New Zealand: All stories
Climate and ESG important to tech sector employees
13 Oct 2022
New research reveals that 59% of tech sector candidates looking for new work say a company’s commitment to environmental sustainability influences their decision to accept a job offer.
NZ proposed agricultural greenhouse gas cuts a fraction of Ireland’s
12 Oct 2022
The farming lobby is huffing and puffing about the government’s tweaks to the He Eke Waka Noa agriculture emissions proposal but will be relieved that the plan’s aim to cut emissions by 10% on 2017 levels by 2030 are a fraction of the cuts imposed on Irish farmers earlier this year.
Emissions-reducing streetlights offer unexpected biodiversity gains
12 Oct 2022
As well as reducing carbon emissions, energy efficient streetlights could offer unexpected biodiversity benefits, according to new research by NIWA.
50% of Earth’s coral reefs face climate change threat by 2035
12 Oct 2022
Under a worst-case scenario, half of coral reef ecosystems worldwide will permanently face unsuitable conditions in just over a dozen years, if climate change continues unabated. That is one of the findings from new research published on October 11, in PLOS Biology by University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa researchers. Unsuitable conditions will likely lead to the corals dying off and other marine life will struggle to survive due to disruptions in the food chain.
Farmers to benefit from sequestration from riparian and native vegetation
11 Oct 2022
Farmers are set to benefit from the CO2 sequestration from riparian and native vegetation, a government discussion document on agricultural emissions released today reveals.
Will new council deliver on Nelson’s urban greening strategy?
11 Oct 2022
Nelson City Council adopted a Draft Urban Greening Strategy at its final meeting last month, aiming to increase urban planting for its many benefits, which include offsetting emissions and decreasing climate change impacts.
Climate change and deforestation may drive tree-dwelling primates to the ground, large-scale study shows
11 Oct 2022
A large-scale study of 47 species of monkeys and lemurs has found that climate change and deforestation are driving these tree-dwelling animals to the ground, where they are at higher risk due to lack of preferred food and shelter, and may experience more negative interaction with humans and domestic animals.
Climate change threat to water infrastructure: experts
10 Oct 2022
Climate change poses a threat to Aotearoa New Zealand’s water infrastructure, with worsening flooding and damage to buried pipes a likely result, according to a civil systems engineering expert.
Concerns ETS changes could rapidly accelerate carbon price and risk ‘carbon leakage’
10 Oct 2022
The BusinessNZ Energy Council (BEC) says the Emissions Reduction Scheme should be left to do its job.
Rail protestors disrupt Wellington Motorway
10 Oct 2022
Three people have climbed a gantry above the Wellington Motorway near Bowen St with a large banner saying “Restore Passenger Rail”.
Seeing the forest for the trees: government to put brakes on planting exotics
7 Oct 2022
The government has announced consultation on how forests are managed, with a press release making it clear continuing the status quo – which it says would result in the over planting of permanent pine forests – isn’t an option.
Can’t plant our way to net zero: Upton
7 Oct 2022
Offsetting the emissions from a single dairy cow would require the planting of 0.6 hectares of pine forest, a new report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has found.
Forest & Bird calls on government to ditch 100% renewable electricity goal
7 Oct 2022
Forest & Bird is calling on the government to rethink its goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2030.
Best by the rest...
7 Oct 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best local climate coverage: The majority of local election candidates have climate action at front of mind; a new research project aims to forecast risks to New Zealand as the world continues to heat; and while there's government assistance for those switching to EVs, e-bikes are yet to catch up.
Phantom forests: why ambitious tree planting projects are failing
7 Oct 2022
It was perhaps the most spectacular failed tree planting project ever. Certainly the fastest. On March 8, 2012, teams of village volunteers in Camarines Sur province on the Filipino island of Luzon sunk over a million mangrove seedlings into coastal mud in just an hour of frenzied activity.
Funding win for biotech startup aiming to reduce emissions with dairy alternatives
6 Oct 2022
Precision fermentation startup Daisy Lab is the first recipient of funding from a new initiative set up to reduce the failure rate of local social enterprises.
