New Zealand: All stories
Down the track, our emissions rate will fall
19 Dec 2019
New Zealand’s projected greenhouse gas emissions are falling.
Climate commission gets its body of experts
17 Dec 2019
The names of the experts who will make up the Climate Change Commission have been announced.
Low lake levels lead to jump in emissions
13 Dec 2019
Greenhouse gas emissions jumped in the last part of the year as low lake levels forced the country to burn coal to make electricity.
EDITORIAL: Two to remember
13 Dec 2019
By publisher ADELIA HALLETT | This year will be remembered for two things – the passing of the zero-carbon act and the year in which our children got angry with us over climate change.
NZ 'low' performer, says climate action watchdog
12 Dec 2019
Failure to cut greenhouse gas emissions has seen New Zealand ranked 37th and in the “low” category in an international assessment of performance on climate change.
Coal being cleaned out of schools and hospitals
12 Dec 2019
State schools, hospitals and science institutes are moving out of coal.
Only 3min flight, but Canada claims first for electric plane
12 Dec 2019
A plane billed as the first commercial aircraft running entirely on electricity has taken to the skies in Canada.
MADRID MESSAGE: Our cuts will take hard work
11 Dec 2019
New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions will decrease steadily to 2030 but will still be well above 1990 levels, officials have told international climate talks in Madrid.
1.9b people at risk from mountain water shortages
10 Dec 2019
A quarter of the world’s population is at risk of water supply problems as mountain glaciers, snow-packs and alpine lakes are run down by global heating and rising demand, according to an international study.
Investors fight back against climate wreckers
10 Dec 2019
Two strands of action are being taken by investors against the planet’s biggest and most polluting companies to try to coerce them into complying with climate targets.
PLEASE EXPLAIN: NZ faces grilling at Madrid meet
9 Dec 2019
New Zealand faces up to the world in Madrid today to explain how it is meeting its emissions reduction targets despite a 23 per cent rise in gross emissions and 65 per cent rise in net emissions since 1990.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
9 Dec 2019
The second week of the latest Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change – better known as COP25 – is under way in Madrid.
Why lower emissions mean better business
6 Dec 2019
Companies with high levels of greenhouse gas emissions are worth less than low-emitting companies, says financial analysis and advisory firm Forsyth Barr.
Jump to it, Jacinda, says global carbon watchdog
5 Dec 2019
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is under international pressure to increase New Zealand’s 2030 emissions reduction target in line with the Paris Agreement.
NZ will sign new ship emissions pact
5 Dec 2019
New Zealand will sign up to new international maritime regulations to reduce ship emissions and lift air quality around ports and harbours.
HOT TIMES: This year could be our warmest ever recorded
5 Dec 2019
A hot December could see 2019 become New Zealand’s warmest year on record.
Coffee, tea, or a bite of me?
5 Dec 2019
Air New Zealand has begun trialling edible coffee cups with customers in the air and on the ground.
New water for old as glaciers vanish
5 Dec 2019
Voids left as glaciers vanish could be used to store spring snowmelt and rainfall to save the valleys below from summer droughts.
Cut hydrogen red tape, urges business sector
4 Dec 2019
Businesses say a hydrogen-export industry drastically cutting emissions from fossil fuels could be stymied by red tape and a failure to recognise the value of “blue” hydrogen.
Climate-impact reporting to be mandatory
4 Dec 2019
The Government is to assess the climate implications of every major decision it makes.
Tell us what you're doing, investors tell govts
2 Dec 2019
Institutional investors will either stay away or demand higher returns in New Zealand and Australia if their governments don’t produce credible, long-term climate investment strategies, a new report says.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
2 Dec 2019
Two weeks of international climate negotiations kick off in Madrid today.
New IMF chief urges climate action
2 Dec 2019
New International Monetary Fund chief Kristalina Georgieva tells why global heating is as big a threat to economic stability as another financial crash.
EDITORIAL: Right road, but the slow road
29 Nov 2019
By publisher ADELIA HALLETT | It must be tempting, if you’re in the New Zealand delegation at climate talks in Madrid next week, to rest on your laurels, take the pats on the back, bask in the international limelight.
ACC still on rack over fossil-fuel investments
29 Nov 2019
The Government-owned Accident Compensation Corporation is likely to remain under pressure to withdraw $1 billion worth of investments in fossil-fuel companies.
