New Zealand: All stories
Best by the rest...
17 Mar 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Commentators say Wednesday’s failed carbon auction may mean the Emissions Trading Scheme is in tatters; the Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme’s budget blowout; and why good climate policy is good mental health policy.
Failed ETS auction sees slight bump in price of NZUs on secondary market
16 Mar 2023
Yesterday’s failed ETS auction saw the price of NZUs jump by a few dollars on the secondary market.
Marx and the Paris model of transportation
16 Mar 2023
Paris Marx is the author of Road to Nowhere: What Silicon Valley Gets Wrong about the Future of Transportation.
Floods, cyclones, thunderstorms: is climate change to blame for New Zealand’s summer of extreme weather?
16 Mar 2023
By James Renwick - The Conversation | The final months of New Zealand’s summer carried a massive sting, bringing “unprecedented” rainfalls several times over, from widespread flooding in Auckland at the end of January to ex-tropical Cyclone Gabrielle dumping record rains and causing devastating floods across the east coast of the North Island.
Lodestone starts Edgecumbe solar farm construction
16 Mar 2023
Lodestone Energy has started construction of a 32MW farm in the Bay of Plenty town of Edgecumbe - the New Zealand-owned company's second solar farm in Aotearoa.
Generators latest to take aim at RMA reform
15 Mar 2023
Electricity generators have joined those attacking proposed RMA reforms with most concerns about the consenting process for renewable generation and in particular the short-term nature of consents for assets with a long life.
Tax change makes micromobility more accessible for commuters
15 Mar 2023
Commuters will soon be able to access e-bikes more cheaply, thanks to an amendment to tax rules.
Global ecosystems are at risk of losing carbon storage ability: study
15 Mar 2023
Several regions of the world are at risk of losing their ability to store carbon, which could result in the drastic transformation of ecosystems and accelerated climate change, one recent study has found.
Climate emergency postponed
14 Mar 2023
The government has slashed a raft of emissions curbing policies, including the clean car upgrade and transport programmes, in a bid to reallocate $1 billion to support New Zealanders with the cost of living.
NZ fund buys Aussie carbon generation business
14 Mar 2023
New Zealand-owned Morrison & Co has acquired an Australian carbon generation business, the Financial Review is reporting.
Hydrogen aircraft: Fool me once?
14 Mar 2023
By Robert McLachan- Planet Ecology | NEW YORK TIMES – Virtually unnoticed abroad except by aviation experts, a recent broadcast by Russian television showed an ordinary-looking airliner roaring aloft from a Moscow-area airport, trailing a stream of condensing steam instead of the usual kerosene smoke.
Our radioactive moment continues
13 Mar 2023
New Zealand has once again been ranked among the world’s climate change laggards - alongside the likes of Saudi Arabia - by Climate Action Tracker.
Trees can only partly offset agricultural emissions: Environment commissioner
13 Mar 2023
Environment Commissioner Simon Upton has outlined the mammoth task facing the agriculture sector in reducing biological methane emissions to meet targets.
Government planning bus service upgrades for Christchurch
13 Mar 2023
The government has announced a $78 million boost for public transport in Greater Christchurch, aiming for more frequent and reliable bus services.
Why saving the whales means saving ourselves
13 Mar 2023
In 2016, disturbing footage captured on a sunny beach in Argentina went viral. The video appeared in news outlets around the world under variations of a disquieting headline: “Baby dolphin dies after a mob of tourists pass it around to pose for selfies.”
Renewables at record share of electricity generation
10 Mar 2023
The renewable share of electricity generation is at its highest level on record, with greenhouse gas emissions from electricity also at a low, according to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
Dairy-alternative Kiwi start-up raises $1.5 million in seed funding round
10 Mar 2023
Daisy Lab, a precision fermentation start up, has successfully closed an oversubscribed $1.5 million seed funding round.
Coal still being burnt in DOC huts
10 Mar 2023
The ACT Party is claiming that the continued use of coal in some Department of Conservation huts is proof of the “craziness” of the government’s climate targets.
Best by the rest...
