New Zealand: All stories
Airlines eye massive carbon handout
29 Jun 2018
Brazil and China are behind a push to allow billions of tonnes of old carbon credits to be used to offset future growth in pollution by airlines.
Musk's latest is a pickup truck that can carry a pickup truck
29 Jun 2018
TESLA CEO Elon Musk is talking about his plans for an over-sized electric ute. He calls the concept “a pickup truck that can carry a pickup truck”.
Big Business gets ready to back carbon neutrality
28 Jun 2018
Fifty-three of New Zealand’s biggest companies - including major players in the farming, forestry and fishing industries - appear to be ready to announce their support for the Zero Carbon Bill.
Methane revelations unlikely to affect NZ
28 Jun 2018
Revelations that methane emissions from natural gas production in the United States could be 60 per cent higher than officially acknowledged are unlikely to affect New Zealand, officials say.
Gas not answer to shipping problem, says study
28 Jun 2018
Europe has little to gain from trying to decarbonise the unwieldy shipping sector with liquefied natural gas, according to a new study.
Don't bet on the future of our cars being electric
27 Jun 2018
The future of low-emissions transport is not necessarily electric, car makers are telling the Government.
OPINION: Let's charge the high-emitting vehicles
27 Jun 2018
By Toyota NZ chief executive ALASTAIR DAVIS | The Productivity Commission’s draft on the move to a low-carbon emission economy through a Zero Carbon Act is a sound report on what lies ahead.
Get climate house in order, Trustpower tells Govt
26 Jun 2018
Energy company Trustpower says the Government needs to use “joined-up thinking” on climate change.
Self-drivers might make us more dependent on cars
26 Jun 2018
Lots of questions remain unanswered about how urban systems will work with the introduction of self-driving vehicles.
Government might aim for more carbon cuts
25 Jun 2018
The Government might increase New Zealand’s 2030 emissions reduction target.
Methane leaks throw doubt on role of natural gas
25 Jun 2018
Higher than expected levels of the potent short-lived climate pollutant raise questions about whether natural gas can be an effective bridge to lower emissions.
These days, Rio Tinto is a big fan of our ETS
22 Jun 2018
Pacific Aluminium – whose parent company Rio Tinto threatened to leave New Zealand if a carbon price was introduced – is now a fan of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Hot summer leads to higher energy emissions
22 Jun 2018
New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions from energy were up in the first three months of this year compared to the same time last year – with record temperatures meaning less water was available for hydro-electric generation.
Seaweed scientist wins global acclaim
22 Jun 2018
Research into farming seaweed as a way of storing carbon has earned a New Zealand scientist international recognition.
The war on waste could make you wealthy
22 Jun 2018
The latest eco-drive has taken hold in middle-class heartlands in a way that this time it might just mean widespread, permanent changes to the ways we live and consume.
Why carbon neutral means cutting all gases
21 Jun 2018
Two of the three options in the Government’s Zero Carbon Bill discussion paper will not increase New Zealand’s current emissions reduction target, says a mathematician who has run the numbers.
Clean energy investment ‘must be 50% higher’
21 Jun 2018
An extra $460 billion a year needs to be invested in the low-carbon economy globally over the next 12 years to limit climate warming to 1.5deg, a new paper says.
Funds manager puts 84 global firms on notice
21 Jun 2018
London-based Legal & General, which has close to £1 trillion worth of assets under management, has released its latest assessment of how 84 global corporations are responding to the risks posed by climate change.
Norway eyes passenger flights after testing tiny electric plane
21 Jun 2018
Norway has tested a two-seater electric plane and predicted a start to passenger flights by 2025 if new aviation technologies match a green shift that has made Norwegians the world’s top buyers of electric cars.
Govt hears of value in overseas carbon credits
20 Jun 2018
Access to international carbon credits could lower the cost of decarbonising the economy, the Government has been told.
Our cities in the 30-year climate firing line
20 Jun 2018
New Zealanders are among the billions of city dwellers who will be hit by the impacts of climate change within three decades, a new report shows.
OPINION: If energy grew on trees
20 Jun 2018
By JONATHAN McKEOWN | It is always refreshing when structures and processes work as they were designed to. It’s an absolute triumph when it involves the public sector, an industry body and business.
20% of Nats don't want zero carbon, says survey
19 Jun 2018
One in five National Party supporters opposes the idea of New Zealand being carbon-neutral, a recent survey suggests.
Samsung commits to 100% renewable energy
19 Jun 2018
Samsung has become the latest international company to take the step towards obtaining 100 per cent of its energy from clean sources.
