New Zealand: All stories
Federated Famers warns of consequences
26 Jun 2017
Federated Farmers is warning politicians of “consequences” if agricultural emissions are brought into the Emissions Trading Scheme before other countries put a carbon price on farming.
Renewable energy no longer niche investment
26 Jun 2017
Institutional investors remain eager to put money to work on renewable energy projects even as US President Donald Trump has vowed to revive their chief competitor: coal.
Panasonic joins push to put solar on car roofs
26 Jun 2017
Panasonic has started producing a 180-watt array of solar cells that can be put on the roof of a vehicle.
Not so much coal about ... but we're burning more
23 Jun 2017
New Zealand’s coal consumption is climbing.
Soil scientists back putting carbon in the ground
23 Jun 2017
Carbon sequestration in soil has the potential to enhance food security and mitigate climate change, says an international team of soil experts.
Top banks still lend billions to extract fossil fuels
23 Jun 2017
Some of the world’s top banks are continuing to lend tens of billions for extracting the most carbon-intensive fossil fuels, according to a report of top lenders.
Renewables investment by 2040 will be in the trillions
23 Jun 2017
More than $10 trillion will be invested in new power generation capacity by 2040, of which nearly three-quarters will be in renewables.
SUCKER PUNCH: Plant pulls CO2 directly from the air
23 Jun 2017
On the roof of a waste incinerator outside Zurich, a Swiss firm has built the world’s first commercial plant to suck CO2 directly from the air.
CARBON CATCH-22: The pollution in our soil
23 Jun 2017
Bad behaviour doesn’t usually have good consequences but our fossil fuel and fertiliser habits may have had some “good” environmental side-effects.
Government keeps lid on Buller mining papers
22 Jun 2017
The Government is refusing to release briefing papers on proposed new coal mines on the Buller Plateau.
Tyre mountains will be turned into biofuels
22 Jun 2017
An Otaki company with a plan to turn mountains of waste tyres into biofuels says the key to success is processing them at multiple sites around the country.
COUNTRY CALL: Farmers want ETS and water price
21 Jun 2017
Parts of the agricultural sector are calling for farming to be included in the Emissions Trading Scheme and for a price on water.
World’s largest coal company to retire 37 mines
21 Jun 2017
The largest coal mining company in the world, Coal India, has announced plans to decommission a total of 37 mines which are no longer economically viable.
OPINION: Adaption versus mitigation
20 Jun 2017
Adaptation is about survival. Mitigation is about finding and implementing solutions to prevent the need to go into survival mode, says DR ANN SMITH chief executive of Enviro-Mark Solutions
Scientists fear EU rules will hide forest carbon loss
20 Jun 2017
Leading researchers have condemned attempts to change the way carbon from trees will be counted in Europe.
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.
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.
