New Zealand: All stories
NZ on brink of plastics breakthrough
27 Aug 2010
New Zealand is on the verge of developing a sustainable plastics and polymers industry.
New company sells Kiwi clean-tech to the world
27 Aug 2010
A new company has been launched to export New Zealand clean-tech technologies around the world.
Nappy plan wins Government money
27 Aug 2010
A feasibility study into a project to set up a disposable nappy-composting facility in Wellington has received government money.
Govt might have to boost new plantings
20 Aug 2010
The Government should underwrite the growing of millions of forestry seedlings if it wants to meet its climate change planting goal.
Think tank: Clean-tech needs a new look, too
20 Aug 2010
The author of a report that calls for the internationalising of New Zealand business says that the strategy applies to developing our clean-tech industries as well.
Quota owners slow to hook carbon accounts
20 Aug 2010
Fewer than half of the owners of fishing quota have taken the crucial step of opening accounts on the New Zealand Emissions Unit Register.
The Carbon Traders 4: Richard Hayes, EITG
20 Aug 2010
Richard Hayes’ experience in technology and interest in environmental offsetting are combining to do good things.
Journals not court is place for scientific debate - experts
20 Aug 2010
The National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research (NIWA) faces a legal challenge by climate sceptics group the Climate Science Coalition which is taking the Crown Research Institute to court over the accuracy of its climate data.
Climate Science Coalition criticises Science Media Centre
20 Aug 2010
New Zealand Climate Science Coalition chairman Barry Brill has taken issue with comments gathered by the Science Media Centre relating to the case being taken to the High Court seeking invalidation of NIWA temperature records.
High Court asked to invalidate NIWA’s official NZ temperature record
20 Aug 2010
The High Court has been asked to invalidate the New Zealand official temperature record as promoted by the Crown Research Institute, Niwa.
Top Energy sells Fiji operation
20 Aug 2010
After almost four years operating in the Fiji Islands, local electricity generation and lines network company, Top Energy has announced it has sold its operations there.
Inaugural National Winner Features In 2011 Ballance Farm Environment Awards
20 Aug 2010
The announcement of a national winner will be a feature of the 2011 Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Boardroom doesn't get it, says climate talks chief
13 Aug 2010
The business community has not yet got its head around the implications and opportunities of climate change, says the chair of the latest Australia New Zealand Climate Change and Business Conference.
Kiwi ETS wins minister a rare bouquet
13 Aug 2010
Climate Change Issues Minister Nick Smith has had an unusual experience this week – he’s being feted for the Emissions Trading Scheme.
What Nick Smith said to transtasman business leaders
13 Aug 2010
This week Climate Change Issues Minister Nick Smith spoke at the 6th annual Climate Change and Business Conference, being held in Sydney. This is what he said:
The Carbon Traders 3: Wayne King, Carbon Market Solutions
13 Aug 2010
Wayne King has been behind some of the biggest carbon deals in New Zealand, but he got into the business almost by accident.
Tasman challenge: Cut emissions by 15 per cent
13 Aug 2010
Australia and New Zealand can cut their greenhouse gas emissions by at least 15 per cent by 2020 in economically beneficial ways, say business leaders at the 6th Australia-New Zealand Climate Change and Business Conference in Sydney.
Meridian to build huge Aussie wind farm
13 Aug 2010
Meridian has done another deal to build a wind farm in Australia.
How to avoid emissions reporting penalties
6 Aug 2010
Businesses entering the Emissions Trading Scheme should minimise the risk of heavy penalties for getting it wrong by getting their systems approved by officials, a lawyer is warning.
The Carbon Traders 2: Simon Young, Karo Group/EcoSecurities
6 Aug 2010
Simon Young got into carbon through his habit of studying a supply chain from go to whoa.
Coal-fired station predicts cut in emissions
6 Aug 2010
Genesis Energy – operator of the carbon-coughing Huntly coal-fired power station – says its emissions levels for the past financial year are down on the previous year.
Mighty River offers carbon deals to landowners
6 Aug 2010
Mighty River Power wants to do more deals with landowners for carbon credits.
Lightbulbs - so you think you know the difference
6 Aug 2010
A new experiment suggests that most New Zealanders can’t tell the difference between the light from convention lightbulbs and the new energy-efficient models – despite thinking that they can.
Fuel prices mainly unaffected by ETS
6 Aug 2010
Retail fuel prices remained virtually unchanged during July, despite the introduction of the Emissions Trading Scheme, says a petrol-price watchdog.
Now's the time to apply to farming fund
6 Aug 2010
The new funding round for the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's Sustainable Farming Fund is open.