Coal-fired electricity set for biggest fall in four decades
29 Nov 2019
The world’s use of coal-fired electricity is on track for its biggest annual fall on record this year after more than four decades of near-uninterrupted growth that has stoked the global climate crisis.
Minister won't act on ACC oil investments
28 Nov 2019
The Government says it will not interfere in the Accident Compensation Corporation’s decision to invest in fossil fuels.
We might have crossed tipping points, say scientists
28 Nov 2019
The world might already have crossed a series of climate tipping points, according to a stark warning from scientists.
Scientists claim breakthrough on gut bacteria
28 Nov 2019
Scientists have used “directed evolution” to turn gut bacteria into a carbon dioxide-munching machine in what is being called a step towards carbon-neutral production of food, fuels, and biochemicals.
New global 5G wireless deal threatens weather forecasting
28 Nov 2019
Meteorologists say international standards for wireless technology could degrade crucial satellite measurements of water vapour.
Toyota tests the water on hydrogen vehicles
27 Nov 2019
Toyota New Zealand says it is testing the New Zealand market for hydrogen vehicles as part of a drive to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Hydrogen has arrived. says Australia's top scientist
27 Nov 2019
Nearly 150 years after author Jules Verne dreamed up a hydrogen future, it has arrived, says Australia's chief scientist Alan Finkel.
Foresters want pre-1990 trees recognised
26 Nov 2019
Extra carbon stored in pre-1990 forests should be recognised with carbon credits, forest owners say.
Change calls on councils to protect species
26 Nov 2019
Councils will be required to protect native species from the impacts of climate change under proposed new rules.
You can care about the climate and still drive an SUV ... I do
26 Nov 2019
According to a recent report, SUVs are the second-biggest cause of the rise in global carbon dioxide emissions during the past decade.
Give councils green powers, politicians told
25 Nov 2019
Parliament is being told by some unlikely bedfellows that councils should have to consider greenhouse gas emissions when granting resource consents.
Supermarkets, powercos best at sustainability
25 Nov 2019
Supermarkets and electricity retailers are scoring the highest marks with consumers for sustainability, but none is doing well enough, a new study says.
Government can order ACC to quit fossil fuels
22 Nov 2019
The Government has the power to instruct its largest institutional investor, the Accident Compensation Corporation, to pull out of fossil fuel investments, a select committee says.
Carbon footprints not on Government agenda
22 Nov 2019
The Government is not considering the carbon footprint of imported goods.
The little windfarm that could ...
22 Nov 2019
It might not be on the scale of Mercury’s Turitea project, but New Zealand’s newest windfarm, on Stewart Island, will make a dent in the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
We need to find ways to store extra energy
22 Nov 2019
When the grid depends on clean but sporadic natural resources like wind and the sun, we’re going to need ways to capture any extra energy they produce so we can use it later.
Northport move will up emissions, says report
21 Nov 2019
Greenhouse gas emissions from freight currently shipped through Auckland will increase 400 per cent if the port’s operations are shifted to Northland, a new critique says.
Bill Gates backs startup using sunlight to make 1000deg heat
21 Nov 2019
Bill Gates is backing a venture which aims to turn sunlight into a source of heat exceeding 1000degC that could help to replace fossil fuels.
Can carbon offsets tackle airlines’ emissions problem?
21 Nov 2019
Not everyone is convinced that climate sins can be absolved through projects based on simple carbon accounting.
Bathurst boadsides Goverment's green agenda
20 Nov 2019
The Government’s environmental agenda is threatening the country’s mining industry and an orderly transition to a low-carbon economy, Bathurst Resources says.
'Green' cement step closer to cutting emissions
20 Nov 2019
Scientists have developed a “green” cement that could go a long way to cutting the construction industry’s emissions and making it more sustainable.
DIRTY SECRETS: Space camera tells tale of shipping pollution
20 Nov 2019
Exhausts from dirty heavy oils used in ships leave a telltale trail of such dense cloud that they can be tracked from space.
Crisis might have triggered faster wind speeds
20 Nov 2019
The global climate crisis could lead to more renewable electricity being generated by spurring faster wind speeds for the growing number of windfarms.
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
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.
