New Zealand: All stories
THE COUNT: English stays silent
11 Sep 2017
Week 12 of The Count ... and Prime Minister Bill English is still in the starting blocks.
Mercedes ready to show its first hydrogen SUV
11 Sep 2017
Mercedes-Benz will unveil its first production-ready hydrogen car on Wednesday at the Frankfurt motor show.
FUEL FACT: We're burning more oil than ever
8 Sep 2017
New Zealand is burning more oil than ever, despite pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Swiss pay heavy price for intensive farming
8 Sep 2017
Intensive agriculture has gradually dried out Switzerland's ponds, and soils are no longer able to handle violent rains, creating increased flooding and mud slides.
WAR AND WARMING: A great waterway comes under threat
8 Sep 2017
Hydrologists and climate scientists have just calculated the future of one of the world’s most celebrated waterways, the River Jordan. Their conclusion is that the outlook is poor − and getting poorer.
Jaguar Land Rover to go electric or hybrid from 2020
8 Sep 2017
Jaguar Land Rover is the latest large carmaker to say it will stop launching new models solely powered by internal combustion engines.
High land prices key blocker to forest planting
7 Sep 2017
New Zealand won’t get more carbon-sequestering forests until land prices fall.
We need to get involved, says Maori candidate
7 Sep 2017
Maori need to get involved in fighting climate change, says Maori Party Kelston candidate Cinnamon Whitlock.
WATER WARNING: The world is drinking microplastic fibres
7 Sep 2017
Microplastic contamination has been found in tap water in countries around the world, leading to calls from scientists for urgent research on the implications for health.
Refrigerant Recovery earns praise
7 Sep 2017
A business initiative that safely disposes of climate-damaging gases from the refrigeration and air conditioning industries has had its accreditation as a product stewardship scheme extended.
CLIMATE CASE: National happy the way things are
6 Sep 2017
National is taking a business-as-usual approach to climate policy, warning that Labour and the Greens would go too far if they got into government.
Cruise ships have done nothing about pollution, report claims
6 Sep 2017
Cruise ships have done virtually nothing to reduce their pollution over the past year, with some still emitting as much particulate matter as a million cars a day, according to a new report.
Tesla begins production of solar roof tiles
6 Sep 2017
Tesla has launched large-scale production of its glass solar roof tiles at its Buffalo plant.
NZ backs global carbon markets cooperation
5 Sep 2017
New Zealand has signed a statement calling for renewed co-operation on carbon markets.
Greens want high-end wood products industry
5 Sep 2017
The Green Party wants a regional research institute to develop high-value wood products as part of a strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
GAS GUZZLERS: Methanotrophs show their muscle
5 Sep 2017
The soil bacteria that help to keep methane emissions under control are tougher than scientists thought, opening new possibilities for converting greenhouse gases to fuels.
Leaked report lifts lid on coastal property risks
4 Sep 2017
A climate change report the Government didn’t want public yet has been released by the Green Party.
THE COUNT: Peters outpaces Ardern
4 Sep 2017
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has pulled ahead of Labour leader Jacinda Ardern in The Count, but the Greens’ James Shaw is looking unassailable.
BLACK-OUT: What was ministry advice on Kiwirail?
1 Sep 2017
Heavily redacted documents give little clue what advice the Ministry for the Environment gave the Government on the scrapping of KiwiRail's electric engines.
In an era of dire climate records the US and South Asia floods won't be the last
1 Sep 2017
From the US to India and China, human impact on the climate is likely to have made droughts and storms more severe – and the trend is only set to continue.
It's time for cities to ready for bigger rainfall
1 Sep 2017
With rainfall amounts on the rise globally, it’s crucial to examine how cities can retrofit buildings to alleviate flood damage and deal with stormwater in a more sustainable manner.
Europe rolls out tougher car emissions tests
1 Sep 2017
New on-road car emissions testing comes into force in the European Union tomorrow as regulators strive to prevent a repeat of Volkswagen’s diesel emissions scandal.
Biofuel breakthroughs bring negative emissions closer
1 Sep 2017
If we are to have any real chance of avoiding catastrophic climate change, it is not enough to reduce our emissions; we must put the process into reverse.
Foresters hope next government will vote for trees
31 Aug 2017
Forest owners are hoping next month’s general election will lead to more forestry-friendly government policies – especially if New Zealand First is in the driving seat.
Business body names sustainability award finalists
31 Aug 2017
Finalists in this year’s Sustainable Business Network awards have just been announced.
