New Zealand: All stories
Business chiefs call for carbon transparency
11 Dec 2017
Leading chief financial officers, chairs of pension funds and the chief executives of global accounting bodies – including one from New Zealand - are calling for transparency about carbon exposure.
HUSH-HUSH: Officials want lid on global-market talk
8 Dec 2017
Officials are working on getting New Zealand access to international carbon markets when they develop – but they don’t want their activities made public.
Automakers worry over how many will buy their e-cars
7 Dec 2017
Carmakers putting huge investment into electric vehicles at the behest of governments a having to live with the fear of potentially choking on unsold inventories.
The trick is reading farmers' minds, says scientist
6 Dec 2017
Understanding why farmers are not taking advantage of ways to make more money while cutting greenhouse gas emissions is critical to getting New Zealand’s emissions down, says a leading scientist.
Watch what you eat, scientists tell the rich
6 Dec 2017
Global greenhouse gas emissions would fall if people in rich countries like New Zealand ate healthily, Dutch scientists say.
Spring is second-warmest on record
6 Dec 2017
This spring has set a mark as second-equal warmest on record.
Tesla isn’t the only company creating cool electric vehicles
6 Dec 2017
Some of the world’s most established carmakers are starting to reveal what they’ve been working on for the EV world.
It's time to act on our oceans, say scientists
5 Dec 2017
New Zealand needs to start planning now for the impacts climate change will have on its oceans and fisheries, scientists say.
Memo Americans: Hold the beef
5 Dec 2017
Americans need to halve the amount of beef they eat if the country’s agriculture is to become sustainable, a new paper says.
The eco-friendly guide to online Christmas shopping
5 Dec 2017
Shopping can be confusing at the best of times, and trying to find environmentally friendly options makes it even more difficult.
E-cars cheaper all round than petrol or diesel
5 Dec 2017
Pure electric cars cost less over four years than petrol or diesel cars in the UK, US and Japan, researchers say, but China is set to lead the market.
Mixed forests may not resist climate change
5 Dec 2017
Researchers have confirmed once again that a good forest is a mixed forest, a natural one, with a diversity of species.
SHAW THING: Business needs to get into gear
4 Dec 2017
New climate minister James Shaw has a clear message for business: get your house in order because New Zealand is decarbonising ... fast.
A Tesla too costly? An e-bike might be your answer
4 Dec 2017
Electric cars remain something of a novelty, commanding premium prices and presenting charging challenges, but another kind of electric vehicle has been gaining momentum: the e-bike.
C'mon Kiwis, says economist, show the world how
1 Dec 2017
New Zealand is being challenged to show the world how to decarbonise without tanking.
NZ Post takes out sustainability award
1 Dec 2017
Working with the Red Cross has won New Zealand Post the top prize in the Sustainable Business Network awards this year.
How much CO2 will the world need to remove from the air?
1 Dec 2017
Scientists increasingly agree that the world might need negative emissions to prevent catastrophic warming.
Big businesses combine to deliver hybrid e-jet
1 Dec 2017
A partnership between Rolls-Royce, Airbus and Siemens aims to commission a hybrid electric aircraft prototype by 2020.
How artificial intelligence will make government obsolete
1 Dec 2017
Amazon, Microsoft and Google are among those in a race to hire artificial intelligence researchers to advance their efforts on autonomous vehicles, medical diagnostics and a range of other ventures.
Climate commission might have carbon price role
30 Nov 2017
The climate commission – one of the Government’s promises for its first 100 days in office – is likely to play a role in setting carbon prices, the new climate minister says.
WASTE SIZE: Stella McCartney makes fashion industry stand
30 Nov 2017
Clothes must be designed differently, worn for longer and recycled as much as possible to stop the global fashion industry consuming a quarter of the world’s annual carbon budget by 2050.
One in six new cars will be electric by 2025
30 Nov 2017
Almost every sixth car sold in the world will be electric by 2025 ... and those cars are more likely to be emblazoned with Tesla's logo than BMW's.
New report has dire climate-change warnings
29 Nov 2017
As many as one in six species faces extinction as a result of climate change, scientists are warning in a new report.
Capt Cook's karaka leaves hold clues to our changing climate
29 Nov 2017
Karaka leaves gathered by naturalists on board HM Bark Endeavour nearly 250 years ago are helping today’s researchers to understand climate change.
Shell doubles up on green spending and vows change
29 Nov 2017
Shell has doubled its spending on clean power and bowed to shareholder pressure by promising to halve the carbon footprint of the energy it sells by 2050.
Melting glaciers could mess up deep-sea chemistry
29 Nov 2017
Melting glaciers might be making ocean water more acidic, an unexpected finding that's given scientists new cause for concern.
NASA’s new airless titanium tyres are almost indestructible
29 Nov 2017
NASA engineers have just unveiled a super-elastic car tyre constructed from nickel titanium that could see the end of punctures.
Solar-powered jets come a step closer
29 Nov 2017
Scientists are closer to making solar-powered jets a reality. They now know how to make jet fuel out of air, sunlight and water.
Force firms to report carbon, say energy leaders
28 Nov 2017
The Government is being told to make carbon reporting mandatory for publicly listed companies and to hold public-sector executives responsible for carbon performance.
