New Zealand: All stories
Ministers eye ways to beat mines planning rules
12 Jul 2017
The Government has been looking at approving new coal mines by creating special economic zones bypassing usual planning rules, Forest & Bird says.
How a different climate will change business and work
12 Jul 2017
The planet, already feeling the effects of climate change, is also poised to cause irreversible shifts in the ways we work, and the skills that employers need.
China and EU bolster greener global shipping
12 Jul 2017
The trillion-dollar global shipping industry might soon be forced to curb greenhouse gas emissions under new rules backed by the European Union and China.
Artificial environments turning the world outside in
12 Jul 2017
When meltwater breached the global seed bank near Svalbard in May, after unusually warm weather, it served as a stark reminder of the need to safeguard humanity’s future in the face of increasing turbulence.
E-cars selling, but not enough to make a difference
11 Jul 2017
New Zealanders are buying electric vehicles in “record” numbers, but they are not making a dent in the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Young Greens come to the zero-carbon party
11 Jul 2017
Young Green Party supporters are joining young National and Labour in supporting the Zero Carbon Act.
Handful of fossil fuel producers feed global emissions
11 Jul 2017
A mere 25 fossil fuel producers have accounted for just over half of global greenhouse emissions emissions in the past three decades, a new report says.
Who checks corporate claims of climate leadership?
11 Jul 2017
Big companies say they are leading the way to a cleaner future, but with only voluntary disclosures to keep them honest we just have to trust them.
Wildlife faces climate survival and breeding problems
11 Jul 2017
Climate change could cast a dark shadow over the bees of Europe, with global warming posing sex problems for the sea turtles of the Atlantic.
CLIMATE COST: Disaster damage bill tops $150 million
10 Jul 2017
Climate-related disasters have cost New Zealand more than $150 million this year.
EMA boots climate change off priority list
10 Jul 2017
Climate change policy is not a priority for the Employers and Manufacturers’ Association in this election.
THE COUNT: Greens leaders say something
10 Jul 2017
The public statements of world leaders might have been focused on climate change over the past week, but that doesn’t mean it has been on the agenda for New Zealand’s political leaders.
The world is on the brink of an electric-car revolution
10 Jul 2017
The internal combustion engine had a good run. It has helped propel cars — and thus humanity — forward for more than 100 years.
It's not just cars ... ports are going electric, too
10 Jul 2017
Led by the Port of San Diego, California’s dockyards are moving away from diesel machinery and plugging in.
Marine 'rats and cockroaches' thrive in our dying oceans
10 Jul 2017
Beneath the waves, swelling levels of carbon dioxide could be boosting some species to ecological dominance while dooming others.
Young Kiwi voices lead the climate change chorus
7 Jul 2017
By publisher ADELIA HALLETT | Two political actions this week give us some hope that New Zealand might one day get the leadership it needs to survive and prosper in a carbon-constrained world.
France to ban sales of petrol and diesel cars by 2040
7 Jul 2017
France will end sales of petrol and diesel vehicles by 2040 as part of an ambitious plan to meet its targets under the Paris climate accord.
Hopes of mild climate change dashed by new research
7 Jul 2017
Hopes that the world’s huge carbon emissions might not drive temperatures up to dangerous levels have been dashed by new research.
Climate more sensitive to CO2 than records suggest
7 Jul 2017
One of the key questions about climate change is the strength of the greenhouse effect.
This is how climate change will shift the world's cities
7 Jul 2017
Summers are already warmer than they used to be, and could get dramatically hotter by century’s end - a problem that will be felt most acutely in cities.
Environment officials to get new science advice
6 Jul 2017
The Ministry for the Environment is to get a new science adviser.
Volvo to make only electric or hybrid cars from 2019
6 Jul 2017
All new cars launched by Volvo from 2019 onward will be partially or completely battery-powered, in what the company called a “historic end” to building models that only have an internal combustion engine.
Drivers top consumers of palm oil in Europe
6 Jul 2017
As millions of Europeans hit the road this month for a summer break, most won’t know they’re driving on palm oil.
IT'S OFFICIAL: Ministers get the word on ETS changes
5 Jul 2017
Official advice on changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme has made its way from officials to ministers.
Political uncertainty the enemy of carbon markets
4 Jul 2017
Lack of political certainty is damaging the effectiveness of carbon markets, says new research.
Amazon dams plan is set to cost the Earth
4 Jul 2017
It’s one thing to harness a river. It’s quite another to build a series of Amazon dams and control the life of the planet’s richest habitat.
