New Zealand: All stories
Govt gives cautious welcome to US-European methane pledge
20 Sep 2021
Climate Change minister James Shaw says it’s great to see the EU and US committing to reducing methane emissions by 30% over the next nine years but isn’t committing the government to signing New Zealand up just yet.
NZU stockpile grows
20 Sep 2021
The NZU stockpile has grown from 134.5 million in March to 138.4 million at the end of June, according to figures just released by the Environmental Protection Authority.
Battle lines being drawn over role of pine in climate change mitigation
17 Sep 2021
The Environmental Defence Society has called for an “urgent reset” of the Emissions Trading Scheme to avoid large swathes of the countryside being covered in pine plantations
What are the biophysical limits to growth?
17 Sep 2021
Steve Keen, one of the world's leading heterodox economists, is among a high-powered panel of multi-disciplinary experts debating the biophysical limits of growth next Monday.
Is a climate emergency delayed, a climate emergency denied?
16 Sep 2021
The Government has pushed back its Emission Reduction Plan by five months leading to accusations that its declaration of a climate emergency, last year, was “virtue signalling.”
NZ's climate change policies rated "highly insufficient"
16 Sep 2021
New Zealand’s climate change policies have been rated “highly Insufficient” by Climate Action Tracker.
Waste to energy plant proposed for Waimate
15 Sep 2021
A joint venture between a New Zealand firm and Spanish and Chinese waste technology companies is investigating harvesting energy from South Island landfills.
Media goes potty over toilet trained cows
14 Sep 2021
There was never any doubt that a scientific paper on the viability of toilet training cows to fight climate change, released today, would be a hit with news editors. And they didn’t disappoint with, ‘No Bull,’ ‘Moos in the Loo’ and ‘Potty trained cows’ making headlines in media reports around the globe.
New Norwegian wind turbine five times more efficient
14 Sep 2021
Norwegian company Wind Catching Systems is developing a floating, multi-turbine technology for wind farms that could generate five times the annual energy of the world’s largest, single wind turbine.
Price of carbon drives new forestry fund
13 Sep 2021
A new fund to finance the planting of pines trees on marginal agricultural land has been launched today.
Are our spooks driving EVs?
13 Sep 2021
Have you ever wondered whether our spies prefer Teslas to gas guzzlers? Well, keep on wondering - apparently it's a state secret.
Latest Energy Quarterly sees NZ breaking all the wrong records
10 Sep 2021
MBIE’s latest Energy Quarterly is a litany of negative records, with coal imports and emissions from electricity generation hitting all time highs, and the share of renewable generation the lowest since 2013.
Is the price of carbon beginning to bite?
9 Sep 2021
For years critics of the ETS said the price of NZUs were too low to make a difference. With NZUs smashing through the $65 mark, this week, that could be changing.
Digital twins key to creating net-zero cities
9 Sep 2021
Digital twins of buildings and cities could become an essential tool in the battle against climate change, according to technology experts.
Kiwis lack the urgency of others in face of climate change
8 Sep 2021
An international survey has found New Zealanders have a lower sense of urgency about climate change than most their international peers.
Around 10% of science grants go to climate related research
8 Sep 2021
In the midst of a self-declared climate emergency the government has committed around 10% of this year’s Endeavour Fund to projects tackling climate change.
Less than a third of transport spend goes to emission cutting initiatives
7 Sep 2021
Less than a third of the $24.3 billion being spent by the government on transport services and infrastructure over the next three years will go towards public transport, railways, and improvements to cycling and walking infrastructure.
Full frontal attack on dairy farming by oat milk producer
6 Sep 2021
Oat milk producer, Otis has today launched a fund to help farmers switch from dairy farming to growing oats.
Waikato University launches world’s first Bachelor of Climate Change degree
6 Sep 2021
Waikato University is claiming a world first with its launch of a new Bachelor of Climate Change degree on Friday.
Cataract surgery top target for reducing emissions in health care
6 Sep 2021
But Dr Jesse Gale, a Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Otago, Wellington, says reducing the carbon emissions of our most commonly-performed surgical procedure could also aid in the fight against climate change.
Foreign investment to speed up EV charging network roll out
3 Sep 2021
International energy trading company Mercuria has taken a 20% stake in ChargeNet – the country’s leading EV charging network.
NZU price soars despite CCR “safety valve”
2 Sep 2021
If the purpose of the Cost Containment Reserve is to act as “a safety valve” to prevent NZU prices going significantly above the trigger price – it doesn't appear to be working.
Wellington Regional Council looks forward to congestion charging
2 Sep 2021
The Greater Wellington Regional Council is calling on the government to make mode-shift, rather than EVS, the cornerstone of its transport decarbonisation strategy.
Almost a third of world’s tree species face extinction: report
2 Sep 2021
Almost a third of the world’s tree species are at risk of extinction, while hundreds are on the brink of being wiped out, according to a new report.
Climate Change Minister responds to ETS auction
1 Sep 2021
“The Government is committed to balancing out the additional units released today to ensure there is no overall impact on emissions released into the atmosphere," climate change minister James Shaw said in a statement today.
NZU price crashes through CCR
1 Sep 2021
THE third NZ ETS auction cleared at $53.85 today - the first time the cost containment reserve has been breached.
Are Auckland's floods climate change in action?
1 Sep 2021
Inevitably, when freak floods or wildfires strike a nation we ask, is it the result of climate change? The Science Media Centre has helpfully sought the views of the country's leading experts to help answer that question in relation to the floods in Auckland.