History says Bridges and Nats are talking hot air
18 Jun 2018
By publisher ADELIA HALLETT | Is Opposition Leader Simon Bridges’ offer to work with the Government on climate change policy worth any more than a dodgy hot-air carbon credit?
Slower cyclones will mean more damage
18 Jun 2018
Tropical cyclones are slowing down. Hurricanes have lost their hurry. Paradoxically, this is bad news: they have more time to work their mischief.
Billions of tonnes of CO2 safe underground, says report
18 Jun 2018
Storing billions of tonnes of CO2 underground would be a “safe and effective” way to help to limit the effects of climate change, a new study says.
Warming world will weaken rice nutrition
18 Jun 2018
Climate change will make rice less nutritious, putting millions of the world’s poor at risk, new studies show.
SIMON SAYS: We'll work for sensible solutions
15 Jun 2018
The National Party says it will work with the Government to establish a climate change commission.
Key report dangerously misleading, say Wise men
15 Jun 2018
A document likely to underpin the Government’s plans to decarbonise the economy is being called dangerously misleading.
Dow saves $120 million by investing in nature
15 Jun 2018
The Dow Chemical Company says it has saved $120 million over the past year from its ‘valuing nature’ project.
Trust ticks off benefits of higher carbon prices
14 Jun 2018
Carbon prices of $50 to $350 a tonne by 2020 will drive investments in low-emissions development of Maori land, creating jobs and alleviating poverty along the way, the Government is being told.
Climate change dust storms can kill
14 Jun 2018
The US Dust Bowl in the 1930s was one of the worst environmental disasters of the 20th century.
Exempting methane won't change our obligations
13 Jun 2018
Exempting methane from New Zealand’s 2050 emissions-reduction target will not stop the country being held liable for it under international rules.
Why methane should be treated differently
13 Jun 2018
New research provides a way out of a longstanding quandary in climate policy: how best to account for the warming effects of greenhouse gases that have different atmospheric lifetimes.
Daimler moves on e-truck market
13 Jun 2018
Daimler, the largest truck manufacturer in the world, is eyeing up the prizes to be won from electric vehicles.
Shaw invites Nats to work on Zero Carbon Act
12 Jun 2018
Climate minister James Shaw has invited the National Party to help him to draft the Zero Carbon Act.
At last, we get to see proposed ETS forestry rules
11 Jun 2018
The Government has finally released some of its proposed changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme’s forestry rules – but the sector won’t see the rest until the end of the year.
Parker to talk hydrogen energy in Japan
11 Jun 2018
Developing a sustainable hydrogen energy industry will be on the agenda for talks between New Zealand and Japan this week.
Sustainable Business Network looks for winners
11 Jun 2018
Entries are open in this year’s Sustainable Business Network awards.
‘Liquid air’ storage technology comes step closer
11 Jun 2018
A UK company has completed a test plant for its liquid air energy storage technology which it hopes will be a long-duration challenger to lithium-ion storage and will avoid the pitfalls that have stymied similar startups.
Climate stand gives us trade edge, says Shaw
8 Jun 2018
New Zealand's tougher stand on climate change is already paying dividends, earning the country support for a free-trade agreement with Europe, says climate minister James Shaw.
Carbon Bill provides certainty for fuels chief
8 Jun 2018
The Zero Carbon Bill gives the certainty that has been lacking to tackle one of the biggest problems facing business, says Z Energy chief executive Mike Bennetts.
Green economy closes in on fossil fuel sector
8 Jun 2018
The green economy now holds roughly the same market share as the fossil fuel sector, according to a leading market analyst.
OPINION: Military won't ride to the rescue
8 Jun 2018
The Australian Senate’s declaration last month that climate change is a “current and existential national security risk” was clearly intended to inject much-needed urgency into the country’s climate policy stalemate.
NEW-WAVE: Microsoft goes deep with subsea data centre
8 Jun 2018
Microsoft has placed a data centre on the sea floor off the Scottish coast in an innovative environmental test.
Government hears of $800 carbon price possibility
7 Jun 2018
Carbon prices of more than $800 a tonne will be needed if New Zealand doesn’t tackle greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, the Government has been told.
OPINION: Welcome to the revolution
7 Jun 2018
Climate minister James Shaw says we’re in the midst of a new Industrial Revolution – and that’s why he’s asking for input on the Zero Carbon Bill before it’s drafted.
STORM SEASON: Category 5 warning is no longer enough
7 Jun 2018
As the Atlantic hurricane season begins, scientists are worried that US coastal communities could face more storms so intense that current warning categories don't fully capture the threat.
ICCC to probe impact of oil and gas exploration
6 Jun 2018
The Interim Climate Change Committee will investigate the impact of further oil and gas exploration on New Zealand’s emissions reduction targets.
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.
