New Zealand: All stories
The 30% goal: is bigger always better for biodiversity?
8 Dec 2022
The UN biodiversity conference now meeting in Montreal is considering a proposal to commit to putting 30 percent of land and sea under protection by 2030. Some ecologists warn that focusing too much on the size of protected areas risks missing what most needs saving.
ETS auction clears at $79.00
7 Dec 2022
The final ETS auction of the year cleared at $79.00 this morning.
Building Act changes target lower emissions and reducing waste
7 Dec 2022
The government’s announcement that mandatory energy performance ratings and waste reduction could be embedded in the Building Act is “a huge moment” for better, more sustainable buildings, according to New Zealand’s Green Building Council.
No nationwide passenger rail in the near future: minister
7 Dec 2022
Transport minister Michael Wood has told campaigners there will be no nationwide passenger rail in the near future.
Four-wheel e-cargo bike delivering scooter batteries in Wellington
6 Dec 2022
Micro-mobility company Beam is trialling what could well be the country’s first four-wheel e-cargo bike in Wellington.
NZ Post’s purpose-built bikes back in business - temporarily
6 Dec 2022
Last week NZ Post announced there would be delays in deliveries due to “issues” with its Norwegian-built electric Paxster postal buggies.
Meridian’s hydrogen plans move a step closer
6 Dec 2022
Meridian is moving closer to building an industrial scale hydrogen plant despite would-be partner Contact falling by the wayside.
Scientists should ditch terminology that obscures climate change’s true dangers
6 Dec 2022
A lot of today’s widespread confusion about climate change – some of it unwitting, some of it deliberately cultivated – stems from the critical miscommunication of two little words: risk and uncertainty.
$350 million government funding to cut transport emissions
5 Dec 2022
Better public transport, new cycle networks and more walkable neighbourhoods are in the offing for 46 different councils as part of a $350 million government funding package.
Forestry ETS changes pass
5 Dec 2022
Among the bills to pass into law in Parliament’s recent Urgency session was the extension of the penalty transition regime for small forestry owners who remove trees.
Does marine conservation mitigate climate change?
5 Dec 2022
Marine protected areas act as a safeguard for oceans, seas, and estuaries. These regions help in the preservation of the plants and animals that are native to these waters, but the advantages of protected areas go well beyond their boundaries.
Price of carbon down 6.8% over past fortnight
2 Dec 2022
With the final ETS auction of the year set to take place next Wednesday, the price of carbon on the secondary market has dropped by 6.8% since hitting an all-time high of $88.50 on November 14.
Opposition parties welcome on-farm sequestration policy
2 Dec 2022
Opposition parties have welcomed the government’s plan to credit all on-farm carbon sequestration, rather than only riparian planting.
MFAT building “digital-diplomacy suite” to cut air travel
2 Dec 2022
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has cut its air travel by more than half since 2018-19 and is launching a “custom-built digital-diplomacy suite” with high quality video conference facilities to lock in air travel emissions reductions.
Best by the rest...
2 Dec 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Hapū and Greenpeace head back to court for stricter hydrogen rules; the moral problem with turning passenger rail into an exclusive luxury; and is cutting transport emissions by 64% still a priority for Auckland under the new mayor?
Climate change amplifies risk of ‘insect apocalypse’
2 Dec 2022
For most of us, the world’s insects are doubly vital to our well-being, a growing body of research is finding. But warnings by scientists of a probable insect apocalypse are steadily growing more frequent and urgent.
Satellites detect no real climate benefit from 10 years of forest carbon offsets in California
2 Dec 2022
Many of the companies promising “net-zero” emissions to protect the climate are relying on vast swaths of forests and what are known as carbon offsets to meet that goal.
Govt announces changes to on-farm sequestration strategy
1 Dec 2022
The government has announced it will work with the primary sector to develop an on-farm carbon sequestration strategy.
PMs confirm commitment to 1.5 degrees
1 Dec 2022
Prime ministers Sanna Marin, of Finland, and Aotearoa’s Jacinda Ardern yesterday issued a joint statement stressing the need for “rapid, deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions” and the importance of pursuing efforts to limit global warming to 1.5°C.
Local government must now consider Emissions Reduction Plan when making decisions
1 Dec 2022
Local bodies are now required by law to consider the National Adaptation Plan and Emissions Reduction Plan when preparing or changing regional policy statements, regional plans, and district plans under the Resource Management Act.
