New Zealand: All stories
The story of climate change ... with a sting in the tail
20 Jun 2017
Worth a look: Here’s a short video to put recent climate change and carbon dioxide emissions into the context of the past 800,000 years.
OCEAN OIL: Algae strain doubles fuel production
20 Jun 2017
Making biofuel from algae has just got a little bit easier - a newly engineered strain produces twice as much oil as its wild parent.
How KiwiRail decision bites into e-car benefits
19 Jun 2017
The climate benefits of half New Zealand’s electric car fleet will be wiped out by the scrapping of electric train engines in favour of diesels, says an international sustainable energy expert.
Solar power will kill coal much quicker than anyone thought
19 Jun 2017
Solar power is becoming cheap enough to push coal and even natural-gas plants out of business faster than previously forecast.
How do you price the impact of trucks on society?
19 Jun 2017
An EU trucking lobby group has published a report claiming that trucks are overpaying in taxes and charges compared to the impact of some of their external costs. The report raised a few eyebrows.
OECD (again) tells us to clean up our climate act
16 Jun 2017
New Zealand needs to set strong environmental limits and make polluters pay for the damage they do to the environment, the OECD says.
Do-something campaigners take the climate helm
16 Jun 2017
A climate declaration backed by at least some parts of the business community will be launched in New Zealand on Sunday.
Apple issues second $1 billion green bond
16 Jun 2017
Technology conglomerate Apple has issued its second green bond valued at $US1 billion, making it the biggest issuer of green bonds pegged to the American dollar.
TOWER POWER: Another solar system is on the march
16 Jun 2017
Solar generation systems can now produce electricity and store it for hours, using solar tower power without any need for batteries.
We must do something, dairy industry agrees
15 Jun 2017
The dairy industry is acknowledging it needs to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
FISH FACTS: Scientists say our claims are biased
15 Jun 2017
New Zealand’s claims that its commercial fisheries are sustainably managed are under fire from international scientists.
Business interest in CSR is growing
15 Jun 2017
Almost half New Zealand businesses say sustainability reporting should be mandatory, a new survey suggests.
Global demand for coal falls for second year in row
15 Jun 2017
Global demand for coal has fallen for the second consecutive year, according to a BP study, helped by the US and China burning less of the dirtiest fossil fuel.
DEAD CERT: This is when the anthropocene era began
15 Jun 2017
Israeli researchers claim to have pinpointed the first permanent geological change made by humankind, the moment when humans first altered the planet’s geology.
Trump made us do it, says carbon-cutter Carlsberg
15 Jun 2017
Carlsberg has unveiled plans to reduce its brewery carbon emissions to zero, singling out Donald Trump’s withdrawal of the US from the Paris climate agreement as a motivating factor.
OFF THE RAILS: Treasury tells of train troubles
14 Jun 2017
Treasury told its ministers that KiwiRail’s decision to replace electric locomotives with diesels raised some significant matters, but it wasn’t given enough time to assess the situation.
Coal is dead, says world’s largest investment group
14 Jun 2017
BlackRock investment group, with $5 trillion in assets, is bullish on electric cars and renewables.
CLIMATE CASUALTIES: Where the wild things ... aren’t
14 Jun 2017
Climate change is multiplying existing threats to much of the natural world, and more species face an unparalleled extinction risk.
... and the future's not too bright for our trapdoor spider
14 Jun 2017
New Zealand's trapdoor spiders could disappear from many areas as a result of climate change, putting pressure on other species.
Investors push for more green reporting
14 Jun 2017
Investors are pushing companies for more meaningful environmental and social disclosure.
What biofutures need is America's Cup energy
13 Jun 2017
New Zealand could have a thriving biofutures industry, producing clean products from waste and cutting greenhouse gas emissions, if it put as much effort into addressing climate change as it puts into the America’s Cup yacht race, says the Bioenergy Association.
Hopes rise for longer-term climate forecasts
13 Jun 2017
A study of the interaction between sunlight, air, water and foliage should lead to better longer-term climate forecasts, scientists say.
Costa Rica bids for world’s cleanest transport system
13 Jun 2017
Riding atop one of the world’s greenest electrical grids, Costa Rica is now aiming for the next logical step: having the cleanest transport system on the planet.
Farm waste could feed industry worth millions
12 Jun 2017
EDITORIAL | Queensland’s drive to develop a $100-million-a-year industry turning agricultural waste into bioproducts is exactly the type of thing New Zealand should be doing.
What's pre-industrial climate ... and why does it matter?
12 Jun 2017
The Paris Agreement aims to limit global warming relative to a pre-industrial baseline. So, what are “pre-industrial levels”?
What is this thing called mitigation banking?
12 Jun 2017
Ask 12 people what mitigation banking is, and you’ll probably get 12 different answers – few if any of which would identify it as a key segment of the $25 billion ecological restoration economy.
Coastal litter goes under the spotlight
12 Jun 2017
The Government is spending $260,000 reviewing the extent of coastal litter problems.
English still quiet on cost of climate damage
9 Jun 2017
Prime Minister Bill English says he has received no advice on the impact climate change could have on the economy.
COMPUTER GAMES: Science invests $18m in super stuff
9 Jun 2017
NIWA is investing $18 million in new supercomputers that will significantly enhance scientists’ abilities to solve crucial issues facing the country.
Port Nelson gets wine trucks off the road
9 Jun 2017
A project to improve the efficiency of freight in the Marlborough wine industry has seen the Port of Nelson cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1600 tonnes – and earned it a gong.
