New Zealand: All stories

'Terrible result': Emissions barely budged in 2024

Fri 5 Jun 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions were virtually unchanged in 2024, falling by 0.03%, despite the economy shrinking by ten times that amount during the same period, according to new data.

Climate Commission consulting on update to emissions budget advice

Fri 5 Jun 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Climate Change Commission is consulting on updating its 2024 emissions budgets advice, with the update needed after the Government changed the biogenic methane target last year.

Govt injects $10 million into Auckland predator-free projects

Fri 5 Jun 2026

Conservation projects across Auckland will share in a $10 million Government funding package designed to accelerate predator eradication efforts and restore native biodiversity.

Dr Manbo He, Professor of Finance at University Canada West and Adjunct Professor of Sustainable Finance at Griffith Business School

NZ’s sustainable finance credibility gap

Fri 5 Jun 2026

By Manbo He | COMMENT: New Zealand has built serious sustainable finance infrastructure - but risks failing to attract the global capital that infrastructure was designed for, because it lacks the practitioner capability to operate it credibly.

Nature-based solutions – such as forestry – crucial for carbon removal

Fri 5 Jun 2026

COMMENT: Transitioning from erodible pasture to well-managed forest can yield substantial environmental benefits, writes James Treadwell.

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Gisborne mayor and Local Government New Zealand president Rehette Stoltz

Media round-up

Fri 5 Jun 2026

In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The government must stop delaying decisions on funding climate adaptation, says Gisborne mayor; insurance conference exposes poor preparation for climate change; and Labour questions whether a disappearing climate briefing note was part of a deliberate cover-up.

LNG isn’t the best 'dry year' solution – new report

Thu 4 Jun 2026

By Liz Kivi | The Government’s proposed LNG import terminal isn’t the best solution for ‘dry year’ electricity security, according to a new report.

Rod Carr, former chair of the Climate Change Commission

Seven ‘new approaches’ to avoid our Paris commitments: Carr

Thu 4 Jun 2026

Praying for “new approaches” to materialise to meet our international climate obligations isn’t a strategy, writes Rod Carr.

Renewables alone won’t fix ‘broken’ electricity prices

Thu 4 Jun 2026

COMMENT: While many people agree the electricity market is broken, simply adding more renewables to a broken system isn’t the fix we need, writes Geoff Bertram.

Changes to emissions factors prompt caution over climate claims

Thu 4 Jun 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | Organisations may need to revisit how they calculate and communicate their greenhouse gas emissions after the Ministry for the Environment released an updated version of its Measuring Emissions Guide, incorporating new emissions factors based on New Zealand's latest greenhouse gas inventory.

Marae-based climate projects announced while future funding cut

Thu 4 Jun 2026

The Government has announced two more marae-based projects will benefit from the Māori Climate Platform, while quietly cutting funding for the initiative in last week’s budget.

World-first trial turns NZ pine into bitumen alternative

Thu 4 Jun 2026

New Zealand researchers have successfully developed a road surfacing binder made entirely from pine trees, a world-first breakthrough that could reduce the country's reliance on imported petroleum-based bitumen.

Carbon removal plans falling billions of tonnes short, experts warn

Wed 3 Jun 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand needs to look beyond forestry and rapidly expand other forms of carbon removal to help meet global climate goals, according to a major international report.

Solar panels on Moanataiari School in Thames

Govt redirects energy innovation funding to solar on schools

Wed 3 Jun 2026

By Liz Kivi | Schools will save money, have greater energy security, and reduce carbon emissions through a $30 million Government initiative to put solar panels on up to 500 schools across New Zealand, say Energy Minister Simeon Brown and Education Minister Erica Stanford.

Budget shifts from transition funding to transition management

Wed 3 Jun 2026

Budget 2026 landed in an energy system increasingly being managed through targeted intervention, tighter regulation and institutional change rather than broad new spending.

Deep South marine reserves boost protection by nearly 50%

Wed 3 Jun 2026

Five new marine reserves protecting more than 300 square kilometres of ocean habitat along the Otago and south Canterbury coast will come into force next month, marking one of the largest expansions of mainland New Zealand's marine reserve network in decades.

Central Hawke’s Bay farmer Mark Warren says it makes sense for properly qualified and equipped locals to assist councils in clearing debris and opening roads after severe weather events.