10 Mar 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Why the returns on strong climate strategies eclipse the savings on inaction; climate change minister James Shaw on why choosing adaptation over mitigation is dangerous; and TVNZ correspondent John Campbell takes a long hard look at the issue of forestry slash.
New idea for sucking up CO2 from air shows promise
10 Mar 2023
A new way of sucking carbon dioxide from the air and storing it in the sea has been outlined by scientists.
Scientists use TikTok to explain, fight climate change
10 Mar 2023
With his moustache caked in icicles and frozen droplets, glaciologist Peter Neff shows his 220,000 TikTok followers a sample of old ice excavated from Antarctica's Allan Hills.
Greenpeace slams govt U-turn on climate and roading
9 Mar 2023
Greenpeace has slammed the government’s U-turn on making emissions reduction a top priority of its land transport plan as “short-sighted” in a climate crisis.
Massey University to host one of NZ’s largest solar farms
9 Mar 2023
Massey University is planning to host a large solar PV system at its Manawatū campus, in a step towards its goal of being net carbon zero by 2030.
Climate change blamed for declines in mountain plants
9 Mar 2023
Climate change has likely led to the decline of some of Scotland's mountain plants, according to new research.
Doubts about whether next week’s ETS auction will clear
8 Mar 2023
A week out from the first Emissions Trading Scheme auction of the year, the price of carbon on the secondary market continues its slide, closing at $65.75 yesterday, its lowest level since December 2021.
High seas treaty a step forward - but “the work is far from over,” say experts
8 Mar 2023
Experts have welcomed an international treaty for the high seas - but say there is still a long way to go to ensure adequate protection and sustainable use.
Risky feedback loops are accelerating climate change, scientists warn
8 Mar 2023
Risky feedback loops that are accelerating global climate change may not be fully accounted for in current climate models, according to a recent study published in the scientific journal One Earth.
Decisive climate action could add $64 billion to NZ economy
7 Mar 2023
Decisive climate action could add $64 billion to New Zealand’s economy by 2050, while inadequate action could cost $4.4 billion over the same period, according to a new report.
Bikes and carriage, the perfect marriage
7 Mar 2023
By Patrick Morgan - Cycling Action Network | Imagine biking to the railway station, loading your bike, and relaxing on the train ahead of a weekend ride.
Global food systems can cause world to exceed temperature targets: study
7 Mar 2023
A new study by climate scientists sheds light on the significant role food systems will play in future global warming and what can be done about it.
Speaking truth to power: Be less shit
6 Mar 2023
Thousands of school students took to the streets of cities around the country on Friday and their message to the powers that be could hardly have been more direct.
Bathurst reports record profit as coal prices soar
6 Mar 2023
Bathurst Resources said soaring coal prices provided record first half-year profits for the company despite record increased costs.
Scientists discover a new way climate change threatens cold-blooded animals
6 Mar 2023
All animals need energy to live. They use it to breathe, circulate blood, digest food and move. Young animals use energy to grow, and later in life, to reproduce.
Tropical plankton in jeopardy from climate change
6 Mar 2023
Scientists from the University of Texas at Austin have found that tropical plankton could be negatively affected by climate change.
The price of carbon: it’s up, up and away in Europe and down, down, down in Aotearoa
3 Mar 2023
Last week the price of carbon hit €100 (NZ$170) for the first time. Meanwhile, in New Zealand the price of NZUs has settled at around $70 on the secondary market - down 24% from a peak of $88.50 in November last year.
Climate strikes to hit Aotearoa this afternoon
3 Mar 2023
Thousands of students will be rallying for climate action around the country this afternoon as part of the global climate strike movement, with young people all over the world demanding climate justice from their governments - and calling on adults to join them.
Best by the rest...
3 Mar 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Commentator Max Rashbrooke argues that advocates for climate adaptation over mitigation are making a terrible mistake; economist Eric Crampton writes that risk-based insurance premiums would keep our homes safer; and why managed retreat isn’t the solution tangata whenua are looking for.
