New Zealand: All stories
NZ drops below China on Climate Change Performance Index
10 Nov 2021
New Zealand has dropped seven places – and is now ranked below the world’s biggest polluter, China – on the Climate Change Performance Index.
NZ’s biggest GHG emitters ranked
10 Nov 2021
For the first time the Environmental Protection Authority has published a list of the country’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters
Climate is the ‘biggest single opportunity’ the insurance industry has ever seen: Lloyd's
10 Nov 2021
CLIMATE is the “ultimate systemic risk” and represents “the biggest single opportunity the insurance industry has ever seen,” according to the CEO of the centuries-old insurance market Lloyd’s.
ClimCom looking into potential farm subsidies
9 Nov 2021
The Climate Change Commission is looking into what, if any, assistance should be provided to farmers to meet the costs of an agriculture pricing scheme.
Cabinet watered-down James Shaw’s proposal for revised NDC
8 Nov 2021
A leaked Cabinet paper has revealed climate change minister James Shaw failed to convince Cabinet to include agriculture in New Zealand’s net zero commitments, and that Treasury and MBIE both opposed more ambitious climate targets.
Government’s NDC to be challenged in court
5 Nov 2021
The legality of New Zealand’s recently announced nationally determined contribution will be tested in court next February.
Yet another consultation: tyres and batteries
5 Nov 2021
Critics of the government’s climate change policies tend to focus on the lack of results when it comes to emission reductions. But if success was measured in consultation documents the government would be doing somewhat better.
NZ cheers on methane reduction pledge from the sidelines
4 Nov 2021
The government has joined more than 100 countries in endorsing the Global Methane Pledge – with its commitment to a global reduction in methane emissions of at least 30% by 2030 - but isn’t budging on its own target of just 10%.
New Zealand’s new climate pledge is a step up, but not a ‘fair share’
2 Nov 2021
MASSEY UNIVERSITY professor in applied mathematics Robert McLachlan crunches the numbers behind New Zealand's new Nationally Determined Contribution and finds they fall short of what's required in terms of climate justice and the climate.
Government commits to halving NZ emissions with billions of dollars of offshore offsets
1 Nov 2021
The government yesterday announced a more ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution that will see the “the amount of pollution NZ is responsible for” halved by 2030.
More than $100bn in public investments to be climate friendly
29 Oct 2021
The government has announced a new “responsible investment framework” that will see the more than $100bn managed by Crown Financial Institutions required to be aligned with the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
First priority of COP26 ending exponential economic growth: Wise Response
29 Oct 2021
The Wise Response Society, a group of eminent New Zealanders that includes scientists, engineers, lawyers (former PM Sir Geoffrey Palmer among them), artists and sports people is calling on the government to promote the end of exponential economic growth at COP26.
Climate change most significant risk ever faced by financial system: Adrian Orr
27 Oct 2021
CLIMATE CHANGE poses the most significant risk ever confronted by the financial system - both locally and internationally, Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr told a media briefing yesterday.
Forests under attack from feral animals: Forest & Bird
27 Oct 2021
An out-of-control invasion of wild deer, pigs, and goats is destroying New Zealand’s future forests and carbon sinks, says Forest & Bird.
This concrete can eat carbon emissions
27 Oct 2021
Concrete is responsible for more than four percent of all global CO2 emissions. In the race to find alternatives, some companies are using it to sequester CO2 instead.
Aotearoa first country to pass climate reporting law
22 Oct 2021
AOTEAROA has become the first country in the world to pass a law requiring companies to disclose climate-related risks and opportunities.
NZ study finds airborne microplastics directly impact climate change
22 Oct 2021
New Zealand scientists recently found that microplastics – which are in our rivers, oceans, and land – are also in the air we breathe. Now local scientists have discovered airborne microplastic pollution is likely to directly affect climate change.
Strong business support for mandatory climate change risk reporting
21 Oct 2021
Eighty-six per cent of businesses that made submissions on the Climate Related Disclosures Bill supported mandatory disclosure, climate change minister James Shaw told a briefing on a governance and risk management consultation document released yesterday.
Majority of Kiwis believe there's nothing more they can do to cut emissions
21 Oct 2021
ONLY 40% of New Zealanders believe they could do more to cut down on their emissions to help tackle climate change.
Bi-partisan housing accord a win for environment
20 Oct 2021
Environmental groups are hailing yesterday’s announcement of bi-partisan support for higher density housing as a win for the environment and the battle against climate change.
New UN endorsed right to a healthy environment could speed up NZ climate action
20 Oct 2021
Associate professor of law Nathan Cooper argues that a recent UN decision recognising the right to a healthy environment could have implications for New Zealand's methane emissions in this Conversation piece.
‘Eco-score’ labels make shopping more sustainable
20 Oct 2021
Neon yellows, soothing blues, and revitalizing greens: the average supermarket aisle is a riotous, colorful battle for a customer’s attention, according to Dr. Brian Cook, a senior researcher at the University of Oxford.
Climate Leaders Coalition report a 7% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions
19 Oct 2021
Improvements in energy efficiency, EV uptake and covid-19 have contributed to a 7% reduction in 2020 emission levels among signatories to the Climate Leaders Coalition – which includes some of New Zealand’s biggest companies.
Vermont brewery turns carbon emissions into beer bubbles
19 Oct 2021
Fans of Heady Topper, one of Vermont’s first popular craft beers, can now consume the brewery’s carbon emissions.
Government commits $1.3 billion to climate change aid
18 Oct 2021
The government has this morning announced a four-fold increase in the support it provides to countries most vulnerable to climate change.
