New Zealand: All stories
POLITICS: Carbon pricing plans about due
29 May 2020
Whether the Government will go ahead with plans to lift the maximum carbon price this year could become clear next week.
Government ignores experts in water plan
29 May 2020
New Zealand’s government has been praised for listening to health experts in its pandemic response, but when it comes to dealing with pollution of the country’s waterways, scientific advice seems less important.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW >
29 May 2020
Sunday is the last day for emitters to pay for their 2019 emissions – either by surrendering carbon credits or paying the Government $25 for every tonne of liable emissions.
Green bailouts will let airlines off the hook
29 May 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has grounded thousands of aircraft, contributing to the largest-ever annual fall in CO2 emissions. But at some point the planes will fly again and with them, global emissions.
Clean energy cracker thing in a crisis
29 May 2020
Clean-energy companies are doing better in the covid-19 crisis than their fossil-fuel counterparts, says analytics company GlobalData.
Tough new water laws put heat on farmers
28 May 2020
Dairy farmers will have to disclose how much synthetic nitrogen fertiliser they are putting on their land under new rules expected to clean up waterways and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
NZ partners Singapore on new carbon markets
28 May 2020
New Zealand is to work with Singapore on developing international carbon markets and low-carbon technology such as hydrogen.
Climate change keeps sustainability staff busy
28 May 2020
Climate change is the top priority for sustainability professionals working in New Zealand, new research shows.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
28 May 2020
Only three more days to Surrender Day – Sunday is the last day for emitters to pay-up for their emissions last year.
We're sitting on remains of a giant volcanic plume
28 May 2020
Back in the 1970s, scientists came up with a revolutionary idea about how Earth’s deep interior works.
How dangerous is low-level radiation for kids?
27 May 2020
A rethink on the risks of low-level radiation would imperil the nuclear industry’s future − perhaps why there’s never been one.
Cities critical to climate, Wellington tells Govt
26 May 2020
One of the country's largest local authorities says the Government 's plans for urban development are at odds with its programme for combatting climate change.
Simpson happy with his lot
26 May 2020
Coromandel MP Scott Simpson says he’s pleased to have kept the climate and environment portfolios in yesterday’s National Party reshuffle but had no say in the matter.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
26 May 2020
The Climate Action Tracker international climate science coalition holds an online summit today on achieving net-zero emissions energy systems.
Why a bullet train could increase greenhouse gas emissions
26 May 2020
Bullet trains are back on Australia's political agenda. As the major parties look for ways to stimulate the economy after the COVID-19 crisis, Labor is again spruiking its vision of linking Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra and Brisbane with high-speed trains similar to the Eurostar, France’s TGV or Japan’s Shinkansen.
Recyclable bricks and concrete the way of the future
26 May 2020
Bricks, concrete and other construction materials could one day be made from recycled PVC, waste plant-fibre or sand, thanks to a remarkable new kind of rubber polymer.
Muller's got 'very strong views' on cutting carbon
25 May 2020
New National Party leader Todd Muller says the drive toward a low-emissions economy should continue despite the effects of the covid-19 pandemic on the economy.
German coal generator fights Dutch coal phase-out
25 May 2020
Uniper is threatening to sue the Dutch government over a plan to phase out coal power by 2030, in a case experts warn could have a chilling effect on climate ambition internationally.
Electric bikes could halve transport emissions
25 May 2020
Replacing just 20 per cent of car miles travelled with e-bike travel could cut Britain's greenhouse gas emissions from transport by up to eight million tonnes a year, new research shows.
POLITICS: It looks like more of the same
22 May 2020
The outcome of National’s leadership stoush today is unlikely to affect the party’s approach to climate policy.
Waste operator cuts gas emissions
22 May 2020
Waste Management has cut greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations – but emissions from the rubbish it deals with are climbing.
Regional rail wins funding for business case
22 May 2020
A proposal for new trains to replace diesel engines with electric and expand Wellington’s regional rail service has won Government funding – but only to see if the business case stacks up.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
22 May 2020
Today is the last day for expressions of interest for funding under the latest round of the Government’s Waste Minimisation Scheme.
New solar cells pass global test standards
22 May 2020
Scientists have produced a new generation of experimental solar energy cells that, for the first time, pass strict International Electrotechnical Commission testing standards for heat and humidity.
Hydrogen dream driven by greed, says expert
21 May 2020
New Zealand’s dream of a hydrogen-powered economy is being driven by greedy oil industry investors and “enchanted” government officials, an energy analyst says.0
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
21 May 2020
Today is the last day for submissions on a new law aimed at smoothing out the supply of logs for the domestic wood industry.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
20 May 2020
Submissions on the Forestry (Regulation of Log Traders and Advisers) Amendment Bill, introduced as part of last week’s Budget, close tomorrow, when the Environment Select Committee will meet to discuss the bill.
