New Zealand: All stories
Dodgy rainfall becoming big worry in grazing regions
23 Feb 2018
Nearly half of the world's pastureland is experiencing notable changes in precipitation, driving up the risk to grazing and herding communities.
We'll soon know what the environment is worth
22 Feb 2018
New Zealand’s environment is about to have a monetary value put on it, in a new report examining the trade-offs between the environment and the economy.
OPINION: We should adopt the 'easy win' way
22 Feb 2018
Government officials appear to be putting more effort into working out how to purchase international carbon credits than into reducing the country’s greenhouse gas emissions, says Bioenergy Association chief executive Brian Cox.
Mazda gets busy phasing-in fossil fuels
22 Feb 2018
Mazda is saying what everyone knows: the internal combustion engine is going to power the vast majority of cars for the next 50 years.
Plastic bans will dent oil demand growth, says BP
22 Feb 2018
International bans on single-use plastic items such as carrier bags will dent growth in oil demand over the next two decades, according to BP.
Minister offers money for good emissions moves
21 Feb 2018
Got a good idea to cut greenhouse gas emissions in your business or in the transport sector? The Government wants to give you money.
Climate change brings turbulent times to air travel
21 Feb 2018
From rising temperatures preventing take-off to rising seas flooding runways, aviation needs to adapt to changes already grounding flights around the world.
Officials look for 'best way' global ETS links
19 Feb 2018
Officials are working on linking the Emissions Trading Scheme to schemes in other countries, saying it’s the best way to secure the international carbon units New Zealand will need to meet its 2030 emissions reduction target.
Business seeks closer access to climate talks
19 Feb 2018
Business lobbies in Europe and the US are pushing for a distinct, direct and formalised “business channel” into UN climate negotiations.
Billion Trees land approaches 50,000 hectares
16 Feb 2018
The Government says it is close to securing 50,000 hectares of land for new forests under its Billion Trees programme.
Yoogo is a-go-go in Christchurch
16 Feb 2018
The Southern Hemisphere’s biggest deployment of pure-battery electric cars has been launched in Christchurch.
Thank the seagulls – guano makes the world go round
16 Feb 2018
Three new studies of how the world works show that seabird excrement plays an unexpected role, as do polar algae and rotting trees.
Raise cap or pay the price, warns ETS pioneer
15 Feb 2018
Taxpayers could get a hefty carbon bill if the Government doesn’t urgently lift the carbon price cap, a gathering of Emissions Trading Scheme experts has heard.
Energy producers want mandatory disclosure
15 Feb 2018
European energy producers are calling for mandatory disclosure to customers of information about where their electricity comes from.
China will show the way with solar power
15 Feb 2018
China will be the first major country in which solar energy gives fossil fuels a run for its money, says Lloyds Register.
Climate change and storms our greatest threats
14 Feb 2018
Climate change and related impacts like intense storms are now the greatest threats the world faces.
Victoria University think-tank up there with the best
14 Feb 2018
The New Zealand Climate Change Research Institute has been named one of the best environmental policy think-tanks in the world.
Hydrogen could be the fuel to finish off the fossils
14 Feb 2018
The surplus electricity from solar and wind power gives hydrogen the chance to replace oil and gas.
WONDER WOOD: New material could replace steel in building
14 Feb 2018
A type of super-strong wood, which could replace the use of steel in manufacturing, has been developed by US researchers.
Drones deliver the goods ... and clean the atmosphere
14 Feb 2018
Delivering parcels by drone could help to cut carbon emissions.
Why now's the time for businesses to cost carbon
13 Feb 2018
Businesses are being told to price carbon into their forecasts now – regardless of whether they currently face a carbon price.
Lack of women in energy ‘holding back the fight’
13 Feb 2018
The lack of women in energy companies is holding back the sector’s efforts to tackle climate change, a leading industry watcher has warned.
Changing climate could bring bad news for broccoli
13 Feb 2018
The warming climate could spell trouble for cabbages and broccoli. Research out today shows that seed dispersal by brassicas will be affected by rising temperatures.
Neoliberalism not way, says environment report
12 Feb 2018
Neoliberalism is failing to protect New Zealand’s environment, warns a new paper on the future of environmental law.
Cities most likely to run out of drinking water (like Cape Town)
12 Feb 2018
Cape Town is in the unenviable situation of being the first major city in the modern era to face the threat of running out of drinking water.
Climate change might cause birds to hatch early
12 Feb 2018
Climate change might cause birds' eggs to hatch early, a new study shows.
Emitters can keep stashed free carbon credits
9 Feb 2018
Trade-exposed heavy emitters sitting on free NZUs from taxpayers will be able to keep using them - even if they did contribute to New Zealand’s embarrassing “dodgy credits” incident.
BP aims to invest more in clean energy
9 Feb 2018
BP has declared it is looking to acquire more green energy firms, as the British oil giant pledged to set carbon targets for its operations.
