New Zealand: All stories
Pay farmers to fix environment, say scientists
7 Dec 2016
Up-front payments of $400 a kilogram to cut nitrogen run-off from farms would see dairy farms turned into forests, Government-funded research shows.
Google to be 100% powered by renewables from next year
7 Dec 2016
Google’s data centres and the offices for its 60,000 staff will be powered entirely by renewable energy from next year, in what the company has called a “landmark moment”.
Britain paves way for EVs and green aviation
7 Dec 2016
British transport is set for a significant low-carbon boost with several new Government consultations and funding schemes announced in a bid to drive a green transport overhaul.
Toyota to expand hybrid development
7 Dec 2016
Toyota will expand the development of its gasoline-hybrid technology over the next five years to speed up the introduction of lower-emission engines.
CLIMATE CALL: Waterway plantings worth billions
6 Dec 2016
New Zealand will be billions of dollars a year better off if it plants trees along waterways.
NZX drags chain on sustainability standards
6 Dec 2016
Nearly two dozen more stock exchanges are bringing in sustainability reporting standards – but NZX is not one of them.
Polyol product might be told to pay up
6 Dec 2016
The Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Levy could be extended to importers of a specialist product used to make polyurethane insulation foam.
Batteries not the cheapest way to store energy
6 Dec 2016
Since Tesla unveiled its Powerwall, politicians, commentators and industry have hyped storage – and particularly batteries – as the solution for getting more renewable energy into electricity grids and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.
How NZ could become biofutures powerhouse
5 Dec 2016
New Zealand could easily become a Queensland-style biofutures superpower, local industry leaders say.
FUSION FUTURE: A time of transition and potential
5 Dec 2016
For centuries, humans have dreamed of harnessing the power of the sun to energise our lives here on Earth.
Cement develops an appetite for C02
5 Dec 2016
Three new studies illuminate the sheer complexity of the aspect of climate science known as the carbon cycle − how carbon dioxide gets into the atmosphere and out again.
Major cities move to ban diesel cars and trucks by 2025
5 Dec 2016
The leaders of four major global cities say they will stop the use of all diesel-powered cars and trucks by the middle of the next decade.
US oil exports skyrocket despite climate pacts
5 Dec 2016
Seven years ago, the US exported its crude oil to just one country — Canada. This year, 22 countries received American crude oil, marking a more than 1000 per cent increase in US oil exports since 2009.
GM ready to lose $9000 a pop on all-electric Chevy Bolt
5 Dec 2016
General Motors stands to lose as much as $US9000 on every Chevrolet Bolt that leaves a showroom once the all-electric subcompact starts rolling out.
World’s largest solar plant opens in India
5 Dec 2016
The world’s largest solar plant has been unveiled by the Adani Group in Kamuthi, Tamil Nadu, in the south of India.
Climate watchdog welcomes Treasury decision
2 Dec 2016
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright is welcoming the news that Treasury is talking about the possible impacts on New Zealand of sea-level rise.
China to lead way in growth of solar market
2 Dec 2016
The global solar photovoltaic market is likely to grow to nearly 300 gigawatts this year.
Toyota likes sales of luxury hybrid SUVs
2 Dec 2016
Sales of luxury hybrid sport vehicles are on the rise in New Zealand.
Engineers turn old tyres into quality oil and fuel
1 Dec 2016
Old tyres can be completely recycled into low-emission diesel engine oil, says a team of engineers.
China pushes to dig more coal
1 Dec 2016
In recent weeks, China has reiterated its plans to push forward on climate action. Despite this, the country is scrambling to mine and burn more coal.
Copenhagen boasts more bicycles than cars
1 Dec 2016
Denmark's capital city, Copenhagen, is now home to more bikes than cars.
Wise Responders welcome Treasury's reaction to risk
30 Nov 2016
A group of eminent New Zealanders who petitioned Parliament to order a risk assessment of the impacts of climate change is welcoming Treasury’s apparent support for at least part of the idea.
Households cut emissions by 11%, says report
30 Nov 2016
The average New Zealand household’s emissions fell 11 per cent between 2006 and 2012, new research shows.
China likes the look of our ecolabelling scheme
30 Nov 2016
New Zealand’s ecolabels could soon be recognised in China.
Trump can't stop rising use of fossil fuels
30 Nov 2016
Climate policies will keep chipping away at fossil fuels’ role as the mainstay of global energy use, despite Donald Trump’s appointment as United States president in 2017, according to a new report by The Economist Intelligence Unit.
World warming almost certain to affect wheat yields
30 Nov 2016
Farmers and consumers have just been issued another warning: global warming will almost certainly reduce wheat yields.
Switch to new power puts pressure on boilers
30 Nov 2016
A push for renewable generation is affecting demand for boilers, turbines and generators, a new report shows.
