New Zealand: All stories
Govt not ruling out supporting bill to prevent councils considering climate impacts
26 Jul 2024
Climate change minister Simon Watts has not ruled out supporting a controversial private member’s bill to stop regional councils from considering climate change impacts in consenting decisions.
Media round-up
26 Jul 2024
In our weekly round-up of climate coverage in local media: major failings in Hawke's Bay Cyclone Gabrielle response; how fast-track delayed a key climate policy; and the problem with the government’s science and innovation policies.
Commtrade makes spot price unavailable
25 Jul 2024
By Liz Kivi | Jarden’s digital carbon trading platform, Commtrade, has locked market watchers and the general public out of viewing its last traded spot price, just as the government said it wanted to improve market transparency.
Agricultural emissions down
25 Jul 2024
New Zealand's emissions were down in the March quarter, 8% lower than their peak in March 2019, partly due to a decrease in agricultural emissions.
Gas crunch ripples expand
23 Jul 2024
The pressure from a squeezed gas supply and increasing prices is sending ripples through the economy, government, and courts.
NZ climate ambassador resigns
22 Jul 2024
Climate change ambassador Kay Harrison has resigned just as the government was set to roll out major climate policies - many of which have been criticised by climate experts.
European organisation accuses Fonterra of derailing climate action
19 Jul 2024
A European organisation has accused big dairy and meat companies, including New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra, of “distracting, delaying and derailing” action on climate change.
British trading house Marex launches in NZ
19 Jul 2024
UK trading house Marex has officially launched in New Zealand, with an office in Auckland and plans to start its own carbon trading platform.
Media round-up
19 Jul 2024
In our weekly round-up of climate coverage in local media: how the government's climate plan does less with more; experts say the plan puts NZ's reputation at risk; and why getting the ETS right will be critical to investment.
New plan might see climate change minister in court
18 Jul 2024
Lawyers for Climate Action say there are “significant concerns” about whether the government’s new climate plan will achieve its climate targets, and could be in breach of the Climate Change Response Act.
Foresters say govt planting forecasts are wrong
18 Jul 2024
Foresters say the government's planting forecasts in its new climate plan are wrong, with the actual planted areas likely to be about half the government’s projections in 2024, according to the New Zealand Institute of Forestry.
Govt drastically weakens vehicle emissions standards
18 Jul 2024
By Robert McLachlan | On 25 June, the Government amended the Clean Vehicles Act, completed in a single day under urgency, so there was no opportunity for public input.
Govt releases emissions reduction plan
17 Jul 2024
Climate change minister Simon Watts has released the second emissions reduction plan for consultation, with proposed changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme including aligning ETS units with emissions budgets and reviewing the free industrial allocation of units.
What does Denmark’s carbon tax mean for NZ?
17 Jul 2024
By Nick Swallow | COMMENT: A few weeks back Denmark announced a proposal to introduce a tax on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Energy shortfall defined, the gas scramble is on
16 Jul 2024
Confirmation that current gas demand will outstrip supply over the next three years points to much higher gas prices, which will flow through to electricity prices, and a scramble for gas from business users who have no alternative fuels.
ACT submits bill to stop regional councils considering climate impacts
15 Jul 2024
ACT MP Mark Cameron has lodged a new member’s bill to stop regional councils from considering climate change impacts in consenting decisions.
Solar and battery use continues to rise
15 Jul 2024
Solar generation and battery storage are rising rapidly according to analysts.
Reversing oil and gas exploration ban will increase emissions by 50Mt
12 Jul 2024
The coalition government’s plan to lift a ban on oil and gas exploration will lead to an extra 51.5 million tonnes of CO2 emissions up to 2050, according to the Ministry for Business Innovation and Employment.
Govt funding cuts “throttling” climate work
12 Jul 2024
A coalition of scientists say that the government axing half a billion dollars of science funding and scrapping more than 350 specialist science roles will sabotage vital work across climate, the environment, and farming.
Media round-up
12 Jul 2024
In our weekly round-up of climate coverage in local media: Critics fear carbon capture will be used as a smokescreen; Government scales back coastal mapping project; and increasing speed limits will worsen pollution.
