New Zealand: All stories
Outlook bright for UK’s solar power potential
8 Dec 2014
Solar energy is sometimes dismissed as a fanciful idea with little to offer so far in such a cloudy country as the United Kingdom, but a new report says power from the sun could thrive in Britain in barely five years’ time − without the need for any subsidy.
It doesn't take much to turn up the temperature
8 Dec 2014
Start the car, turn on the gas under the kettle, shovel some coal on the fire. Each time that happens, another pulse of carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.
Paper mill sets new benchmarks for best practice
8 Dec 2014
Manufacturing benchmarks achieved by a rural South Australian factory are being shared and instituted across the world by global manufacturing giant Kimberly-Clark.
Lines company loves its electric cars
8 Dec 2014
Auckland lines company Vector says its electric vehicles are proving to be immensely popular with staff.
Labour vows to watch work and the new economy
1 Dec 2014
The Labour Party’s Future of Work Commission will include analysis of the impacts on work of climate change and the low-carbon economy.
Govt hopes Kyoto credits will cover emissions blow-out
1 Dec 2014
The Government will use international Kyoto credits received in what’s known as the KP1 true-up to cover its emissions blow-out.
Memo farmers: Learn to manage your methanotrophs
1 Dec 2014
Farmers could cut their future exposure to carbon prices by looking after the methanotrophs in their soils, a soil scientist says.
Fitzsimons putting her money where her heart is
1 Dec 2014
Due diligence in investments has a slightly different connotation for retired politician Jeanette Fitzsimons.
One Plan water approval seen as ground-breaking
1 Dec 2014
The signing of the Horizon Regional Council’s One Plan after a decade of debate, legal action and controversy is being hailed by Fish & Game as a landmark in the battle to protect the nation’s water quality.
Climate change health action urgent, say doctors
1 Dec 2014
The need for rapid action on climate change in New Zealand in order to protect health is clear, according to a group of climate and health experts.
Why playing around with the climate could make things a whole lot worse
1 Dec 2014
Geoengineering – which sometimes seems to be the despairing climate scientist’s Plan B – simply won’t work.
Getting out of fossil fuel investment is the right way to go
1 Dec 2014
The controversy ignited by the Australian National University in October, when it decided to sell its shares in seven resources companies, has raised two important questions about divestment from assets such as fossil fuels.
Queensland risks running the well dry by gifting water to coal
1 Dec 2014
The Queensland parliament has passed water reform legislation that will make it easier to take and use water, particularly for large mining and agriculture projects.
Beyond the poo bus ... the many uses of human waste
1 Dec 2014
A British went into service last week, powered by biomethane energy derived from human waste at a sewage plant.
Scientists find new fuel job for sawdust
1 Dec 2014
Researchers at KU Leuven’s Centre for Surface Chemistry and Catalysis, in Belgium, have converted sawdust into building blocks for gasoline.
Two join Green Building Council board
1 Dec 2014
Hawkins Construction chief executive Gary Walker and INZIDE Commercial co-owner Steve Aschebrock have joined the board of the Green Building Council.
Govt slammed for weak climate fund contribution
24 Nov 2014
The Government is under fire for the size of its contribution to a global fund to help developing countries to combat climate change.
Climate change too far down Labour's list
24 Nov 2014
By editor ADELIA HALLETT.- New Labour Party leader Andrew Little appears to rank climate change only slightly more importantly than does Prime Minister John Key.
New shadow minister eyes climate change priorities
24 Nov 2014
Labour's new climate change and environment spokesperson says there's never been a time when she didn't believe in climate change.
Yealands wins sustainability award
24 Nov 2014
Yealands Family Wines took the top prize in this year's Sustainable Business Network Awards.
Green Revolution trebles human burden on planet
24 Nov 2014
Humans are changing not just climate overall, but also the difference between seasons in any given year.
NZ carbon measuring project turns 60
24 Nov 2014
Sixty years ago, New Zealand scientists started the world’s first long time-series of atmospheric radiocarbon measurements.
Australia’s coal and gas exports being left stranded
24 Nov 2014
The United States and China have announced goals to reduce emissions by 26 per cent to 28 per cent and to cap emissions by 2030 respectively.
How a garden on your roof could fight floods this winter
24 Nov 2014
In recent years, there seems to have been a rise in the extreme weather all over the world from terrible flooding in Bangladesh and Pakistan, the record cold snap in North America, to one of the wettest winters on record in the United Kingdom.
Minister knows of water woes, but public information tap is turned off
17 Nov 2014
Finance Minister Bill English has been told something about fresh water – but the public isn’t allowed to know what it is.
We can cut carbon and pollution at no cost, says China
17 Nov 2014
China can achieve economic development, energy security and reduce pollution at the same time, according to a major new study.
Crowd-funders get behind CarbonScape
17 Nov 2014
Kiwi cleantech company CarbonScape has hit its crowd-funding equity target.
Green groups want say on Ruataniwha changes
17 Nov 2014
Environmental groups want to have their say on a late tweak to the conditions imposed on the proposed $230 million Ruataniwha dam in Hawke's Bay in a High Court challenge.
Expand climate portfolio, says Mahuta
17 Nov 2014
The Cabinet portfolios of agriculture and climate change should be given to the same person, says Labour Party leadership hopeful Nanaia Mahuta.
