New Zealand: All stories
Finance sector's climate inaction
2 Feb 2023
New Zealand’s financial sector is lagging behind its counterparts in Europe and Australia in terms of climate action, according to a recent survey.
MIT study finds huge carbon cost to self-driving cars
2 Feb 2023
The widespread adoption of self-driving cars will create a major bump in carbon emissions without changes to their design, a study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has found.
Power storage for a renewable-based electric grid could be parked next door
2 Feb 2023
Electric vehicle batteries could be harnessed to provide all the battery storage capacity necessary to stabilize renewable-based electricity grids worldwide in the coming decades, according to a new study.
Why increasing soil carbon is overrated
2 Feb 2023
Dutch researchers have found that yield effects of increasing soil carbon are inconsistent, ranging from negative to neutral to positive.
Scientists now know why methane mysteriously surged during lockdowns
2 Feb 2023
The world largely came to a halt in 2020 when extensive COVID-19 lockdowns were issued, which temporarily caused a global decline in greenhouse gas emissions. Despite the slowdowns in highly polluting sectors like aviation and manufacturing, methane emissions mysteriously climbed.
Parliamentary Commissioner for Environment gives govt a hurry up
1 Feb 2023
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, has told the government it needs to speed up plans for a whole-of-system energy strategy.
Earth is on track to exceed 1.5C warming in the next decade, study using AI finds
1 Feb 2023
The world is on the brink of breaching a critical climate threshold, according to a new study published on Monday, signifying time is running exceedingly short to spare the world the most catastrophic effects of global heating.
Solar farms put cow comfort and crop yield ahead of harvesting electrons
1 Feb 2023
Solar arrays that promise to generate happier, healthier cows and crops, while producing cheap electrons on the side, are being put into practice in France, following a series of government-led energy tenders with a difference.
Government looks to regulate offshore wind, defers decision on oil and gas exploration
31 Jan 2023
Some of the government’s last announcements of the political year in 2022 honed in on wind, oil and gas exploration, and critical minerals.
Hydrogen symposium to explore latest research
31 Jan 2023
The inaugural New Zealand Hydrogen Symposium, which starts tomorrow in Dunedin, will host international experts from Germany, the US, Chile, and Australia, as well as local hydrogen experts.
Price of NZUs drifting slowly lower
30 Jan 2023
NZUs closed on the Commtrade platform at the end of trade on Friday at $72.50, down from a high of $88.50 on the secondary market towards the end of last year.
Auckland floods: even stormwater reform won’t be enough – we need a ‘sponge city’ to avoid future disaster
30 Jan 2023
By Timothy Welch - The Conversation | We’ve built our cities to be vulnerable to – and exacerbate – major weather events such as the one we saw in Auckland on Friday. While almost no city in the world could fully escape the effects of four months’ worth of rain in 24 hours, there are many things that could have been done to avoid some of the worst impacts.
How supermarket freezers are heating the planet, and how they could change
30 Jan 2023
Climate-conscious shoppers may buy local food and try to cut packaging waste, but those efforts could be negated by potent greenhouse gases leaking from supermarket fridges.
Public support for cutting fertiliser and cow numbers: Greenpeace survey
27 Jan 2023
A new poll commissioned by Greenpeace shows growing public support for regulating the dairy industry to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and water contamination, as well as phasing out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser.
Best by the rest...
27 Jan 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Dame Anne Salmond on New Zealand’s “fatally flawed” climate strategy; a fact check of claims that Kiwi farms are the greenest; and why the country needs an e-bike rebate.
Re-carbonising the sea: Scientists to start testing a big ocean carbon idea
27 Jan 2023
Imagine showers of little green sand grains drifting through the ocean: collecting on coral reefs, rolling off the backs of whales, sprinkling schools of tuna — and helping to save all those creatures, and humanity, too. At least that’s the idea.
