves to be named, similar to how we name tropical cyclones, as a way of helping avoid more deaths.
Govt to spend $3.6 billion on environment in 2023/24 fiscal year
15 Feb 2024
Media release | Central government agencies are estimated to spend $3.6 billion on the environment in the 2023/24 financial year according to new figures from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
Mongolian Dzud: Extreme weather puts 90% of country at ‘high risk’
14 Feb 2024
Media release | The ongoing “white and iron” dzud in Mongolia has reached a “critical” level, with over 90 per cent of the country facing high levels of risk from the unique weather phenomenon.
Forest & Bird says hazard policy a must to protect Kiwi communities from future floods
13 Feb 2024
Media release | Forest & Bird is calling on Penny Simmonds and Simon Watts – the respective ministers for the environment and climate change – to take action and pass the National Policy Statement on Natural Hazard Decision Making.
Academics weigh in on Smith V Fonterra
9 Feb 2024
Media release - The Supreme Court's decision to advance Michael Smith's climate lawsuit against major polluters marks a significant judicial recognition of climate issues, with University of Auckland law academics highlighting the case’s significance.
Otago Regional Council expects new electric buses will significantly impact emissions
8 Feb 2024
Media release | The first of a fleet of electric buses (e-buses) will appear on Dunedin’s streets in February 2024.
Extreme weather a critical concern for the next decade of farming, experts say
7 Feb 2024
Media Release | Climate change, extreme weather events and water quality are considered the three biggest challenges likely to affect agriculture in Aotearoa for the next 10 years, according to primary industry experts.
Antarctic frontier project ‘tantalisingly close’ to vital climate secrets
1 Feb 2024
Media release | An international team co-led by GNS Science Te Pū Ao, Te Herenga Waka has successfully gathered crucial information in their mission to understand the West Antarctic Ice Sheet’s past response to climate warming.
CarbonPool, the world's first carbon credit insurance company, raises $12M
30 Jan 2024
Media release - CarbonPool helps society reach net zero by providing in-kind insurance for failure to achieve net zero commitments.
New research into carbon sequestration potential of kelp
29 Jan 2024
Media release - Could kelp be a secret weapon in the fight against climate change? A new research project aims to answer that question by better understanding how kelp contributes to carbon sequestration in our oceans.
Rise in new renewable electricity generation projects
26 Jan 2024
Media release - A report commissioned by the Electricity Authority Te Mana Hiko shows the amount of new renewable electricity generation that has been committed has almost doubled in 18 months.
Researchers map 140,000 landslides triggered by Cyclone Gabrielle
24 Jan 2024
Media release - Canterbury researchers and students have mapped 140,000 landslides triggered by Cyclone Gabrielle in a bid to create models for future weather events.
Climate research takes on greatest threat to Pacific
23 Jan 2024
Media release - Pacific researchers are taking bold steps to better understand the population dynamics of the region’s 13 million peoples – projected to become 20 million by 2050.
Octopus DNA contains grave warning for sea level rise
22 Dec 2023
Media Release | Scientists have used octopus DNA to discover that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) likely collapsed during the Last Interglacial period around 120,000 years ago when global temperatures were similar to today.
Legal experts sue Climate minister over ‘glaring holes’ in climate plan
Wed 11 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Legal experts are taking the government to court over its Emissions Reduction Plan, alleging it fails to fulfil basic requirements of the law – with one of the arguments focussing on an over-reliance on tree-planting.
Electric firebricks: decarbonising high-temperature industrial heat
Fri 13 Jun 2025
By Ian Mason | A new technology could offer a more cost-effective solution than hydrogen to decarbonise one ‘hard-to-abate’ sector of New Zealand’s economy, as well as having ample potential for demand response as the electricity grid becomes more renewable.
Flurry of govt announcements at Fieldays
Thu 12 Jun 2025
The government has come up with a solar energy package for farms, a new grass-fed certification scheme for meat and dairy, and a supplier agreement for carpets in new state homes - all part of the annual flurry of politicians’ Fieldays announcements.
Tech alone won’t save us, warns climate expert
4 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Technology alone won't be enough to reach net zero emissions, environmental psychologist Lorraine Whitmarsh told the Carbon and Energy Professionals conference in Auckland last week.
“It’s not the car – it’s how we move” – EECA
3 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams| New Zealand’s transport emissions conversation has focused heavily on electric vehicles – but Richard Briggs, group manager, delivery and partnerships at the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, says we’re asking the wrong question.
Forestry consents and relaxed rules in erosion zones sow seeds of future disaster
Fri 13 Jun 2025
OPINION: The government’s move to restrict exotic forestry on our best food-growing soils will push even more forestry investment onto high erosion risk land on the East Coast, with the worst land becoming the only land left for the most intensive and destructive land use, writes Manu Caddie
Kiwi cleantech companies on the world stage
27 May 2025
Six New Zealand 'cleantech' companies were in Singapore earlier this month, along with a venture capital firm and the MacDiarmid Institute, to meet investors and multinational partners.