The trouble with bitcoin and big data is the huge energy bill
28 Nov 2017
The power consumed by internet giants’ massive server farms and the mining of cryptocurrency are growing into a massive environmental headache.
Let's reuse the bad plastics and encourage the good
28 Nov 2017
Plastics have a bad name, mainly for two reasons: most are made from petroleum and they end up as litter in the environment. But both of these are avoidable.
Geo-engineering might do more harm than good
28 Nov 2017
Geo-engineering might be possible – but so far it doesn’t look practical. Yet another study sees dangers in the technofix.
Govt on track to keep KiwiRail trains electric
27 Nov 2017
The Government is in talks to keep electric locomotives on the main trunk line.
Green bonds reach $100 billion milestone
27 Nov 2017
The latest Climate Bonds Initiative analysis shows that green bond issuances in 2017 have reached the significant $100 billion benchmark.
LIZARD LINK: Here's a new way to explain climate impacts
27 Nov 2017
Lizards can shed light on the development of ecological niches and how the changing climate may affect the natural world.
November shapes up as record dry month
24 Nov 2017
Parts of New Zealand are on track for the driest November on record.
Two global reports slam NZ's poor climate record
23 Nov 2017
New climate minister James Shaw might have wowed the world with his rhetoric at international climate talks last week, but it’s on the policies of his predecessor that New Zealand is still being judged.
Dairying sees green as the new colour of business
22 Nov 2017
Climate change and other environmental risks now rank higher than economic issues in the minds of business and political leaders, according to a new report by New Zealand’s dairy industry.
AirNZ eyes paying landowners to plant trees
22 Nov 2017
Air New Zealand wants to set up a private afforestation scheme under the Emissions Trading Scheme to offset some of its greenhouse gas emissions.
Te Kuha coal mine first test for new minister
22 Nov 2017
Deciding whether to let a new opencast coal mine go ahead on the West Coast will be the first real test of the new government’s conservation policy, says an anti-coal mining lobby group.
Mexico about to generate world's cheapest solar power
22 Nov 2017
Mexico is on track to generate the world’s cheapest solar power — with prices as low as 1.77c a kilowatt hour.
SERIOUS SCIENCE: Soon it will be too late
21 Nov 2017
New Zealand scientists are among more than 15,000 warning humans they have precious little time left to change their ways and avoid environmental and social disaster.
Scientists aim to fight climate change with super plants
21 Nov 2017
A team of scientists is wondering if plants can protect us from climate change.
Musk unveils electric truck ... and a surprise sports car
20 Nov 2017
Elon Musk has unveiled Tesla’s first electric semi-truck at an event in Los Angeles that also included the surprise reveal of a new Tesla sports car.
Farming organically could cut gas emissions
17 Nov 2017
Converting land from conventional agriculture to organic production could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the run-off of excess nitrogen from fertilisers, and cut pesticide use.
We're prisoners of the old way, says solar flight pioneer
17 Nov 2017
The visionary innovator who flew 40,000km in a solar-fuelled plane has urged companies to pursue revolutionary ideas as the only way to fight climate change.
The allure (and perils) of hydropower
17 Nov 2017
Damming rivers may seem like a clean and easy solution for energy-hungry countries. But the devil is in the details.
It's high time for a global agreement on minerals
16 Nov 2017
The Paris Agreement has created a global framework for managing carbon, but nothing similar exists for minerals.
Fonterra intends to get rid of coal ... later
15 Nov 2017
Fonterra says it is turning its back on coal as part of a drive towards being carbon-neutral by 2050.
Down on the farm, data's in the driving seat
15 Nov 2017
Last week, Fonterra’s environmental manager, FRANCESCA EGGLETON, told a gathering at the COP23 climate talks in Bonn how the world’s largest dairy producer is using data to reduce its environmental footprint.
Green Party calls for national electrification plan
Mon 20 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is calling for a national plan to electrify homes, transport and industry using renewable energy, to reduce fossil fuel dependence in response to the Middle East crisis.
Going concern status flags depth of Methanex NZ's gas crisis
Tue 21 Apr 2026
Methanex's New Zealand operation is relying on financial support from its Canadian parent to remain a going concern after a second consecutive year of asset impairments left the business with negative equity.
Fonterra admits ‘100% grass-fed’ claim breached law in greenwashing row
2 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Fonterra has admitted its “100% New Zealand grass-fed” claims on Anchor butter were misleading and breached the law, settling a case brought by Greenpeace Aotearoa over packaging used between December 2023 and April 2025.
Climate pollution static but NZ still on track for first emissions budget, says MfE
Fri 17 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is still on track to meet its first emissions budget, according to the Ministry for the Environment, despite the pace of emissions reductions slowing to a standstill.
NZ’s latest push to roll out more EV chargers is a good thing – but can it go the distance?
14 Apr 2026
A $50 million plan to expand New Zealand’s public electric vehicle (EV) charging network marks another step toward a lower-emissions transport system.
Wilding conifers continue to plague Southland
Fri 17 Apr 2026
By Matthew Rosenberg, Local Democracy Reporter | Fast-spreading conifer trees are causing headaches in Southland as inconsistent funding continues to hinder control efforts.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
Wed 22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
