New Zealand: All stories
Carbon prices jump after Budget breakthrough
26 May 2016
Carbon prices jumped this afternoon on confirmation that the one-for-two subsidy is to be phased out, and could reach $20 by the end of the year.
NATS' 19%: Bennett blames population growth
26 May 2016
New Zealand’s net greenhouse gas emissions have gone up 19 per cent under the National Government – and Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett is blaming population growth.
Minister puts figure on hot-air credits
26 May 2016
More than a quarter of the units New Zealand used to meet its Kyoto commitments were hot-air credits, Climate Change Minister Paula Bennett said in Parliament yesterday.
New report sees world of expanding carbon markets
26 May 2016
Carbon markets will expand on the back of the Paris Agreement, and carbon prices will need to rise to between $50 and $66 for the world to meet the climate change agreement’s goals, a new survey says.
US insurance aid props up climate-risk homes
26 May 2016
Lloyd’s, one of the world’s biggest insurance companies, says the US government must stop providing insurance subsidies to homeowners building on flood plains and in coastal areas exposed to mounting risks related to climate change.
Cattle drugs could fuel climate change, study suggests
26 May 2016
Dosing farm animals with antibiotics increases greenhouse gas emissions from cow dung, research suggests.
Now hear this ...
26 May 2016
If the development of international carbon markets is your idea of a good story, settle back with your headphones and listen to this.
China solar has coal in its sights
26 May 2016
Declining costs in China’s solar industry could allow the government to reduce prices offered to photovoltaic developers by more than a third by 2020 and see plants powered by the sun become competitive with coal within a decade.
US now has 27.2 gigawatts of solar energy
26 May 2016
One million solar power installations now dot America's rooftops and landscape, an achievement being hailed as a milestone by advocates of solar energy.
Shell to cut another 2200 jobs
26 May 2016
Royal Dutch Shell is to cut at least another 2,00 jobs, with around 475 of those coming from its UK and Ireland oil and gas production business.
Poland limits where wind farms can be built
26 May 2016
Poland has adopted a new law banning construction of wind farms close to dwellings and hiking project costs in a move which the industry says could hobble the country's move to renewables and away from coal.
PARIS PUSH: Pact could be ready to go next year
25 May 2016
The Paris Agreement could well come into force next year, says a New Zealander leading work to flesh out the details of the new global climate change pact.
Take a hard look at investments, insurers warned
25 May 2016
Insurance companies should be taking a hard look at their exposure to investment in fossil-fuel assets, a new report says.
Road taxes will pay for trains under Green government
25 May 2016
A Green government would fund rail from taxes, with an aim of getting half of the country’s total freight off roads by 2027.
Fracking makes US top fossil fuels producer
25 May 2016
Thanks to the fracking boom, the US has surpassed Saudi Arabia and Russia to become the world’s leading producer of oil in 2013. The US became the top natural gas producer in 2011, and has led the world in both oil and gas production for four years in a row.
Hyundai plans 250-mile EV for 2020
25 May 2016
Carmaker Hyundai is designing an electric vehicle with a 250-mile range for 2020.
Solar operator slams vested interests in pro-EV report
24 May 2016
A report that says switching to electric vehicles will do more to prevent climate change than would installing solar panels was funded by the big generators and lines companies with a vested interest in keeping solar out of the industry, says the head of an energy company using solar panels to generate power for its customers.
Punish the dirty drivers, urges e-car advocate
24 May 2016
The Government should fine people buying fossil fuel-burning vehicles and give the money to people who buy clean electric vehicles, says Waikato University’s professor of law.
GREEN GOOD: Beware of a business backlash
24 May 2016
Making money while doing good for the environment? Be careful how you tell your customers about it, or you might face a backlash.
Antarctic glacier melt could raise sea level by 3m
24 May 2016
One of Antarctica’s great glaciers could become unstable if global warming continues at the present pace.
Oil majors tread cautiously toward renewables
24 May 2016
The big oil companies’ on-off affair with renewable energies seems to be back on track.
Coal-giant shareholders vote for disclosure
24 May 2016
Glencore investors have agreed that the largest exporter of coal burned for power should provide more information on risks to its business from growing levels of government legislation to tackle climate change.
Global EV sales will increase fivefold within five years
24 May 2016
Global electric vehicle revenue will likely reach $58 billion in 2021, representing a fivefold increase from 2015.
CARBON CRISIS: Our emissions up a whopping 56%
23 May 2016
New Zealand’s net greenhouse gas emissions – the amount it actually contributes to damaging the climate – rose a whopping 56.7 per cent over 24 years in which it was supposed to be cutting emissions, new Government data shows.
Scientists can't do it alone, says PM's adviser
23 May 2016
The Prime Minister’s chief science adviser has told a United Nations forum that scientists and policy-makers need to work together on issues like climate change.
Climate food shocks not good news for us, says report
23 May 2016
Climate change-induced food shocks will have a negative effect on New Zealand’s economy, researchers say.
Farming needs to play a lead role to meet Paris targets
23 May 2016
Researchers say new technical and policy solutions, plus major investment, are needed for agriculture to help to make the emissions reductions required to meet Paris targets.
Supersized ship, supersized pollution problem
23 May 2016
As Harmony of the Seas sets sail from Southampton docks today she will leave behind a trail of pollution – a toxic problem that is growing as the cruise industry and its ships get ever bigger.
Proud Portugal just set a renewable energy record
23 May 2016
Portugal last week set a record for renewable energy use. Through a combination of hydroelectric, solar, and wind power, electricity use in the country was completely covered for four consecutive days.