Catering company pioneers carbon labelling on menus
6 Oct 2022
By Isabella Cleary | An Auckland-based catering company is providing customers with a breakdown of the carbon footprint of every item on its menu - a first for New Zealand.
Hawke's Bay to develop emissions reduction plan
5 Oct 2022
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has voted to develop the region’s first emissions reduction plan, aiming to reach net zero by 2050.
Climate crisis will impact lake water quality and colour
5 Oct 2022
Global heating could see Aotearoa New Zealand’s iconic lakes lose their blue hue, as well as reducing fish and water quality, according to new research.
The world should fast track green energy. But not because of climate change
5 Oct 2022
A rapid transition to green energy is likely to save the world trillions of dollars compared to sticking with the current fossil fuel-based energy system, according to a new analysis.
NZUs down more than 10% on last month’s record high
4 Oct 2022
The price of NZUs on the secondary market have fallen more than 10% since hitting a high of $87.30 on the CommTrade platform in the lead up to last month’s ETS auction.
NIWA predicts strengthening marine heatwave
4 Oct 2022
Climate change is continuing to influence Aotearoa New Zealand’s weather, with NIWA warning the coming marine heatwave could rival last year’s high temperatures, and the marine sector “should monitor the system closely”.
Insurance Council urges local governments to focus on climate resilience
3 Oct 2022
As Kiwis cast their votes in local elections, the Insurance Council is calling on incoming councils to invest in climate resilience.
Labour confirms opposition to mining ban bill
3 Oct 2022
Labour has confirmed its caucus has agreed that MPs will not support a member’s bill banning new mines on the conservation estate and new coal mining anywhere.
Scientists hopeful tiny ocean zooplankton will help tell if climate change targets are met
3 Oct 2022
Scientists have found some of the smallest animals in the ocean are having a big impact in the fight against climate change.
How do you decide which candidates are truly climate friendly?
30 Sep 2022
By Jeremy Rose | Last month, Dunedin mayoral candidate Pamela Taylor declared herself in favour of increasing carbon emissions on the grounds it would stimulate plant growth.
South Canterbury waste-to-energy plant applies for consent
30 Sep 2022
The company planning a controversial waste-to-energy plant near Waimate in South Canterbury has lodged its consent application with Environment Canterbury and Waimate District Council.
Best by the rest...
30 Sep 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in the local media: A former petrolhead in Dunedin is converting gas guzzling vehicles to electric; children in Vanuatu are taking to the streets to protest climate change; and Keith Woodford dives deep into the how voluntary schemes surrounding carbon sequestration are regulated in the ETS.
Bitcoin climate impact greater than gold mining, study shows
30 Sep 2022
Bitcoin is less “digital gold” and more “digital beef”, according to a study that suggests the cryptocurrency has a climate impact greater than that of gold mining and on the level of natural gas extraction or rearing cattle for meat.
More than 90% of economists in survey support carbon dividend
29 Sep 2022
More than 90% of economists who took part in a New Zealand Association of Economists survey support redistributing the proceeds from the Emission Trading Scheme auctions through a dividend to household rather than the current policy of using the money for targeted decarbonisation projects.
Fiji’s traditional houses more likely to withstand cyclones
29 Sep 2022
Traditional Fijian knowledge could be key to helping the islands adapt to extreme weather caused by climate change, as traditional dwellings are more likely to withstand tropical cyclones, according to Massey University research.
CTU proposes a Ministry of Green Works
28 Sep 2022
The Council of Combined Trade Unions is proposing a Ministry of Green Works to ensure a just transition to a zero carbon economy.
Christchurch residents want action on climate change
28 Sep 2022
Most Christchurch residents see climate change as a significant issue, according to a recent survey, and this is reflected in election promises as candidates vie for local government positions.
Termite invasion could eat into NZ economy and environment
28 Sep 2022
As the planet heats, termites could move further out of the tropics, decaying more wood and releasing more carbon dioxide like "tiny cows", according to a new study in the journal Science.
Scientists urge top publisher to withdraw faulty climate study
28 Sep 2022
A fundamentally flawed study claiming that scientific evidence of a climate crisis is lacking should be withdrawn from the peer-reviewed journal in which it was published, top climate scientists have told AFP.
