New Zealand: All stories
Bad soil fungi will welcome warmer weather
13 May 2020
Rising temperatures will increase crop losses as warmer soils encourage the growth of pathogenic soil fungi, scientists say.
New genetics regime will cut dairy herd emissions
12 May 2020
A new national regime for recording dairy genetics will help to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the nation’s herd, officials say.
Ammonia is the energy future, say scientists
12 May 2020
Forget hydrogen – the energy future is ammonia, Australia researchers say.
Don't force us to disclose, says business lobby
11 May 2020
Businesses should not be forced to disclose their exposure to risks from climate change, Business New Zealand says.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
11 May 2020
The Government will announce this afternoon whether covid-19 pandemic restrictions will be eased, taking the country from level three to level two.
POLITICS AT PLAY: Get with the programme
8 May 2020
By ADELIA HALLETT | It seems the old fracture lines in the politics of climate change are still there.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
8 May 2020
Parliament's Epidemic Response Select Committee hears submissions today from Business New Zealand and Local Government New Zealand – two organisations promoting a low-carbon pandemic recovery.
Why world cannot return to 'business as usual'
8 May 2020
Mayors from many of the world’s leading cities have warned there can be no return to “business as usual” in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis if humanity is to escape catastrophic climate breakdown.
Budget will move on emissions, hints Robertson
7 May 2020
Finance minister Grant Robertson has just given the strongest signal yet that next week’s Budget will include plans to cut the country’s greenhouse gas emissions as well as rescuing the economy from the impacts of the covid-19 crisis.
Small businesses get guide to cutting emissions
7 May 2020
Small businesses wanting to cut emissions have a new guide to show them how to do it.
Officials untangle emissions and planning consent
7 May 2020
Officials are working on national guidelines to help councils to deal with greenhouse gas emissions in planning processes and consents.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
7 May 2020
Parliament sits today, but is not expected to get to either of the climate change bills on the order paper – reform of the Emissions Trading Scheme and the Resource Management Act.
ABOUT DROUGHT: 2020 looks like one of worst
6 May 2020
This year is proving to be one of the worst on record in New Zealand for drought, adding weight to scientists’ projections about the impact climate change could have on the country.
Nats favour wider spread in covid recovery plan
6 May 2020
National says cutting carbon emissions should not be the only priority of the covid-19 recovery programme.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
6 May 2020
Today is a busy day for sustainable business leaders; the Sustainable Business Council’s Sustainability Leadership Programme kicks off and the Sustainable Business Network is holding discussions on New Zealand’s low-carbon future and a post-covid-19 sustainable economy.
ETS faces biggest overhaul in 10 years
5 May 2020
The biggest overhaul of the Emissions Trading Scheme since it was gutted in 2010 is back before Parliament.
Slow farmers might be forced into ETS
5 May 2020
Farmers might be forced into the Emissions Trading Scheme before 2025 if they fail to make sufficient progress towards cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Delay ETS changes for a year, say Nats
5 May 2020
The National Party wants changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme put on hold for a year, citing economic uncertainty caused by the covid-19 pandemic.
Big Investors show they're keen on green
5 May 2020
Major investors are backing calls to make the covid-19 economic recovery consistent with cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Nats don't like railway network plans
4 May 2020
National is resisting moves to run the country’s rail network on a less-than-purely-commercial footing.
Fast-track projects get nod from business and greenies
4 May 2020
Plans to fast-track some covid-19 recovery projects through the Resource Management Act are winning approval from business and environmentalists.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
4 May 2020
PARLIAMENT’S Environment Select Committee meets today for a briefing on the Government’s Estimates and to discuss the Urban Development Bill.
Big Business backs low-carbon recovery projects
1 May 2020
Big Business is pushing for low-carbon projects to be a priority for covid-19 pandemic recovery funding.
POLITICS: Re-birth of the ETS
1 May 2020
The Environment Select Committee’s report on planned changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme goes back to Parliament on Monday.
Emissions drop is not all good news
1 May 2020
Experts have cautioned that a drop of nearly 8 per cent in greenhouse gas emissions should not be seen as good news for efforts to tackle climate change.
Stand by for big blows in the Atlantic
1 May 2020
New forecasts show that this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, which will take place between June and November, is shaping up to be among the worst.
RMA welcomes back greenhouse gas emissions
30 Apr 2020
Greenhouse gas emissions are set to come back into the Resource Management Act, making it compulsory for councils to consider climate change in granting resource consents.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
30 Apr 2020
Today is the deadline for trade-exposed heavy emitters to apply for free carbon credits to offset a large portion (60 per cent or 90 per cent, depending on the sector) of last year’s greenhouse gas emissions.
EDS puts future tourism in the slow lane
29 Apr 2020
The covid-19 pandemic gives New Zealand a chance to switch to “slow” tourism that doesn’t threaten the country’s fragile landscapes, the Environmental Defence Society says.
Auckland plays hardball with RMA breaches
29 Apr 2020
Auckland Council is cracking down on people breaching the Resource Management Act, a new report says.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
29 Apr 2020
Trade-exposed heavy emitters have only today and tomorrow to apply for free carbon credits under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
This year likely to be hottest since records began
29 Apr 2020
This year is on course to be the world’s hottest since measurements began, according to meteorologists.
Costs kill Mercedes dreams of hydrogen
29 Apr 2020
Mercedes-Benz is killing its programme to develop passenger cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
What we do now with the economy is crucial
28 Apr 2020
The actions governments take now to stimulate their economies in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic will either slow or exacerbate climate change, international experts say.
Govt cans changes to electricity factor
28 Apr 2020
The Government is shelving plans to review the way electricity costs are calculated in deciding how many free carbon credits should be given to industry.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
28 Apr 2020
It’s back to business for some today – including MPs – as the country moves from level four to level three of the covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
Free credits could be lifeline for Marsden refinery
24 Apr 2020
Free carbon credits could be worth $18 million a year for the Marsden Point oil refinery and in some years be the difference between profit and loss, Treasury says.
POLITICS: Bring on the electric express
24 Apr 2020
Politics this week has been about the prospect of the country’s covid-19 economic recovery doubling as a low-carbon transformation.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
24 Apr 2020
Submissions on the Government’s plans to regulate the fuel market close tomorrow.
Floods will be catastrophic by 2030, says study
24 Apr 2020
New research finds 147 million will be hit by floods by the end of the decade – ‘the numbers will be catastrophic’.
ClimCom to review our Paris emissions target
23 Apr 2020
New Zealand seems set to increase its Paris Agreement emissions reduction target.
Covid could cut transport emissions by 10%
23 Apr 2020
The covid-19 pandemic could see New Zealand’s transport emissions fall 10 per cent this year, an expert says.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
23 Apr 2020
Parliament’s Environment Select Committee discusses changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme today.
Refinery could get windfall carbon credits
22 Apr 2020
Bringing the Marsden Point oil refinery into the Emissions Trading Scheme could cost taxpayers money, Cabinet has been told.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
22 Apr 2020
Today is Earth Day – and the fourth anniversary of the signing of the Paris Agreement.
Flying and driving on post-covid agenda
21 Apr 2020
A third of New Zealanders intend travelling again when covid-19 pandemic restrictions are lifted, new research shows.
'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.
