New Zealand: All stories
Air New Zealand eyes iwi land to offset carbon emissions
16 Mar 2016
Air New Zealand - the country's single largest user of fossil fuels - plans to use carbon credits from Maori-owned land to help to meet its carbon emssions liabilities
NZ needs standard e-car charging, says Volvo
16 Mar 2016
Volvo says calls for standardisation of charging infrastructure might help to grow the number of electric vehicles on New Zealand roads.
Clean energy is a win-win for the US
16 Mar 2016
Simply implementing its Paris climate conference commitments on reducing greenhouse gas emissions could save the US billions of dollars – and save hundreds of thousands of lives.
UN goals need climate-change action now
16 Mar 2016
Failing to take action on climate change will make it harder to meet the United Nations’ sustainable development goals, a new report says.
Air NZ's looking at biofuels again ... but will they work?
15 Mar 2016
Air New Zealand is investigating biofuels again – but an international expert says it is unlikely to do much to cut the greenhouse gas emissions.
Why Conservation officers feel left out of RMA
15 Mar 2016
The Department of Conservation could be cut out of some planning applications that could affect wildlife or conservation land, documents released under the Official Information Act say.
Minister goes back to school on sustainability
15 Mar 2016
New Plymouth MP Jonathan Young is representing New Zealand at an international conference on sustainability.
OPINION: It's nuts to open more coal mines
15 Mar 2016
Work on the Denniston Plateau has now stopped. CINDY BAXTER, of Coal Action Network Aotearoa, argues that it’s a sign the coal industry is in its death throes.
China's electricity sector soars
15 Mar 2016
China’s electricity sector transformation accelerated in the first two months of this year, new data shows.
Climate needs Africa’s farmers to change fast
15 Mar 2016
Climate change could soon begin to make dramatic impacts on Africa’s agriculture. Up to 60 per cent of land now used to grow beans could become unviable by the end of the century – and in some places, farmers will need to change their ways within the next 10 years.
Processors in ETS could pose problem, says industry
14 Mar 2016
Bringing wood processors into the Emissions Trading Scheme could damage other carbon-reducing initiatives, such as biofuel development, the industry says.
Study to look at alternatives to radiata pine
14 Mar 2016
A new research programme will help to calculate the carbon-storing potential of alternative wood crops.
Food production threatens to overwhelm climate efforts
14 Mar 2016
Each year our terrestrial biosphere absorbs about a quarter of all the carbon dioxide emissions that humans produce.
Plastic-munching bacteria could fuel recycling revolution
14 Mar 2016
More than 300m tonnes of plastics are manufactured each year for use in everything from packaging to clothing.
ETS needs a price floor, says environment watchdog
11 Mar 2016
The Emissions Trading Scheme price cap should stay – but it should be balanced by a price floor, says Environment Commissioner Jan Wright.
Give farmers a reason to join ETS, says academic
11 Mar 2016
Agriculture could do a lot to cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions if it had an incentive to, a forestry expert says.
New methane probe points finger at agriculture
11 Mar 2016
New research showing that agriculture, and not fossil fuels, is responsible for rising methane levels is especially important for New Zealand, says the lead researcher.
Massive sea level rise if southern ice sheet melts
11 Mar 2016
The world is on track for massive sea level rises resulting from the melting of an Antarctic ice sheet, one of New Zealand’s leading scientists is warning.
Sorry, but throwing seawater at Antarctica won't fix the problem
11 Mar 2016
Pumping seawater on to the Antarctic landmass to form ice and stop sea levels rising stands little chance of success, scientists say.
Customers want clean transport, says KiwiRail
10 Mar 2016
The Emissions Trading Scheme should be strengthened to help to shift freight on to more climate-friendly forms of transport, KiwiRail says.
ECO SCARE: We're chomping through our resources
10 Mar 2016
New Zealanders are chewing through their biocapacity surplus – that’s the resources we have left once we’ve consumed what we want – at an alarming rate, new figures show.
Electric car sales worldwide are powering ahead
10 Mar 2016
Improved technology and falling costs are moving electric car sales into the fast lane as manufacturers are now able to achieve significant economies of scale.
Clean, green report card shows we're woeful
9 Mar 2016
Clean, green New Zealand has one of the worst records in the world when it comes to the impact of agriculture on the environment, a new report shows.
How to make an ETS, Kiwi-style ... or not
9 Mar 2016
New Zealand’s pioneering experience in building an emissions trading scheme is the basis for a new World Bank guide to designing an ETS.
Greens lament lost e-car opportunities
9 Mar 2016
Government inaction contributed to the disappearance of the cheapest new electric cars from the New Zealand market, the Green Party says.