Climate strategy contradictory - or step in the right direction?
11 Jul 2024
A climate policy expert and IPCC lead author is concerned that progress on climate will be lost if the government doesn’t overhaul the Emissions Trading Scheme and introduce other complementary policies to reduce emissions.
Watts unveils five-point climate strategy
10 Jul 2024
Climate change minister Simon Watts this morning announced a strategy of “five core pillars” to deliver climate change goals.
Govt consulting on carbon capture framework
10 Jul 2024
The government is consulting on a proposed framework for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS).
Govt’s regulatory breather doesn’t change pressure on farm emissions
9 Jul 2024
As the Government moves away from pricing farm emissions and looks to reduce methane targets, farmers are coming under increasing pressure from their customers to reduce all emissions.
Investment sector must accelerate climate action – new research
9 Jul 2024
A survey of investors managing more than $230 billion suggests the sector is moving too slowly to bankroll climate action.
Meridian plans to ramp up new generation
8 Jul 2024
Meridian’s first investor day in three years was mainly an update on how it saw the sector and its business after the Tiwai Point smelter deal was finalised.
How much impact could past choices have on our emissions profile?
8 Jul 2024
By Robert McLachlan | New Zealand's CO2 emissions could have gone down 25% since 1990 - instead of up 25% - if we'd chosen to do things that other countries were already doing.
Govt won’t review transport policy despite legal threat: Brown
5 Jul 2024
By Liz Kivi | Minister of transport Simeon Brown says he won’t amend the government policy statement on land transport, despite Lawyers for Climate Action putting the government on notice that it was breaking the law.
Digital token launched to encourage sustainable mahi
5 Jul 2024
By Jeremy Rose | Te Kautuku is a 930ha Māori land block on the far East Coast. Its natural ecosystems range from lowland forests to duneland, with wetlands and river systems connecting directly to the Pacific Ocean.
Media round-up
5 Jul 2024
In our weekly round-up of climate coverage in local media: Farmers told their customer base demands reduced emissions; government 'hypocrisy' on climate and mining; and is $3 billion actually a small price to pay for the future of Interislander ferries?
Jones says he hopes Climate Commission CEO is removed
3 Jul 2024
Minister for Resources Shane Jones says he hopes that the chief executive of the Climate Change Commission will soon be removed from her job.
Where did govt suggestion for lower NZU prices come from?
3 Jul 2024
When a recent consultation on Emissions Trading Scheme settings suggested a lower pricing corridor for NZUs, prices in the secondary carbon market plummeted and have continued to stay moribund.
Govt faces threat of legal action for ditching emissions reduction plan
2 Jul 2024
Climate activist lawyers have put the government on notice that it has broken the law by abandoning the previous government’s emissions reduction plan with no plan to replace it until 2026.
Smaller ferries will kill off rail: Dog and Lemon guide
2 Jul 2024
The replacement of the cancelled iREX ferries with smaller non-rail enabled ones will effectively kill off the nation’s railways resulting in a jump in the road toll and a spike in emissions, according to Clive Matthew-Wilson, editor of the Dog and Lemon Guide.
Govt announces methane review panel and terms
1 Jul 2024
Last week the government announced the panel and terms for its inquiry into methane targets for agriculture in line with “no additional warming” - but ministers had conflicting ideas about the inquiry.
More carrot, less stick for ag sector emissions reductions?
1 Jul 2024
The Bank of New Zealand is the latest big business to become a shareholder of a public-private joint venture to reduce emissions from agriculture.
NZIER slams government’s climate approach in Budget 24
27 Jun 2024
The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research has found that just 1% of new expenditure in this year’s budget was favourable in terms of meeting the country’s climate commitments.
New approach needed to turn around the declining state of NZ's lakes and rivers
27 Jun 2024
A new report says regional councils are often choosing to create their own expensive, customised, and single-use freshwater models to help with decisions when they could be saving time and money adapting existing models.
Community-owned power company on track to carbon zero
26 Jun 2024
The toppling of one of Transpower's pylons last week saw thousands of homes and businesses in the Far North cut off from electricity. But, as Jeremy Rose reports, it wasn't for lack of local generation.
