New Zealand: All stories
Second tranche units make an appearance
25 Jan 2013
Units from the second tranche of the pre-1990 forests allocation are starting to trickle into the market.
Southern lignite stupid idea, says farmer
25 Jan 2013
The idea of digging up fertile farmland for lignite coal is “100% stupidity,” a visiting Australian farmer says.
Ice fish don't mind if the climate gets warmer
25 Jan 2013
Researchers have found that southern fish can cope with warmer waters, giving some hope for the future of the Antarctic environment.
Profit-rich foresters might quit ETS
18 Jan 2013
Forest owners who have made a tidy profit by selling carbon high and buying low are now looking to quit the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Bio crop could put money in the margins
18 Jan 2013
A team of New Zealand researchers say that biofuels can be produced sustainably and economically from crops grown on the margins of paddocks.
Forest returns dragging the chain
18 Jan 2013
The sluggishness of the carbon market appears to be reflected in this year’s post-1989 forest carbon returns.
Research scientists eye funding for funds
18 Jan 2013
Scientists involved in research to reduce biological carbon emissions are being offered funding to help them to apply for funding.
Early seasons spring plant surprises
18 Jan 2013
Spring is springing earlier in the United States – and climate change is being blamed.
Groser goes green in Berlin
18 Jan 2013
Climate Change Issues Minister Tim Groser is at Berlin’s Green Week – the largest food, agriculture and horticulture festival in the world.
Forest owners to vote on industry voice
18 Jan 2013
Forest owners will vote in March on a plan that aims to give all commercial forest and woodlot owners a say in the future of their industry.
NZ carbon stand wrong, says Kyoto expert
14 Dec 2012
New Zealand’s political determination to maintain access to carbon at international prices is a mistake, says our most seasoned Kyoto negotiator.
Govt takes 'hard look' at green economy
14 Dec 2012
The Government has set out is plans for developing a green economy in New Zealand.
Power plant gas emissions drop
14 Dec 2012
The emissions intensity of electricity generation in New Zealand has dropped.
Meat producer eyes millions in energy savings
14 Dec 2012
One of New Zealand’s largest exporters is set to save more than $2 million a year and enhance its global reputation as a sustainable producer through a company-wide energy management programme.
Twenty-year-old predictions looking good
14 Dec 2012
Climate change predictions made 20 years ago are proving reasonably accurate, a New Zealand expert says.
Enter the new wave of extinctions
14 Dec 2012
A new report by the Auditor General says that New Zealand is losing the battle against biodiversity loss. And it’s not alone. In the latest issue of Quarterly Essay, Australia’s chief climate commissioner, Professor Tim Flannery, examines Australia’s Second Wave of Extinction.
Why changing the system has dangers
7 Dec 2012
Reforming the fiscal system with moves like abolishing quarterly reporting could do more environmental damage than good, says a leading New Zealand economist.
Key defends climate change actions
7 Dec 2012
Prime Minister John Key says that he takes criticism of New Zealand’s actions on climate change with a grain of salt.
We're staunch, junior minister tells world
7 Dec 2012
New Zealand has attempted to assure the world that its carbon-reduction targets will continue beyond 2015.
Power company grows home generators
7 Dec 2012
Meridian Energy says it has captured the growing home-generation market in New Zealand.
RMA changes put money first, says watchdog
7 Dec 2012
Changes to the Resource Management Act put economic development ahead of environmental concerns, says the Environmental Defence Society.
Agriculture: It's not all bad news
7 Dec 2012
Agriculture can be good news for the climate, a new report says.
NZ will end up just a slogan, Greens warn
30 Nov 2012
New Zealand is in danger of becoming little more than a marketing slogan that the world is starting to see through, Green Party climate change spokesman Kennedy Graham is warning.
Get smart with power, says PowerSmart chief
30 Nov 2012
New Zealand could switch to solar energy generation more quickly if the industry was on a level playing field with traditional generation, says one of the founders of a company just named the sustainable small business of the year.
Environment watchdog questions fracking
30 Nov 2012
Environmental issues associated with fracking can be managed, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says.
Insulation scheme hot news, say Greens
30 Nov 2012
The Warm Up New Zealand Heat Smart home insulation scheme is a success story that shows how government can work with community groups and local businesses to create green jobs, improve the lives of New Zealanders, and reduce our impact on the environment, says Green Party co-leader Metiria Turei.
Buy local credits, urges businessman
23 Nov 2012
New Zealand businesses should be taking advantage of low international carbon prices to buy local units, says an Auckland businessman.
Villa Maria wins sustainability title
23 Nov 2012
Products ranging from raw petfood to biodegradable coffins have been recognised in this year’s sustainable business awards.
