New Zealand: All stories
KPMG: Tax consequences of being “green”
22 Apr 2008
When a famous frog sang, “it’s not easy being green …” he could have been referring to the consequences of being green for New Zealand businesses. As far as the IRD is concerned, it’s not going to get any easier.
The other side of the PI story: how environmental extremists are attacking NZ companies
21 Apr 2008
The private investigations firm which tried to recruit an environmentalist to provide information last night revealed to Carbon News that several companies in New Zealand are at significant risk from extremists.
Farm leaders, Agriculture Minister trade words on impact of ETS
21 Apr 2008
A row is brewing over the extent of the impact on farming of the proposed emissions trading scheme.
Farmer leadership slips back into attack on climate change science
21 Apr 2008
Federated Farmers wants the “religion” of climate changed reassessed before an emissions trading scheme is brought in, a stance which has failed to impress the Minister of Agriculture.
Wellington City decides on carbon credit revenue plan from town belts, forests
21 Apr 2008
Wellington City is looking to earn large annual revenues from emission credits by turning its town belts and forests into carbon sinks.
Genesis to build new $420m thermal plant unless regulations say not to
18 Apr 2008
The absence of legal definitions of base-load and peaking power supply is behind Genesis Energy’s seeking resource consent for a new thermal power station north of Auckland, the Government’s planned 10-year ban not withstanding.
Carbon neutrality uncompromised by coal supply, Meridian says
18 Apr 2008
Meridian Energy’s carbon-neutral status is not compromised by its ownership of a coal-fired boiler that supplies heat to several Dunedin businesses, the state-owned company says.
NZIER foreshadows grim ETS study in pre committee publicity flurry
18 Apr 2008
The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research has publicly revealed its plan to produce a study at the ETS bill select committee hearings - and foreshadows it wants an alternative policy.
Ten users per computer idea takes 5000 car-equivalent off the road
18 Apr 2008
A Canadian company claims that in the past year its software, which allows up to 10 people to work from one computer, has saved 29,000 tons of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of taking more than 5000 cars off the road.
Carbon job market heating up fast
18 Apr 2008
Executive search firm A E Feldman (http://blog.aefeldman.com/2008/04/14/global-carbon-job-market-booming/) reports the global carbon market is heating up at a fast and furious pace.
Auto industry authority: hydrogen fuel may be viable
18 Apr 2008
BMW says that the influential J.D. "Dave" Power III, founder of J.D. Power and Associates and board member of Fuel Systems Solutions, Inc., is the latest high-visibility eco-friendly ambassador to receive keys to a BMW Hydrogen 7 - the first hydrogen-powered luxury sedan.
ANALYSIS: World food problem: Business as usual not an option
18 Apr 2008
By Lester R. Brown - A fast-unfolding food shortage is engulfing the entire world, driving food prices to record highs.
Biofuels target of protests in UK
18 Apr 2008
London - There have been demonstrations in London and groups across the UK also protested against the introduction of mandatory biofuel blending.
Smith: Government should be ‘up front’ over ETS costs and impacts, criticises 20 day media ban
17 Apr 2008
Opposition climate change spokesperson Nick Smith is urging the Government to come clean and tell the public exactly what advice it has about how much money the Government will make from the auctioning of permits under the proposed emissions trading scheme.
Contact Energy not defying thermal ban
17 Apr 2008
Contact Energy’s acquisition of two additional 100mw gas-fired power generation turbines does not breach the Government’s 10-year ban on new thermal power generation, the company told Carbon News last night.
Ministerial press secretaries impose up to 20 day information ban on Carbon News
17 Apr 2008
Two Ministerial press secretaries have said they will restrict the flow of information to Carbon News.
The questions we have asked Minister Parker
17 Apr 2008
Here are the questions Carbon News has asked Climate Change Minister David Parker.
State landlords must go green
17 Apr 2008
Go Green or flag away your state tenants. The massive over-building of state office accommodation in Wellington is designed to ensure that public servants from 2010 onward will toil only in green buildings.
EU officials investigate competitiveness issues arising from ETS plan
17 Apr 2008
European Union (EU) officials from the European Climate Change Programme (ECCP) in the past few days have initiated a program to identify which energy-intensive industries might need protection as a result of the EU's recently proposed tougher greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions controls.