Farmer's plea to council: Let us help unblock roads after severe weather

Wed 3 Jun 2026

A Central Hawke’s Bay farmer says it’s time for a conversation about allowing skilled and properly equipped locals to help councils clear debris and reopen roads after severe weather events.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis

Willis touting mysterious ‘new approaches’ to meet Paris Agreement

Tue 2 Jun 2026

By Liz Kivi | Finance Minister Nicola Willis has again said that New Zealand is unlikely to buy significant offshore mitigation to meet the country’s international climate targets.

Lack of demand leads to Bathurst pausing coal mine expansion

Tue 2 Jun 2026

By Liz Kivi | Bathurst Resources has confirmed it is struggling to find a market for coal from its planned extension of the Rotowaro coal mine in North Waikato, and is putting the project on ‘pause’.

Govt legislates for more gas market transparency

Tue 2 Jun 2026

The Government has passed its Gas Market Transparency Bill through all stages under urgency, giving itself stronger powers to see into a gas market where tightening supply is creating significant uncertainty for businesses.

E-bike users on the Hauraki Rail Trail and the Great Lake Trail can look forward to new charging stations.

New e-bike charging stations valued at $900,000 for Hauraki and Tāupo trails

Tue 2 Jun 2026

By Jordan Smith, Local Democracy Reporter | About $900,000 of the Government's $2.5 million Electrifying the Great Rides fund will go towards e-bike charging stations on trails in Hauraki and Tāupo.

Former Energy Minister Megan Woods at an Ara Ake event in 2022

Budget quietly kills renewable energy innovation centre Ara Ake

29 May 2026

By Pattrick Smellie | The axe has fallen in the Budget on the last Labour-led government’s Ara Ake future energy development centre.

Climate Leaders Coalition tight-lipped on companies lobbying to change climate legislation

29 May 2026

By Liz Kivi | The Climate Leaders Coalition is facing tough questions over Fonterra and Z Energy’s membership, after the companies successfully lobbied to change New Zealand’s climate legislation to protect their bottom lines.

Climate takes back seat in Budget 2026

29 May 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate change featured only lightly in Budget 2026, with most climate-related spending focused on resilience and disaster recovery rather than emissions reduction, while the Government again left out any updated estimate of the cost of meeting New Zealand’s Paris Agreement obligations.

Westport climate case study highlights need for national adaptation support

29 May 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | A new Climate Change Commission case study on climate adaptation in Westport has highlighted growing concerns about flooding, climate resilience, and the psychological toll of repeated extreme weather events, with residents and councils calling for clearer national direction and greater funding support.

‘Shameful’ move to scrap Ministry for the Environment passes

28 May 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | The curtain has fallen on the Ministry for the Environment after legislation paving the way for its merger into a new mega ministry passed its third reading in Parliament yesterday, with the opposition condemning the move as a major weakening of environmental protection and nature’s voice within government.

Climate health response falling short – report

28 May 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand’s latest National Climate Change Risk Assessment has exposed major gaps in the country’s response to climate-related health risks, with researchers warning current policies are underfunded, poorly coordinated, and failing to adequately protect vulnerable communities.

Huntly biomass option no cheap fix, Genesis tells MPs

28 May 2026

Genesis Energy says biomass can be burned in Huntly's Rankine units, but current costs put it in roughly the same price range as imported LNG and extra Rankine capacity would be expensive and could take years.

Wetland protections failing to stop losses

28 May 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | New mapping commissioned by the Environmental Law Initiative shows wetlands across New Zealand are still being converted to pasture, forestry and mining despite stronger national protections introduced in 2020, with researchers warning enforcement gaps may be undermining the rules.

Officials told Govt not to stop climate court case

27 May 2026

By Liz Kivi | Government officials advised ministers not to intervene in a groundbreaking climate court case, according to newly released documents.

ETS auction failures created $1.4b fiscal hole – Greens

27 May 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hit back at the Green Party's claim that the repeated failure of New Zealand’s carbon auctions has added a $1.4 billion 'fiscal hole', with Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick blaming the Government for undermining the ETS.

LNG vital to prevent economic damage as gas leaves NZ economy

27 May 2026

By Pattrick Smellie | Importing natural gas will make the difference between an “orderly” or “chaotic and unnecessarily costly" decline as domestically produced gas runs out, the chief executive of the Gas Industry Company, David Prentice, said yesterday.

Geo-heat search explores exhausted oil and gas fields

27 May 2026

By Pattrick Smellie | Underground heat from exhausted oil and gas fields are a new target for government-backed efforts to tap geothermal resources for electricity production and industrial use.

