New Zealand: All stories
Where's the clean-tech economy talk, Mr Little?
18 May 2015
Labour leader Andrew Little is blasting the Government for failing to diversify the economy, but he is still not talking about a low-carbon, clean-tech economy.
Why lack of leadership breeds lack of concern
18 May 2015
A lack of leadership on climate change is probably behind a drop in public concern over the issue, says a lecturer in science communication.
You must find a way, academics tell farmers
18 May 2015
Farmers must find ways of farming more sustainably while maintaining production, warns the Foundation for Arable Research.
Why the Government's forestry policies are not working
18 May 2015
Labour Party climate changes spokesperson MEGAN WOODS on why the Government’s forestry policies are failing:
Tesla's battery power could give Nevada a $100b jolt
18 May 2015
The new Tesla Motors factory being built outside Sparks, Nevada, was already on tap to produce 500,000 electric car batteries and become the largest battery factory in the world when chief executive Elon Musk announced last month it would also produce the potentially revolutionary home battery, the Powerwall.
Oceans generate rising tide of renewables ideas
18 May 2015
A race is on worldwide to harness the tides and waves for electrical power, with more than 100 different devices being tested by companies hoping to make a commercial breakthrough.
Why falling oil prices should not undermine investment in green energy
18 May 2015
When the price of crude oil dropped from US$110 a barrel in mid-2014 to below US$50 by January 2015, there were fears that it would destroy the “green revolution”.
Islands switch to solar power
18 May 2015
Foreign Minister Murray McCully and Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna have officially opened solar arrays on the islands of Penrhyn and Manihiki this week, and marked the completion of the Cook Islands Solar Project.
At last, Government reveals cost of gases reduction
11 May 2015
The Government has revealed how much it thinks cutting greenhouse gases might cost the country.
We've got the chance to turn green into gold
11 May 2015
New Zealand could turn “green into gold” by capitalising on emerging clean technologies and showing leadership on climate change.
Forest grants scheme gets $22m injection
11 May 2015
The Government will put $22.5 million into restarting the Afforestation Grant Scheme, it says.
'PM's bank' pulls back from coal investments
11 May 2015
A company in which Prime Minister John Key is a shareholder is reducing coal investment because of the risk of financial exposure.
Why we must join the clean energy race (and quickly)
11 May 2015
SolarCity founder and chief executive ANDREW BOOTH argues for 100 per cent renewable electricity generation in New Zealand by 2025:
You asked for it ... organic milk heads for the shops
11 May 2015
Anchor is launching a new nationwide line of organic milk on the back of strong demand.
Water crisis shows the failure of public-private deals
11 May 2015
São Paulo’s ongoing water crisis has left many of the city’s 20m or more residents without tap water for days on end. Brazil’s largest metropolis is into its third month of water rationing, and some citizens have even taken to drilling through their basements to reach groundwater.
Worth listening to …
11 May 2015
Treasury’s chief economist, Dr Girol Karacaoglu, talks to Radio New Zealand National’s Kim Hill about how sustainability is being factored into the economy.
Public voice to be heard on NZ's 2030 emissions target
7 May 2015
The Government is calling for submissions on New Zealand’s post-2020 emissions reduction target.
It's simple, says action group, coal's day is done
4 May 2015
Just five solar-power installation companies could create as many jobs as the Rotowaru coal mine, a new analysis says.
Southern project shows way with wood-fired boilers
4 May 2015
A pilot project to encourage industrial users to switch to wood-fired boilers could cut greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 200,000 tonnes.
Our best brains to take a look at climate change
4 May 2015
New Zealand’s leading scientists are putting their heads together to predict how climate change will affect New Zealanders.
Meat processor aims high to curb emissions
4 May 2015
One of the world’s largest processors of sheep meat, Alliance Group Limited, aims to reduce carbon emissions by 3300 tonnes over the next three years.
Rather than divest, advocate for carbon balancing
4 May 2015
At many universities and other institutions, heartfelt campaigns are under way to divest from fossil fuel companies as a way to address climate change.
Teslas, in one place at least, aren’t greener than diesels
4 May 2015
By NIRAJ LAL.- The Tesla in front of me was shiny, sleek and silent, but my daydreams were interrupted with a question: does a Tesla charged by Australian electricity emit less CO2 per kilometre than an efficient diesel car?
Man-made climate change increases extinction dangers
4 May 2015
Climate change threatens one in six of the world’s species with extinction, according to new research.
Commitment to end flaring is boost for climate talks
4 May 2015
Companies and governments responsible for 40 per cent of global gas flaring have made a commitment to stop their climate-damaging activities within the next 15 years.
Why we must remember our debt to the natural world
28 Apr 2015
New Zealand might fail to recognise just how economically dependent it is on the natural world until it’s too late, a new Government report warns.
The word is out ... dairying costs more than income
28 Apr 2015
Research claiming New Zealand’s dairy industry could be costing the country more than it is making it has been published in an international science journal.
Apparently, we're going to slash thousands of tonnes of emissions by 2020
28 Apr 2015
The Government expects the Emissions Trading Scheme to cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 10,000 kilotonnes in 2020.
NZ emissions figures worse than average, says report
28 Apr 2015
New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions trend from energy is worse than the OECD average, a new report says.
