New Zealand: All stories
Foresters happy, farmers wary of carbon path
5 Sep 2018
Recommendations for what is being called the biggest land-use change in New Zealand’s history are pleasing foresters but not farmers.
World Bank issues first sustainable water bond
5 Sep 2018
The World Bank has launched a Sustainable Development Bond series to raise awareness of the importance of ocean resources.
PRODCOM 1: Innovation key to our carbon future
4 Sep 2018
Carbon prices of $200 a tonne, the end of fossil-fuels and agriculture subject to carbon pricing are on the cards if the Government picks up a new report.
PRODCOM 2: Market needs special treatment
4 Sep 2018
The carbon market should be managed by a special authority, the Productivity Commission says.
PRODCOM 3: Farmers deserve emissions subsidy
4 Sep 2018
Farmers should be paying for greenhouse gas emissions – albeit at a subsidised rate, the Productivity Commission says.
PRODCOM 4: Farewell to fossil fuels
4 Sep 2018
Fossil fuels should be consigned to history, the Productivity Commission says.
PRODCOM 5: Where we got it wrong
4 Sep 2018
What went wrong with New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme? The Productivity Commission spells it out in a report released today.
Methane needs special approach, says expert
3 Sep 2018
Methane should be treated differently from other greenhouse gases when it comes to cutting emissions, says the man who did the calculations for the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment’s latest report.
Our weather will get worse, warn scientists
3 Sep 2018
El Niño and La Niña – the weather patterns that bring New Zealand droughts on the one hand and storms on the other – will get worse as the climate warms, scientists say.
NZ eco-friendly footwear wins backing of Leonardo DeCaprio
3 Sep 2018
Eco-friendly shoe brand Allbirds, founded by a New Zealander, has received investment from actor Leonardo DiCaprio.
New PCE report backs mission to cut methane
31 Aug 2018
New research released by the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment confirms that New Zealand’s methane emissions must be cut.
Drivers foot huge bill for carmakers' scam
31 Aug 2018
Drivers in Europe have paid $NZ260 billion more on fuel than they would have if their vehicles had performed as well on-the-road as in official laboratory-based tests, says a new report.
Carbon-sucker wins new investment money
31 Aug 2018
A small Swiss company has won $31 million in new investment to suck carbon dioxide from thin air.
We must cut methane emissions, officials tell Shaw
30 Aug 2018
Methane emissions – including those from agriculture - will have to be cut if the Paris Agreement is to be met, officials have told climate minister James Shaw.
Europe now boasts more than a million e-cars
30 Aug 2018
Europe now has more than a million electric cars after sales soared by over 40 per cent in the first half of the year, new figures reveal.
Nissan makes electric car just for China
30 Aug 2018
Nissan has begun production for its first electric car designed specifically for China.
Fuel from wood great energy option, say scientists
29 Aug 2018
Bioenergy production using wood from locally grown and sustainably managed forests can provide one of the lowest-carbon energy options for New Zealand, Scion says.
Auckland signs up to war on waste declaration
29 Aug 2018
Auckland is promising to halve the amount of waste being sent to rubbish dumps by 2030.
Greenhouse emissions must be cut, says Ardern
28 Aug 2018
Cutting New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions was on the Prime Minister’s menu at a business breakfast in Auckland this morning.
Beware of cherry-picking, study tells businesses
28 Aug 2018
Companies might be cherry-picking sustainability measures that make them look good, with greenhouse gas emissions one of the least-reported factors.
SHOCK WAVES: Should we be using tech to control weather?
28 Aug 2018
Farmers in Mexico have accused Volkswagen of ruining their crops by installing “hail cannons”, which fire shockwaves into the atmosphere in an effort to prevent hail storms from damaging cars rolling off the production line.
Growth fund should back biofuel, says jet group
27 Aug 2018
The Government’s Provincial Growth Fund should be backing production in New Zealand of biofuel, says one of the players in a biojet consortium.
Z Energy buys chunk of electricity company
27 Aug 2018
Fuel retailer Z Energy is buying 70 per cent of an electricity supplier as part of a shift towards a low-carbon economy.
Don't rush free-credits' demise, warn exporters
24 Aug 2018
Trade-exposed heavy emitters should keep getting free carbon credits until 70 per cent of their international competitors face a carbon price, says Export New Zealand.
Scottish tidal project sets new power records
24 Aug 2018
A tidal energy project in Scotland has smashed records for power generation over a 12-month period.
Carbon trading support sits at 50%, says survey
23 Aug 2018
Half of New Zealanders support carbon trading as a way of cutting the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, a survey shows.
OPINION: Good intentions are not enough
23 Aug 2018
By GREG CAMPBELL | When 60 chief executives of large New Zealand companies recently committed to a transition to a low- emissions economy, some environmentalists were wary.
Cheap-credits companies might face crackdown
22 Aug 2018
The Government might crack down on companies using cheap credits to cover their carbon liabilities while banking or selling credits given to them by taxpayers.
Solar goes super and next stop might be space
22 Aug 2018
Power utilities around the world are supersizing their solar farms and even looking toward taking them into space.