EU will leave ETS breathing room for foreign airlines
17 Apr 2008
Europe will leave breathing room for non-European carriers if their homeland adopts an emissions trading scheme (ETS).
EXCLUSIVE: Treasury responds on ETS windfall, but defers to select committeee
16 Apr 2008
The Treasury reckons it’s easy as anything to work out how much the Government will make in windfall revenues selling carbon credits, but it still shrinks from putting a figure on it.
‘Mokihinui doomed by RMA if not by Mallard’
16 Apr 2008
Meridian Energy’s embarrassment over a negative biodiversity report on the state-owned electricity generator’s Mokihinui River hydro scheme means the Government will pull the plug on it, National Party energy spokesperson Gerry Brownlee says.
MAF report prompts call to include agriculture in ETS "now"
16 Apr 2008
The Sustainability Council says MAF’s report on the effects of the ETS on farm profits shows there’s no justification for delaying agriculture’s inclusion in the scheme.
Labour’s energy strategy in tatters, Brownlee says
16 Apr 2008
The prospect of power cuts this winter in the context of the 10-year ban on new thermal power stations shows the Government’s energy strategy is in tatters, National Party energy spokesperson Gerry Brownlee told Carbon News last night.
Contact signs contracts in $250 million peaking plant project
16 Apr 2008
Two hundred megawatts of highly efficient gas-fired peaking capacity to support increasing levels of renewable electricity generation have come a step closer, with Contact Energy executing contracts to purchase two fast-start gas turbine peaking units.
Government working on eco claim system, Mallard may look at new accord on packaging
16 Apr 2008
Environment Minister Trevor says the government is on a system to verify eco-claims being made on all goods and services.
Business Council: waste levy will will pass, start work on reducing waste
16 Apr 2008
Businesses would be wise to start looking at how to reduce waste to landfill, given waste and emissions charges likely to be levied here.
FINALLY IT IS OUT: Emissions trading windfall estimate now tops $21b
15 Apr 2008
Further evidence of massive revenues - as much as $21.4 billion - accruing to the Government from trading carbon permits after 2013 emerged at the select committee hearing into the Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill in Auckland yesterday.
Auckland airport: $30 per tonne will mean $68 under ETS plan
15 Apr 2008
Auckland Airport Limited says it will effectively face an emissions price of $60 a tonne, instead of $30, if it stays out of the emissions trading scheme.
MP: Parachutes coming out on bio fuel imports
15 Apr 2008
Special correspondent.- Members of Parliament on all sides of the fence are seeing the political fishhooks in the government’s desire to import biofuels.
Personal carbon counter coming by year's end
15 Apr 2008
A personal carbon counter developed by a consortium under EU sponsorship will be marketed in New Zealand before the end of this year.
Now fresh water without high emission bottles
15 Apr 2008
To conform to the marketing-imposed fashion to drink bottled water on the hoof, consumers greatly add to a number of other problems such as landfill capacity, littering and carbon dioxide emissions.
Drought sparks winter electricity contigency planning
15 Apr 2008
Transpower says the electricity industryis contingency planning for what measures could be put in place this winter, if the current severe drought conditions continue and the hydro lakes remain low.
UBS picks up Sir David King
15 Apr 2008
UBS announced yesterday the appointment of Sir David King as a Senior Scientific Advisor to the group and its clients, advising on all scientific matters with particular emphasis in global climate change.
CO2 emission mapping of continental US
15 Apr 2008
A new map service is offering more than 100 times the detail of previous inventories of carbon dioxide being emitted in the continental United States.
EXCLUSIVE: 'Surprise' MAF report shows some farms will profit from ETS
14 Apr 2008
Already well-off dairy farmers could get a 30 per cent profit boost from the ETS, according to an apparently prematurely released Government report.
Thermal ban ‘will kill oil exploration’ – Todd
14 Apr 2008
Oil exploration off the Taranaki coast will be killed by the Government’s proposed 10-year ban on new thermal power stations, the chief executive of Todd Energy, Richard Tweedie, told Carbon News.