LanzaTech lines up more commercial plants
28 Apr 2015
LanzaTech, the New Zealand-founded carbon recycling company, says it has other full-scale commercial plants in the pipeline following this week’s announcement that China Steel Corp will invest US$46 million in a commercial scale ethanol facility in Taiwan.
Major changes in store for electricity industry
28 Apr 2015
Inventors are in a race to find the best way of storing electricity to make the most of renewables and cut the use of fossil fuels.
Scientists again raise carbon storage hopes
28 Apr 2015
Two groups of US scientists are exploring new ways of capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Skincare firm calls for ban on microbeads
28 Apr 2015
A multimillion dollar Kiwi supplement and skincare company is calling on the New Zealand Government to prohibit the use of plastic microbeads in all personal care and consumer products.
Consultants win award for bridge work
28 Apr 2015
Opus International Consultants’ work on reducing the environmental impact of maintaining the Auckland Harbour Bridge has bagged it an award.
Marlborough waste plant gets help
28 Apr 2015
The Government will stump up a third of the cost of a new commercial and industrial waste processing plant for Marlborough.
Govt tells world: Here's how we're going to cut emissions
20 Apr 2015
New Zealand will use domestic emissions reductions, forestry carbon sinks, international credits and its CP1 surplus to meet its 2020 emissions reduction target, it has told the world.
NZ's fine on fossil-fuel subsidies, says Groser
20 Apr 2015
New Zealand has been given a clean bill-of-health on fossil-fuel subsidies, the Government says.
Minister happy with dairying emissions progress
20 Apr 2015
The dairy industry is making progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Government says.
Beehive wants us to drive green cars
20 Apr 2015
The Government is looking at how it can encourage New Zealanders to switch to alternative-fuel vehicles.
Treasury COO to be new voice for the environment
20 Apr 2015
New Zealand has a new Secretary for the Environment.
Power giant to dump coal-fired stations and go green
20 Apr 2015
Australia's second-largest power company says it will close its coal-fired power stations by 2050 and concentrate on developing renewable energy.
Big Oil faces new pressure to disclose climate risk
20 Apr 2015
A $2 trillion group of investors have asked regulators to force oil and gas companies to provide more disclosures about climate-related risks to their businesses.
Battery costs drop even faster as electric car sales keep rising
20 Apr 2015
The cost of batteries is one of the major hurdles standing in the way of widespread use of electric cars and household solar batteries.
Additives to make plastic biodegradable don’t cut it
20 Apr 2015
One of the common concerns about plastic packaging is that it is generally non-biodegradable and will persist in the environment for extremely long periods of time once thrown away.
We could be heading for a multi-billion-dollar carbon hangover
13 Apr 2015
New Zealand’s “rugby, big cars and beer” culture could leave the country with an annual carbon hangover edging into the billions of dollars.
More cows means double the gas emissions
13 Apr 2015
Greenhouse gas emissions from dairy cows in New Zealand have more than doubled since 1990.
NZ city leaders lie low on new climate pact
13 Apr 2015
New Zealand cities are not among those signing up to a new compact on climate change.
Investors chip in as renewables rise toward record level
13 Apr 2015
Carbon dioxide levels might be soaring, and governments might be slow to reduce fossil fuel emissions and contain climate change, but the smart money could nevertheless be going into renewable sources such as wind and solar power.
China helping London’s famous black cabs to turn green
13 Apr 2015
It’s the most famous taxi in the world and a British icon, rivalling the Queen and red pillar boxes for global recognition. Now there’s a battle to make London’s black cabs greener.
Industrial corn farming is ruining health and water
13 Apr 2015
A taxic algae outbreak last year in Ohio's Lake Erie shut down the water supply for almost half a million people in Toledo and the surrounding suburbs.
ETS a ‘broken paradigm’ undercutting biodiversity efforts
25 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Pure Advantage is calling on the government to reform the Emissions Trading Scheme, with a new policy briefing saying that New Zealand’s offset-heavy approach is a “broken paradigm” undermining biodiversity and shifting risk to communities.
Transpower on track to meet core emissions targets
Mon 1 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Transpower’s total greenhouse gas footprint increased year-on-year due to higher emissions from its value chain, but the company says that making sure infrastructure is in place to enable the country's energy transition is the biggest contribution it can make to reducing emissions.
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
Marginal drop in last year's regional emissions
27 Aug 2025
Regional greenhouse gas emissions were down slightly last year, with a fall in gas supply leading to a big drop in Taranaki, but more coal burnt leading to higher emissions in Waikato, according to new figures from Stats NZ
Fund for low emissions transport winds up
31 Jul 2025
New Zealand’s Low Emission Transport Fund has officially wrapped up, ending a nine-year programme that put hundreds of millions of dollars towards accelerating the country’s shift to cleaner transport.
Certainty crucial to emissions cuts – Watts
20 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says that policy certainty is the Government’s primary lever for unlocking private capital and meeting climate targets, telling a carbon forestry conference that ETS settings are 'locked' through 2030.
Climate-friendly investment still lagging in NZ
Tue 2 Sep 2025
While local financial firms have made recent strides in climate governance and emissions reporting, New Zealand’s institutional investors are still missing in action when it comes to backing clean technologies and climate solutions, according to a new report.
