New Zealand: All stories
A $64 billion forestry question
29 Apr 2022
Modelling by economic consultancy Infometrics – commissioned by the Climate Forestry Association – has found removing exotics from the permanent forest category under the ETS will cost the country more than $64 billion over 15 years.
Urgent need to restore land and forests – expert reaction
29 Apr 2022
Up to 40% of the world’s land is degraded, says a major UN assessment of how countries manage and use land resources – soil, water and biodiversity. The Science Media Centre asked experts to comment.
Kiwi tech boosting UN Pacific Islands climate change initiative
29 Apr 2022
Kiwi tech is central to a United Nations environmental programme combating climate change and preventing the extinction of hundreds of endangered species in the Pacific Islands.
Best by the rest…
29 Apr 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in the local media: Zero-carbon commitments and supply chain strategy; expert advice on climate adaptation; and why electric vehicles will not save the planet.
Insurance Council calls for urgent action on climate adaptation
28 Apr 2022
The Insurance Council is disappointed the government isn’t acting urgently on climate change adaptation, with new legislation unlikely to be passed until 2024, according to the National Adaptation Plan released yesterday.
Anything but green: NZ near the bottom of international index
28 Apr 2022
New Zealand has been ranked 60th out of 76 nations in the “green society” section of MIT’s annual Green Future Index 2022.
Government releases draft climate change adaptation plan
27 Apr 2022
A half metre rise in sea levels would result in 36,000 buildings, 350 square kilometres of land and an extra 48,900 people in Aotearoa being exposed to flooding during extreme events – those startling figures give a glimpse of the challenges the just released draft National Adaptation Plan is attempting to deal with.
New ferries to electrify Auckland Harbour
27 Apr 2022
Two new fully electric ferries will launch in Auckland Harbour from 2024, with $27 million funding announced by the government yesterday. Megan Woods, Minister for Energy and Resources, says the ferries will each “displace” 1000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually.
Auckland Council in the dock over its transport emissions plans
26 Apr 2022
A case claiming Auckland Transport and Auckland Council’s transport plans fail to deliver any meaningful reductions in emissions gets underway in the Auckland High Court this morning.
New wood fuel partnership for biomass market
26 Apr 2022
Pioneer Energy and Niagara Sawmilling are combining forces to meet growing demand for biomass with a new partnership, Wood Energy New Zealand (WENZ), due to open for business on May 1.
Maori leaders divided on pine’s removal from permanent ETS settings
22 Apr 2022
By Liz Kivi | Maori are divided on plans to remove the permanent exotic forestry category from the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), with a newly formed forestry group claiming it will cost the Maori economy close to $7 billion.
Hydrogen cars nothing but greenwash: expert
22 Apr 2022
By Jeremy Rose | For Professor Susan Krumdieck it’s a case of déjà vu: Japanese car giant Toyota, with much fanfare, showcases its latest hydrogen cars. Cars that in the expert opinion of Krumdieck make neither economic nor environmental sense.
Best by the rest…
22 Apr 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in the local media: Why outdated legislation is getting in the way of climate action; improving transport to tackle the climate crisis; and startups taking on carbon emissions.
On a wing and a prayer: efforts to cut aviation’s carbon footprint
21 Apr 2022
If you jump on your bike and ride out to Christchurch airport for a coffee you can rest easy in the knowledge that your caffeine hit comes with little or no carbon footprint – if on the other hand you arrive or depart on a plane it’s a different, carbon intensive, story.
Stronger climate action needed: Forest and Bird
21 Apr 2022
The government’s new biodiversity strategy implementation plan, launched yesterday, needs stronger action from government economic agencies to protect New Zealand from the impacts of climate change, according to Forest and Bird.
Singapore and NZ agree to tackle “existential threat” of climate change
20 Apr 2022
New Zealand and Singapore have agreed to collaborate on a raft of initiatives aimed at tackling the "existential threat" of climate change.