Government goes for silence on ETS
19 May 2020
The Government will make no announcements about changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme until after surrender date on May 31.
Lockdown gave us whiff of life with low pollution
19 May 2020
Seven weeks of lockdown has provided evidence of how pollution can vanish overnight, says the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
19 May 2020
MPs take a break from Parliament this week, but will be back in the House next week.
Saucy sugar joins drive to find us better food
19 May 2020
Australia’s sugar industry is joining forces with health experts to call for a complete change to the world’s food systems.
Everybody hold hands and get on with it, says SBC
18 May 2020
The Sustainable Business Council is calling for aa cross-party consensus over the spending of covid-19 pandemic recovery money on decarbonising the economy.
Experts are back in fashion – so, get them talking
18 May 2020
British cabinet minister Michael Gove once sneered that “people have had enough of experts from organisations with acronyms saying that they know what is best and getting it consistently wrong.”
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
18 May 2020
Members of the Sustainable Business Council meet today and on Wednesday and Thursday to discuss the organisation’s future direction.
At last, a fair deal for our atomic love affair
18 May 2020
However you view the argument, nuclear passions run strong. A new film gives us a breathless ride through our atomic love affair.
POLITICS: James Shaw dines out
15 May 2020
Climate minister James Shaw must be pinching himself; the $50 billion the Government is pouring into digging the country out of the covid-19 pandemic financial hole dwarfs what money he had secured so far to cut carbon out of the economy.
HOW THEY SAW IT: reaction to the Budget
15 May 2020
Environmental Defence Society: A Green New Deal. Pleased with $1.1 billion to create 11,000 jobs “restoring the natural world”. Hopes this reset of economic thinking will flow through to the allocation of the $3 billion infrastructure fund, and the projects chosen are low-carbon.
Rising prices push up free-credits cost
15 May 2020
Rising carbon prices are pushing up the on-going cost of giving free carbon credits to emitters.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
15 May 2020
MPs take a break from Parliament next week but will be back in the House on May 26.
BUDGET: More money for infrastructure
14 May 2020
The Budget has come out with no real indication of the infrastructure projects the Government will back to stimulate the economy.
Wellington says govt urban plan fails on climate
14 May 2020
The Government's plans for urban development are at odds with its programme for dealing with climate change, says Greater Wellington Regional Council.
EDITORIAL: All aboard!
14 May 2020
By ADELIA HALLETT | Whangarei Engineering Company – better known as Weco – was once the country’s biggest shipyard.
Third of new Toyotas are hybrid, says company
14 May 2020
A third of new Toyota vehicles sold in New Zealand are hybrids, the company says.
Why Govt should put exisiting buildings first
14 May 2020
Improving the energy efficiency of existing buildings should be the country’s top energy priority, an insulation company says.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
14 May 2020
It’s Budget Day; at 2pm, the Government will unveil its economic plans for the year, including what finance minister Grant Robertson says is the first stage of the national recovery from the covid-19 pandemic.
Wind might pass coal sooner than we thought
14 May 2020
A milestone in the clean energy transition may arrive earlier than expected, with renewables overtaking coal as a leading source of electricity by the end of this year.
Pandemic will permanently change car industry
14 May 2020
Plunging sales could force car factories to close and lead to takeovers and mergers, but also bolster sales of electric vehicles.
Industry blames Beehive for plant closure
13 May 2020
New Zealand’s only large biodiesel plant is being mothballed in a move the industry says is a direct result of the Government’s failure to plan for the future of the country’s energy production.
Ammonia no wonder-fuel, says NZ expert
13 May 2020
Ammonia is unlikely to become a wonder-fuel in the near future, a New Zealand energy expert says.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
13 May 2020
Tomorrow is Budget Day, when the Government will, presumably, unveil some of its plans to help the economy recovery from the impacts of the covid-19 pandemic.
'Atrocious' and 'bizarre': experts slam Act Party's climate policy
Wed 3 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Act Party is promising to challenge New Zealand’s Paris Agreement climate target, while the coalition Government’s other minor partner, NZ First, also says it wants to reevaluate the country’s commitment to the international treaty.
Meridian reports worst earnings in a decade
Wed 3 Sep 2025
Meridian Energy has posted its weakest result in 10 years, with earnings hit by a combination of droughts, low wind and declining gas supply.
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
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
Air NZ declares surprisingly low SAF prices
Wed 3 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand is able to source sustainable aviation fuel at between 1.5 and 2.5 times the price of conventional fossil fuels used for flying, all sourced from the US.
Forest carbon stores massive blind spot - study
Thu 4 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Aotearoa New Zealand’s planted forests hold significant deep soil organic carbon — with over half of it stored below 30 cm, and much of it over 1,000 years old.
XRB consults on delaying climate reporting requirements
Thu 4 Sep 2025
The External Reporting Board is proposing a further two years relief for companies to adopt anticipated financial impacts reporting and scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions reporting and assurance.