Ladies, here’s a responsible investing platform just for you
9 Jun 2017
A new investment platform wants to tap into women’s growing financial clout and guide them towards more responsible investment.
Coal India looks to diversify
9 Jun 2017
Coal India is looking to diversify its operations in the face of long-term uncertainty for coal because of the government’s thrust on renewable energy.
Electric cars accelerate past 2m mark globally
8 Jun 2017
The number of electric cars in the world accelerated past the two million barrier last year, as prices fell and manufacturers launched new models.
British industry eyes green powerhouse status
8 Jun 2017
The UK could be a green business powerhouse in the next three decades, but only if given proper support by government, a group representing more than 30 low-carbon companies has said.
Warmth will worsen wet and dry extremes
8 Jun 2017
Wet and dry extremes across the world will become more marked as the planet heats up, evidence from past climates shows.
Enviroment award winners make their mark
7 Jun 2017
The winners in last night’s Enviro-Mark awards between them prevented more than 10,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide being discharged over the past year – the equivalent of 20,000 cars driving from Bluff to Cape Reinga.
It's like taking nine million cars off the road
7 Jun 2017
More than 43 million voluntary carbon credits globally were retired last year – the equivalent of removing 9.3 million cars from the road, a new analysis says.
Booming dairy industry drives up emissions
6 Jun 2017
Methane emissions from New Zealand’s national dairy herd have climbed nearly 130 per cent since 1990 as a result of the expansion and intensification of the dairy industry.
We're disappointed, PM will tell Tillerson
6 Jun 2017
Prime Minister Bill English will raise the United States’ withdrawal from the Paris Agreement when he meets with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson today.
Search begins for best sustainable businesses
6 Jun 2017
Entries for this year’s Sustainable Business Network Awards are now open.
Companies should take charge of potential toxins
2 Jun 2017
Every year thousands of new contaminants enter the market in common consumer products and are washed down our drains without treatment
Emissions on right track, says Finance Minister
1 Jun 2017
Finance minister Steven Joyce, who explained yesterday that he didn’t have time to mention climate change in his Budget speech, says New Zealand’s emissions are heading “in the right direction”.
Researchers post new ideas for emissions trading
31 May 2017
A carbon price ceiling and floor, controls on the number of carbon credits circulating in New Zealand, and forward agreements for New Zealand to buy credits from developing countries are among new proposals to get the Emissions Trading Scheme cracking.
Finalists line up for Green Ribbon Awards
31 May 2017
Air New Zealand, the Nelson Mail newspaper and Countdown supermarkets are contenders for the business leadership award in this year’s Green Ribbon Awards.
Nitrous oxide joins list of permafrost melt worries
31 May 2017
New research shows that a permafrost meltdown could cause nitrogen to be released as nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that’s nearly 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.
GMO crops could expect a brighter future
31 May 2017
Genetically modified crops remain controversial, but scientists still have faith that they will help both to replace fossil fuels and to feed the world.
Has ice analysis revealed the truth about lead in the air?
31 May 2017
Ice cores and records from the Black Death show lead entered the air from human activity – and scientists claim “natural background” levels are zero.
CARBON CALL: Why we need sky-high prices
30 May 2017
Carbon prices need to a least quadruple by 2020 if the world is to avoid massive climate change, economists are warning.
It's time for the oil industry to snuff out its flares
30 May 2017
The World Bank reckons the 16,000 flares worldwide produce around 350m tonnes of carbon dioxide each year, causing untold harm.
There's no way we can plant our way out of trouble
30 May 2017
Nothing, not even the creation of huge plantations of trees to absorb carbon dioxide, is a viable alternative to drastic cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
Watts full-throated in National’s support for Paris
Today 12:45pm
By Pattrick Smellie | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts came to this week’s Climate Change and Business Conference with nothing to announce.
Milestone for NZ Steel electrification
Today 12:45pm
By Pattrick Smellie | NZ Steel has passed an installation milestone for its new electric arc furnace, which will reduce emissions from the Glenbrook steel mill site by as much as one megatonne (1Mt) a year.
International scientists slam NZ govt's proposed approach to methane
13 Aug 2025
New Zealand's proposed approach to methane emissions has again been attacked by international climate scientists, with a new study saying the attempt to redefine climate target-setting by livestock-exporting countries undermines the transition to a sustainable and equitable food system
Vector hits emissions reduction goal five years early
Fri 5 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | Auckland lines company Vector has met its 2030 emissions reduction reduction target five years early, more than halving its direct emissions, and crediting innovation and a laser-focus for its success in a hard-to-abate sector.
NZ needs to be part of a regional SAF strategy: Z, Air NZ
Tue 9 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand needs to be part of a regional strategic approach to sourcing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with domestic production less the aim than ensuring access to the fuel from one of a number of strategically positioned bio-refineries around the world.
Kawerau's new hope: Plan to replace coal with pine ramps up
Mon 8 Sep 2025
By Diane McCarthy, Local Democracy Reporter | Construction on a $300 million wood pellet plant in the Eastern Bay of Plenty is expected to start next month, with hopes it could cut the use of coal in New Zealand.
XRB consults on delaying climate reporting requirements
Thu 4 Sep 2025
The External Reporting Board is proposing a further two years relief for companies to adopt anticipated financial impacts reporting and scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions reporting and assurance.
