New Zealand: All stories
Genesis gets nod for biggest windfarm
5 Jul 2013
New Zealand’s largest windfarm has been given the go-ahead – but it’s unlikely to be built for a while.
Authority gets set to talk up EEZ
5 Jul 2013
The Environmental Protection Authority says it is ready to go to work on its new consenting, monitoring and enforcement functions in New Zealand’s Exclusive Economic Zone.
IWC wants bans to protect Maui's dolphin
5 Jul 2013
The International Whaling Commission is asking the New Zealand Government to immediately ban set net and trawl fishing in all areas where Maui’s dolphins are found.
Service stations to boast 'bintainers'
5 Jul 2013
BP and Coca-Cola Amatil New Zealand have joined forces with the Love NZ brand to bring forecourt recycling to the South Island.
Our green brand pure nonsense, say Kiwis
28 Jun 2013
Most New Zealanders don’t buy our environmentally pure brand.
Rudd aims to redraw carbon reduction plans
28 Jun 2013
Recycled Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd is rumoured to be revisiting Australia’s carbon reduction scheme.
Go green and get customers, survey shows
28 Jun 2013
Companies that behave sustainably can expect more customers, says the Sustainable Business Council.
Top brass takes a note ... on paper
28 Jun 2013
This morning, KPMG executives found themselves talking about paper.
Obama shows up NZ, say young greens
28 Jun 2013
President Obama's announcement of a United States climate plan will test whether the National Government is still at all serious about its claimed "fast follower" approach to climate change, say some of the country’s youth leaders.
Air NZ to refuse shark-fin freight
28 Jun 2013
Air New Zealand has bowed to pressure and will no longer freight shark fins.
Bombs rule the road as Kiwis steer clear of greener cars
28 Jun 2013
New Zealanders can’t afford to upgrade to low-emissions cars, a vehicle industry commentator says.
Pollution puzzle: We're using more water than we've got
28 Jun 2013
Water extraction levels from some New Zealand rivers now exceed the amount of water in those rivers, a freshwater biologist is warning.
Officials take hard line on boat paints
28 Jun 2013
Officials are getting tough over anti-fouling paints.
Prices force rethink of forestry carbon rules
21 Jun 2013
Forest owners exploiting low carbon prices to convert forest land to dairy farms have forced government officials to rethink this country’s net forestry carbon position.
Deadline looms for forest owners
21 Jun 2013
Forest owners have just over a week to file returns for the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
Yes, we can make steel without coal
21 Jun 2013
Our ancestors made steel without coal, so why don't we? Former Green Party co-leader JEANETTE FITZSIMONS examines the feasibility of coal-less steel:
Toyota heads off the green-car pack
21 Jun 2013
Car makers are dominating global green-branding efforts.
Air NZ in Paris to show off new green aircraft
21 Jun 2013
Air New Zealand's new Airbus A320s will each produce 250 tonnes less of carbon-equivalent emissions a year than the airline's current planes do.
Scientists win funds for Antarctica study
21 Jun 2013
University of Waikato Antarctic researchers Professor Craig Cary and Dr Charles Lee have secured $60,000 funding to lead a year-long international pilot study to develop and validate tools that measure how Antarctic ecosystems respond to change.
Woodies want large-scale biofuel plant
14 Jun 2013
A massive wood-processing plant with a substantial biofuel plant add-on could be viable, the sector says.
Dunne decider on thermal power future
14 Jun 2013
Beleaguered MP Peter Dunne could be called on to cast the deciding vote over whether new thermal electricity generation is banned or not.
Farming in ETS is madness, says Groser
14 Jun 2013
Bringing agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme would be "environmental and economic madness”, says Climate Change Minister Tim Groser.
Industry sees bioenergy as key to jobs
14 Jun 2013
Legislation supporting bioenergy production of electricity will provide employment and economic growth in rural areas, says the Bioenergy Association.
Carbon price cancels out CCS potential
7 Jun 2013
A potentially lucrative industry in the underground storage of carbon dioxide is being stymied by almost negligible carbon prices.
Scrap carbon price cap, OECD tells NZ
7 Jun 2013
The carbon price cap and free carbon credits for trade-exposed emitters should be scrapped, the OECD is telling New Zealand.
House hears ETS 'far left' debate
7 Jun 2013
This week’s OECD Economic Report on New Zealand sparked an exchange in Parliament over whether the Emissions Trading Scheme is a “far left” policy.
Farmers slam fracking opposition
7 Jun 2013
Environmental and health concerns over the practice of spreading fracking fluids on pasture are being described as scare-mongering by Federated Farmers.
Taranaki voices iron ore concerns
7 Jun 2013
Taranaki people want iron ore mining to go ahead – but they’re worried about the environmental impacts, a new study shows.
