New Zealand: All stories
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.
Global energy efficiency would slash CO2 emissions
30 May 2017
Energy-efficient production could cut global carbon dioxide emissions by a quarter, a new study shows.
BOB ON THE JOB: Dylan got it right, a hard rain's gonna fall
30 May 2017
Europe, North America and tropical regions could all face even harder rainfall if fossil fuel emissions continue to increase global warming.
Jobs ahead for 24m renewable energy workers
30 May 2017
The number of people employed in the renewable energy sector across the globe could rise to 24 million by 2030.
Road transport killing our clean-energy benefits
29 May 2017
The climate benefits of New Zealand’s increasing use of renewable electricity generation are being wiped out by our love affair with road transport.
Food industry is cooking the planet
29 May 2017
One of the biggest contributors to climate change is the agricultural food industry, but the political will to tackle the issue is lacking.
‘Selfish’ genes contain the seeds of our destruction
29 May 2017
The human race is in so much trouble that it needs to colonise another planet within 100 years or face extinction, says physicist Stephen Hawking.
TUNNEL VISION: New energy lines up job for old mines
29 May 2017
Abandoned coal shafts could be turned into giant storage devices to hold vast amounts of renewable power.
World's largest floating solar platform just went on line
29 May 2017
The world's largest floating solar energy platform has has gone on line in China.
Drought brings drop in greenhouse gas emissions
26 May 2017
New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions fell slightly in 2015 - but only because a drought forced dairy farmers to cut production.
BUDGET: No boost for tree-planting
26 May 2017
The Government’s Budget will not get landowners planting trees on the scale needed to meet New Zealand’s Paris Agreement commitments, forest owners say.
BUDGET: Ice money will help climate work
26 May 2017
More money for research in Antarctica will help scientists to understand how global warming is affecting Antarctica, says Science New Zealand chief executive Anthony Scott
California e-car sales booming
26 May 2017
Sales of electric vehicles in California increased 91 per cent in the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period in 2016.
BUDGET BONUS: New money for emissions cuts
25 May 2017
The Government is putting $4 million into figuring out how New Zealand can cut its greenhouse gas emissions.
EDITORIAL: What this $14 billion figure is all about
25 May 2017
The $14.2 billion being bandied about this week as the cost of New Zealand's Paris Agreement pledge is not solely attributable to the purchase of international carbon credits.
Transparency key to making aviation deal work
25 May 2017
As countries write the rules for airlines to offset their emissions growth, they must make sure there is no double-counting.
Buying Euro credits would pay off, says trader
24 May 2017
New Zealand should hedge its international carbon risk by buying European carbon units, a broker says.
World’s vanishing glaciers are putting millions at risk
24 May 2017
In the next 25 years, more than half of all of Switzerland’s small glaciers will disappear − and Canada could lose 70 per cent of the volume of its frozen rivers by 2100.
Move over, Tesla, here come batteries made in Europe
24 May 2017
Battery-making gigafactories are about to arrive in Europe, challenging Tesla and opening the way for a quicker shift toward green power for both cars and utilities.
Cuts now will take heat out of climate shocks
23 May 2017
Substantial cuts to greenhouse gas emissions now will prevent New Zealanders alive today being exposed to temperatures they have never experienced before, says the New Zealand lead author of research published today.
Wood waste company wins $359,000 grant
23 May 2017
A company turning wood waste into products like mulch and animal bedding has won a Government grant to help it to process bigger volumes.
The new energy highway leads in one direction ... to the sun
23 May 2017
Humans consume 221 tonnes of coal, 1066 barrels of oil, and 93,000 metric cubes of natural gas per second.
Welcome to the Wild West world of deep-sea mining
23 May 2017
The International Seabed Authority is racing to draft regulations for the nascent deep-sea mining industry.
Scientists warn of more-frequent coastal flooding
22 May 2017
Coastal floods will become much more common with even small rises in sea-levels, scientists say.
Experts reject claim that 2deg target not worth it
22 May 2017
Experts have challenged a claim by Bjørn Lomborg’s Copenhagen Consensus Centre that holding global temperature rises to 2deg is a poor investment.
Sharing green energy tips good for cutting business costs
22 May 2017
Sharing energy-saving ideas such as using seawater pumps to heat buildings is helping big charities and businesses to cut costs while protecting the planet.
New Buller mines could emit CO2 of 3m cars
19 May 2017
Emissions resulting from potential new coal mines on the Buller plateau could put as much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as another three million cars on New Zealand’s roads for the next 20 years, an environmental group warns.
UK nuclear industry faces Brexit fall-out
19 May 2017
Leaving the EU treaty that prevents radioactive waste falling into the wrong hands could prove costly for the UK nuclear industry.
World’s largest wind turbines go on line
19 May 2017
The largest wind turbines in the world have begun generating electricity off the coast of Liverpool.
Go-slow shipping has problems, says minister
18 May 2017
Slow-steaming - the most effective method of cutting shipping emissions – will cause problems for New Zealand’s fresh food exporters, Cabinet has been told.
Fossil fuel lobby could be forced to declare interests
18 May 2017
A push from developing countries to force fossil fuel lobbyists taking part in the Bonn climate talks to declare their conflicts of interest has won a significant battle against resistance from countries including New Zealand.
New idea aims to keep plastic out of oceans
18 May 2017
Unilever will pilot an innovative technology to recycle plastic sachets, preventing billions of sachets entering oceans and landfill.
Indian coal plant gets $150m to sit idle
18 May 2017
An Indian coal-fired power plant is to be paid $150 million this financial year for generators that are sitting idle.
Warming world wiping out our prized penguin
17 May 2017
New Zealand’s Yellow-eyed penguins – the world’s rarest penguin - could be extinct on the mainland by 2060 as climate change puts extra pressure on the already endangered birds, scientists are warning.
Diesel test failures account for 38,000 deaths a year
17 May 2017
The global human health impact of the diesel emissions scandal has been revealed by new research showing a minimum of 38,000 people a year die early due to the failure of diesel vehicles to meet official limits in real driving conditions.
China (and others) pay for coal plants in Africa
17 May 2017
New coal plants in Africa are largely being paid for by China and developed countries that are turning away from the technology at home.
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.