Time running out for ERUs submissions
23 Nov 2012
Submissions on plans to ban some international units from the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme close next week.
Fracking report due next week
23 Nov 2012
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s report on fracking will be released on Tuesday.
Why innovation is the key in tough times
23 Nov 2012
Innovation has become the key ingredient for business sustainability in the new “normal” financially constrained environment, says Ricoh New Zealand.
Greens accuse Nats of breaking promises
23 Nov 2012
The National Government has broken two election promises it made to act on climate change, the Green Party says.
Pollution really, really scary, say our kids
23 Nov 2012
New Zealand children are worried about pollution, climate change and scary animals, a new report shows.
Winemaker walks off with world award
23 Nov 2012
New Zealand’s Yealands Estate has been named the leading Sustainable Medium Business in the world in the International Green Awards.
Everyman's guide to Tiger Country
23 Nov 2012
Forest owners and farmers now have access to detailed information about carrying out earthworks on steep hills that are often prone to erosion - the "tiger country" where plantation forests are increasingly grown.
We've got it wrong, says market expert
16 Nov 2012
Market instruments are the only viable way of reducing the world’s greenhouse gas emissions – but the New Zealand scheme is currently failing, an international expert says.
Boost regional bio-industry, says report
16 Nov 2012
Fostering industries such as biofuels from woody biomass and investing in technologies such as smart grids could give New Zealand’s regional economies a real boost, says one of the authors of a new report on green growth.
Stern: NZ a land of opportunity
16 Nov 2012
Lord Stern, the British economist who made the business world sit up and take notice of climate change, says that shifting to a green economy will protect New Zealand’s current competitive advantage and clean, green brand.
We'd sign with Kyoto, promises Labour
16 Nov 2012
A Labour Government would sign up to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
Joyce denies environment comment
16 Nov 2012
Economic Development Minister and Associate Finance Minister Steven Joyce is denying a claim he told business leaders that the public will accept environmental degradation if it comes with economic growth.
Bill dumps agriculture on backburner
9 Nov 2012
Agriculture is out of the Emissions Trading Scheme indefinitely.
National MP questions the science
9 Nov 2012
A Government MP who shouted “where’s the science?” during the debate on changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme this week says he’s no climate-change denier.
Grants on offer for retailers to cut energy
9 Nov 2012
Some retailers are being paid to cut their energy consumption.
Textile companies slash energy costs
9 Nov 2012
Ten New Zealand textile companies have cut energy costs by an average 17 per cent this year.
Invest in environment, Greens urge
9 Nov 2012
The New Zealand Superannuation Fund might have to consider climate change and other environmental issues in its investment decisions in future.
Forget today, think carbon 30 years out
2 Nov 2012
Today’s low carbon prices are not an incentive for investment in low-carbon technology, the Government has acknowledged.
Govt eyes better planting policies
2 Nov 2012
The Government is looking for new policies to encourage afforestation.
Wind turbine pioneer finds overseas market
2 Nov 2012
New Zealand wind turbine developer Windflow Technology has exported its first turbine.
How to build green - for free
2 Nov 2012
The Government is offering free advice on designing low-energy buildings.
Pacific Islands call for fossil fuel phase-out, NZ hangs back
Thu 23 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Pacific Islands nations have launched a landmark declaration for a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific, calling for a Fossil Fuel Treaty and urgent phase-out of fossil fuels, however New Zealand isn’t rushing to join the call.
Announcements expected soon on $200M gas fund
Today 11:45am
By Pattrick Smellie | Fossil fuel companies appear likely to take up a $200 million government fund to encourage additional oil and gas exploration, dashing lobbyist Business New Zealand’s hopes that it might be repurposed to underwrite industrial electrification.
Fonterra admits ‘100% grass-fed’ claim breached law in greenwashing row
2 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Fonterra has admitted its “100% New Zealand grass-fed” claims on Anchor butter were misleading and breached the law, settling a case brought by Greenpeace Aotearoa over packaging used between December 2023 and April 2025.
Climate pollution static but NZ still on track for first emissions budget, says MfE
17 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is still on track to meet its first emissions budget, according to the Ministry for the Environment, despite the pace of emissions reductions slowing to a standstill.
NZ’s latest push to roll out more EV chargers is a good thing – but can it go the distance?
14 Apr 2026
A $50 million plan to expand New Zealand’s public electric vehicle (EV) charging network marks another step toward a lower-emissions transport system.
Wilding conifers continue to plague Southland
17 Apr 2026
By Matthew Rosenberg, Local Democracy Reporter | Fast-spreading conifer trees are causing headaches in Southland as inconsistent funding continues to hinder control efforts.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
Wed 22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
