New Zealand: All stories
It just got easier to find a charging station
8 Aug 2016
Power distributor Vector has launched an interactive map to help Auckland motorists to find the nearest electric vehicle charging station.
Packager cracks takeaway coffee poser
8 Aug 2016
A New Zealand packaging company says it has come up with an environmentally sound way of getting a takeaway coffee.
Giant Amazon dam fails environment test
8 Aug 2016
Plans to build a giant hydroelectric dam in the heart of the Amazon rainforest have been halted by Brazil’s environmental protection agency because of mounting concerns about the fate of indigenous communities and wildlife living in the area.
German e-car discount scheme draws a crowd
8 Aug 2016
Nearly 2000 people in Germany have applied for the government's electric car discount scheme, introduced on July 1, and a third of them are buyers of BMW models.
Trees clear winner as carbon farmer cashes in
5 Aug 2016
Carbon credits have netted a dairy farmer more than he could have ever made from running livestock on his Taranaki hill country.
Climate-friendly flying could cost billions
5 Aug 2016
Sourcing biofuels to replace oil will cost billions, but without radical cuts in air traffic or improvements in technology it may be the only solution to cut airline emissions.
China reveals futuristic straddling bus
5 Aug 2016
China is testing a 2m-high bus which runs on electricity and straddles the cars below, allowing them to pass underneath uninterrupted.
UK charge points set to outnumber petrol stations
5 Aug 2016
Public electric vehicle charge points will outnumber petrol stations in the UK by the end of the decade, marking a potential tipping point in the adoption of zero emission vehicles.
Businesses call for ETS policy certainty
4 Aug 2016
Calls for cross-party policy on climate change, and complaints about “continual and ad-hoc” changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme dominated comments on the first stage of the latest review of the scheme.
So far, we've had our hottest year since 1909
4 Aug 2016
Temperatures in New Zealand have been 1.3deg above average for the first seven months of this year.
Singapore eyes self-driving taxi service
4 Aug 2016
A Singapore start-up is attempting to develop the world’s first driverless taxis.
We look to be light on climate change officials
3 Aug 2016
The Government has only a handful of staff dedicated to working fulltime on climate change.
BEE WARNED: Agriculture stands to lose millions
3 Aug 2016
New Zealand agriculture stands to lose $295-728 million annually if the local honeybee population continues to decline, according to a new study into the economic consequences of a decline in pollination rates.
Little Ice Age analysis bodes ill for the future
3 Aug 2016
The dip in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels during the Little Ice Age wasnt caused by New World pioneers cutting a swathe through native American agriculture, as had been previously thought.
Aviation emissions pact may be voluntary at first
3 Aug 2016
A deal to limit carbon emissions from global civil aviation could be voluntary for the first five years instead of mandatory for certain countries under the current proposal.
E-car charging could follow Airbnb model
3 Aug 2016
Individuals are offer their charging stations to the public, to fill gaps in commercial recharging networks.
New York eyes 50% renewable energy by 2030
3 Aug 2016
New York state will aim to generate half its power from renewable sources by the year 2030, an ambitious plan that will rely on big subsidies to nuclear power plants.
Industries fought to keep 1:2 carbon subsidy
2 Aug 2016
The waste, stationary energy, industrial processing and agricultural sectors mounted the biggest opposition to getting rid of the one-for-two carbon subsidy.
Farming fund looks for new customers
2 Aug 2016
The 2017 round of the Sustainable Farming Fund is open for applications.
Vector adds more Auckland e-car chargers
2 Aug 2016
Vector has added two new electric vehicle rapid-chargers to its Auckland network.
Musk sells his solar power company ... to himself
2 Aug 2016
Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company, Tesla Motors, has bought Elon Musk’s solar power company, SolarCity, in an all-stock transaction worth $2.6 billion.
Pure air marketer offers scholarship
2 Aug 2016
A company exporting New Zealand air to polluted countries is offering a scholarship for research on the impacts of air pollution.
Charging pads let electric car owners cut the cord
2 Aug 2016
Electric-vehicle charging cords could soon go the way of the cassette tape, floppy disk and landline telephone.
Industry slams failure of free-market forestry
1 Aug 2016
New Zealand’s experiment with free-market forestry has left it without the forests needed to combat climate change and supply the domestic market with wood, the industry says.
NZ scientist to join key climate study
1 Aug 2016
A New Zealand political scientist is to join a crucial planning meeting on how the world’s scientific community should respond to the challenge of limiting global warming.
Fur industry wants slice of pest action
1 Aug 2016
The fur industry wants in on the Government’s dream of a predator-free New Zealand.