FAIL MARK: Environmentally, NZ has got it wrong
8 Feb 2018
New Zealand is one of the worst countries in the world when it comes to exceeding planetary boundaries, new research shows.
We'll soon feel the effects of China's market
8 Feb 2018
China’s new carbon market will have a profound impact on electricity companies, says Standard & Poors.
Big companies back circular economy moves
8 Feb 2018
A new global initiative to foster the circular economy principles has been backed by more than 30 major international companies.
Is paint stripper causing new problems for the ozone layer?
8 Feb 2018
The ozone layer that protects people from the sun’s ultraviolet radiation is not recovering over most highly populated regions, warn scientists.
After an oil-soaked past, Saudi wants to let the sunshine in
8 Feb 2018
Oil kingdom Saudi Arabia is trying to tie its future to another natural resource it has in abundance: sunlight.
Government wants drive for more electric vehicles
7 Feb 2018
The new government wants more electric vehicles on the road – but it’s not yet saying how many.
Ikea buys 25,000 acres of sustainable forestry
7 Feb 2018
Swedish multinational Ikea has announced it is buying 25,000 acres of forest in Alabama.
We've just had the hottest month on record
5 Feb 2018
New Zealand continues to tick off the climate records, with January the hottest month ever recorded.
Sweden setting up first fossil-free steel plant
5 Feb 2018
A new Swedish venture is working to establish a first-of-its-kind pilot steel plant to be fuelled with hydrogen.
Electric flying taxi has lots of engines ... and lots of money
5 Feb 2018
A California company developing a multi-engined electric air taxi has just received $100 million in venture funding from several major outfits, including Toyota.
One way to save energy is to stay at home
5 Feb 2018
Americans spent nearly eight more days at home in 2012 compared with2003 - with the result that they consumed less energy.
Maori landowners oppose delay in ETS changes
2 Feb 2018
Changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme are needed now, not at the end of next year, if the Government wants Maori land owners to plant carbon-sequestering forests, says a specialist in climate change and Maori development.
'It’s good to hear a government finally talking sense'
2 Feb 2018
What kind of reception is climate minister James Shaw likely to be getting from the Iwi Leaders Group as they meet at Waitangi today?
Sustainable agriculture needs financing
2 Feb 2018
Agriculture stands at a crossroads between its current contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and the number of mouths it needs to feed in the developing world.
Negative emissions have ‘limited potential’
2 Feb 2018
The potential for using negative emissions technologies to help to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement could be more “limited” than previously thought, says a new report.
These cargo ships will draw power from solid solar sails
2 Feb 2018
A Japanese company is moving ahead with plans to equip ocean-going cargo ships with rigid sails embedded with solar panels.
OPINION: Kiwi consumers push sustainability
2 Feb 2018
New Zealand businesses that plan to wait for regulation before taking sustainability seriously are in for a rude awakening.
When the heat's at its worst, trees will sweat to stay alive
2 Feb 2018
Climate experiment shows trees release water but stop absorbing carbon in extreme heat.
Ryanair makes pledge to become plastics free
2 Feb 2018
Irish airline Ryanair has vowed to eliminate use of nonrecyclable plastics on aircraft and at head offices and bases.
Poll shows we're divided over carbon-neutral aim
1 Feb 2018
The country is split over the Government’s plans to make New Zealand carbon neutral – despite most New Zealanders now realising it is the world’s biggest problem.
Telling the story is climate panel's problem
1 Feb 2018
The IPCC is taking guidance on how to communicate its crucial findings beyond speciality scientific and policy circles.
HOT NEWS: Mustard seeds help to power breakthrough flight
1 Feb 2018
A Qantas aircraft powered partly by mustard seeds has made the first biofuel flight between Australia and the United States.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
NZ hydrogen regulation to catch up with the world
18 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The government has announced a regulatory reset for New Zealand’s emerging clean tech hydrogen sector.
State-owned farmer drives profit growth with emissions reductions
19 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Government-owned Landcorp, trading as Pāmu, is one-third of the way to meeting its 2031 emissions reduction targets, with five years left to run to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 30.3% against 2021 emissions.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
10 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Transport pollution was the biggest contributor to an increase in New Zealand’s consumption-based emissions in 2023, with emissions from household travel up 12%, and consumption-based emissions totalling 58.3 million tonnes – up 1.6% from the previous year.
NZ could become ‘dumping ground’ for dirty vehicles: Commissioner
16 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Simon Upton, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, has warned the Government that its changes to the clean car standard could turn the country into a dumping ground for high emitting cars, making future emissions budgets harder to achieve.
Uncertainty eroding confidence in forestry sector
5 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Warnings are mounting that tree planting is set to plunge to “very close to zero”, as new Ministry for Primary Industries data shows ETS registration applications falling sharply as confidence in forestry declines.
Investors must support positive climate-tech
28 Nov 2025
OPINION: We need better leadership than the current ‘climate opportunism’ that is rife in the Beehive, and we need to back a marketplace that will make it happen, writes Rob Campbell.
