New Zealand: All stories
Watchdog wants answers to solar questions
29 Apr 2016
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment is investigating whether the uptake of solar panels really will cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gases.
Fewer car parks, greener cities, says commissioner
29 Apr 2016
Getting rid of requirements for minimum numbers of car parks with apartment developments could be one practical step toward greening New Zealand’s cities, says the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
Deadline nears for Stage 2 of ETS review
29 Apr 2016
Submissions on the second stage of the Emissions Trading Scheme review close tomorrow.
MEMO MINISTER: How to do it the Morgan Way
29 Apr 2016
The Morgan Foundation is keeping up the pressure on the Government over the use of hot-air carbon credits.
Love thy neighbour and feel the power
29 Apr 2016
A new peer-to-peer solar power platform could see people buying electricity generated by their friends and neighbours.
Venezuela orders two-day week to tackle energy crisis
29 Apr 2016
Venezuela’s public sector has been ordered to work just two days a week to save energy.
Germany plans $1.4bn boost for e-cars
29 Apr 2016
The German Government has reached a deal with automakers to jointly spend $1.4 billion on incentives to boost sluggish electric-car sales.
San Diego aims to be largest 100% renewable US city
29 Apr 2016
San Diego is set to become the largest city in the United States to run on 100 per cent renewable energy after the mayor announced his support for a 2035 target.
WINDFALL MILLIONS: Govt quiet on future of free credits
28 Apr 2016
The Government is being cagey over whether it will cancel millions of dollars worth of carbon units heavy emitters might be sitting on after using international carbon credits of dubious quality to meet their emissions liabilities.
Genesis extends life of Huntly coal-fired plant
28 Apr 2016
New Zealand’s coal-fired power station will remain open until 2022, but Genesis Energy says it is still committed to closing it.
Purse strings now open for forest planting
28 Apr 2016
Applications for the second round of the Government’s Afforestation Grants Scheme are open.
We need an emissions cap, says business council
28 Apr 2016
New Zealand needs a cap on emissions and to include all sectors in the Emissions Trading Scheme, says the Sustainable Business Council.
How ancient warm periods can help to predict climate change
28 Apr 2016
Several more decades of increased carbon dioxide emissions could lead to melting ice sheets, mass extinctions and extreme weather becoming the norm. We can’t yet be certain of the exact impacts, but we can look to the past to predict the future.
There's no need to fell forests to feed the world
28 Apr 2016
People don’t have to go hungry to conserve the planet’s forests. And farmers don’t have to bulldoze, burn or clear woodlands to make way for agriculture, according to new research.
Higher carbon prices will bring change, says report
27 Apr 2016
Higher carbon prices will kick-start many of the changes needed to decarbonise the New Zealand economy, a new report says.
CARBON CLUES: The Govt must tell us what it's doing
27 Apr 2016
A new report on decarbonising the New Zealand economy says the Government is failing to explain how it plans to do meet the country's emissions reductions targets.
Carbon budgeting big success, says UK expert
27 Apr 2016
Carbon budgeting and an independent statutory body that reports on the Government’s performance have been critical to the United Kingdom’s success in cutting greenhouse gases, says a visiting expert.
Biodiesel worse than fossil fuels, warn greens
27 Apr 2016
Using biodiesel in transport will increase polluting emissions by 4 per cent, the same as putting an extra 12 million cars on the road in 2020, EU green campaigners have said.
UK diesel car emissions five times over limit
27 Apr 2016
Claims by the UK Government that it is “leading the push” for greater emissions testing in diesel cars have been branded as “misleading”, after a government investigation revealed that some vehicles are still producing up to 12 times the EU maximum limit.
What we must change to get emissions under control
26 Apr 2016
A cross-party forum on climate change, efficient agriculture, and using revenue from auctioned carbon credits to stimulate innovation are some of the measures necessary for New Zealand to get to net-zero emissions, according to a paper to be released later today.
Why domestic carbon prices are hard to predict
26 Apr 2016
Uncertainty over supply and demand is making it impossible to predict domestic carbon prices, says a new analysis.
Bennett stays on course for higher carbon price
26 Apr 2016
Climate Change Minister Paula has again said that carbon prices need to be higher.
Foresters welcome call for more tree-planting
26 Apr 2016
Forest owners are welcoming a report recommending doubling the area of planted forest in New Zealand.
Volvo sets target of a million e-cars sold by 2025
26 Apr 2016
Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, has announced that it aims to sell a total of up to one million electrified cars by 2025.
We can survive without oil, says Saudi
26 Apr 2016
Saudi Arabia’s cabinet has approved Vision 2030, a package of economic reforms designed to reduce dependence on oil revenues.
Shipping leaders back faster emissions cuts
26 Apr 2016
The global shipping fleet should be cutting its fuel use 20 per cent a decade, according to a coalition of 15 business leaders.