New energy company planning grid-scale solar
20 Apr 2022
A collaboration of renewable energy developers from the United States and New Zealand have founded a new company promising grid-scale solar developments to lower energy prices and cut carbon emissions.
Riding bikes for climate a life-changer
19 Apr 2022
By Liz Kivi | Christchurch man Simon Kong has gone from non-cyclist to self-described cycling evangelist. Within the space of a year he sold his car, has clocked up 6,683 km cycling, and says he lives “98%” of his life on a bike.
A stocktake of ecological destruction
14 Apr 2022
The government’s latest stocktake of the state of the environment reads like an historical litany of ecological destruction.
Best by the rest…
14 Apr 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in the local media, the mismatch in media coverage of climate science and climate action, why businesses should be embracing bus or bike lanes instead of kerbside parking, and plans for New Zealand’s largest solar farm.
Return of inter-city rail welcomed
13 Apr 2022
The Save Our Trains Campaign says the return of key passenger services is a major win, but the government needs to do more to rebuild passenger rail throughout New Zealand.
Wellingtonians back light rail
13 Apr 2022
Light rail was by far the preferred option for a new mass transit system for the capital among those who submitted to last year's Let's Get Wellington Moving public consultation.
Covid stalls NZ's GHG emissions
12 Apr 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has achieved what politicians have failed to do for decades: stall the growth in New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Community group hopes to slash emissions with e-trikes
12 Apr 2022
By Liz Kivi | A Christchurch community organisation supplying organic veggies to low-income households is crowdfunding for cargo e-trikes to cut carbon emissions from their deliveries.
Hydrogen 11 times worse than CO2 for climate: new report
12 Apr 2022
Hydrogen will be one of humanity's key weapons in the war against carbon dioxide emissions, but it must be treated with care. New reports show how fugitive hydrogen emissions can indirectly produce warming effects 11 times worse than those of CO2.
Vegan marketing expert shocked at NZ's campaign against "plant-based" diet
11 Apr 2022
By Liz Kivi | The creator of a vegan online guide is disappointed that New Zealand was instrumental in removing a call for “plant-based” diets from the summary of the latest IPCC report.
New directory to help businesses slash carbon
11 Apr 2022
A business directory launching tomorrow aims to reduce carbon emissions and waste by helping businesses transition to a circular economy.
World is at one minute to midnight on the climate clock
8 Apr 2022
When it comes to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees the clock is at one minute to midnight, a Dutch expert told a Primary Production select committee briefing on biogenic methane yesterday.
Best by the rest…
8 Apr 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in the local media, the Supreme Court agrees to hear a landmark climate case, and the Climate Commissioner says Aotearoa must take urgent action to lower emissions.
$1.5 billion urgently needed for flood protection: local government group
7 Apr 2022
Te Uru Kahika - Regional and Unitary Councils Aotearoa’s Chief Executive Officers Group is calling on the government to commit $1.5 billion over the next decade for flood protection.
Home-grown almonds promise to lower nuts' carbon footprint
7 Apr 2022
Promoters of a local almond industry claim it will produce nuts with a lower carbon footprint than the imported competition.
New Zealand’s 150 million tonne carbon headache
6 Apr 2022
How to best reduce New Zealand’s stockpile of more than 150 million carbon credits is one of the conundrums being worked through by the Climate Change Commission as it prepares its recommendations to government on future unit limits and price controls.
New Zealand shouldn't rule out nuclear power: IPCC review editor
5 Apr 2022
By Liz Kivi | Massey University Emeritus Professor Ralph Sims says New Zealand shouldn’t rule out nuclear power as part of efforts to reduce carbon emissions.
Kiwi climate expert says civil disobedience not enough
5 Apr 2022
Massey University's Professor Bruce Glavovic, a former IPCC lead author, says a campaign of civil disobedience being waged by scientists around the world demanding urgent action on climate change doesn’t go far enough. “It’s necessary but not sufficient.”