Earth Is “unequivocally” in midst of climate emergency: scientists
1 Dec 2022
The Earth’s vital signs have deteriorated to the point that “humanity is unequivocally facing a climate emergency,” according to a study recently released by a worldwide coalition of scientists.
Research into low-carbon, earthquake-safe homes
30 Nov 2022
New research is looking at how to reduce the hefty embodied carbon of new housing, while still ensuring it stands up to earthquake shocks in our shaky isles.
Zespri releases climate change adaptation plan
30 Nov 2022
Kiwifruit growers’ association Zespri released its first ever climate change adaptation plan today, entitled Adapting to Thrive in a Changing Climate.
An ecological rule breaker shows the effects of climate change on body size
30 Nov 2022
The Northern Treeshrew, a small, bushy-tailed mammal native to South and Southeast Asia, defies two of the most widely tested ecological “rules” of body size variation within species, according to a new study coauthored by Yale anthropologist Eric J. Sargis.
Land use change could improve climate, health, and food insecurity: research
29 Nov 2022
Growing more grains and vegetables could decrease greenhouse gas emissions, increase water quality, and solve looming food insecurity and health problems for millions of New Zealanders, according to new research from two National Science Challenges.
More flash floods set to hit Greater Wellington due to climate change
29 Nov 2022
A new report paints an alarming picture of climate impacts for Greater Wellington, with damaging downpours and potential floods becoming increasingly frequent, and seasonal rainfall likely to increase by up to 16% in some areas.
Water as part of the climate solution
29 Nov 2022
The intersection of freshwater and climate is a frequently ignored but critical element of the climate problem, according to a new study from Sweden that explores the link and offers solutions that will help lower emissions.
Climate change significant threat to our wellbeing: Treasury
28 Nov 2022
Treasury has identified climate change as “perhaps the most significant threat to the sustainability of our wellbeing,” in the first of its four-yearly wellbeing reports.
Parker stands up for Onslow
28 Nov 2022
There are few public defenders of the Government’s consideration of the Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme, but minister David Parker remains a strong advocate.
Cannabis plants could help in the fight against climate change
28 Nov 2022
A team of scientists from Hudson Carbon – a research center based in New York which studies carbon storage – cannabis plants could be the missing player in humanity’s fight against climate change, as hemp can absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere more than twice as effectively as trees.
New Zealand’s climate goals “highly insufficient”
25 Nov 2022
New Zealand’s climate goals have rated poorly again in comparison with other G20 countries, with international organisation Climate Action Tracker rating the country’s emissions reduction efforts "highly insufficient".
1.5 degrees not just aspirational: Shaw
25 Nov 2022
Climate change minister James Shaw says New Zealand’s commitment to 1.5 degrees is “absolutely essential.”
Best by the rest...
25 Nov 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Why NZ can't lecture other countries on being "climate smart"; going fully electric for your car and appliances will be the cheapest option in four years; and concerns around the environmental impact of The Rings of Power.
Changes to Crown Minerals Act welcomed by environmentalists; slammed by industry
24 Nov 2022
Environmental groups have welcomed changes the government is proposing to the Crown Minerals Act “to support more environmentally conscious management of resources.”
Lawyers call on government to amend law to commit it to 1.5 degrees pathway
24 Nov 2022
Lawyers for Climate Action New Zealand say that if the government is serious about its commitment to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees it has no choice but to amend the Climate Change Response Act.
Kāpiti residents campaign to restore peat wetlands
24 Nov 2022
Kāpiti residents are campaigning to restore a 28 hectare site to wetlands, saying it has the potential to prevent tonnes of CO2 entering the atmosphere.
What “longtermism” gets wrong about climate change
24 Nov 2022
In his new book What We Owe the Future, William MacAskill outlines the case for what he calls “longtermism.” That’s not just another word for long-term thinking. It’s an ideology and movement founded on some highly controversial ideas in ethics.
Court finds Climate Change Commission was correct in its NDC calculations
23 Nov 2022
In a long-awaited decision, the High Court has ruled against a claim by Lawyers for Climate Action NZ (LCANZ) that the Climate Change Commission made a mathematical error leading it to over-estimate the amount of C02 New Zealand could emit in its Nationally Determined Contribution.
Clean car standards phased in from next week
23 Nov 2022
The government is bringing in new regulations around vehicle imports from next week, which are intended to significantly reduce New Zealand’s light vehicles’ CO2 emissions.