Ocean tipping point: Climate change to worsen rapidly
3 Mar 2023
The oceans help to limit global warming by soaking up carbon dioxide emissions. But scientists have discovered that intense warming in the future could lessen that ability, leading to even more severe warming.
La Niña could lead to more heavy rain in the North Island
2 Mar 2023
Weather in the flood ravaged North Island looks to be drier in the coming months, but La Niña could still lead to the risk of heavy rain, according to NIWA’s March to May outlook.
Govt announces $9.5 million in funding for agricultural greenhouse gas research
2 Mar 2023
The government yesterday announced an additional $9.55 million dollars for research into reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
The counting of 9.9 billion trees could help manage climate credits and nature restoration
2 Mar 2023
Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and NASA have developed a method that has now mapped several billion trees and their carbon uptake in Africa's Sahel region.
Microalgae to help capture carbon from power plants in new research venture
2 Mar 2023
US researchers have been awarded a $2 million grant from the Department of Energy to explore the potential of microalgae to absorb CO₂ emissions from industrial power plants.
Emissions up for third consecutive quarter, driven by increased use of coal and gas
1 Mar 2023
New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions increased 0.8% in the June 2022 quarter, up 161 kilotonnes from the previous quarter, despite a 7.5% fall in manufacturing emissions (194 kilotonnes).
Could imitating volcanos fix the climate crisis? Science is spilt
1 Mar 2023
The controversial theory of solar geoengineering is at the centre of a growing body of climate research in Asia and elsewhere.
Scientists want near moratorium on geoengineering to cool climate — for now
1 Mar 2023
Scientists are slamming the brakes on deliberately interfering with the climate to temporarily counteract global warming until the pros and cons are more fully known.
An incendiary form of lightning may surge under climate change
1 Mar 2023
A form of lightning with a knack for sparking wildfires may surge under climate change.
Concern about climate change at a record high
28 Feb 2023
Concern about climate change has significantly increased, rising by six percentage points to 27% in the latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor - the highest since tracking began in 2018.
Researchers look at marine environment’s huge potential for carbon sequestration
28 Feb 2023
Scientists are aiming to unlock the local secrets of blue carbon, with research underway to deliver Aotearoa’s first national estimate of natural kelp-carbon sequestration in the marine environment.
Reflecting sunlight to cool the Earth must be studied before climate change gets much worse, urges group of 60 scientists
28 Feb 2023
More than sixty scientists from prominent institutions are advocating for rigorous study into reflecting sunlight away from the Earth to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Govt promises ‘earlier action’ in response to Commission’s warning climate targets at risk
Fri 17 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government says it will “explore opportunities for earlier action” ahead of the third Emissions Reduction Plan, and has committed to looking at ways to stop the system of free carbon credits for industrial polluters from disincentivising industrial decarbonisation.
Transpower tracks more than 100 new grid projects
Tue 14 Oct 2025
Transpower’s latest connection data show more than 100 generation, storage and load projects in its pipeline, reflecting the rapid pace of electrification across the country.
All carrot, no stick for farmers on methane
Fri 17 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: The abandonment of methane emissions pricing and the adoption of a weaker target is effectively the last nail in the coffin of the historic cross-parliamentary consensus embedded in the Zero Carbon Act 2019.
Govt releases updated emissions projections
Mon 13 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Ministry for the Environment has released updated emissions projections to 2050, which show significant differences to the Climate Change Commission's recent projections for the same period.
Air NZ inks deal for its first internationally verified carbon credits
9 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Air New Zealand has committed to buying 8000 tonnes of carbon removals by 2030, in partnership with local native forest investment platform My Native Forest.
Emails show forestry lobby fought Gisborne crackdown as slash clean-up drags on
26 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Sustainable land use advocates are accusing Eastland Wood Council of stonewalling efforts to tighten forestry rules, after correspondence between the group and the local council was released under the Official Information Act.
Climate credibility gap widening for Aussie firms
1 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Australian public companies’ climate change commitments are in retreat, reflecting difficulty in achieving stated targets and increased fossil use, but not because of any pressure to make less effort, according to a study of major companies’ ESG reporting.