Lakes expert to spotlight water quality
17 Nov 2014
An American water quality expert who has studied and modelled the effects of nutrients in American lakes will be sharing his knowledge at a public forum in Rotorua this week.
Launchpad jury likes wilding pines project
17 Nov 2014
Taking an environmental problem and turning it into a commercial success has seen a Queenstown social enterprise team taken under the wing of a business incubator.
New Australian report debunks coal industry myths
17 Nov 2014
The coal industry has many friends in high places, and none more so than Tony Abbott, Prime Minister of Australia − one of the world’s major producers of a fuel that earns the country billions from exports.
UK ignores pledge to end fossil fuel support
17 Nov 2014
Despite promises to phase out subsidies to the coal, oil and gas industries, a new report says the UK and other G20 governments are still providing them with massive financial help.
Diet's effects on emissions give food for thought
17 Nov 2014
American researchers confirm that a shift to vegetarian, Mediterranean or fish-based diets would cut greenhouse gases, conserve forests and savannah, and have a big impact on obesity-linked health problems.
Designer dumps leather and heads for greener pastures
17 Nov 2014
An eco-conscious Kiwi designer is saying goodbye to leather.
How Mighty River is switching on to the new economy
10 Nov 2014
Generator Mighty River Power is claiming a stake in the new economy, pushing for New Zealand’s car fleet to go electric and indicating that it will move into the water business.
Trustpower's Aussie wind farm breezes along
10 Nov 2014
The second stage of Kiwi company Tustpower's project to build South Australia's largest wind farm has been launched, ahead of time and under budget.
Climate change will send pollen count soaring
10 Nov 2014
Scientists have identified a new hazard that will arrive as a result of climate change: a huge increase in hay fever and pollen allergies.
India wants to double coal production
10 Nov 2014
The man responsible for maintaining India’s power supply says he wants the country’s coal production to double within the next five years.
Big business sounds water warning bells
10 Nov 2014
Two-thirds of the world’s largest companies are reporting exposure to water risks, some of which have potential to limit growth, says the Carbon Disclosure Project.
EU plans power supergrid to boost renewables
10 Nov 2014
An electricity supergrid is being planned to connect all 28 European Union countries and provide them with insurance against power blackouts.
Why Australia’s entire power sector should support target
10 Nov 2014
There’s been much talk about how uncertainty over the future of Australia's Renewable Energy Target (RET) is affecting the renewable energy industry.
US drought shows why the price of water should rise
10 Nov 2014
Last January, California Governor Jerry Brown declareda State of Emergency following projections of severe drought.
Social acceptance new key for today's miners
10 Nov 2014
A licence to dig is no longer enough for today’s mining and extractive companies. Stakeholder approval is progressively becoming a “must have” for mining companies around the globe — a requirement these companies widely acknowledge through what’s known as a “social licence to operate”.
Our emissions plan hopeless, says renowned academic
3 Nov 2014
New Zealand has no chance of meeting its 2020 emissions reduction target under current policies, says a leading scientist involved in the latest IPCC report.
What the politicians said ...
3 Nov 2014
All three of New Zealand's major political parties say that the IPCC's latest call on climate change is important.
Climate refugees? We'll think of something ...
3 Nov 2014
New Zealand still has no plan to help climate change refugees – despite acknowledging that many Pacific Islands people might need to be relocated.
State miner rethinks environment liabilities
3 Nov 2014
The State coal-miner says its future environmental liabilities are not as great as it thought.
Tararua turbines set power-output record
3 Nov 2014
Two New Zealand wind turbines have set a world record for output.
Southern winery wins green award ... again
3 Nov 2014
A Marlborough winery that uses miniature sheep to tidy around its vines has won another sustainability award.
‘Pathetic': experts slam govt’s approach to adaptation
Mon 20 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has signalled it will step back from full property buyouts if assets are hit by climate disasters, a move adaptation experts say will condemn hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders to a “dismal” future.
Electricity Authority proposes doubling solar export limits to 10 kW
Mon 20 Oct 2025
The Electricity Authority is proposing a default 10kW export limit for small-scale generation, saying new inverter standards and voltage settings allow homes and businesses to feed more power into local networks without compromising safety.
All carrot, no stick for farmers on methane
Fri 17 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: The abandonment of methane emissions pricing and the adoption of a weaker target is effectively the last nail in the coffin of the historic cross-parliamentary consensus embedded in the Zero Carbon Act 2019.
Govt releases updated emissions projections
13 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Ministry for the Environment has released updated emissions projections to 2050, which show significant differences to the Climate Change Commission's recent projections for the same period.
Air NZ inks deal for its first internationally verified carbon credits
9 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Air New Zealand has committed to buying 8000 tonnes of carbon removals by 2030, in partnership with local native forest investment platform My Native Forest.
Emails show forestry lobby fought Gisborne crackdown as slash clean-up drags on
26 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Sustainable land use advocates are accusing Eastland Wood Council of stonewalling efforts to tighten forestry rules, after correspondence between the group and the local council was released under the Official Information Act.
Climate credibility gap widening for Aussie firms
1 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Australian public companies’ climate change commitments are in retreat, reflecting difficulty in achieving stated targets and increased fossil use, but not because of any pressure to make less effort, according to a study of major companies’ ESG reporting.