Climate could have killed off ichthyosaurs
9 Mar 2016
Climate change was probably behind the extinction of ichthyosaurs, scientists say.
The Great White Hope of climate science gets darker
9 Mar 2016
Greenland, climatology’s great white hope and the biggest block of ice in the northern hemisphere, is losing its reflectivity.
Human fingerprint on extreme weather goes back to the 30s
9 Mar 2016
In recent years, climate scientists have looked at the role climate change played in unusual extreme weather events such as Australia’s hottest summer in 2012-13 and recent heatwaves.
Dairy dive has message, says eco economist
8 Mar 2016
Collapsing dairy prices are a warning of what can happen when businesses live beyond their ecological means, says an expert in ecological economics.
Foresters laud Landcorp's change of mind
8 Mar 2016
Landcorp’s decision to go forestry instead of dairy on land in the central North Island is a sign that some landowners are starting to question the viability of dairy conversions, the Forest Owners’ Association says.
Aviation losing emissions battle, say academics
8 Mar 2016
Climate-damaging emissions from aviation will continue to rise despite the best efforts of the airline industry to make air travel sustainable, a new study co-authored by a University of Otago researcher suggests.
Scrap carbon subsidies, says our worst emitter
7 Mar 2016
The country’s single largest generator of greenhouse gas emissions says carbon subsidies should be scrapped so the market can to do its work.
Genesis explains wholesale price increases
7 Mar 2016
Increasing the price of carbon to $25 a tonne would push wholesale electricity rates up by $4.50 a megawatt hour, says Genesis Energy.
New map will help you navigate the ETS world
7 Mar 2016
The long and sometimes rocky road to the development of an emissions trading market has been mapped.
Wood processors could get the nod with ETS changes
4 Mar 2016
Wood processors could come into the Emissions Trading Scheme under changes being suggested by the Government.
ETS overhaul not enough, says climate academic
4 Mar 2016
The Government’s overhaul of the Emissions Trading Scheme won’t be enough to get New Zealand across the line on the Paris Agreement, a new report shows.
Greens want probe into future of Huntly
4 Mar 2016
The Green Party is calling for an independent investigation into the best options for replacing coal-burning electricity generation at Huntly with cleaner alternatives.
New sea-level tool will help you make up your mind
4 Mar 2016
Waikato Regional Council has launched am online tool showing the likely impact of sea-level rise and bigger storms on the region’s coastal areas.
Future food needs decisions now, says report
4 Mar 2016
The world needs to make the hard decisions now on dealing with enormous climate-related risks like food shortages that could happen after 2050, says Professor Alistair Woodward of Auckland University.
If you think this is hot, think again
4 Mar 2016
Researchers warn that more areas of the world will swelter more often in potentially lethal heatwaves unless greenhouse gas emissions are drastically curtailed.
Government on verge of e-car action
3 Mar 2016
The Government is about to announce a policy on electric cars - and it might include support for setting up a national system for charging the cars.
It's time to look at energy goals, says minister
3 Mar 2016
The Government says it is looking at setting national energy targets to “send a strong signal to businesses about what New Zealand’s energy future should look like”.
OIO-action company sells NZ carbon assets
3 Mar 2016
An Australian company being prosecuted by the Overseas Investment Office has sold its New Zealand carbon assets.
Yes to solar, but we're light years behind
3 Mar 2016
New Zealand electricity company leaders say solar power has become part of the energy mix for consumers, but less so than in Australia.
Give MOOC a chance ...
3 Mar 2016
Want to know more about the global transition to sustainable energy? The Massive Online Open Course could be what you’re looking for.
Clever machine measures soil gases
3 Mar 2016
Finnish researchers have invented a portable machine that measures greenhouse gases coming off soil.
Here's how we can make power plants green and beautiful
3 Mar 2016
Energy suppliers often refer to their industry as being caught in a 'trilemma', as people demand electricity that is both secure and cheap, while also being clean. But maybe it’s time to add a forth consideration to the list – beauty.
How Africa could leapfrog fossil fuels to clean energy
3 Mar 2016
Revolutions are, as a rule, rare and momentous processes. But across the African continent the potential is ripe for a clean energy revolution that upsets and leapfrogs the old fossil-fuel order.
Investors warn NZ of carbon over-protectionism
2 Mar 2016
An organisation representing $1 trillion of investments is warning the New Zealand Government against the dangers of over-protectionism when it comes to carbon pricing.
Quitting Kyoto might cost us, new minister hears
2 Mar 2016
Not signing up to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol might cost New Zealand a front seat in the development of international carbon markets, it has been revealed.
Growth, energy and climate in focus at Trans-Tasman bilateral talks
Today 11:00am
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
Today 11:00am
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.