Todd Muller's second coming as National's climate spokesperson
26 Jan 2023
By Liz Kivi | Having previously announced his retirement after resigning as National party leader, Todd Muller’s political career has been resurrected with a promotion and appointment to the climate change and agriculture portfolios.
How ancient seeds from the Fertile Crescent could help save us from climate change
26 Jan 2023
Inside a large freezer room at the International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, tens of thousands of seeds are stored at a constant temperature of minus 20 degrees celsius.
Comparing airfares instead of seat size fairer indicator of passenger carbon emissions: study
26 Jan 2023
Allocating passenger aircraft emissions using airfares rather than travel class would give a more accurate idea of individual contributions, finds a study led by UCL.
The voracious appetite of forest elephants can coax forests into storing more carbon
26 Jan 2023
Elephants been called a lot of things: the world’s largest land creatures, imperiled, majestic, charismatic. Now scientists have a few more terms for describing them: foresters and climate champions.
Hipkins gives little away on attitude to climate change
25 Jan 2023
By Jeremy Rose | Compared to Jacinda Ardern’s much quoted declaration that climate change was “our generation’s nuclear-free moment”, new prime minister Chris Hipkins’ comments on the subject to date have been decidedly anodyne.
Bloomberg: Ardern's mixed record on climate change
25 Jan 2023
The outgoing prime minister set up a long-term framework for New Zealand to address global warming, but emissions haven’t been trending downward.
Adapting growing seasons to climate change can boost yields of world’s staple crops
25 Jan 2023
Rising global temperatures due to climate change are changing the growth cycles of crops worldwide. Recent records from Europe show that wild and cultivated plants are growing earlier and faster due to increased temperatures.
Scientists develop cheapest carbon capture system to date
25 Jan 2023
US researchers have developed a cost-efficient method that successfully captures CO2 and converts it into one of the world’s most widely used chemicals: methanol.
Danone aims to reduce methane by 30% by 2030
24 Jan 2023
Danone New Zealand is looking at ways to reduce methane from its operations, in line with its parent company’s announcement last week that it plans to reduce methane emissions from its fresh milk supply chain by 30% by 2030.
Gisborne District Council supports calls for land use inquiry
24 Jan 2023
Gisborne District Council says it strongly supports an independent inquiry into land use in Tairāwhiti.
Logged forests may be carbon emitters for years
24 Jan 2023
If you’ve ever been offered the opportunity to donate money to plant a tree to offset a purchase, you’ve probably guessed that trees naturally store carbon. Forests are an invaluable source of carbon storage around the world; one would assume that forests that have been cut down but are regrowing trees are also regaining their capacity to store carbon.
Carbon capture only way to stay below 1.5 degrees: James Shaw
23 Dec 2022
Carbon capture is going to have to play role if the world is to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees, climate change minister James Shaw says.
Climate change most important issue facing New Zealand: survey
23 Dec 2022
Climate change is now seen as the most important environmental issue facing New Zealand, surpassing freshwater issues for the first time since surveys into environmental perceptions started in 2000.
Government’s hydrogen strategy may sabotage decarbonisation: expert
23 Dec 2022
By Liz Kivi | An international transport expert says the New Zealand Government is wasting time and money on hydrogen for heavy freight, and has bought into fossil fuel industry greenwash that will allow the worst polluters of the industry to keep polluting.
E-volution of the microcar
23 Dec 2022
By Jeremy Rose | Engineer and former local body politician Toa Greening has been banging on about micro-EVs for the best part of a decade.
Railcar start-up promises to cut passenger emissions by 97%
23 Dec 2022
By Jeremy Rose | A Christchurch start-up with plans to build battery-powered railcars says the technology has the potential to slash the emissions per passenger kilometre travelled by 97%.
Govt gives $2.8 million for boiler conversion to multinational committed to phasing out coal by 2025
23 Dec 2022
By Jeremy Rose | The government has given $2.8 million to a multinational company to convert its coal boiler to woodchips, despite the company already committing to phase out coal use internationally by 2025.