Air on board cruise ships could be worse than in polluted cities
4 Jul 2017
Some public areas on cruise ships could be more polluted than the world’s worst-affected cities, a new investigation reveals.
YOUNG NATS: Climate change bigger than politics
3 Jul 2017
The National Party’s youth arm supports legislation to make New Zealand carbon-neutral by 2050, saying climate change is “bigger than politics”.
THE COUNT: Who said what ... or not
3 Jul 2017
Climate change wasn’t on the agenda for public statements by any of our political leaders last week.
Corporates stepping up to save the planet
3 Jul 2017
As US president Donald Trump reneges on climate change commitments, progressive businesses are implementing the measures themselves.
Half-a-degree makes all the difference, say scientists
3 Jul 2017
HALF-A-DEGREE of warming made a big difference to the type of weather Earth experienced in the past, scientists say.
LIFT-OFF: Hydrogen fuel reaches trial stage
3 Jul 2017
Using surplus electricity from renewables to make hydrogen fuel is starting a new era for all forms of heavy transport.
Disclosure must for all businesses, says Bloomberg
30 Jun 2017
All businesses – including banks - are being told to start disclosing their carbon exposure as soon as possible.
It's nonsense to say fracking can be made safe
30 Jun 2017
research can help to produce guidelines to reduce the risks associated with fracking, but ultimately it makes no sense to talk of fracking being entirely safe.
Motu researchers win international praise
30 Jun 2017
New Zealand’s Motu Research has been named one of the 10 best climate policy think-tanks in the world.
Why destroying mangroves would be a mistake
30 Jun 2017
Destroying the world's mangroves could mean an extra seven million metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year, scientists say.
Boaty McBoatface has been busy down under
30 Jun 2017
Boaty McBoatface has gathered 'unprecedented data' from its first expedition to Antarctica, scientists say.
Government snubs MP's climate change motion
29 Jun 2017
The Government is refusing to support a motion acknowledging that a third of the world’s population is now exposed to deadly heatwaves because of climate change.
State should show the way, says bioenergy group
29 Jun 2017
The Government needs to put its new energy efficiency strategy into place – and State-owned operations are the place to start, says the Bioenergy Assocation.
NZ team has high hopes for hybrid-electric aircraft
29 Jun 2017
Wellington researchers hope their technology will help to build the first hybrid-electric jet plane.
Fossil lobbies threaten to scupper renewables in South Africa
29 Jun 2017
South African power utility Eskom recently repeated that it will not conclude supply contracts with the developers of new renewable energy power stations.
Closing nuclear plants threatens climate targets
29 Jun 2017
Closing nuclear plants in Europe and North America from 2020 threatens global plans to cut carbon emissions unless governments build new nuclear plants or expand the use of renewables.
Cutting emissions would slow growth, officials claim
28 Jun 2017
The Government is dealing with criticism of its industrial emissions target by turning it into a bottom line instead of a goal.
Science splits ranks over fossil fuel phase-out
28 Jun 2017
US academics are arguing with ferocity about how to achieve a fossil fuel phase out. But, for now, the debate is entirely academic.
Minister in dark on coal climate question
27 Jun 2017
The Department of Conservation has not raised with its minister the climate implications of coal mining, despite being involved in a proposal to allow mining on conservation land on the Buller Plateau.
MPs to get the heatwave message
27 Jun 2017
Parliament will be asked tomorrow to note that up to a third of the world’s population is now exposed to deadly heatwaves as a result of climate change.
Energy major talks of falling fossil fuel demand
27 Jun 2017
One of the world’s biggest energy companies sees problems ahead with falling fossil fuel demand and huge growth in renewables.
Ocean levels on the rise ... and quickly
27 Jun 2017
Seas are rising faster, prompting scientists to warn that coastal adaptation plans should be put in place urgently.
Organic farming might not cut climate risk
27 Jun 2017
Organic farming does not always benefit the environment in the ways people expect, and might not avert climate change effects, scientists say.
THE COUNT: How important is climate change to the politicians who would be PM?
26 Jun 2017
Carbon News is keeping count of the number of times political leaders talk in the lead-up to the September 23 general election about the biggest issue the world faces.
Pacific Islands call for fossil fuel phase-out, NZ hangs back
Today 11:00am
By Liz Kivi | Pacific Islands nations have launched a landmark declaration for a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific, calling for a Fossil Fuel Treaty and urgent phase-out of fossil fuels, however New Zealand isn’t rushing to join the call.
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.