Capital receives first delivery of sustainable aviation fuel
26 Jun 2024
Air New Zealand has shipped 500,000 litres of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) into Wellington, in what the airline says is “another small step” towards its target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Ministers dismiss scrutiny week complaints they are "waging war on nature"
25 Jun 2024
Ministers’ messages as they faced scrutiny in Parliament last week were consistent – they believed the Government was restoring balance and the need for belt-tightening.
Environmentalists need to face inconvenient truths: Commissioner
25 Jun 2024
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says some in the environmental movement have difficulties accepting the trade-offs that economic reality demands.
Watts agrees more work needed to restore confidence in ETS
24 Jun 2024
Climate change minister Simon Watts agrees that more needs to be done to restore confidence and stability to the emissions trading scheme, while also saying the scheme is the government’s key tool to do the “heavy lifting” to reduce emissions.
Carbon News launches price index
24 Jun 2024
Today’s issue is the first to feature Carbon News’ own carbon price index for secondary market spot prices for NZUs on New Zealand’s compliance market.
Auditor-General warns public organisations against greenwashing
21 Jun 2024
The Auditor-General has told auditors not to accept terms like carbon positive or carbon neutral in public organisations’ annual reports and long-term plans.
EDS conference confronting and provocative
21 Jun 2024
The Environmental Defence Society’s annual conference was a confronting and provocative one for all.
Media round-up
21 Jun 2024
In our weekly round-up of climate coverage in local media: Willis challenged over climate during 'scrutiny week'; five businesses emit as much carbon as half NZ's vehicle fleet; And resource management is always political.
Wait for the emissions reduction plan: Watts
20 Jun 2024
By Liz Kivi | The failure of yesterday’s carbon auction doesn’t mean the Emissions Trading Scheme isn’t working, according to climate change minister Simon Watts.
June carbon auction fails
19 Jun 2024
As market participants were predicting, this morning's carbon auction has failed, leaving millions of units to roll over to the next auction, and increasing the likelihood that the rest of this year’s auctions will fail as well.
Budget cuts to climate funding mean NZ may now struggle to meet its international obligations
19 Jun 2024
By Nathan Cooper | With no new investment to combat climate change in last month’s budget, and a long list of cuts to climate and environment-related areas, the government risks damaging its global reputation.
Local govt shake-up risks weakened environmental outcomes – Commissioner
Fri 27 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government’s push to simplify local government is "deeply flawed" and has been launched without a clear understanding of which functions must remain regional, according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
Govt plan to encourage new energy investment won’t cut costs for ordinary Kiwis
Thu 26 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | While gentailers and major energy users have welcomed the Government’s plan to leverage public sector demand to drive new energy projects, an expert says it is unlikely to reduce prices for ordinary people.
Govt's solar on farms initiative to cut costs, boost resilience
17 Feb 2026
Farms across Aotearoa will begin installing solar panels and battery systems as part of a government-backed demonstration programme designed to test whether on-farm renewable energy can reduce electricity costs and improve energy security for the food and fibre sector.
Annual emissions fell to lowest in 15 years in Sept 2025
5 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions fell to their lowest annual total in the year to September 2025 since records began 2010, according to Statistics New Zealand data published this morning.
NZ’s EV uptake decelerates
Mon 23 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s EV uptake is lagging behind other countries, with a huge drop in EV sales since 2023 bucking international trends, at the same time the Government contemplates abolishing its standard for clean cars entirely.
Tairāwhiti needs proper Govt support to heal the land – not empty announcements for political optics
Tue 24 Feb 2026
OPINION: The Government’s answer to Tairāwhiti’s severe erosion crisis – that the region apply for modest, contestable funding rounds – while rejecting the region's own land transition business case, leaves our long-term resilience hanging in the balance, writes Manu Caddie.
Kiwi startup takes on global plastic pollution
12 Feb 2026
A New Zealand startup is launching what it says is the world’s first plastic-free effervescent drink tablet, with the ambitious aim of eliminating bottled beverages to reduce global plastic pollution.