Thousands demand right to repair
23 Dec 2022
Last July, Repair Café Aotearoa presented environment minister David Parker with a petition signed by 12,901 people calling on the government to introduce right to repair legislation.
Private members bill could see environment recognised as a company stakeholder
23 Dec 2022
By Jeremy Rose | In 1916 John and Horace Dodge took Henry Ford to court to stop him from, in his words, “employ(ing) still more men, to spread the benefits of this industrial system to the greatest possible number, to help them build up their lives and their homes.”
The future of motoring is quiet, fast, and comfortable – but is it sustainable?
23 Dec 2022
By Jeremy Rose | I’ve driven in the future and it’s quiet, has effortless acceleration, and is supremely comfortable – but it doesn’t make economic or environmental sense for me to buy a Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Papal indulgences, government subsidies and making a fine craft beer
23 Dec 2022
By Jeremy Rose | The CEO, co-founder and head brewer of Upper Hutt’s Kereru craft brewery, Christopher Mills, is delighted to be asked about the effort the company is putting into being environmentally friendly.
Pay the polluters: academics
23 Dec 2022
It’s common for environmentalist to call for “polluters pay” taxes but now a group of Victoria University academics are calling for polluters to be paid to become truly sustainable.
Federated Farmers oppose updated methane emissions plan
22 Dec 2022
Federated Farmers continues to oppose the government’s plan for methane emissions, despite changes promising the emissions levy will be set “at the lowest price possible”.
Wishing you a meri kirihimete and a low carbon new year!
22 Dec 2022
This is our last issue for the year as the Carbon News team takes a break over the summer holidays. We’ll be back with more crucial climate coverage from New Zealand and around the world from January 24.
Aotearoa signs up to UN deal for nature
21 Dec 2022
Aotearoa New Zealand has agreed to a historic international deal with a 2030 deadline: Protect 30% of Earth’s lands, oceans, coastal areas, and inland waters; reduce annual harmful government subsidies by $500 billion; and cut food waste in half.
Climate wins in new govt funding for Christchurch
21 Dec 2022
Climate action is set to get a boost in Christchurch, with more than $10 million going towards climate-related Christchurch City Council projects.
MfE sees no need to investigate NZU price drop prior to govt announcement
20 Dec 2022
The Ministry for the Environment won’t be investigating a significant drop in the price of NZUs on the secondary market and the first drop in price at an ETS auction since the auctions began.
Aotearoa's largest wooden office building on the way for Tauranga
20 Dec 2022
Work is starting next month on what will be New Zealand's largest wooden office building, with builders aiming for a net zero carbon footprint for its construction process.
Climate change can be beaten - why some scientists are hopeful
20 Dec 2022
Can our planet recover from climate change? The Conversation commissioning Editor, Kofoworola Belo-Osagie, asked scientists to share the reasons they believe there is hope.
Cabinet ETS decision a “hospital pass” for incoming government
19 Dec 2022
A former head of the International Energy Agency’s climate change unit has described the Cabinet’s rejection of the Climate Change Commission’s recommended changes to ETS settings as a “hospital pass” for the incoming government.
NZ meets 2020 decarbonisation target with Kyoto credits
19 Dec 2022
New Zealand is meeting its commitment to reducing the country’s 2013-2022 emissions by 5% compared to 1990 levels by using 6.5 million Kyoto protocol credits.
Price of carbon plummets in response to Cabinet rejection of Climate Change Commission recommendations
16 Dec 2022
By Jeremy Rose | Cabinet has ignored a Climate Change Commission recommendation to significantly increase the trigger price of the cost containment reserve and failed to reduce the number of credits available at auction by as much as the commission proposed.
Decision on future petroleum block bumped till after the election
16 Dec 2022
The government is putting off any decision on future petroleum block offers until the next Parliamentary term.
Government seeks feedback on offshore renewables
16 Dec 2022
The Government is seeking public feedback on the development of offshore renewable energy infrastructure like wind farms.
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.