Britain's nuclear white elephant stumbles
1 Aug 2016
Celebrations by the nuclear industry planned for today have been cancelled following the shock decision by Britain to put the world’s largest electricity project on hold.
54 DEG: Searing Kuwait temp could be among the hottest
1 Aug 2016
A heat wave in the Middle East has sent temperatures soaring to heights that are rarely seen even there. On July 21, Mitribah, Kuwait, recorded a temperature of 54degC.
... and it's staying warm here
1 Aug 2016
The unseasonably warm weather is likely to continue, with forecasters saying there is a 65 to 70 per cent chance that the next three months will be warmer than usual.
State fracking controls don't exist, study finds
1 Aug 2016
Most local authorities in the United States are setting no controls on the impacts of fracking on communities, a new study says.
Fossil fuel workers to retrain in clean energy
1 Aug 2016
Scottish workers leaving the increasingly embattled oil and gas sector are being offered the chance to retrain for work in clean energy industries, under a new training scheme funded by the Scottish Government.
How right price, right credits would suit farmers
29 Jul 2016
A carbon price of $25 and a 50 per cent allocation of free credits would make the Emissions Trading Scheme viable for some farmers, a new report shows.
Call me Mercury, says Mighty River
29 Jul 2016
Mighty River Power says a rebranding campaign launched today reflects New Zealand’s future in clean energy.
Don't expect a solar 747 anytime soon
29 Jul 2016
After 12 years of planning and testing, Solar Impulse has finally completed its epic voyage around the world.
A short history of nuclear fission ...
29 Jul 2016
An Italian physicist, Enrico Fermi, was the first to achieve it but just recently nuclear fission’s popularity has been decreasing.
Renewables overtake coal in UK power generation
29 Jul 2016
Biomass, wind and other clean sources produced a quarter of UK electricity last year, government figures show, as plant closures reduced coal’s share to 22 per cent.
Denmark targets 100% renewable electricity by 2050
29 Jul 2016
Currently, 40 per cent of Denmark’s electricity comes from wind, and the country’s target is to reach 50 per cent by 2020 and 100 per cent renewables by 2050.
Bennett: We'll have to revisit emissions cuts
28 Jul 2016
New Zealand will take another look at its post-2020 emissions reduction target once it has ratified the Paris Agreement, the climate change minister says.
Big emitters face landmark human rights case
28 Jul 2016
The world’s largest oil, coal, cement and mining companies have been given 45 days to respond to a complaint that their greenhouse gas emissions have violated the human rights of millions of people living in the Phillippines.
SUSTAINABILITY: We're getting the hang of it
27 Jul 2016
New Zealand companies are becoming more socially and environmentally active – and it’s all down to the housing crisis, growing inequality and the United Nations’ new sustainable development goals.
Z gets an A for corporate responsibility
27 Jul 2016
New kid on the block Z Energy was the only New Zealand-owned company to get top marks in this year’s review of the state of corporate social responsibility in New Zealand and Australia.
NZ airs views at aviation emissions talks
27 Jul 2016
New Zealand is looking to join an international plan to cut greenhouse gas emissions from aircraft.
Floods sound call to sea-level action, say Greens
27 Jul 2016
Floods in Kapiti and Waitara last weekend show why the Government must take action over rising sea levels caused by climate change, says the Green Party.
A nuclear reactor in every town? Don't laugh
27 Jul 2016
The nuclear industry sees the UK as a springboard for its plans to expand in the next 20 years, especially as a pioneer in the deployment of a new breed of small reactors.
Bacteria powers microscopic 'wind farm'
27 Jul 2016
By TYLER SHENDRUK | Many of society’s energy challenges require gigawatts of power, but many more are small – and some are entirely microscopic.
Solar plane makes history
27 Jul 2016
Solar Impulse 2 has completed the first round-the-world flight by a solar-powered aeroplane, after touching down in Abu Dhabi.
London Mayor targets tube network
27 Jul 2016
The new Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is in the process of securing a licence to provide “clean energy” for London tube stations.
PARIS POSER: We must sign the pledge ... but when?
26 Jul 2016
An announcement is imminent on the tricky question of when New Zealand will ratify the Paris Agreement.
Pest-free state could help to control climate changes
26 Jul 2016
The Government’s mission to make New Zealand predator-free by 2050 could have a positive spin-off for the battle against a warming climate.
China's coal peak hailed as turning point
26 Jul 2016
The global battle against climate change has passed a historic turning point with China’s huge coal burning finally having peaked, according to senior economists.
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.
