New Zealand: All stories
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.
Seagrass: The plant that removes carbon 30 times faster than a rainforest
30 Sep 2021
WWF has teamed up with Sky to promote their ‘Force for Nature’ campaign, an effort to repopulate the UK’s coasts with carbon-capturing seagrass.
Greenhouse gas emissions up by 2.1% in 2019
29 Sep 2021
Greenhouse gas emissions increased by 2.1% in 2019 according to figures released by Stats NZ today.
Car dealer imports extra utes to avoid high emissions levy
29 Sep 2021
Auckland car dealership Simon Lucas Mitsubishi put out a press release yesterday saying it had secured a shipment of 2021 Mitsubishi Tritons – allowing people to avoid the high emissions levy due to come into force next year.
Green hydrogen’s falling costs undermines case for blue hydrogen
29 Sep 2021
New research predicts that green hydrogen — a clean fuel produced from water using renewables — will be comparable in cost and likely cheaper than blue hydrogen by 2030.
Close to 50% of cars will be ICE vehicles in 2050 under current policy settings
28 Sep 2021
Up to 45% of New Zealand’s light vehicle fleet would remain ICE vehicles in 2050 if the government relied on the Clean Car Discount and Standard alone, the minister of transport, Michael Wood, has said in response to a written question from National’s David Bennett.
'Just transitions' focus of latest Policy Quarterly
27 Sep 2021
The latest issue of Victoria University's Policy Quarterly is focussed on 'just transitions' - the idea that the transition to a zero carbon economy can be done in a way that benefits everyone.
Getting fuel prices right is key to reducing carbon emissions: IMF
27 Sep 2021
Global fossil fuel subsidies amounted to $6 trillion in 2020, with more than 70 per cent reflecting "undercharging" for environmental costs, which makes it imperative to set the right price for fuels to reduce carbon emissions, the International Monetary Fund has said.
Government’s green building plans lack urgency
24 Sep 2021
An assessment of the government’s climate change policies in the construction sector, by the non-profit Green Building Council, says they lack urgency and threatens the country’s chances of meeting its climate targets.
Climate change mitigation reshaping capital’s streets
24 Sep 2021
A commitment to cutting the city’s GHG emissions has seen Wellington City Council greenlight consultation on a plan that will see 147km of cycle paths rolled out over the next 10 years.
Time to ditch light diesel vehicles: public health experts
23 Sep 2021
An opinion piece published in this month’s NZ Medical Journal calls for the introduction of a scrappage fee for diesel vehicles, bringing forward the year in which ICE vehicle importation is banned, and a ban on advertising of any vehicles that don’t meet the latest European emission standards.
KiwiRail obtains climate certified loan for ferries
23 Sep 2021
KiwiRail is the first company in the world to have a shipping loan certified under the Climate Bonds Initiative Framework – despite having come in for criticism for opting for a hybrid diesel system over a bio-methanol one with lower emissions.
Investment in infrastructure key to achieving circular economy
22 Sep 2021
If New Zealand is to achieve a low carbon, circular economy it needs to invest in infrastructure that enables the reprocessing and redistribution of goods and materials, according to a report being released by the Sustainable Business Network today.
Coal prices surge as power crunch upends effort to cut emissions
22 Sep 2021
Prices for coal are surging around the world as a shortage of natural gas spurs demand for the dirtiest fossil fuel to generate electricity.
NZ climate change plan a missed opportunity to save thousands of lives and billions of dollars
21 Sep 2021
The Climate Change Commission’s final advice to government fails to take account of the potential health benefits of climate change mitigation measures that have the potential to save thousands of lives and billions of dollars in health costs, according to a paper published in the New Zealand Medical Journal.
Taranaki protests planned to coincide with COP26
21 Sep 2021
Environmentalist group, Climate Justice Taranaki is coordinating a series of protests to coincide with the COP26 talks in Glasgow in November.
Climate change ETFs found to be undermining war on global warming
21 Sep 2021
Climate-focused investment funds are undermining the fight against global warming by routinely engaging in greenwashing, academic research has claimed.
Deadwood releasing 10.9 gigatons of carbon every year
21 Sep 2021
Decaying wood releases around 10.9 gigatons of carbon worldwide every year, according to a new study by an international team of scientists.
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".
Local govt shake-up risks weakened environmental outcomes – Commissioner
Fri 27 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government’s push to simplify local government is "deeply flawed" and has been launched without a clear understanding of which functions must remain regional, according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
Govt plan to encourage new energy investment won’t cut costs for ordinary Kiwis
Thu 26 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | While gentailers and major energy users have welcomed the Government’s plan to leverage public sector demand to drive new energy projects, an expert says it is unlikely to reduce prices for ordinary people.
Govt's solar on farms initiative to cut costs, boost resilience
17 Feb 2026
Farms across Aotearoa will begin installing solar panels and battery systems as part of a government-backed demonstration programme designed to test whether on-farm renewable energy can reduce electricity costs and improve energy security for the food and fibre sector.
Annual emissions fell to lowest in 15 years in Sept 2025
5 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions fell to their lowest annual total in the year to September 2025 since records began 2010, according to Statistics New Zealand data published this morning.
NZ’s EV uptake decelerates
23 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s EV uptake is lagging behind other countries, with a huge drop in EV sales since 2023 bucking international trends, at the same time the Government contemplates abolishing its standard for clean cars entirely.
Tairāwhiti needs proper Govt support to heal the land – not empty announcements for political optics
Tue 24 Feb 2026
OPINION: The Government’s answer to Tairāwhiti’s severe erosion crisis – that the region apply for modest, contestable funding rounds – while rejecting the region's own land transition business case, leaves our long-term resilience hanging in the balance, writes Manu Caddie.
Kiwi startup takes on global plastic pollution
12 Feb 2026
A New Zealand startup is launching what it says is the world’s first plastic-free effervescent drink tablet, with the ambitious aim of eliminating bottled beverages to reduce global plastic pollution.