WWF accuses NZ of hypocrisy
7 Jun 2013
The New Zealand government is subsidising the oil and gas industry to the tune of $46 million annually, an investment at odds with its claims on the world stage to be ‘spearheading’ efforts to reform fossil fuel subsidies, says global conservation organisation WWF.
Museum wins environment award
7 Jun 2013
Auckland Museum’s efforts to reduce its carbon emissions have earned it one of New Zealand’s top environmental awards.
Solar power access gets easier for farmers
7 Jun 2013
Farmers are getting easier access to solar energy, potentially helping them to save thousands each year on their power bills.
Farmers elect green president
7 Jun 2013
Federated Farmers says it has elected an environmentally aware farmer as its new Golden Bay president.
‘100% Pure’ is 100% OK, says ads watchdog
31 May 2013
The advertising standards watchdog agrees with the Prime Minister – New Zealand’s 100% Pure claims are just a branding exercise.
Minister defends Denniston decisions
31 May 2013
Conservation Minister Nick Smith says he deliberately approved Bathurst Resources’ mining application for the Denniston Plateau just one day before the new Crown Minerals Act came into effect.
Dole agrees to remove controversial stickers
31 May 2013
Dole is to remove “Ethical choice” stickers from its bananas imported into New Zealand in the face of consumer pressure.
Govt vow ‘huge news’ for foresters
24 May 2013
The Government says it is committed to the Permanent Forest Sinks Initiative.
Govt banks on low, low carbon price
24 May 2013
The Government is budgeting on a carbon price of just 24 cents a tonne for the foreseeable future.
Biofuels + Food = farming winner
24 May 2013
Farmers should be thinking about growing feedstocks for biofuels, says Federated Farmers.
Battery pioneer excites hybrid car makers
24 May 2013
Forty years ago, Dr John Abrahamson made a discovery that is exciting modern hybrid car makers.
Look to NZ geothermal power, US hears
24 May 2013
America is falling behind New Zealand and Iceland in developing geothermal energy, researchers say.
Bring back natives, says tree scientist
24 May 2013
Plantation forests could prove a valuable site for native forest regeneration.
More motorways absurd idea, say Greens
24 May 2013
The revenue from increased petrol taxes should be spent on public transport, the Green Party says.
More motorways great idea, says National
24 May 2013
Transport Minister Gerry Brownlee says that building more roads is good for the environment.
Emissions windfall drops … by millions
17 May 2013
New Zealand’s emissions “windfall” has fallen to just $3 million because forests are being converted to dairy farms.
Free credit cash takes a cut
17 May 2013
The Government has almost halved the amount of money it sets aside to pay for free carbon credits it gives to industry.
Yes, NZ is in the carbon trading club
17 May 2013
New Zealand is contributing to the development of international carbon-trading markets, the Government says.
Govt dumps funding for RMA services
17 May 2013
The Government will cut funding of its Resource Management Act advice services, the Environmental Defence Society says.
Todd takes control of tidal power project
17 May 2013
Todd Energy has taken control of the company behind plans for a tidal energy plant on the Kaipara Harbour.
Farm couple finds Asia an eye-opener
17 May 2013
An industry-backed trip to Asia has given Norh Otago farmers Blair and Jane Smith a deeper understanding of the challenges facing marketers of New Zealand meat and dairy products.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
NZ hydrogen regulation to catch up with the world
18 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The government has announced a regulatory reset for New Zealand’s emerging clean tech hydrogen sector.
State-owned farmer drives profit growth with emissions reductions
19 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Government-owned Landcorp, trading as Pāmu, is one-third of the way to meeting its 2031 emissions reduction targets, with five years left to run to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30.3% against 2021 emissions.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
10 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Transport pollution was the biggest contributor to an increase in New Zealand’s consumption-based emissions in 2023, with emissions from household travel up 12%, and consumption-based emissions totalling 58.3 million tonnes – up 1.6% from the previous year.
NZ could become ‘dumping ground’ for dirty vehicles: Commissioner
16 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Simon Upton, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, has warned the Government that its changes to the clean car standard could turn the country into a dumping ground for high emitting cars, making future emissions budgets harder to achieve.
Uncertainty eroding confidence in forestry sector
5 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Warnings are mounting that tree planting is set to plunge to “very close to zero”, as new Ministry for Primary Industries data shows ETS registration applications falling sharply as confidence in forestry declines.
Investors must support positive climate-tech
28 Nov 2025
OPINION: We need better leadership than the current ‘climate opportunism’ that is rife in the Beehive, and we need to back a marketplace that will make it happen, writes Rob Campbell.
