New Zealand: All stories

CarboNZero steps out to stand alone
15 Apr 2011
Landcare’s carbon certification business carboNZero is being carved off into a stand-alone business.

Environment champion sees ETS loophole
15 Apr 2011
The Emissions Trading Scheme should be tightened so that new carbon-intensive industries do not get taxpayer subsidies, the Parliamentary Commission for the Environment says.

Islands join NZ in collecting e-waste
15 Apr 2011
New Zealand’s eDay – the day on which electronic waste is collected for recycling or disposal – is to go regional.

Foresters see way to reduce ETS risk
8 Apr 2011
The Emissions Trading Scheme can be tweaked to reduce risk for the forestry sector without needing any taxpayer subsidy, the Forest Owners' Association says.

Wood processors want slice of the pie
8 Apr 2011
Wood processors want a slice of the scheme providing free carbon credits to trade-exposed industries.

LanzaTech boost follows Taiwan deal
8 Apr 2011
New Zealand’s LanzaTech is fast-tracking commercialisation of its bio-chemical production process after signing a deal with one of the world’s leading chemical companies.

We lack long-term thinking, say researchers
8 Apr 2011
The changes needed before New Zealand is using its fair share of the earth’s resources are far greater than most people realise, say two Victoria University sustainability researchers.

New centre gets up close to nitrous oxide
8 Apr 2011
New Zealand’s ability to measure emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide just got better.

Study suggests bio-farming does the job
8 Apr 2011
The preliminary results from a project to study the impact of biological farming systems suggest it reduces nitrogen leaching.
Greens question Fonterra over water action
8 Apr 2011
The Green Party is congratulating Fonterra for investing in clean-water technology in its Australian factory - but want to know why it won’t do the same at its Wairarapa factory.

UK generators face huge carbon price
1 Apr 2011
British electricity generators are about to face a minimum carbon price of 16 pounds a tonne – nearly twice the current price of carbon in New Zealand.

Synthetics answer might lie outside ETS
1 Apr 2011
Greenhouse gas emissions from the synthetic gases sector could be dealt with outside the Emissions Trading Scheme, says ETS review panel chair David Caygill.
What the IEA thinks of our ETS
1 Apr 2011
The International Energy Agency says there is no guarantee New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme will actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Government sets 50 by 50 emissions target
1 Apr 2011
The Government has confirmed New Zealand's long-term emissions reduction target of 50 per cent on 1990 levels by 2050.
Greens: Emissions target is green-washing
1 Apr 2011
The Government’s greenhouse gas emissions target is little more than green-washing, said the Green Party.
Emissions target inadequate, says WWF
1 Apr 2011
WWF says the government's 50-by-50 greenhouse gas emissions reduction target is totally inadequate.
All going well as emitters file first returns
1 Apr 2011
Government officials say the first round of returns for emitters has gone well - by they're not releasing details yet.
FORUM: It's our job to think long term
1 Apr 2011
New Zealand Institute director Rick Boven argues for long-term thinking in the face of environmental contstraints.

Scientists show biochar slashes animal gas
25 Mar 2011
New Zealand scientists have proved that emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide from animal urine can be cut drastically by adding biochar to the soil.

Fonterra finds way to beat ETS problems
25 Mar 2011
Fonterra says a lack of liquidity in the New Zealand carbon market has caused the dairy co-operative some problems in its first year under the Emissions Trading Scheme.

How Europe found other ways to cut emissions
25 Mar 2011
Europe has found that you don’t have to bring every industry into an emissions trading regime to get them to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, the panel reviewing the New Zealand scheme is about to hear.

New centre will test gas samples
25 Mar 2011
The National Centre for Nitrous Oxide Measurement will be opened at Lincoln University next week.

New carbon measurement regime for large forests
25 Mar 2011
Owners of large forests are about to shift to a compulsory personalised carbon measurement system.

Forum: How Israel watches its water
25 Mar 2011
Israel’s estimated US$3.5 billion in annual water technology-related exports helps countries around the world squeeze the most out of every drop, writes Shemi Tzur, Israeli Ambassador to New Zealand.

Kaipara key first step, says energy group
25 Mar 2011
Approval for the Crest Energy project on the Kaipara Harbour is the first step toward New Zealand achieving a meaningful marine energy supply, says the Aotearoa Wave and Tidal Energy Association.