Clark: Jury out on opponents' support for ETS, climate change policies
14 Apr 2008
In her speech to the Labour Congress at the weekend, Prime Minister Helen Clark defended her Government’s research and development funding, aimed at the pastoral and food sectors - and laid down a challenge to her political opponents to back the ETS legislation now before Parliament.
National scents votes in $700m R and D "pork barrel"
14 Apr 2008
Opposition leader John Key is surprised the amount of traction he is getting from his outright condemnation of the government’s $700 million research announced for agriculture.
"Philips" technique to be repeated in encouraging low-emission cars?
14 Apr 2008
Urged on by the Greens, the government is becoming daily more intent on twisting the arms of the car importers to get alternately-propelled car production off the test benches and into car showrooms.
Rotorua breakthrough: methanol removing wastewater nitrates
14 Apr 2008
Rotorua municipal officials have pioneered methanol as an alternate carbon source in taking the nitrates out of wastewater.
Forest and Bird supports request to call in Mokihinui consent
14 Apr 2008
Forest & Bird supports the request by West Coast councils for the Environment Minister to “call in” Meridian’s resource consent application to build a hydro dam on the Mokihinui River.
Australia goes one up with China on climate change co-operation
14 Apr 2008
Australia and China yesterday announced Australia will invest about A$20 million into a Chinese project which aims to develop clean coal technology
EXCLUSIVE: $18b windfall for NZ government from ETS
11 Apr 2008
CARBON NEWS INQUIRY - The New Zealand Government’s coffers will be boosted by $18b in windfall revenues from sales of carbon credits between 2013 and 2024, according to privileged information obtained by Carbon News.
ETS will hit steel mill profits by $60m a year - $1 billion investment deferred
11 Apr 2008
MPs have been told a $1 billion decision to invest in New Zealand’s Glenbrook steel mill depends on the shape of the final emissions trading legislation, and the new regime might also lead to the mill’s closure.
EXCLUSIVE: Cook Strait tidal test turbine gains resource consent
11 Apr 2008
A New Zealand marine energy industry has come a step closer with the granting yesterday of resource consent for a tidal flow turbine in Cook Strait.
New price control and investment law for utilities
11 Apr 2008
Infrastructure businesses like electricity lines companies and airports will gain improved incentives to innovate and invest while giving consumers protection from excessive prices and poor quality, under a Bill amending the Commerce Act introduced to Parliament yesterday.
Carbon neutrality? What about 400% electricity use cut instead?
11 Apr 2008
Wayne Norrie, chief executive of data centre outsourcing company Revera, says he’s totally frustrated by a less-than-holistic picture about carbon neutrality.
Auckland University aims for floating turbine breakthrough
11 Apr 2008
A University of Auckland engineering doctoral student has received a $75,000 thee-year government scholarship to study the feasibility of floating wind turbines.
No European-like second phase windfall profits for NZ generators
10 Apr 2008
European electricity generators are in line for massive windfall profits of around $140 billion over the next four years, but their vastly more environment-friendly New Zealand counterparts can expect no such largesse.
Foresters warn emissions plan changes push risk into next decade
Fri 30 Jan 2026
The New Zealand Institute of Forestry says the Government’s amendment to the Second Emissions Reduction Plan provides welcome policy clarity in the short term, but leaves significant delivery risks unresolved beyond 2030, particularly as agriculture pricing is shelved and greater reliance is placed on forestry removals.
Govt weighs LNG backstop as gas decline accelerates
Wed 28 Jan 2026
Liquefied natural gas imports are moving from a back-pocket idea to an active procurement process, with ministers expected to make decisions soon on whether – and how – to add LNG as an emergency backstop for New Zealand’s tightening gas and electricity system.
Greenpeace slams ‘bogus’ climate plan
Fri 30 Jan 2026
The Government’s re-jigged emissions plan has a giant “cow-shaped hole” in it, exposing a climate strategy that doesn’t stand up to scrutiny, according to Greenpeace.
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.
Govt consulting on further ETS fee cuts for foresters
Tue 27 Jan 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has moved to reduce compliance costs for forest owners, announcing a further cut to ETS registry charges and a new consultation on service fees, a move welcomed by forestry industry groups.
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.
