New Zealand: All stories
Bulk of PNG export timber illegally logged
31 Jul 2018
Millions of tonnes of illegally logged Papua New Guinea timber are being exported to China and from there to the world as finished wood products, a new report has revealed.
Toyota planning Olympic Games specials
31 Jul 2018
Toyota is planning to use the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo to showcase the future of transportation.
Minister silent on arbitrage as prices climb
30 Jul 2018
Climate minister James Shaw isn’t commenting on the risk of arbitrage as carbon prices climb closer to the Government’s artificial price cap.
Bridges ignores climate change in party address
30 Jul 2018
National Party leader Simon Bridges is promising to have “the best ideas” on the environment.
Ozone hole story reads like a best-seller
30 Jul 2018
The ozone hole is an environmental success story and an enduring global threat ... and the its headlines in recent months read like an international eco-thriller.
Mastercard vows 20% emissions cut
30 Jul 2018
Financial services giant Mastercard has set a new goal to tackle greenhouse gas emissions across it global operations.
Companies climate-aware but quiet on carbon risk
27 Jul 2018
Most New Zealand companies are not disclosing their carbon risk – despite ranking the environment and climate change as their top priorities, a new survey shows.
Cheap new material could speed battery charging
27 Jul 2018
A newly identified group of materials could accelerate adoption of electric cars and solar energy, as well as helping to recharge your smartphone in minutes.
Taxpayers could be left holding carbon bill
26 Jul 2018
Owners of post-1989 forests due for harvest might be tempted to arbitrage carbon credits, leaving taxpayers with the bill and driving liquidity out of the carbon market.
Taranaki Maori make stand against oil and gas
25 Jul 2018
Maori in Taranaki say they will oppose climate-damaging activities like oil and gas extraction and intensive farming.
Big investors call for low-carbon roadmap
25 Jul 2018
New Zealand and Australian investors with $10 trillion worth of assets are calling for a suite of policies to direct finance into the low-carbon economy.
Farmers want methane left out of 2050 targets
24 Jul 2018
New Zealand should stick to its current target of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and leave methane out of the equation, says Federated Farmers.
Exotics rate second to natives, says minister
24 Jul 2018
Exotic carbon forestry is unlikely to be allowed on scrubland – and even less likely in national parks.
Parties eye early start to zero-carbon talks
23 Jul 2018
Cross-party talks on the Zero Carbon Bill could be under way within a month.
Scientists find climate-change secrets locked in troposphere
23 Jul 2018
Scientists studying the troposphere – the lowest level of the atmosphere – have found “powerful evidence” that climate change is altering seasonal temperatures.
Airbus to build solar-powered unmanned planes
23 Jul 2018
Airbus has unveiled plans to manufacture a solar plane which will fly unmanned high in the sky.
Shaw applauds China's work on climate change
20 Jul 2018
China’s action on climate change makes New Zealand look like its “pussy-footing around”, says climate minister James Shaw.
Drivers get help to find EV charging stations
19 Jul 2018
Finding a place to charge your electric car is about to get easier.
Aircraft industry feels heat from changing climate
19 Jul 2018
The extreme heat that has come with climate change is prompting aircraft manufacturers to test their fleets for increasingly hotter temperatures.
Beehive might have carbon job for Reserve Bank
18 Jul 2018
The Government is looking at the role the Reserve Bank should play in monitoring and managing the country’s carbon exposure.
Latest ETS review kicks off next month
18 Jul 2018
Consultation on the next review of the Emissions Trading Scheme will start next month.
Ngai Tahu targets a million native trees
17 Jul 2018
Ngai Tahu is planting a million native trees and converting some of its farms to horticulture as part of its strategy to deal with climate change.
Europe climate strategy forgets about soil
17 Jul 2018
While climate change takes a toll on agriculture and land use contributes to warming the planet, soils still find little attention from policymakers in their climate strategies.
The what, where, when and why of food production
17 Jul 2018
Researchers have compiled a database on food production around the world in order to determine the best means of reducing the environmental impacts of what we eat.
Banks face divestment pressure from councils
16 Jul 2018
Banks can expect pressure from the country’s largest urban authorities to get their money out of fossil-fuel investment.
All businesses in the firing line, says Orr
16 Jul 2018
Reserve Bank Governor Adrian Orr has expanded on his climate change disaster warning.
