New Zealand: All stories
Govt won’t review transport policy despite legal threat: Brown
5 Jul 2024
By Liz Kivi | Minister of transport Simeon Brown says he won’t amend the government policy statement on land transport, despite Lawyers for Climate Action putting the government on notice that it was breaking the law.
Digital token launched to encourage sustainable mahi
5 Jul 2024
By Jeremy Rose | Te Kautuku is a 930ha Māori land block on the far East Coast. Its natural ecosystems range from lowland forests to duneland, with wetlands and river systems connecting directly to the Pacific Ocean.
Media round-up
5 Jul 2024
In our weekly round-up of climate coverage in local media: Farmers told their customer base demands reduced emissions; government 'hypocrisy' on climate and mining; and is $3 billion actually a small price to pay for the future of Interislander ferries?
Jones says he hopes Climate Commission CEO is removed
3 Jul 2024
Minister for Resources Shane Jones says he hopes that the chief executive of the Climate Change Commission will soon be removed from her job.
Where did govt suggestion for lower NZU prices come from?
3 Jul 2024
When a recent consultation on Emissions Trading Scheme settings suggested a lower pricing corridor for NZUs, prices in the secondary carbon market plummeted and have continued to stay moribund.
Govt faces threat of legal action for ditching emissions reduction plan
2 Jul 2024
Climate activist lawyers have put the government on notice that it has broken the law by abandoning the previous government’s emissions reduction plan with no plan to replace it until 2026.
Smaller ferries will kill off rail: Dog and Lemon guide
2 Jul 2024
The replacement of the cancelled iREX ferries with smaller non-rail enabled ones will effectively kill off the nation’s railways resulting in a jump in the road toll and a spike in emissions, according to Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of the Dog and Lemon Guide.
Govt announces methane review panel and terms
1 Jul 2024
Last week the government announced the panel and terms for its inquiry into methane targets for agriculture in line with “no additional warming” - but ministers had conflicting ideas about the inquiry.
More carrot, less stick for ag sector emissions reductions?
1 Jul 2024
The Bank of New Zealand is the latest big business to become a shareholder of a public-private joint venture to reduce emissions from agriculture.
NZIER slams government’s climate approach in Budget 24
27 Jun 2024
The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research has found that just 1% of new expenditure in this year’s budget was favourable in terms of meeting the country’s climate commitments.
New approach needed to turn around the declining state of NZ's lakes and rivers
27 Jun 2024
A new report says regional councils are often choosing to create their own expensive, customised, and single-use freshwater models to help with decisions when they could be saving time and money adapting existing models.
Community-owned power company on track to carbon zero
26 Jun 2024
The toppling of one of Transpower's pylons last week saw thousands of homes and businesses in the Far North cut off from electricity. But, as Jeremy Rose reports, it wasn't for lack of local generation.
Capital receives first delivery of sustainable aviation fuel
26 Jun 2024
Air New Zealand has shipped 500,000 litres of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) into Wellington, in what the airline says is “another small step” towards its target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Ministers dismiss scrutiny week complaints they are "waging war on nature"
25 Jun 2024
Ministers’ messages as they faced scrutiny in Parliament last week were consistent – they believed the Government was restoring balance and the need for belt-tightening.
Environmentalists need to face inconvenient truths: Commissioner
25 Jun 2024
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says some in the environmental movement have difficulties accepting the trade-offs that economic reality demands.
Watts agrees more work needed to restore confidence in ETS
24 Jun 2024
Climate change minister Simon Watts agrees that more needs to be done to restore confidence and stability to the emissions trading scheme, while also saying the scheme is the government’s key tool to do the “heavy lifting” to reduce emissions.
Carbon News launches price index
24 Jun 2024
Today’s issue is the first to feature Carbon News’ own carbon price index for secondary market spot prices for NZUs on New Zealand’s compliance market.
Auditor-General warns public organisations against greenwashing
21 Jun 2024
The Auditor-General has told auditors not to accept terms like carbon positive or carbon neutral in public organisations’ annual reports and long-term plans.
EDS conference confronting and provocative
21 Jun 2024
The Environmental Defence Society’s annual conference was a confronting and provocative one for all.
Media round-up
21 Jun 2024
In our weekly round-up of climate coverage in local media: Willis challenged over climate during 'scrutiny week'; five businesses emit as much carbon as half NZ's vehicle fleet; And resource management is always political.
Wait for the emissions reduction plan: Watts
20 Jun 2024
By Liz Kivi | The failure of yesterday’s carbon auction doesn’t mean the Emissions Trading Scheme isn’t working, according to climate change minister Simon Watts.
June carbon auction fails
19 Jun 2024
As market participants were predicting, this morning's carbon auction has failed, leaving millions of units to roll over to the next auction, and increasing the likelihood that the rest of this year’s auctions will fail as well.
Budget cuts to climate funding mean NZ may now struggle to meet its international obligations
19 Jun 2024
By Nathan Cooper | With no new investment to combat climate change in last month’s budget, and a long list of cuts to climate and environment-related areas, the government risks damaging its global reputation.
Transpower poised to sell emsTradepoint
19 Jun 2024
Transpower says it has had several expressions of interest from buyers for its unwanted subsidiary, emsTradepoint, which runs New Zealand’s government-owned carbon trading platform, as well as the only wholesale gas trading platform in the country.
Carbon auction preview: Experts predict likely failure and govt lost revenue “own goal”
18 Jun 2024
Experts are picking tomorrow’s carbon auction will fail, with no incentive for participants to bid at prices more than 20% higher than the current secondary market price.
MfE consultation risks landing government back in court
18 Jun 2024
Lawyers for Climate Action NZ has warned MfE that its approach to ETS settings in its consultation document could land the government back in court.