Rural bank warns farmers of green backlash
29 Nov 2016
A rural bank is warning New Zealand farmers that poor environmental performance could create trade barriers against their produce.
MAKE SOME NOISE: E-vehicles must turn up the volume
29 Nov 2016
US authorities have ruled that all hybrids and EVs must emit an artificial noise by the year 2019.
First solar panel roads to be built next year
29 Nov 2016
Rugged solar panels, capable of withstanding the weight of an 18-wheeler truck, are now being trial-built into road surfaces.
Finland plans to ban coal by 2030
29 Nov 2016
Finland has announced its plans to phase out the use of coal for electricity generation by 2030.
PAIN IN SPAIN: Fast train, but what about the birds?
29 Nov 2016
The European Court of Justice has ruled that Spain forgot about the birds when it built a high-speed train link between Seville and Almería.
Public wants to know green business credentials
28 Nov 2016
Strutting environmental credentials is paying off for businesses, as climate change rises rapidly as an issue in the minds of the public.
Careless companies hit by rising water costs
28 Nov 2016
Companies worldwide are being warned that taking water preservation measures is now vital, and that those who fail to act are likely to face mounting financial losses.
NZ goes shopping for Paris pact carbon credits
25 Nov 2016
New Zealand has started talking to countries about supplying carbon credits to help to meet its Paris Agreement emissions reduction pledge.
Nick Smith wants to work with the neighbours
25 Nov 2016
Environment Minister Dr Nick Smith is talking to his new Australian counterpart about aligning environmental regulation.
Why faster roads don't sit with our plans for electric cars
25 Nov 2016
Increasing the speed limit will negate the climate benefits of the Government’s electric vehicle policy, says an expert on climate change and transport.
Europe felling protected forests for biofuel supply
25 Nov 2016
Protected forests are being indiscriminately felled across Europe to meet the EU’s renewable energy targets, according to new report.
Richer forest biodiversity could rake in billions
25 Nov 2016
Biodiversity is not just a conservationist ideal, it is a high-value strategy, according to new research. It makes forests more productive, and could deliver up to $500bn a year in wealth across the planet.
Forget Trump, global climate action is on the move
24 Nov 2016
International momentum for action on climate change is building, despite the United States electing Donald Trump president, says New Zealand’s climate change ambassador.
Trump to slam the lid on climate research by Nasa
24 Nov 2016
Donald Trump is poised to eliminate all climate change research conducted by Nasa as part of a crackdown on “politicised science”, says a senior adviser.
California counts 102 million trees dead from drought
24 Nov 2016
An astonishing 102 million trees have died across California over the past six years from drought and disease — including 62 million trees in 2016 alone.
Bennett's new climate think-tank has work deadline
23 Nov 2016
A first report on how New Zealand can adapt to climate change – including environmentally sustainable economic growth - should be with the Government by May.
Our sinking land at mercy of rising seawaters
23 Nov 2016
Parts of New Zealand are sinking at faster rates than others and will be subjected to higher levels of future sea level rise, new research from Victoria University of Wellington suggests.
California aims to generate energy from traffic jams
23 Nov 2016
The California Energy Commission has announced plans to attempt to utilise energy generated from standstill traffic.
UN plans early warning network as climate risks soar
23 Nov 2016
As summers get hotter, seas get warmer and extreme wind and rainstorms inflict ever-greater loss of human life and property, the World Meteorological Organisation is trying to develop an early warning system for vulnerable countries.
The Arctic is a seriously weird place right now
23 Nov 2016
The sun set on the North Pole more than a month ago, not to rise again until spring. But stange things are happening.
VW shifts gear to e-cars and US market
23 Nov 2016
Volkswagen said it wants to be the world leader in electric cars by 2025 as it unveiled a major shift to clean-energy vehicles in the wake of the dieselgate emissions cheating scandal.
CLIMATE CLASS: We're ranked in the bottom five
22 Nov 2016
A new international survey ranks New Zealand as one of the five worst-performing countries when it comes to climate policy – alongside Spain, Japan, Turkey and the Ukraine.
Solar company wins innovation award
22 Nov 2016
An energy service that combines battery storage and rooftop solar without any equipment costs for Kiwi homeowners has won a green award for innovation.
‘Pick up the phone’ on climate change action, Hipkins urges Luxon
Tue 9 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should reach out to the Labour Party if he wants get a political deal on methane reductions and the Paris agreement rather than his two coalition partners, Labour leader Chris Hipkins says.
Meridian reports worst earnings in a decade
3 Sep 2025
Meridian Energy has posted its weakest result in 10 years, with earnings hit by a combination of droughts, low wind and declining gas supply.
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.