I agree this is serious, Bennett tells scientists
20 May 2016
A group of scientists and other prominent New Zealanders has had a reply to a letter accusing the Government of an “indefensible” lack of leadership on climate change.
We should skite a bit, says our peanut butter king
20 May 2016
New Zealand manufacturers should be skiting to the world about making food and groceries with renewable energy, says Pic’s Peanut Butter chief executive Pic Picot.
Student finds way to make use of dumped plastic
20 May 2016
A New Zealand student has come up with a plan to recycle waste plastic in Pacific nations using 3-D printers.
Indonesia deepens reliance on coal power
20 May 2016
Indonesia, already one of the world’s biggest carbon emitters, plans to build a further 100 coal-fired power stations by 2019.
Europe has high hopes for smart meters
20 May 2016
Europe’s move to replace at least 80 per cent of electricity meters with smart meters could cut greenhouse gas emissions in the region by 9 per cent.
Outcry as Norway opens new areas to exploration
20 May 2016
Norway has warded Arctic drilling licences to 13 oil companies, including in a hitherto unexplored part of the Barents Sea, drawing condemnation from environmental groups.
Energy awards show what the country can do
19 May 2016
Innovations worth 1.2 petajoules of energy and 120,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions were honoured in Auckland last night.
BLOWIN' IN THE WIND: China's desertification dust is even reaching our shores
19 May 2016
Dust and sand storms in China have intensified and now pose provocative geopolitical challenges. Traces of China’s deserts have been found as far away as New Zealand and the French Alps.
Glad tidings for the potential of sea power
19 May 2016
Two countries with the highest tides in the world, Canada and the UK, both claim to be the world leaders in creating electricity from the tides.
Europe needs independent carbon market regulator
19 May 2016
Europe needs an independent carbon market regulator with clear objectives rather than the current mix of state administrators and the European Commission that has complicated the market, says the chief executive of Total.
Renewables leaving natural gas in the dust
19 May 2016
In the first three months of 2016, the U.S. grid added 18 megawatts of new natural gas generating capacity. It added a whopping 1291MW of new renewables.The renewables were primarily wind (707 MW) and solar (522 MW).
Colorado e-car fans to get $5000 incentive
19 May 2016
Colorado people looking to buy electric vehicles in the state will soon have access to a $5000 incentive.
Why we need soil microbes to fight climate change
19 May 2016
Around the globe, 2016 has been a dusty year. And the loss of soil presents a less obvious challenge: it robs us of a key ally in fighting climate change. That ally is soil microbes.
Why funds managers must come clean on climate risks
18 May 2016
Superannuation and other fund managers should be telling customers just how big a risk climate change is to their investments, says the government’s financial markets regulator.
Chairman aside, AMP says it's serious about climate
18 May 2016
AMP says it is taking climate change seriously, despite a recent comment from chairman Simon McKeon that suggested otherwise.
South joins North in breaching carbon dioxide milestone
18 May 2016
The background atmospheric carbon dioxide levels measured at Cape Grim on Tasmania’s northwest coast have officially passed the 400 parts per million mark.
China dominates wind turbine installation
18 May 2016
Nearly half of the new wind turbines installed last year were in China, latest data shows.
Rich and poor divided over aviation emissions deal
18 May 2016
Details of a global carbon offsetting scheme for planes are up in the air after an inconclusive meeting in Montreal last week.
ETS ANSWERS: Three ways to make it work
17 May 2016
Bringing agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme, setting an emissions cap, and building cross-party support to cut emissions and lift carbon prices should all be part of the ETS review, says one of its architects.
New RMA proposals won't cut it, say farmers
17 May 2016
Federated Farmers told the select committee considering the Resource Legislation Amendment Bill yesterday that current proposals will reduce the opportunity for public input, reduce opportunity for local decision making, and increase process costs.
April hottest ... and that makes seven months in a row
17 May 2016
April this year was the hottest April on record globally – and the seventh month in a row to have broken global temperature records. The latest figures smashed the previous record for April by the largest margin ever recorded.
Local govt shake-up risks weakened environmental outcomes – Commissioner
Fri 27 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government’s push to simplify local government is "deeply flawed" and has been launched without a clear understanding of which functions must remain regional, according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
Govt plan to encourage new energy investment won’t cut costs for ordinary Kiwis
Thu 26 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | While gentailers and major energy users have welcomed the Government’s plan to leverage public sector demand to drive new energy projects, an expert says it is unlikely to reduce prices for ordinary people.
Govt's solar on farms initiative to cut costs, boost resilience
17 Feb 2026
Farms across Aotearoa will begin installing solar panels and battery systems as part of a government-backed demonstration programme designed to test whether on-farm renewable energy can reduce electricity costs and improve energy security for the food and fibre sector.
Annual emissions fell to lowest in 15 years in Sept 2025
5 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions fell to their lowest annual total in the year to September 2025 since records began 2010, according to Statistics New Zealand data published this morning.
Air NZ joins Marsden Point SAF project
Tue 3 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand has quietly added its name to a consortium exploring the viability of green hydrogen production for sustainable aviation fuel at Channel Infrastructure’s Marsden Point energy hub.
Tairāwhiti needs proper Govt support to heal the land – not empty announcements for political optics
24 Feb 2026
OPINION: The Government’s answer to Tairāwhiti’s severe erosion crisis – that the region apply for modest, contestable funding rounds – while rejecting the region's own land transition business case, leaves our long-term resilience hanging in the balance, writes Manu Caddie.
Kiwi startup takes on global plastic pollution
12 Feb 2026
A New Zealand startup is launching what it says is the world’s first plastic-free effervescent drink tablet, with the ambitious aim of eliminating bottled beverages to reduce global plastic pollution.