Farm leader angers 'foreign-owned' foresters
30 Jul 2010
Federated Farmers have drawn the ire of foresters with a claim that “foreign-owned” forestry companies could destroy New Zealand’s rural economy by turning farmland into carbon forests.
US losing ground in clean-tech revolution
30 Jul 2010
The influence of the fossil fuel industry will probably cost the United States the chance to make the most of the new clean-tech economy, says a New Zealand commentator.
Credits due for pre-1990 forests
30 Jul 2010
Owners of pre-1990 forests can start applying for carbon credits from Sunday.
The Carbon Traders 1: Nigel Brunel, OMFinancial
30 Jul 2010
Nigel Brunel is not a typical greenie. In fact until recently, he would probably have been insulted to be called one. But then he discovered carbon, and started thinking about how putting a price on greenhouse gases could really change the world.
A nation run by cowards and thieves
30 Jul 2010
By Jeff Siegel. - Well, once again, politics have trumped progress.
No country for farmers? ... what Federated Farmers said on carbon forestry
30 Jul 2010
Twenty per cent of New Zealand's sheep and beef farms could be replaced by oxymoronic 'carbon forestry', if the ambitions of foreign owned carbon foresters and the Government are realised.
Official energy website wins award
30 Jul 2010
The government's Energywise website has won at an award at this Internet Industry Awards, held at Parliament this week.
Vector shows off first of new-tech solar systems
23 Jul 2010
The electricity distributor behind today’s launch of the country’s largest thin-film solar panel installation predicts such schemes will be commercially viable within three to five years.
Forget property, says pioneer, get into cleantech
23 Jul 2010
The man now leading plans for a national cleantech strategy wants to shift New Zealanders’ passion for property investment to the new economy.
NZ energy firm finds Aussie scheme profitable
23 Jul 2010
A New Zealand company is making money out of Australian schemes to improve energy efficiency.
Government releases energy update
23 Jul 2010
The Government has released draft updates of the country's Energy and Energy Efficiency And Conservation strategies.
Business leaders put muscle behind clean tech
16 Jul 2010
New Zealand will develop a clean-tech strategy to exploit what many business leaders believe is a multi-billion dollar opportunity for the country.
Rain and recession cut our pollution figures
16 Jul 2010
New Zealand’s emissions of greenhouse gases have fallen, thanks to rain and the recession.
Foresters: Farmers can't see wood for the trees
16 Jul 2010
The Emissions Trading Scheme makes farm forestry even more viable – but many farmers just don’t get it yet, says the Farm Forestry Association.
Big firms can now ask for free carbon allocations
9 Jul 2010
Applications for free carbon credits for trade-exposed heavy emitters are open at last – for some industries, at least.
Credits market growing, says carbon pioneer
9 Jul 2010
The man who was largely responsible for owners of post-1989 forests getting ownership of their Kyoto carbon credits says the market is building.
Soil saviour Flannery to tell our farmers how
9 Jul 2010
Australian scientist and environmentalist Tim Flannery is heading to New Zealand to push the idea of sequestering carbon in our soil.
'Bogus' food miles theory still a concern, says food council
9 Jul 2010
New Zealand's food exports could be affected by concern over food miles, despite research that shoots it to pieces, says the Food and Grocery Council.
Government spineless, say waste campaigners
9 Jul 2010
A group campaigning to reduce the amount of waste New Zealand produces says the Government has backed down on introducing a key tool to tackle industrial waste.
Businesses could carve $2b off energy bills
2 Jul 2010
New Zealand businesses could shave $2 billion off the country’s $16 billion annual energy bill – and cut the country’s Kyoto bill - by adopting some simple, relatively inexpensive measures.
Money-making Goldman Sachs points way to mass solar
2 Jul 2010
By Nick Hodge.- For all the perceived evil, you have to give them credit.... Goldman Sachs knows how to make money — lots of it.
Foresters seek timber imports safeguard
2 Jul 2010
Forest owners want New Zealand to follow the lead of the United States and require government confirmation that imported timber has been legally logged.
ETS free credits wrong, says watchdog
2 Jul 2010
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Jan Wright is continuing her opposition to big-emitting companies being given free carbon credits by the taxpayer.
We're doing our fair share, says Smith
2 Jul 2010
The entry of transport fuels, electricity and industry into the emissions trading scheme this week marks an important step in New Zealand doing its fair share on climate change, Climate Change Minister Nick Smith says.
Gull: We'll hold off ... at least for a week
2 Jul 2010
Independent fuel retailer Gull says it won't use the ETS to put up fuel prices - not until next week, at least.
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.