From a throwaway society to a circular economy
18 Oct 2021
New Zealanders are world leaders when it comes to dumping waste in landfills – in 2018 we chucked out the equivalent of 730kg per person – and all that waste ends up contributing about 4% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.
NZ ranks 9th in KPMG Net Zero Readiness Survey
15 Oct 2021
NEW ZEALAND'S agri-food sector is ranked first for decarbonisation in KPMG’s Net Zero Readiness Survey – a result that will be welcomed by the farming industry and raise eyebrows among environmentalists.
Plant-based jet fuel could reduce emissions by 68%
15 Oct 2021
Replacing petroleum-based aviation fuel with sustainable aviation fuel derived from a type of mustard plant can reduce carbon emissions by up to 68%, according to new research from University of Georgia scientist Puneet Dwivedi.
"Udder bullshit", leave it to the ETS, way to go: lobby groups respond to ERP
14 Oct 2021
Yesterday’s release of a discussion document on the government’s Emissions Reduction Plan has resulted in a flood of press releases. The verdicts range from “udder bullshit” and leave to the ETS to you’re on the right track but you’re not going fast enough.
Experts respond to ERP discussion document
14 Oct 2021
The Science Media Centre has compiled some expert reactions to the government's discussion document on its Emissions Reduction Plan.
Govt proposes allowing more emissions in the short-term and steeper cuts in the future
13 Oct 2021
THE government is proposing increasing the emissions budget recommended by the Climate Change Commission for the 2022-25 period by 2 megatonnes carbon dioxide equivalents, followed by cuts of 5Mt CO2e for the 2026-30 period, and 11 Mt CO2e in the 2031 – 31 period.
Handbook aims to empower community to restore the country’s wetlands
12 Oct 2021
Aotearoa lost nearly 5500 hectares of wetlands between 1996 and 2020, that’s one of the more startling facts in a handbook being launched today.
KiwiRail signs deal for new locomotives
12 Oct 2021
KiwiRail says the 57 new locomotives they've just ordered from a Spanish firm could potentially cut fleet emissions by 20 - 25%.
NZ a laggard in climate change related patents
11 Oct 2021
Only two OECD countries – Latvia and Indonesia – rank behind New Zealand in terms of the percentage of patent applications related to climate change mitigation, according a just released “dashboard” comparing the organisation’s 38 member states on a range of climate change related metrics.
Spike in number of NZUs traded in September
11 Oct 2021
Last month there were 436 trades of NZUs on the secondary market compared to 195 in September 2020.
Iron battery breakthrough could eat lithium’s lunch
11 Oct 2021
The world’s electric grids are creaking under the pressure of volatile fossil-fuel prices and the imperative of weaning the world off polluting energy sources. A solution may be at hand, thanks to an innovative battery that’s a cheaper alternative to lithium-ion technology.
Snowball’s chance in hell of enticing Greta here
7 Oct 2021
Hell’s Pizza’s publicity-driven stunt of inviting Greta Thunberg to visit one of its restaurants has a snowball’s chance in hell of enticing the climate activist to Aotearoa.
Sleeper pests woken up by climate change
7 Oct 2021
Turtles could become the Bay of Plenty's next major pest due to a warming climate.
Maori land-burning practices triggered a major rise in carbon emissions 700 years ago
7 Oct 2021
The arrival of the Maori to New Zealand in the 14th Century led to a major increase in black carbon emissions in the Southern Hemisphere, Antarctic ice core study shows.
NZ tops list of highest CO2 emissions per capita since 1850
6 Oct 2021
New Zealand is arguably responsible for the highest per capita emissions of carbon dioxide emissions since the beginning of the industrial revolution, according to a just released report by Carbon Brief.
Carbon credit blockchain platform launched
5 Oct 2021
In a move that will be seen as ironic by some, a new tool allowing users to buy verified carbon credits on the blockchain has been launched in New Zealand.
Electricity pilot could be key to net zero future: energy minister
5 Oct 2021
A pilot allowing electricity customers to contract with multiple electricity suppliers could be a key to a net zero future, minister for energy and resources Megan Woods says.
Climate change ambassador and lower bus fares among responses to increased emissions news
4 Oct 2021
Local bodies around the motu responded to last week’s news that greenhouse gas emissions had hit all time highs in 2019 with everything from the promised appointment of a climate change ambassador to the possibility of free public transport.
Marine heatwaves could have dire impact on NZ fisheries
4 Oct 2021
The ocean around New Zealand is getting warmer, and extreme warming events have become more frequent over the past years. New research shows these marine heatwaves could have devastating impacts on ocean ecosystems.
PM urged to go hard and go early against climate change
4 Oct 2021
Prime minister Jacinda Ardern is being urged to go hard and go early against climate change in an open letter being promoted by activist group Extinction Rebellion
Otago-led study calls for change to Building Code
1 Oct 2021
Changing the Building Code to enforce construction of highly energy-efficient housing could help New Zealand reach its 100 per cent renewable energy goal, a University of Otago-led study shows.
Only policy action can burst the carbon bubble: experts
1 Oct 2021
While strides are being made to use investment as a route to transition away from fossil fuels, policy action is what will really turn the dial, according to experts.
The net zero trap
1 Oct 2021
As more countries pledge to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to zero by midcentury, one could be forgiven for thinking that the world is finally making real progress on climate change.
Climate change will add to Aotearoa’s debt burden: Treasury
30 Sep 2021
Climate change is likely to see net debt increase by at least 4% of GDP over the next 40 years, according to just released Treasury modelling.
Plastic and climate crises are linked
30 Sep 2021
For the first time, an interdisciplinary team of scientists collected evidence on how both global problems exacerbate one another, creating a dangerous cycle. The researchers identified three significant ways that the climate change crisis and marine plastic pollution are connected.
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
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.
