New Zealand: All stories
Congrats, Colorado ... first it was pot, now it's rain barrels
16 May 2016
Before Governor John Hickenlooper last week signed a bill legalising rain barrels, it was a crime to catch and use rainwater in Colorado. Yes, the state legalised recreational use of marijuana before a commonplace water conservation tool.
Memo property investors: You have a climate duty
13 May 2016
Real estate investors now have a fiduciary duty on climate change, say the authors of a new guide on sustainable real estate investment.
How updating office buildings can cut emissions
13 May 2016
Retrofitting New Zealand’s commercial buildings to use less fossil fuel-generated energy could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 666,000 tonnes – equivalent to the methane emissions from 200,000 dairy cows, a Wellington researcher has found.
RISING SEAS: It all depends on your neighbourhood
13 May 2016
The world’s sea level is expected to rise by up to 82cm by the end of the century. Some areas of the world, such as the north-east coast of North America and the Western Pacific, will be more affected than others.
Shell unveils vision of 2deg energy future
13 May 2016
Shell has published analysis for the first time on what it would take to meet international climate goals.
UN seen as likely choice for airline pollution cuts
13 May 2016
A carbon market run by the United Nations is emerging as the most probable supplier of the emissions credits necessary to curb greenhouse gas pollution from the world's airline industry, according to a group that develops ways to verify carbon reductions.
Forest carbon storage risky, warns thinktank
12 May 2016
Storing carbon in forests is risky and should be used to meet no more than a fifth of New Zealand’s emissions reductions, says a group of prominent scientists and other New Zealanders.
Carbon emissions rise in study of future energy
12 May 2016
Global carbon dioxide emissions from energy production are likely to rise 34 per cent, or 11 billion tonnes, between 2012 and 2040, says a new report.
Student caps ceremony with message for management
12 May 2016
An Auckland University student used his own graduation ceremony yesterday to draw attention to the university’s refusal to divest from fossil fuels.
Will taxpayers foot the bill for broke coal companies?
12 May 2016
Coal’s share of the US energy market is rapidly plunging. Low-cost fracking-generated natural gas has overtaken the use of coal at America’s power plants.
Rainstorms whip up airborne dust problem
12 May 2016
Researchers have identified an unexpected generator of the fine organic dust that blows in the wind. They blame it on raindrops.
Can engineers change the world?
12 May 2016
Can technology solve the climate problem? Dr Susan P Krumdieck outlines her work on a new interdisciplinary practice called transition engineering: changing course one innovative project at a time.
China and US set for airline emissions clash
12 May 2016
China and the US are set for a fight over the split of responsibilities for cutting airline emissions at a UN meet starting today.
FAIR GO: What to make of our emissions targets
11 May 2016
New Zealand’s post-2020 emissions reduction target is fair - if you don’t expect rich countries to bear the brunt of fixing the climate change problems they’ve caused, a new government paper shows.
How a global carbon price will bring emissions down
11 May 2016
International carbon trading and a single global carbon price will drive deeper emissions cuts than those promised by countries under the Paris Agreement, a new report says.
Bloomberg task force extends deadline
11 May 2016
The Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures is extending its deadline for consultation.
Big names line up for Green Ribbon Awards
11 May 2016
The national airline, both major supermarket companies, one of the world’s largest technology companies, and a company that makes flexible pipes are among the finalists in the Government’s Green Ribbon Awards.
Japan has more charge points than petrol stations
11 May 2016
Japan has more electric car charging stops than petrol stations, according to a recent survey by Nissan.
Can we save the algae biofuel industry?
10 May 2016
Algal biofuels are in trouble. This alternative fuel source could help to reduce overall carbon emissions without taking land from food production, like many crop-based biofuels do.
Cow-gas fix no silver bullet for us, says researcher
9 May 2016
A new feed-supplement shown in trials to cut methane emissions from dairy cows by 30 per cent is exciting, but no silver bullet for New Zealand, says the head of the research consortium charged with cutting the country’s agricultural emissions.
Solar industry fights lines companies' taxes
9 May 2016
The solar energy industry is fighting back against taxes being imposed by lines companies on customers installing panels on their homes, by taking a case to the Electricity Authority.
Nuclear power plant costs roll onwards and upwards
9 May 2016
Building nuclear power stations is becoming hugely more expensive by the day, but decommissioning old ones might prove to be even more costly.
Oil firms have 10 years to change strategy ... or die
9 May 2016
International oil companies such as Shell and BP must completely change their business model or face a “nasty, brutish and short” end within 10 years, one of Britain’s most influential energy experts has warned.
GM and Lyft to test self-driving electric taxis
9 May 2016
General Motors and Lyft within a year will begin testing a fleet of self-driving electric taxis on public roads, a move central to the companies’ joint efforts to challenge Silicon Valley giants in the battle to reshape the auto industry.
Wary forest investors watch climbing carbon price
6 May 2016
Gun-shy forest investors are watching with interest as carbon creeps up to the magic $15 mark, but they’ll need at least another $3 a tonne to make up for the political risk of investing in carbon forestry, the industry says.
Long road ahead for EVs, says energy expert
6 May 2016
The Government’s plan to get 64,000 electric cars on the road by 2021 will cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions by just 0.01 per cent.
