New Zealand: All stories
Taranaki eyes future in hydrogen economy
19 Mar 2019
Taranaki is talking up the hydrogen economy to replace its petrochemical wealth.
New ultra-thin material seen as breakthrough
19 Mar 2019
A new ultra-thin film that absorbs solar energy could revolutionise the harvesting of solar thermal energy.
HOT CHOCOLATE: Cocoa is helping to slow climate change
19 Mar 2019
If you like chocolate you’ll love this: the same tree that provides your indulgent treat is helping to slow climate change, thanks to cocoa fuel.
How emitters can't see the trees for the carbon
18 Mar 2019
Storing carbon in new native forests could help to bring down New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions and protect native species at the same time, researchers say.
Hydrogen could be fuel of the future
18 Mar 2019
The fuel used to thrust enormous rockets away from Earth’s gravitational pull is hydrogen - and it also holds potential as a source of energy for daily activities like driving and heating houses.
Why radical plan to cool climate could work
18 Mar 2019
A new study contradicts fears that using solar geoengineering to fight climate change could dangerously alter rainfall and storm patterns in some parts of the world.
Agriculture will be in ETS, says finance minister
15 Mar 2019
Finance minister Grant Robertson has just told thousands of striking school students that the Government is committed to bringing agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Shaw now first stop for farm emissions action
15 Mar 2019
The Interim Climate Change Committee will now report directly to climate minister James Shaw on whether the agricultural sector should be liable for emissions under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Big emitters join hands to buy carbon forests
15 Mar 2019
Four of New Zealand’s largest emitters are joining forces to supply their own carbon credits to meet obligations under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
CRUISE CONTROL: Bigger ships, bigger trouble
15 Mar 2019
As more gigantic cruise ships take to the high seas in the coming years, the industry says it intends to embrace low-carbon technologies and reduce its environmental impact.
Sorry, says expert, but Bitcoin can't be green
15 Mar 2019
Bitcoin can’t be green – even when it is powered by renewable energy, an expert says.
Climate group about to rule on agriculture gases
14 Mar 2019
The Interim Climate Change Committee will make its recommendations next month on how New Zealand should treat greenhouse gases from agriculture.
Schoolkids mass for national climate protests
14 Mar 2019
School students in more than 30 New Zealand towns and cities will take part in tomorrow’s global School Strike 4 Climate.
CLIMATE CHAMPION: My struggle with the future
13 Mar 2019
Atmospheric physicist Professor James Renwick is struggling with the idea that the world might really delay action on climate change to the point of disaster.
OPINION: Wise words for the schoolkids
13 Mar 2019
This Friday’s strike by school students calling for action on climate change has the support of some of our wisest citizens. Wise Response Society secretary DUGALD MACTAVISH explains why.
Coal-fired stations deliver danger dust
13 Mar 2019
Modern coal-fired power stations produce more ultrafine dust particles than road traffic and can even modify and redistribute rainfall patterns, a new 15-year international study shows.
Shaw about to reveal climate policy timetable
12 Mar 2019
The Government will release details of its climate change policy timetable on Friday.
Bioenergy body hails hospital move to wood
12 Mar 2019
A decision to replace two coal-fired boilers at Christchurch Hospital with boilers that burn wood will help to create confidence in the woody biomass market, the Bioenergy Association says.
Detroit gets new life as e-Motor City
12 Mar 2019
After years when Detroit was Ground Zero for scepticism about electric vehicles, the traditional auto industry’s hometown has become a hub of EV action.
Wind turbine pioneer slams NZ procrastination
11 Mar 2019
A wind turbine company set up to make New Zealand “the Denmark of the Southern Hemisphere” is barely surviving because New Zealand continues to prop up dying industries, its founder says.
EDITORIAL: We must 'believe' the facts
8 Mar 2019
New Zealand's mayors have been asked whether they believe humans are causing the climate to change.
New solar panel makes hydrogen to heat homes
8 Mar 2019
Scientists in Belgium have invented a solar panel that produces hydrogen as a source of fuel to heat homes.
Councils might have to consider emissions
7 Mar 2019
Councils considering proposals under the Resource Management Act might soon have to take greenhouse gas emissions into account.
High-flying airlines in short haul mode on gas emissions
7 Mar 2019
None of the world’s top 20 stock-listed air carriers has any plans in place to manage greenhouse gas emissions after 2025, according to a new report.
