New Zealand: All stories
Changing climate now farmers' biggest worry
12 Aug 2019
Climate change is now the single greatest issue on farmers’ minds, according to the latest Farm Confidence Survey.
Protein diet would free up land, say scientists
9 Aug 2019
Americans could feed themselves on half the amount of land used now if they switched from meat to protein-conserving plants, scientists say.
New waste action targets makers of goods
9 Aug 2019
Producers and users of electrical and electronic goods, farm chemicals and plastics, tyres, refrigerants and packaging could be about to become legally responsible for their disposal.
OPINION: How Big Oil is polluting politics
9 Aug 2019
By GEORGE MONBIOT | The fossil-fuel lobby is threatened by public concern over the climate crisis. So it’s buying influence to get the results it wants.
Quarter of world running short of water
9 Aug 2019
A quarter of the world’s population across 17 countries are living in regions of extremely high water stress, a new report reveals.
Super-sized airships could again be kings of the skies
9 Aug 2019
Tomorrow's fuel could be delivered at all-but zero carbon cost by vast airship tankers, sailing round the world at stratospheric heights on the jet stream.
Beware of freeloaders, warns Enviro-Mark chief
8 Aug 2019
Without regulations requiring all businesses to cut greenhouse gas emissions, some New Zealand companies will freeload off the efforts of others, the country’s leading emissions auditor is warning.
Firms celebrate reduced carbon footprints
8 Aug 2019
A print shop, a company supplying uniforms, a skincare product manufacturer, a district council and a health board have taken the top prizes in the Enviro-Mark Solutions Awards announced in Auckland this morning.
Storage key to renewable energy success
8 Aug 2019
The cost of storing energy needs to fall 90 per cent to make renewables globally competitive, researchers say.
SCOTT SIMPSON: We want a seat at the table
7 Aug 2019
National's new climate spokesperson says the party has moved a long way on climate change - and he's had a hand in it.
Are shared e-scooters good for the planet?
7 Aug 2019
E-scooters now operating in many cities around the world might have a larger total environmental impact than the transportation modes they displace.
Maori could have environment case, says expert
6 Aug 2019
Maori could legitimately take the Crown to the Waitangi Tribunal if councils around the country don’t work with them on climate change, a leading environmental law expert says.
Insurance companies turn away from coal
6 Aug 2019
Insurance companies are refusing to cover power companies using coal and are extending the ban to coal-mining, analytics company GlobalData says.
Moody's makes move on climate change risks
6 Aug 2019
Moody's, one of the main agencies that rates the creditworthiness of big borrowers, including cities and corporations, has brought on board a data firm specializing in climate risks.
Nationwide, it was an unusually warm July
6 Aug 2019
When it comes to temperature, New Zealand hasn’t had a below-average month for two-and-a-half years.
Portugal solar energy auction sets record
6 Aug 2019
Portugal’s huge auction of solar energy broke a world record, with one of the 24 licences on offer selling for 14.76 euros ($NZ25.30) per megawatt hour.
Government rules out carbon market agency
5 Aug 2019
The Government says it will not set up a new agency to set the volume of carbon credits in the market.
Farmers can't agree on workable methane targets
5 Aug 2019
The agriculture sector is split over how much to cut methane emissions – but it looks like none of its members agree with the Government.
Saving natives good business, says strategy report
5 Aug 2019
Protecting New Zealand’s native species and ecosystems against the ravages of climate change will be good for business.
OPINION: Let's suck the glamour from the car industry
5 Aug 2019
By ISABELLA KAMINSKY | We need to make driving to the school gates as unacceptable as handing a baby a lit cigarette.
It must be carrot and stick, says business lobbyist
2 Aug 2019
Christchurch Airport chief executive Malcolm Johns has a neat response for anyone suggesting he doesn’t understand the implications of the zero-carbon bill on the agricultural sector.
BlackRock drops $90b investing in fossil fuels
2 Aug 2019
BlackRock, the world’s biggest investor, has lost an estimated $90 billion over the past decade by ignoring the financial risk of investing in fossil fuel companies.
Kyoto units move confuses forest owners
1 Aug 2019
THE GOVERNMENT'S decision to cancel Kyoto units has left forest owners with more questions than answers.
NEW READ: Only a revolution can cool the world
1 Aug 2019
An academic book on fossil fuel consumption reaches a startling conclusion: only a climate revolution can force governments to act to stop the planet overheating.
Free credits, existing forests suffer in ETS changes
31 Jul 2019
Free carbon credits to trade-exposed heavy emitters are being phased out and forests registered in the Emissions Trading Scheme before 2019 will be barred from the new averaging accounting system, the Government has just announced.
Shaw poised to announce more ETS changes
31 Jul 2019
The Government is about to unveil more changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Scott Simpson National's new climate voice
31 Jul 2019
Coromandel MP Scott Simpson is the National Party’s new climate spokesperson.
Paris means we must halve many emissions
30 Jul 2019
New Zealand needs to more than halve emissions of most gases over the coming decade if it is to meet its Paris pledge, the Government says.