Paris Agreement delay and we could face lock-out
22 Apr 2016
New Zealand could be locked out of crucial discussions on the Paris Agreement rules around land use and access to international carbon markets if the new international climate treaty comes into force early, as now looks likely.
What NZ must to do under the climate treaty
22 Apr 2016
Tomorrow, New Zealand will sign the Paris Agreement on climate change.
San Francisco demands solar panels on new buildings
22 Apr 2016
San Francisco has unanimously passed legislation that would require new construction that is shorter than 10 floors to install solar panels or solar water heaters on top of both new residential and commercial buildings.
ETS ADVICE: Supply more important than price
21 Apr 2016
Any carbon market controls in New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme should be based on supply, not price, says an international business organisation promoting markets to reduce climate change.
NZ Bus going electric will save the capital's trolleys
21 Apr 2016
New Zealand’s largest bus company is going electric in a move that will save Wellington’s beloved trolley buses – albeit without the overhead wires.
NZ court fines Australian carbon farmer
21 Apr 2016
An Australian carbon farming company that used a New Zealander to buy land has been fined $40,000.
Europe’s biggest carmakers are in for a rough ride
21 Apr 2016
Between Dutch plans to ban sales of petrol cars from 2025 and the rapid rise of car-sharing, the automotive industry faces some big challenges.
US-Canada pact eases Arctic drilling fears
21 Apr 2016
Low oil prices have reduced pressure to exploit Arctic fossil fuels and boosted hopes that the region’s fragile environment and indigenous people may be better protected.
Millions must choose between eating and heating
21 Apr 2016
An estimated 54 million Europeans suffer from energy poverty, according to a European Commission analysis, which blames rising prices, low income and energy inefficient homes for forcing people to choose between eating or heating.
Mangroves might help to combat climate change
21 Apr 2016
Scientists from 13 research institutions across India are studying the carbon sequestration potential of mangroves, under plans to use the species to build resilience to climate change in coastal regions and islands.
Dodgy units aside, we could make money from ETS credits
20 Apr 2016
Accusations that almost all the international units brought into the Emissions Trading Scheme are fraudulent are an exaggeration, says an expert who believes that the scheme could generate a nice international export in carbon credits.
YES WE CAN! Business leaders to make blueprint for our low-carbon future
20 Apr 2016
Some of the country’s largest businesses, lobby groups and organisations will meet in Wellington next month to draw up a blueprint for making New Zealand into a low-carbon economy.
Business backs stronger line on climate
20 Apr 2016
Business leaders say they hope this week’s signing of the Paris Agreement on climate change by New Zealand signals a stronger line on climate change action – with New Zealand reaching net-zero emissions not long after 2050.
Z Energy's biodiesel plant strikes gold
20 Apr 2016
Z Energy’s $26 million dollar biodiesel plant has earned it gold membership of the Bioenergy Association.
Feeding cows brassicas might solve the nitrogen problem
20 Apr 2016
Could feeding cows brassicas help to reduce nitrogen loss from the soil?
Nuclear costs are travelling in uncharted territory
20 Apr 2016
As some governments press on with new nuclear installations to address climate change, a multi-billion dollar industry will be needed to make safe old power plants and their hazardous waste.
Australian partners want $1b for clean energy move
20 Apr 2016
Australiafs Clean Energy Finance Corporation and infrastructure manager Palisade have announced a partnership to attract investment of $1 billion in clean energy projects.
Netherlands eyes petrol and diesel ban by 2025
20 Apr 2016
Dutch politicians have voted through a motion calling on the country to ban sales of new petrol and diesel cars starting in 2025.
Aviation talks face headwinds on rich-poor compromise
20 Apr 2016
A deal to slash aviation emissions later this year risks being blown off course unless it overcomes major differences between wealthy and developing countries.
WAKE UP! The nation must start taking action
19 Apr 2016
By editor ADELIA HALLETT | A climate change report released today by worried scientists should shake all New Zealanders, from the prime minister down, to their core.
Bennett to talk climate change with the big guns
19 Apr 2016
Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett will take part in the Major Economies Forum on Climate Change in the United States this week.
Soil could save Earth from overheating
19 Apr 2016
New research shows that changing the way we farm and manage soils so they store carbon rather than lose it would help to avoid dangerous climate change.
CONFIRMED: Over 90% of climate scientists are believers
19 Apr 2016
When the University of Queensland published a paper in 2013 finding 97 per cent scientific consensus on human-caused global warming, what was surpising was how surprised everyone was.
Australia's air pollution increases 69%
19 Apr 2016
Air quality across Australia has deteriorated to alarming levels with the coal industry the nation's worst polluter, new data has shown.
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.