Electric cars star at Geneva motor show
7 Mar 2019
Electric cars have been the star of the glitzy Geneva motor show so far, as Honda unveiled its first all-electric effort, the E-Prototype, and Italian supercar maker Pininfarina lifted the lid on what it claims is the world's fastest electric car.
Sizzling summer comes in at No3 on hot list
6 Mar 2019
New Zealand has experienced two of the three hottest summers on record over the past two years.
Filters could capture CO2 in the air
6 Mar 2019
Billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide could be removed from the air with special filters, scientists say.
Fertiliser firm wants balance in carbon credits
5 Mar 2019
A company given millions of dollars’ worth of free carbon credits says the system giving it the units should not be stopped until at least 70 per cent of its competitors also face a carbon price.
Fossil-fuel wealthy Taranaki faces major rethink
5 Mar 2019
The New Plymouth District Council might need to rethink the services it provides for its residents as the district’s fossil-fuel wealth declines, says a report out today.
Farmers must pay for emissions, say foresters
4 Mar 2019
The Government’s latest attempts to make the Emissions Trading Scheme attractive for forestry won’t work if farmers don’t have to pay for their emissions, say foresters.
Government hires big guns for Taranaki summit
1 Mar 2019
Midnight Oil lead singer Peter Garrett and rock-star economist Kate Raworth will be headlining at the Government’s Just Transition Summit in Taranaki in May.
Biomass energy could punch hole in emissions
28 Feb 2019
New Zealand could slash five million tonnes off its annual greenhouse gas emissions through the use of biomass energy in factories and for heavy transport, new figures show.
Carbon rise could cause cloud tipping point
28 Feb 2019
Climate scientists have confirmed a high-level hazard, a cloud tipping point, that could send global warming into a dramatic upwards spiral.
FLY FEAR: Fruit pest will enjoy warming climate
27 Feb 2019
The risk of Queensland fruit flies establishing in New Zealand is expecting to increase as the climate warms, threatening the country’s horticultural industry.
Look it up, minister tells West Coast council
27 Feb 2019
Climate minister James Shaw says he doesn’t intend explaining climate change to the West Coast Regional Council, which has expressed doubt about whether it is being caused by human activity.
More and more, scientists need backup of the volunteer army
27 Feb 2019
Research by citizen scientists is coming into its own, providing a critical tool for monitoring endangered species and documenting environmental changes sweeping the planet.
Report puts boardrooms on carbon liabilty notice
26 Feb 2019
The days of ignoring carbon prices and the risks associated with climate change are over, businesses are being told.
Insurers warn of slump in property prices
26 Feb 2019
Insurers say there is a risk of a climate change-related slump in property prices leading to financial turmoil.
Sustainability grows on private equity companies
26 Feb 2019
A new PwC survey has found that responsible investment and sustainable development are become more of a priority for private equity companies.
Nats make 'measured and reasonable' climate plan
25 Feb 2019
A National government might give fewer free carbon credits to trade-exposed industrial emitters but is unlikely to force a large-scale reduction in biological emissions from agriculture, according to a new paper.
Jesus might think again if he could see the Jordan today
25 Feb 2019
If Jesus were alive today, he might reconsider a baptism in the river Jordan - there’s a good chance he’d pick up an eye infection.
Global shipping inches forward on fuel rules
25 Feb 2019
The International Maritime Organisation inched forward last week on its promises to ban the use of heavy fuel oil in the Arctic and reduce black carbon emissions from ships.
Industrial plants see low carbon price as barrier
22 Feb 2019
Low carbon prices are stopping many large plants switching to low-emissions fuels, a report says.
Cullen report backs more environmental taxes
21 Feb 2019
Greater environmental taxes and strengthening of the Emissions Trading Scheme are on the way if the Government adopts recommendations from its Tax Working Group.
These mayors haven't signed climate declaration
21 Feb 2019
Twenty-three local body leaders haven’t signed the Local Government Leaders’ Declaration on Climate Change.
Bank opens for e-projects money
21 Feb 2019
Applications for the latest round of Government funding for low-carbon transport projects are open.
Coal giant Glencore to limit production
21 Feb 2019
Commodities giant Glencore has bowed to pressure from shareholders to limit coal production for environmental reasons.
Big companies might leave, warns oil sector
20 Feb 2019
Cutting carbon subsidies for trade-exposed heavy emitters could see large companies leave the country, says the oil and gas sector.
Renewable energy will be tops by 2040, says BP
20 Feb 2019
Renewable energy will be the world’s main source of power within two decades, according to BP.
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.