We've made owning e-cars easier, claims minister
6 May 2016
Transport Minister Simon Bridges says his electric-vehicle policy will remove barriers that have prevented businesses and households switching to electric vehicles.
E-CARS: Tracey's got one, so has Jenny; Julie Anne doesn't bother with a car at all
6 May 2016
Politicians are fond of talking up electric vehicles, but not many of them are putting their money where their mouths are.
Better solar cells mean more energy from the sun
6 May 2016
Global demand for energy is increasing by the hour as developing countries move toward industrialisation.
CREDITS CRUNCH: We'll need millions of international units
5 May 2016
New Zealand is likely to need up to 220 million international credits to meet its 2030 emissions reduction target because even a domestic carbon price of $300 a tonne is unlikely to drive enough domestic emissions cuts, the Government says.
Courier giant ushers in aviation biofuels drive
5 May 2016
The world’s largest express transportation company, FedEx, is pioneering the use of sustainable aviation fuels through a new partnership which will see millions of gallons of biofuel produced from waste wood biomass.
At last, Government to reveal plan for electric cars
4 May 2016
The Government will unveil its electric vehicle policy tomorrow.
... and this is what the country expects to see
4 May 2016
Higher carbon prices and clear government policy are two of the measures needed to get New Zealanders to switch to electric cars, the Royal Society says.
Cut the kindling, Huntly could run on wood
4 May 2016
Converting the Huntly coal-fired power station to run on wood is technically feasible, but expensive.
Japan pays high price for ‘silo’ science
4 May 2016
Lack of scientific co-operation with other countries has cost Japan “trillions of yen” in expensive solar power because the country did not learn from the experience of other countries before rushing to install it, analysts say.
Why scientists must challenge poor media reporting
4 May 2016
Ocean acidification is causing fundamental and dangerous changes in the chemistry of the world’s oceans yet only one in five Britons has even heard of ocean acidification, let alone believes it a cause for concern.
GE wants become big player in offshore wind
4 May 2016
General Electric wants to become a major player in the offshore wind industry and is interested in buying the Areva-Gamesa offshore joint-venture Adwen.
Make ETS like a market, says our biggest emitter
3 May 2016
New Zealand’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases says that carbon trading needs to be automated and standardised.
Busy Bennett draws up climate to-do list
3 May 2016
Higher carbon prices, scrapping the one-for-two, and a detailed plan to decarbonise the New Zealand economy are on Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett’s to-do list.
Government might not carry over units
3 May 2016
The Government might not carry any carbon units over after 2020.
Phasing out fossil fuels more than just a straight swap
3 May 2016
To have any chance of preventing dangerous climate change, the world needs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net zero or even negative by mid-century.
Ontario acts to allay car fears over climate plan
3 May 2016
The Ontario government has moved to reassure the auto sector that it considers the industry crucial to the province’s economy amid a controversy stirred up by a draft action plan on climate change and comments critical of auto companies and executives by Environment Minister Glen Murray.
Run carbon prices like the dollar, says academic
2 May 2016
Carbon prices should be managed like the Reserve Bank manages the value of the New Zealand dollar, a submission on the Emissions Trading Scheme is recommending.
Morganites want moratorium on free credits
2 May 2016
A think-tank which has strongly criticised New Zealand’s use of hot-air credits is now calling for a one-year moratorium on the allocation of free credits to trade-exposed heavy emitters.
Officials eye pile of ETS submissions
2 May 2016
Government officials are today working their way through a large stack of submissions on the technical aspects of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
VW and Shell try to block Europe's drive for electric cars
2 May 2016
VW and Shell have united to try to block Europe’s push for electric cars and more efficient cars, saying biofuels should be at heart of efforts to green the industry instead.
Scientists see the future in natural resources
2 May 2016
From creating transparent wood for solar panels or windows to turning carbon dioxide and plant waste into plastic bottles, scientists are finding ingenious ways to sidestep fossil fuels.
Crewless ships could trim trade’s carbon footprint
2 May 2016
Crewless ships would use up to 15 per cent less fuel, engineers estimate, and could be running by the end of the decade
US coal use down in nearly every state
2 May 2016
Coal consumption in the electric power sector has dropped in nearly every state between 2007 and 2015, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Alaska and Nebraska are the two outliers that experienced an increase in coal demand during this time.
CLIMATE CRISIS: Why English must act on costs
29 Apr 2016
Finance Minister Bill English must investigate the fiscal implications of climate change, says the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
Growth, energy and climate in focus at Trans-Tasman bilateral talks
Fri 5 Sep 2025
Trans-Tasman climate cooperation was one of the themes at the Australia New Zealand Leadership Forum, with senior government officials and business leaders from both sides of the ditch meeting in Canberra this week.
Meridian reports worst earnings in a decade
Wed 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.
Air NZ declares surprisingly low SAF prices
Wed 3 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand is able to source sustainable aviation fuel at between 1.5 and 2.5 times the price of conventional fossil fuels used for flying, all sourced from the US.
Forest carbon stores massive blind spot - study
Thu 4 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Aotearoa New Zealand’s planted forests hold significant deep soil organic carbon — with over half of it stored below 30 cm, and much of it over 1,000 years old.
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.