Jump in number of non-obligatory players entering ETS
31 Aug 2021
Nearly two thirds of bids in the last ETS auction in June came from entities that didn’t have compliance obligations.
10 YEARS AGO...
31 Aug 2021
Ten years ago, public health specialist Dr Rhys Jones warned the government was likely to face Treaty of Waitangi claims over its lack of action on climate change - the "defining public health issue of the century".
KiwiRail’s potential carbon savings sailing away: unions
30 Aug 2021
Two of the countries largest transport unions claim an “outdated” state-owned enterprise model has seen KiwiRail opt for second-best when it comes to the environment with the purchase of new hybrid-diesel ferries to ply the Cook Strait.
Renewable energy and coal use both up
27 Aug 2021
The good news is that New Zealand’s use of renewable energy hit an all-time high of 40% last year, the not so good news is that coal accounted for 5% of electricity production– its highest share since 2013.
Sweet taste of carbon neutrality
27 Aug 2021
Listed Manuka honey producer Comvita has committed itself to being carbon neutral by 2025 and carbon positive by 2030.
Questions, questions, questions….
26 Aug 2021
Climate change is the existential question of our age, so it’s hardly surprising it generates more than a few parliamentary written questions…. but too often those questions reveal more about the petty political point scoring of New Zealand politics than the climate emergency.
Emissions reduction consultation document on its way
25 Aug 2021
The government is set to launch a consultation document on its emission reduction plan, possibly as soon as next week.
Maersk spends £1bn on ‘carbon neutral’ container ships
25 Aug 2021
The world’s biggest shipping company is investing $1.4bn (£1bn) to speed up its switch to carbon neutral operations, ordering eight container vessels that can be fuelled by green methanol as well as traditional bunker fuel .
KiwiSaver funds slowly divesting from fossil fuels
24 Aug 2021
KiwiSaver funds’ investments in fossil fuel companies fell by $331 million in the six months to March, according to data released by ethical investment charity Mindful Money.
NZU price jumps on announced increase in CCR trigger price
23 Aug 2021
The price of NZUs broke through the $50 mark today for the first time on news that the government is increasing the Cost Containment Reserve trigger price to $70 next year.
Getting Wellington moving will save 1000 tonnes of CO2 per year
20 Aug 2021
Changes proposed for Wellington’s active and public transport systems are predicted to reduce CO2 emissions by 1000 tonnes a year by significantly increasing the uptake of public and active transport
Climate Change investors group throws weight behind mandatory reporting
19 Aug 2021
The Investor Group on Climate Change – which includes Australian and New Zealand funds with more than $3.2 trillion under management – says the number of investors making climate-related disclosures remains too low and mandatory reporting is required.
Swiss announce climate disclosure timeline
19 Aug 2021
The Swiss government on Wednesday joined a small number of rich countries that have set a timeline for major companies to disclose the risks they face from climate change.
Waste material from bauxite mining helps create climate-friendly cement
19 Aug 2021
A climate-friendly cement has been developed that produces up to two-thirds fewer carbon emissions during its production than conventional cement.
Carbon making good returns on the NZX
18 Aug 2021
New Zealand’s only carbon fund has more than trebled in size since the beginning of the year and is now worth close to $35 million.
Date set for Climate Commission court case
18 Aug 2021
The High Court will hear a case brought by Lawyers for Climate Action NZ objecting to the Climate Change Commission's recommendations to the Government at the end of February.
Public sector ill-prepared for climate change
17 Aug 2021
Eighty-five percent of public organisations responding to a Ministry for the Environment survey admitted to not documenting how climate change will impact their ability to carry out their functions.
Charging Kiwis the true cost of driving will get them out of their cars
17 Aug 2021
The Conversation: In light of last week’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report confirming human activity is “unequivocally” driving global warming, here’s a striking statistic: in Auckland, road transport modes are responsible for 35% of the city’s climate-altering emissions.
NZ could be at forefront of blue carbon market: report
16 Aug 2021
Government support is needed if New Zealand is to position itself at the forefront of an emerging market in seaweed-based environmental services including ‘blue carbon’, a report released today says.
NZUs set to cross the Rubicon
13 Aug 2021
The price of NZUs have been edging closer and closer to the $50 mark this week, with the spot price on both the Commtrade and Carbon Match secondary markets reaching $49.80 this morning.
Natural catastrophe losses hit $40 billion
13 Aug 2021
A deep winter freeze, hailstorms and wildfires led to natural catastrophe losses of $40 billion in the firsthalf of 2021, Swiss Re Institute’s preliminary estimates showed on Thursday.
Covid suppresses NZ's greenhouse gases
12 Aug 2021
NEW ZEALAND'S greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were down 4.5% in the year ended March 2021, reflecting the impact of COVID-19 on the economy and society a year since restrictions began, Stats NZ said today.
Hutt City to switch to LED lights
12 Aug 2021
The Hutt City Council will replace its 14,200 streetlights with LEDs, introduce EVs for its rubbish and recycling service, and phase out natural gas at all its facilities under a just released Carbon Reduction Plan
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.
Govt resilience plan 'dangerous fantasy' - thinktank
Fri 29 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | An independent thinktank, whose members include former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer and multiple academics, is warning that the government’s long-term resilience strategy ignores physical and energy realities and exposes Kiwi households and businesses to systemic failure.
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.