Act or face financial crisis, warns leading banker
13 Jul 2018
New central bank head Adrian Orr is warning of financial crisis and mass social unrest if the world doesn’t urgently address climate change.
Musk eyes 500,000 e-cars a year from new China factory
13 Jul 2018
Tesla founder Elon Musk says his new factory in Shanghai - the company's first outside the US - will build 500,000 electric cars a year.
Tiny fern might lead us to big solutions
13 Jul 2018
A tiny fern might provide global impact for sinking atmospheric carbon dioxide, fixing nitrogen in agriculture and shooing pesky insects from crops.
Big Business makes public climate promises
12 Jul 2018
Details of support for the Zero Carbon Bill by businesses responsible for half the country’s greenhouse gas emissions have emerged today.
Farmers like the idea of opting in to ETS
12 Jul 2018
Farmers could be interested into opting into the Emissions Trading Scheme – if the settings are right.
Clean energy investment passes $138b
12 Jul 2018
Global investment in clean technologies is closely tracking last year and has already hit $138.2 billion, according to new analysis.
Let farmers opt in to ETS, says regional council
11 Jul 2018
Farmers should be able to opt into the Emissions Trading Scheme so they can get credit for introducing climate-friendly practices, says the Greater Wellington Regional Council.
Cement producers developing climate plan
11 Jul 2018
Cement makers who run one of the world's biggest industries - and are a leading producer of greenhouse gas emissions - might finally be making moves to combat climate change.
Smarter renewables open up new markets
11 Jul 2018
The need to stop global warming in its tracks has spurred the growth of two smarter renewables that are helping to reshape the electricity industry.
GAS GROWTH: The answer lies in feedback loops
10 Jul 2018
Greenhouse gases escaping from wetlands and permafrost could slash the world’s carbon budget by nearly a quarter, scientists say.
Next Beetle will be electric with four doors
10 Jul 2018
Volkswagen's next Beetle will be a completely new, all-electric model with four doors.
Super fund joins in global pressure on companies
9 Jul 2018
New Zealand’s $39 billion public retirement fund is among major investors applying renewed pressure to carbon-intensive industries.
Here’s where 3m EV batteries will go when they retire ...
9 Jul 2018
The first batches of batteries from electric and hybrid vehicles are hitting retirement age ... yet they aren’t bound for landfills.
We don't want to be like Australia, says Vector
6 Jul 2018
One of the 53 big companies stepping up to publicly support the Zero Carbon Bill says it doesn’t want New Zealand’s climate policy to end up like that of Australia.
Climate change security threat, says defence minister
6 Jul 2018
Climate change threatens New Zealand’s security, says defence minister Ron Mark.
LUNAR LAW: Does Moon hold key to Earth’s energy needs?
6 Jul 2018
Using giant kites, blades and paddles, and mimicking pogo sticks, blowholes and even the human heart, groups around the world are on the cusp of harnessing the colossal power of the oceans.
Shaw schedules carbon talks with China
5 Jul 2018
Climate minister James Shaw is bound for China next week for talks on climate change and developing closer carbon markets.
Meridian predicts carbon price as high as $200
4 Jul 2018
Electricity company Meridian says it sees carbon prices rising as high as $200 a tonne.
Poll shows majority ready to act on emissions
3 Jul 2018
Two-thirds of New Zealanders are prepared to take action to cut greenhouse gas emissions – although half might require some level of personal interest to take action, a new poll suggests.
Protein’s secret function could boost solar tech
3 Jul 2018
Understanding how certain proteins deal with light absorption can inspire modern solar technology.
Check methane reporting, urges climate expert
2 Jul 2018
New Zealand should check the accuracy of its methane-reporting figures in the wake of revelations of possibly inaccurate reporting from natural gas production in the United States, says an expert in climate and energy.
New fuel from CO2 could slow climate change
2 Jul 2018
North American scientists might be one step nearer the dream solution to low-carbon energy, new fuel from CO2, if they can suck it straight from the air and convert it directly into gasoline, diesel or jet fuel.
A city in Oman has just posted our hottest low temperature
2 Jul 2018
Over a period of 24 hours last week, the temperature in the Oman city of Quriyat never dropped below 42.6deg, most likely the highest minimum temperature observed on Earth.
We can use organic waste, says landfill operator
29 Jun 2018
Keeping organic waste out of rubbish dumps will double its carbon footprint and deny the country an important source of renewable energy, says the country’s largest landfill operator.
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.