First projects announced for $50 million fund to cut plastic waste
27 Sep 2022
Recycling old plumbing pipes to make new ones, and turning waste polystyrene into innovative building products, are among the first projects earmarked for the government’s $50 million Plastics Innovation Fund.
Onslow and the energy trilemma
27 Sep 2022
Mercury New Zealand chair Prue Flacks said she hopes the Government considers all parts of the energy trilemma when it comes to making decisions following the work of the NZ Battery project.
Southland iwi combatting climate crisis with native plants
23 Sep 2022
A Southland iwi-led environmental charity is gearing up to plant 300,000 natives on iconic Paharaaki/Coronet Peak in a bid to combat climate change.
NZ's first refrigerant gas destruction plant planned for Kawerau
23 Sep 2022
Aotearoa New Zealand’s first waste management facility to break down climate-damaging refrigerant gases could be operational as soon as 2024.
Best by the rest...
23 Sep 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in the local media: A biofuel mandate prompts economic and environmental criticism; new research in Australia reveals conservative voters care just as much about the environment as climate change activists; and slow lawmaking is making it difficult to act on environmental regulation in time.
How could positive 'tipping points' accelerate climate action?
23 Sep 2022
As catastrophic climate change tipping points loom, could positive shifts toward green action also be speeding up?
Christchurch City Council registers for ETS credits
22 Sep 2022
Christchurch City Council has made its first application for carbon credits under the Emissions Trading Scheme, voting last week to register about 300 hectares of regenerating native forest in Te Oka Reserve on Banks Peninsula.
Logistics company plans methanol-capable vessel
22 Sep 2022
Freight and logistics company MOVE is hoping to make its coastal operation greener with plans for a new methanol-capable vessel.
How colonialism spawned and continues to exacerbate the climate crisis
22 Sep 2022
We currently live in an epoch that geologists call the Holocene, which began soon after the last major ice age ended around 11,700 years ago. But for over two decades, some scientists have argued that the label is far too antiquated. In 2000, the term “Anthropocene” — ‘anthropo’ for human and ‘cene’ for new — gained prominence. It highlights how human activities dominate the Earth’s land, atmosphere, and oceans, significantly impacting its climate and natural ecosystems.
Price of NZUs at bottom end of what’s required to keep global warming below 2 degrees: World Bank
21 Sep 2022
NZUs are trading at the bottom end of what’s required by 2030 if the world is to keep global warming below 2 degrees, according to the World Bank’s State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2022 report.
Micromobility users want ICE vehicles phased out
21 Sep 2022
Nearly 90% of Kiwi micromobility users want petrol and diesel cars phased out, according to e-scooter and e-bike hire company Beam.
Zero Carbon Act might be tightened: Shaw
20 Sep 2022
Climate change minister James Shaw told a conference in Auckland, yesterday, that “based on recent court cases” the government might need to strengthen the Zero Carbon Act.
Forestry could crash the ETS
20 Sep 2022
Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr says, if left alone, the planting of pine trees purely for carbon credits will prevent the ETS from playing the part it should in reducing carbon emissions.
Blackrock moves into NZ energy sector
20 Sep 2022
The acquisition of solarZero by BlackRock Real Assets opens up the possibility of considerable investment in distributed solar in New Zealand and also the potential to expand the company’s model overseas.
California's dairy farm methane capture scheme may have "unintended consequences"
20 Sep 2022
Scientists and environmentalists say more data is needed on ammonia emissions resulting from California's dairy farm methane capture scheme.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
NZ hydrogen regulation to catch up with the world
18 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The government has announced a regulatory reset for New Zealand’s emerging clean tech hydrogen sector.
State-owned farmer drives profit growth with emissions reductions
19 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Government-owned Landcorp, trading as Pāmu, is one-third of the way to meeting its 2031 emissions reduction targets, with five years left to run to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30.3% against 2021 emissions.
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.
Uncertainty eroding confidence in forestry sector
5 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Warnings are mounting that tree planting is set to plunge to “very close to zero”, as new Ministry for Primary Industries data shows ETS registration applications falling sharply as confidence in forestry declines.
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.
