New Zealand: All stories
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.
Why efficiency is the key to cheaper energy
19 Jul 2019
Improving energy efficiency is a cheaper way of meeting New Zealand’s 100 per cent renewable electricity target than building new power stations, a Government agency says.
Fonterra calls a halt to new coal-fired boilers
18 Jul 2019
FONTERRA is implementing an immediate ban on new coal-fired boilers, but says it is not yet ready to be coal-free.
UN hears call for sustainability voice in Cabinet
18 Jul 2019
New Zealand should have a Cabinet minister responsible for meeting the Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations has been told.
Pay the farmers now, says bioenergy lobby
17 Jul 2019
The Bioenergy Association wants farmers who cut greenhouse gas emissions to be eligible for carbon credits now.
July shapes up as hottest month on record
17 Jul 2019
Record temperatures across much of the world over the past two weeks could make July the hottest month ever measured on Earth, according to climate scientists.
UK gives Jaguar Land Rover loan for e-cars
17 Jul 2019
THE UK Government has handed Jaguar Land Rover a loan guarantee of more than $NZ900,000 to help to accelerate its progress in the global electric vehicle race.
Farmers might get tradeable credits in ETS deal
16 Jul 2019
Farmers will face a price on emissions from 2025 at the latest, the Government says.
Government sticks with 100% renewables plan
16 Jul 2019
The Government is pushing ahead with plans to make New Zealand’s electricity generation 100 per cent renewable, despite advice from the Interim Climate Change Committee that it would be better to focus on electrifying the transport and industrial heat sectors.
Zero-carbon submitters back 1.5deg target
16 Jul 2019
Submitters on the zero-carbon bill support a target of limiting warming to 1.5deg being enshrined in legislation.
Pigs in the shade: This radical farming system banks on trees
16 Jul 2019
A farm in Portugal is showing how the ancient art of silvopasture – combining livestock with productive trees – might offer some real answers to the climate crisis.
Labour Party pushes public to back carbon bill
15 Jul 2019
The Labour Party is building a campaign base to push through the zero-carbon legislation.
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.