Major carmakers strike deal with California
30 Jul 2019
Four major international carmakers have made a deal with California to build more fuel-efficient vehicles while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Report ranks fashion brands for toxic textiles
30 Jul 2019
An investigation of 14 clothing corporations, each with household-name brands, reveals the inadequacies of greening the fashion industry.
Stand over Kyoto units could cost us $500 million
29 Jul 2019
Refusing to use Kyoto units to meet New Zealand’s Paris climate promise could cost taxpayers half a billion dollars.
How Big Oil can sue for loss of profits
29 Jul 2019
Campaigners are urging reform of an obscure system that allows coal, oil and gas companies to sue governments if climate policies hit their profits.
German Greens want trains before planes
29 Jul 2019
Germany’s Greens want to make domestic flights ‘largely obsolete’ by 2035.
Food growers fear loss of land to dairying
26 Jul 2019
The Government’s drive to cut greenhouse gas emissions could see horticultural land taken over by a dairy industry being squeezed by expanding forestry, MPs have been told.
Meridian predicts renewables will rule
26 Jul 2019
Rising carbon prices and competition will drive New Zealand towards an electricity system based almost entirely on renewables, the country’s largest generator is predicting.
Farmers back 2030 methane cuts - but not 2050
25 Jul 2019
Dairy farmers are backing the Government’s plan to cut methane emissions by 10 per cent by 2030, telling MPs it is achievable.
We're worried and pessimistic about climate future
25 Jul 2019
New Zealanders are getting more worried about climate change, and most don’t think we’ll be able to cut our emissions in time to avoid its impacts.
No room now for doubt, say climate scientists
25 Jul 2019
Extensive historical data shows recent extreme warming is unprecedented in past 2000 years.
Funds managers urge cement makers to act
25 Jul 2019
European funds managing $2 trillion in assets have called on cement companies to slash their greenhouse gas emissions, warning that a failure to do so could put their business models at risk.
Big Business wants cross-party support for ZCB
24 Jul 2019
Companies responsible for nearly two-thirds of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions are calling for cross-party support of zero-carbon legislation.
RMA overhaul could see planning role for gases
24 Jul 2019
The Government is opening the door to greenhouse gas being considering in planning applications.
Climate Change Commission deadline looms
24 Jul 2019
Nominations for members of the proposed Climate Change Commission close on Sunday.
Major polluter plans to cut emissions
23 Jul 2019
A New Zealand company whose products are responsible for more than a million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions a year says it is setting emissions reduction targets in line with the Paris Agreement.
Plastic waste is fuelling our climate problems
23 Jul 2019
New Zealand’s plastic problem is feeding its climate problem, the head of the Engineers for Social Responsibility is warning.
How science can double the solar dividend
23 Jul 2019
Researchers have found three new ways to double the solar dividend, making the sun work harder and deliver more to the renewable economy.
One flight emits as much as many people do in a year
23 Jul 2019
Taking a long-haul flight generates more carbon emissions than the average person in dozens of countries around the world produces in a whole year.
Easy on methane means hard on other gases
22 Jul 2019
New Zealand is facing a 41 per cent cut in emissions of most greenhouse gases by 2030 to meet its international promises.
Patience, the e-car revolution is coming
22 Jul 2019
Someday, electric cars will just be cars. The big question is when will that happen?
Officials examine future of dodgy Russian credits
19 Jul 2019
Officials are calculating the number of dodgy carbon credits New Zealand used in meeting its emissions reduction target, raising the prospect that the country might yet make good on its actions.
ON YER BIKE: Exercise great way to cut emissions
19 Jul 2019
Getting New Zealanders out of their cars and on to their feet or bikes would cut greenhouse gas emissions by 194,000 tonnes a year, researchers say.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
NZ hydrogen regulation to catch up with the world
18 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The government has announced a regulatory reset for New Zealand’s emerging clean tech hydrogen sector.
State-owned farmer drives profit growth with emissions reductions
19 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Government-owned Landcorp, trading as Pāmu, is one-third of the way to meeting its 2031 emissions reduction targets, with five years left to run to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30.3% against 2021 emissions.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
10 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Transport pollution was the biggest contributor to an increase in New Zealand’s consumption-based emissions in 2023, with emissions from household travel up 12%, and consumption-based emissions totalling 58.3 million tonnes – up 1.6% from the previous year.
NZ could become ‘dumping ground’ for dirty vehicles: Commissioner
16 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Simon Upton, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, has warned the Government that its changes to the clean car standard could turn the country into a dumping ground for high emitting cars, making future emissions budgets harder to achieve.
Uncertainty eroding confidence in forestry sector
5 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Warnings are mounting that tree planting is set to plunge to “very close to zero”, as new Ministry for Primary Industries data shows ETS registration applications falling sharply as confidence in forestry declines.
Investors must support positive climate-tech
28 Nov 2025
OPINION: We need better leadership than the current ‘climate opportunism’ that is rife in the Beehive, and we need to back a marketplace that will make it happen, writes Rob Campbell.