Govt’s LNG plan puts trade deals at risk, lawyers warn

26 May 2026

By Liz Kivi | Lawyers for Climate Action are warning that the government’s plans for an LNG import terminal and to subsidise gas fields are in breach of New Zealand’s free trade agreements with the UK and the EU.

Thumbs up for Govt help for businesses transitioning from gas

26 May 2026

By Liz Kivi | Businesses and climate advocates alike have welcomed the Government’s pre-budget announcement that it will help secure cheap lending for businesses transitioning from gas, as New Zealand’s domestic supply dwindles.

FMA urges sharper focus on climate risk disclosures

26 May 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand companies are making steady progress in climate-related financial disclosures, but the Financial Markets Authority says many organisations still need to provide clearer and more robust reporting on physical climate risks and their potential business impacts.

Greens bill to ban mining on conservation land drawn from ballot

26 May 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | A Greens member’s bill seeking to ban new mining, prospecting and exploration on conservation land has been drawn from Parliament’s ballot, with the party saying the proposed law would close a loophole allowing mining on land set aside for environmental protection.

Climate resolution conundrum for NZ

26 May 2026

By Vernon Rive | COMMENT: While the United Nations resolution endorsing a landmark climate ruling is significant – politically, diplomatically and legally – its impact on international climate negotiations and domestic action is likely to be indirect and incremental.

Malcolm Johns, convenor of the Climate Leaders Coalition and chief executive of Genesis Energy, declined to discuss the briefings

Climate Leaders Coalition on PM meetings: 'it wasn’t us'

25 May 2026

By Pattrick Smellie | The 81-member Climate Leaders Coalition is distancing itself from the actions of members who lobbied the Prime Minister’s Office to intervene and stop a landmark climate change court case.

Corporate coddling is killing our climate

25 May 2026

By Matt Halliday | COMMENT: The New Zealand Government’s recent move, undercutting citizens’ rights and the rule of law to cancel the country’s most important climate case, Smith v Fonterra, is a massive victory for corporate lobbying.

Mike Smith’s asymmetric victory

25 May 2026

By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: The New Zealand Government’s recent move, undercutting citizens’ rights and the rule of law to cancel the country’s most important climate case is a massive win for Mike Smith, the climate change activist who brought it.

Govt ramps up war on wilding pines with $79m boost

25 May 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is ramping up efforts to contain the spread of wilding pines with a $79 million funding boost aimed at protecting farmland, biodiversity hotspots, tourism landscapes and water catchments across New Zealand.

Rotorua extends diesel bus contract after NZTA declines extra funding

25 May 2026

By Mathew Nash, Local Democracy Reporter | Rotorua is stuck with its diesel-powered public buses after a funding snag played a part in setting back plans for zero-emission buses by years.

Marae solar project boosts sustainability and mana motuhake

25 May 2026

By Moana Ellis, Local Democracy Reporter | Five marae from Whanganui to Taumarunui are running on solar power and many more could join a major green energy initiative aimed at cutting electricity costs and strengthening community resilience.

Govt had ‘little choice’ in signing key UN climate resolution – expert

22 May 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate policy expert Bronwyn Hayward said it was “shameful’ New Zealand didn’t throw more active support behind a pivotal climate resolution ratified by the United Nations this week.

NZ at risk of falling behind on EV transition

22 May 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | An EV lobby group is warning that New Zealand is at a crossroads on transport electrification, with inconsistent policy settings and lagging charging infrastructure slowing uptake, while global adoption accelerates and fuel price shocks renew interest in electric vehicles.

New DOC chief appointed as public sector cuts loom

22 May 2026

By Shannon Morris-Williams | Peter Chrisp has been appointed the new Director-General of Conservation, just as the Department of Conservation again finds itself in the firing line of the Government’s public sector cost-cutting programme.

Media round-up

22 May 2026

In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Shane Jone is urging mining bosses to apply for fast-track before the election, climate risk is changing where investors put their money, and Hiringa gets more hydrogen-fuelled trucks on the road.

New Zealand's representative Shannon Tau speaking at the UN General Assembly in support of NZ's vote.

NZ votes in favour of key UN climate resolution

21 May 2026

By Liz Kivi | A pivotal United Nations resolution to recognise a landmark International Court of Justice climate ruling has passed with nations voting overwhelmingly in its favour, with New Zealand voting on the same side as Pacific allies who spearheaded the vote.