Take climate-changing aerosols seriously, scientists say
23 Nov 2022
The dangerous impacts of aerosol changes on vulnerable regions should have been a priority at COP27 after climate policymakers agreed a breakthrough deal to support these parts of the world, scientists have claimed.
Govt calls for submissions on Sustainable Biofuel Obligation Bill
22 Nov 2022
The government is calling for submissions on the Sustainable Biofuel Obligation Bill, which is intended to simplify the transition from liquid fossil fuels to low-emissions fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport.
Regenerative growing workshops launch next month
22 Nov 2022
A series of regenerative growing workshops starts next month, aiming to help Kiwis make positive changes to their land and gardens.
What climate change is already doing to children's brains
22 Nov 2022
It’s true: the data on the spiraling planetary crisis, the cascading health effects, and widening inequality due to climate change are extremely daunting. In fact, they can cause us to look away, paralyzed by the enormity of the problem. But what if our refusal to change our ways has ripple effects to future generations? Will we pay attention, then?
A climate scientist’s personal reckoning
22 Nov 2022
By Adam Sobel - Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists | A decade ago, Hurricane Sandy changed New York City, forever. New Yorkers now viscerally understand our vulnerability in a way we didn’t before, and the barriers being built to protect us from future storms and sea level rise will reshape the city’s topography. But for me—a scientist who studies hurricanes and climate change, a New Yorker, and a human being—Sandy was a different kind of watershed moment.
National tells biofuels sector—invest at your own risk
21 Nov 2022
The Sustainable Biofuel Obligation Bill completed its first reading in Parliament with National making clear that any investors looking to build up a biofuels industry on the back of a mandate would be putting their money at risk.
Edendale Primary first to go solarZero
21 Nov 2022
Auckland’s Edendale Primary School is the first to tap into solarZero’s energy service, with funding from New Zealand Green Investment Finance.
NZ’s international offsets likely to come from “bespoke” Asia Pacific deals: Shaw
18 Nov 2022
The approximately 100 million offshore carbon credit offsets required to meet New Zealand’s Nationally Determined Contribution are likely to come from “bespoke” bilateral arrangements with countries in the Asia Pacific, climate change minister James Shaw has told an international climate change publication.
Ngāti Whātua to pilot carshare scheme
18 Nov 2022
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei plans to pilot a carshare service with three EV cars and an EV van in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Best by the rest...
18 Nov 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Dairy land is being converted to other uses at a rate of 1% a year; more of our last remaining wetlands are at risk of wildfire due to climate change; and forestry is once again at the heart of discussions surrounding New Zealand's future.
Government consultation on low emissions future
17 Nov 2022
The government is asking for public input to inform a “fair and inclusive” transition to a low emissions New Zealand.
ETS a ‘broken paradigm’ undercutting biodiversity efforts
Mon 25 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Pure Advantage is calling on the government to reform the Emissions Trading Scheme, with a new policy briefing saying that New Zealand’s offset-heavy approach is a “broken paradigm” undermining biodiversity and shifting risk to communities.
Profound shifts in our changing energy system – new data
Wed 27 Aug 2025
New Zealand’s energy system is undergoing a profound shift as falling gas production and a dry hydro year reshaped the electricity market in 2024, according to data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Energy in New Zealand 2025.
International scientists slam NZ govt's proposed approach to methane
13 Aug 2025
New Zealand's proposed approach to methane emissions has again been attacked by international climate scientists, with a new study saying the attempt to redefine climate target-setting by livestock-exporting countries undermines the transition to a sustainable and equitable food system
Marginal drop in last year's regional emissions
Wed 27 Aug 2025
Regional greenhouse gas emissions were down slightly last year, with a fall in gas supply leading to a big drop in Taranaki, but more coal burnt leading to higher emissions in Waikato, according to new figures from Stats NZ
Fund for low emissions transport winds up
31 Jul 2025
New Zealand’s Low Emission Transport Fund has officially wrapped up, ending a nine-year programme that put hundreds of millions of dollars towards accelerating the country’s shift to cleaner transport.
Certainty crucial to emissions cuts – Watts
20 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says that policy certainty is the Government’s primary lever for unlocking private capital and meeting climate targets, telling a carbon forestry conference that ETS settings are 'locked' through 2030.
Why climate strategy is now central to business success
Tue 26 Aug 2025
SPONSORED CONTENT: Ahead of next month’s Climate Change and Business Conference, New Zealand businesses are being urged to treat climate strategy not as a regulatory burden, but as a core driver of economic competitiveness.