LanzaTech NZBIO company of the year
25 Mar 2011
LanzaTech, which has taken its technology for converting waste gases in to ethanol and chemicals from its Auckland laboratory to the world, has won the NZBIO 2011 Company of the Year Award.

Forum: Why we must focus on the whole environment
25 Mar 2011
Waikato University’s new professor of environmental planning, Bob Evans, is concerned at the way in which New Zealand, like the world’s other prosperous economies, is continuing to pursue economic growth despite the long-term dangers inherent in this. He explains:
Greens push for a green Christchurch
25 Mar 2011
The new Christchurch Ministry needs to have a focus on sustainability from the start, says the Green Party.

Jilted Fonterra to plead case at ETS review
18 Mar 2011
Access to free credits for trade-exposed businesses and the entry of agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme are two of the issues Fonterra will be raising with the ETS review panel.

Crest gets nod for Kaipara tidal plant
18 Mar 2011
New Zealand’s first tidal energy scheme has got the go-ahead.

Biodiesel co-op wants to expand
18 Mar 2011
New Zealand’s first biodiesel co-operative is celebrating its first birthday with plans to expand into other towns.

Love NZ and watch where you dump rubbish
18 Mar 2011
A nationwide education campaign to promote recycling in public places was launched on bus shelters in central Auckland and Wellington this week.
Australia, Germany sign solar pact
18 Mar 2011
Australia and Germany are to work together in a bid to accelerate technological breakthroughs in solar energy.
Labour: All councils should look at solar
18 Mar 2011
The Labour Party is calling on all local councils to follow Auckland's example and make solar hot-water heating affordable.

ETS review panel wants YOUR input
11 Mar 2011
The Emissions Trading Scheme review panel wants to know how the scheme is affecting businesses, households, farmers, foresters and Maori.

ETS PAPER 1: Businesses feel the costs
11 Mar 2011
The Emissions Trading Scheme has increased the cost of electricity and fuel for businesses by about 1 per cent of revenue, the panel reviewing the scheme says.

ETS PAPER 2: World situation unclear
11 Mar 2011
New Zealand could decide it is economically sensible to push ahead with the Emissions Trading Scheme even if the world fails to negotiate a successor for the Kyoto Protocol, the panel reviewing the ETS says.

Business lobby group tries to set the tone
11 Mar 2011
Business New Zealand is making a bid to set the tone of the Emissions Trading Scheme review by pre-empting the launch of the review panel’s issues paper today with one of its own.

Caygill crew meets business leaders
11 Mar 2011
The committee reviewing the Emissions Trading Scheme has already met with some of the country’s most influential bodies as it works towards its June deadline.

New Christchurch could show world the way
11 Mar 2011
Post-quake Christchurch could be a world-leading example of a sustainable city, an expert says.

Industrial emitters lodge first returns
11 Mar 2011
The first industrial emissions returns have been lodged with the Ministry of Economic Development.

Fertiliser firm wins battle over inhibitor
11 Mar 2011
A Christchurch company has won a court battle to patent its nitrogen emissions-reducing fertiliser.

Garnaut: Climate change risks greater
11 Mar 2011
The Australian Government’s climate change adviser says that the science on climate change has got stronger since he released his 2008 review and it now appears that the risks are greater.
Taupo centre showcases clean energy
11 Mar 2011
A centre designed to accelerate New Zealand’s adoption of clean energy technologies will open in Taupo next month.
Scientists get help with ag research
11 Mar 2011
The Government has announced a fellowship programme as part of New Zealand’s efforts on the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases.
Kawerau mill wins forest award
11 Mar 2011
The Kawerau paper mill has been awarded the Forest Stewardship Council chain of custody certification.

Emissions target unrealistic, says lobbyist
4 Mar 2011
The natural resources sector is warning the Government that it’s unlikely to meet its target of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

Forest owners pick up three million credits
4 Mar 2011
Forest owners have so far received a total of more than three million credits for carbon sequestered in their forests last year.

UK expert to talk with ETS review group
4 Mar 2011
The committee reviewing the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme is to hear from one of Britain’s top carbon markets advisers.