He Waka Eke Noa documents seriously flawed: experts
4 Apr 2022
Three leading agriculture experts say the He Waka Eke Noa documents are seriously flawed and need to be reworked to ensure any greenhouse gas levies in the agriculture sector are used for research and development relating to methane and nitrous oxide mitigation.
ACT takes aim at National's climate policies
4 Apr 2022
The ACT Party is using National's recruitment of the NZ Initiative's former senior economist and leading proponent of the "leave it to the ETS" school of thought, Matt Burgess, to criticise the opposition party's climate policies.
Government to set up advisory group on decarbonising aviation
1 Apr 2022
The New Zealand government is set to follow the UK’s example and set up a public – private advisory body focussed on decarbonising aviation.
Best by the rest...
1 Apr 2022
Our weekly roundup of notable climate change stories featured in the local media is back. Stuff’s Forever Project released the March/April issue of its magazine this week, a climate change commissioner on climate adaption, and why New Zealand shouldn’t be closing its railways.
Climate change policy adding to farmers' worries
31 Mar 2022
Worries about climate change policy impacting their business are adding to farmers’ stress, with the latest Rabobank survey finding 68% of farmers were “very concerned” about future climate change policy.
Time for cryptocurrency regulations: academics
31 Mar 2022
Aotearoa needs a future-facing regulatory framework to limit the use of energy-hungry cryptocurrencies, academics Nathan Cooper and Michael Dizon write in The Conversation.
Greenpeace calls on ECan to phase out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser
30 Mar 2022
Greenpeace has launched a petition to push Environment Canterbury (ECan) to phase out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, saying it is directly responsible for rising bowel cancer rates in the region as well as increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
Aotearoa and Fiji commit to combatting climate change
30 Mar 2022
Fiji prime minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama and New Zealand minister of foreign affairs Nanaia Mahuta yesterday signed a document pledging their countries to combatting climate change.
Canada lays out C$9.1 billion roadmap to meet 2030 climate targets
30 Mar 2022
Canada released its first real roadmap to meeting 2030 climate targets on Tuesday, laying out detailed plans and C$9.1 billion in new spending to cut planet-warming carbon emissions after years failing to meet its goals.
Super Fund teams up with Danes to explore massive offshore wind project
29 Mar 2022
The NZ Super Fund and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners have formed a joint company to explore the feasibility of an offshore windfarm in Taranaki that could supply 11% of New Zealand's current electricity demand.
Windfarm upgrade on path to fast-tracked consent process
29 Mar 2022
Environment minister David Parker has accepted NZ Windfarms' application to refer the Te Rere Hau wind farm repowering project to an expert consenting panel for consideration under the COVID-19 Recovery Fast-track Consenting Act (FTCA).
A bold idea to stall climate crisis - build better trees
29 Mar 2022
Changing the genetic makeup of trees could supercharge their ability to suck up carbon dioxide. But are forests of frankentrees really a good idea?
NZ ETS could be a model for the world: Matt Burgess
28 Mar 2022
Last Friday was Matt Burgess’s last day as a senior economist at the NZ Initiative. His final report for the thinktank, Pretence of Necessity, is a strident argument for leaving all of the heavy lifting in reducing New Zealand’s emissions to the ETS.
The impact of deforestation goes beyond carbon emissions: new study
28 Mar 2022
The deforestation of tropical areas is even more impactful on the climate cycle than previously thought, according to a March 2022 study published in
Government slashes Tiwai smelter’s carbon allocation
25 Mar 2022
Cabinet has approved a decision to remove part of the New Zealand Aluminium Smelter’s free allocation of carbon credits – costing the owners at least $60 million a year.
Minister responds to PCE hydrogen letter
25 Mar 2022
Minister for the environment Megan Woods has thanked the parliamentary commissioner for the environment, Simon Upton, for his letter highlighting concerns about the development of a green hydrogen industry but says the government sees real potential for the gas in New Zealand's energy mix.
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.