Govt cans controversial forestry ETS charges for this year
17 Jun 2024
Foresters have welcomed the government’s announcement that it is cancelling forestry ETS annual services charges for 2023-24.
ASX to offer NZU futures contracts
17 Jun 2024
The Australian Securities Exchange is set to launch futures contracts for New Zealand Units in July.
New Zealander joins UN-backed climate target organisation
14 Jun 2024
A Kiwi carbon management expert is joining the world’s top corporate climate-target verifier, the London-based Science Based Targets initiative, as one of five members of its newly formed independent validation council.
Media round-up
14 Jun 2024
In our weekly round-up of the climate coverage in local media: Uncertainty abounds in the ETS; a major Atlantic current collapsing could disrupt NZ’s climate again; and is the government focussing on drilling or climate ambition – it can’t be both.
Wealthy Kiwis driving up transport emissions
13 Jun 2024
Cashed-up Kiwis are pumping out more than their fair share of transport emissions, driving more frequently and over longer distances, according to new research.
Govt restoring legal requirement to promote mining
13 Jun 2024
The government’s proposed reform of the Crown Minerals Act goes further than just repealing the 2018 ban on new petroleum exploration outside onshore Taranaki.
Hottest June temperature ever
13 Jun 2024
The mercury hit a high on Monday, setting a new national temperature record of 25.7C for June.
Expert slams govt delay in pricing agricultural emissions
12 Jun 2024
The coalition government has reaffirmed greenhouse gases from agriculture won’t be covered in the Emissions Trading Scheme and Cabinet is disestablishing primary sector climate action partnership He Waka Eke Noa.
Climate minister’s speech hijacked by protestors
12 Jun 2024
Climate change minister Simon Watts was shouted down by young protestors at a conference yesterday and left without delivering his prepared speech.
Govt 'not even pretending to try' to reduce transport emissions: former MOT chief science advisor
11 Jun 2024
By Liz Kivi | The former chief science advisor for the Ministry of Transport says the current government isn’t even pretending to try to reduce carbon emissions from transport.
Climate announcements coming to Fieldays?
11 Jun 2024
Farmers and the wider agricultural sector gathering at Fieldays this week make the event a likely venue for rolling out environment and climate change policy.
Govt to reverse oil and gas exploration ban
10 Jun 2024
Removing a ban on petroleum exploration beyond onshore Taranaki is part of a suite of proposed changes to deal with the energy security challenges caused by declining fossil gas reserves, according to resources minister Shane Jones.
Climate activists force conference to move online
10 Jun 2024
A planned blockade by climate activists has forced organisers to cancel in-person elements of the Energy Resources Taranaki Forum, scheduled to take place on June 12.
ComCom’s draft decision on lines and transmission networks
10 Jun 2024
The Commerce Commission’s draft decision approved large increases in regulated revenue for Transpower and lines companies due to cost increases and other pressures.
There is more carbon dioxide than ever in the atmosphere. That’s bad for the climate.
10 Jun 2024
The amount of planet-warming carbon dioxide in the Earth’s atmosphere has hit a new record, as humanity struggles to rein in emissions of greenhouse gasses from burning fossil fuels.
‘No additional warming’ for methane target - but relative to when, asks expert?
7 Jun 2024
Advocates of the government’s methane review will probably be disappointed to learn that aligning the target with “no additional warming” might not give farmers the green light to relax about their methane emissions.
Media round-up
7 Jun 2024
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Does Shane Jones’ pro-mining culture war risk destroying the industry he loves? agrivoltaics could offer the 'best of both worlds' for NZ farmers; and catastrophic climate impacts for Wellington by 2100.
Tiwai deal could lead to multi-billion dollar govt carbon pollution subsidy
5 Jun 2024
Rio Tinto could get close to a million free carbon credits each year under its new electricity supply deal for Tiwai Point Aluminium Smelter - a government subsidy that could amount to a possible $2 billion during the 20 year life of the deal, according to campaigners.
Right to Repair Bill could cut hundreds of thousands of tonnes of emissions
4 Jun 2024
A Right to Repair member's bill currently before Parliament could slash more than 200,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions over 15 years based on European research.
Flaws in NZ ETS make international news
4 Jun 2024
Problems with the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme are making headlines globally.
Giant aluminium smelter seals future with groundbreaking “reverse battery”
4 Jun 2024
Rio Tinto has sealed a groundbreaking electricity deal for the New Zealand Tiwai Point aluminium smelter – a combination of diversified renewables and demand response agreements that turns the smelter into a giant battery.
Budget prioritises adaptation over emissions reductions
31 May 2024
The government is prioritising stop banks and floodwalls over initiatives to reduce emissions, with the $1.2bn Regional Infrastructure Fund to focus on climate resilience efforts, while hundreds of millions of dollars of funding for conservation efforts has been cut.
Climate Commission consultation ends today
31 May 2024
Today is the last chance to submit on significant consultation from the Climate Change Commission, which closes tonight.
Media round-up
31 May 2024
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: rethinking roads as public spaces; government's coal strategy might breach international commitments; and "green reasons" for destroying the seabed?
ETS a ‘broken paradigm’ undercutting biodiversity efforts
Mon 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.
Profound shifts in our changing energy system – new data
Today 10:46am
New Zealand’s energy system is undergoing a profound shift as falling gas production and a dry hydro year reshaped the electricity market in 2024, according to data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Energy in New Zealand 2025.
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
Today 10:46am
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.
Why climate strategy is now central to business success
Tue 26 Aug 2025
SPONSORED CONTENT: Ahead of next month’s Climate Change and Business Conference, New Zealand businesses are being urged to treat climate strategy not as a regulatory burden, but as a core driver of economic competitiveness.