Why summer weather keeps on getting 'stuck'
22 Aug 2018
Summer weather patterns are increasingly likely to stall in Europe, North America and parts of Asia, according to a new climate study that explains why Arctic warming is making heatwaves elsewhere more persistent and dangerous.
Public wants green-guilt companies to foot bill
21 Aug 2018
The public wants companies responsible for climate change held accountable, a new survey shows.
Company wins $3.1m to recycle industrial waste
21 Aug 2018
Auckland company Green Gorilla has won a $3.1 million government grant to recycle commercial and industrial waste.
The road ahead might not be smooth for electric scooters
21 Aug 2018
Electric scooters are seen as a good choice by many eco-conscious consumers, but some cities see regulatory headaches.
Government takes aim at synthetic gases
20 Aug 2018
Synthetic greenhouses gases, like those used in refrigeration and air conditioning, could come under a new product stewardship regime.
Companies offer e-cars on subscription
20 Aug 2018
Electric vehicles could soon be available on subscription.
E-planes on way ... as soon as we can figure out the battery
20 Aug 2018
At least 20 companies are developing aerial taxi plans, including Boeing and Airbus. But flying requires an incredible amount of energy, and presently, batteries are too heavy and too expensive to achieve liftoff.
Rolls-Royce making battery to power ships
20 Aug 2018
Rolls-Royce is developing a battery storage device for use in the shipping industry.
High cost of land a blocker, say foresters
17 Aug 2018
The high cost of land means that even at $24 a tonne, New Zealand cannot rely on new forests to meet its 2030 emissions reduction target, the forestry industry says.
Green group hails ETS boost for native forests
17 Aug 2018
The Government’s plan to use the Emissions Trading Scheme to encourage more native forests is a smart move and will help to protect farms, towns and infrastructure from extreme weather events, an environmental organisation says.
Marine worms are dining out on plastic
17 Aug 2018
On land, earthworms eat dead leaves and fungi and poop out tiny bits of organic matter that enrich the soil. In the sea, it turns out that some marine worms chew on floating plastic and poop out microplastics.
Sustainable investments outperform the market
17 Aug 2018
Companies which invest on the basis of environmental concerns often receive higher returns, new research shows.
Facebook leads record clean power purchases
17 Aug 2018
Corporations, led by Facebook, are purchasing more clean energy than ever, with 2018 already exceeding the record-amount set last year.
Carbon at $24 puts pressure on Government
16 Aug 2018
Carbon prices have smashed through the $24 barrier for the first time in nearly a decade of carbon trading in New Zealand, increasing pressure on the Government to lift the $25 price cap.
Who will own EV charging stations?
16 Aug 2018
The fragmented nature of EV charging infrastructure ownership means that any of a range of players could be taking your money.
Lift carbon cap to $30 immediately, says broker
15 Aug 2018
The Government is being told to take the brakes off the carbon market and immediately lift the maximum price to $30 a tonne.
Farmers want clear carbon price guides
15 Aug 2018
Farmers want to know what range carbon prices will be over five-year periods, the Farm Forestry Association says.
At last, a handy guide to the ETS
15 Aug 2018
Settling down to make a submission on the latest review of the Emissions Trading Scheme and need a hand?
No floor, but expect early action on carbon prices
14 Aug 2018
The Government might intervene in the market to lift carbon prices before 2020, but it has no plan to introduce a price floor.
At last, a new deal on the table for forestry
14 Aug 2018
The Government has finally unveiled its proposals for changing the way forestry is treated under the Emissions Trading Scheme – including a proposal for new permanent forestry provisions.
New ETS review will look at lifting cap
13 Aug 2018
Lifting the cap on the carbon price and limiting the supply of units are two of the proposals in the Government's new review of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Green Party calls for national electrification plan
Mon 20 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is calling for a national plan to electrify homes, transport and industry using renewable energy, to reduce fossil fuel dependence in response to the Middle East crisis.
Going concern status flags depth of Methanex NZ's gas crisis
Tue 21 Apr 2026
Methanex's New Zealand operation is relying on financial support from its Canadian parent to remain a going concern after a second consecutive year of asset impairments left the business with negative equity.
Fonterra admits ‘100% grass-fed’ claim breached law in greenwashing row
2 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Fonterra has admitted its “100% New Zealand grass-fed” claims on Anchor butter were misleading and breached the law, settling a case brought by Greenpeace Aotearoa over packaging used between December 2023 and April 2025.
Climate pollution static but NZ still on track for first emissions budget, says MfE
Fri 17 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is still on track to meet its first emissions budget, according to the Ministry for the Environment, despite the pace of emissions reductions slowing to a standstill.
NZ’s latest push to roll out more EV chargers is a good thing – but can it go the distance?
14 Apr 2026
A $50 million plan to expand New Zealand’s public electric vehicle (EV) charging network marks another step toward a lower-emissions transport system.
Wilding conifers continue to plague Southland
Fri 17 Apr 2026
By Matthew Rosenberg, Local Democracy Reporter | Fast-spreading conifer trees are causing headaches in Southland as inconsistent funding continues to hinder control efforts.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
Wed 22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