BMW to build all-electric version of the Mini Cooper
31 Aug 2017
BMW has confirmed that it will release a full-electric version of the iconic Mini Cooper by 2019.
CLIMATE REPORT: What is the Government hiding?
30 Aug 2017
The Government’s refusal to release a report on the impacts of climate change suggests it might contain something politically damaging, says constitutional law expert and former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer.
NZ backs global climate research project
30 Aug 2017
New Zealand is supporting a new $400,000 scholarship programme to build global expertise on climate change and food security.
Poultry plant earns applause for water use
30 Aug 2017
Australasia’s biggest poultry company has been recognised for the sustainable way it manages water use at a New Zealand plant.
What the parties say about climate change
29 Aug 2017
Three-and-a-bit weeks out from the general election, what do we know about the parties’ approach to climate change?
Wind, solar and water could be powerhouses by 2050
29 Aug 2017
More than 70 per cent of the countries in the world could run entirely on energy created by wind, water and solar by 2050, according to scientists.
What links Hurricane Harvey and climate change?
29 Aug 2017
The unprecedented amount of rainfall accompanying Hurricane Harvey immediately raised the question whether and to what extent climate change is to blame.
Climate change no big worry, says Prime Minister
28 Aug 2017
Prime Minister Bill English says climate change is not a major concern for most New Zealanders.
THE COUNT: James Shaw bounds ahead
28 Aug 2017
Green Party leader James Shaw has extended his lead in The Count, our tally of how important our political leaders think climate change is.
Phase-out of fossil fuels can be painless
28 Aug 2017
A pollution-free world driven by renewable energy is possible, say scientists with a plan for a fossil fuel phase-out for 139 countries.
Carbon capture has failed ... but here's what we could do
28 Aug 2017
For years, optimists have talked up carbon capture and storage as an essential part of taking emissions out of electricity generation.
Driverless cars could see rural sprawl of humankind
28 Aug 2017
Self-driving cars will change how we live, in all sorts of ways. But they won’t just affect humans – the coming revolution in autonomous transport has significant implications for wildlife as well.
EDITORIAL: Honestly, it just doesn't make sense
25 Aug 2017
By publisher ADELIA HALLETT | A plan to lift the speed limit on some roads to 110 kilometres an hour is the latest example of New Zealand’s lack of joined-up thinking on climate change.
IN THEIR OWN WORDS 1: Climate change
25 Aug 2017
What will the political parties vying to run our country do about climate change?
IN THEIR OWN WORDS 2: Renewable energy.
25 Aug 2017
What will the political parties vying to run our country do about renewable energy?
BLUE GOLD: E-cars mean the world is going crazy for cobalt
25 Aug 2017
Niche metal cobalt - a key component in the new breed of e-car batteries - is leaving bigger names like copper and lithium in its dust and triggering an international hunt for new deposits.
Who said the warming target should be 2deg?
25 Aug 2017
If you read or listen to almost any article about climate change, it’s likely the story refers in some way to the “2 degrees Celsius limit.”
Climate-savvy customers making presence felt
24 Aug 2017
Most New Zealand companies are already being affected by customer demands for environmental sustainability - or expect to feel an impact.
Fossil fuel business cops most blame for methane
24 Aug 2017
The extraction and burning of fossil fuels is responsible for much more methane in the atmosphere than scientists thought, research published today shows.
Labour to throw switch on Kiwirail diesel plans
23 Aug 2017
The Labour Party has told KiwiRail that if elected next month it will halt State-owned rail company’s plans to ditch electric locomotives on the main trunk line.
Airlines' offsetting doesn't add up, says Consumer NZ
23 Aug 2017
Carbon offsetting by the two major domestic airlines operating in New Zealand doesn’t fully reflect carbon emissions caused by air travel, says Consumer New Zealand.
Researchers to probe rich options for Maori land
23 Aug 2017
Rising carbon prices mean carbon farming, backed by manuka honey production, is becoming a viable use of Maori land, says the head of a Ruatoria charitable company.
TAXING OR TRADING: Which way should we go?
22 Aug 2017
Is taxing or trading the best way to get New Zealand’s emissions down?
Climate threatens three of four vital grain crops
22 Aug 2017
Three of the four major grains on which the growing world population depends are vulnerable to global warming, says a new meta-analysis based on more than 70 studies.
Time to start thinking about our digital carbon footprint
22 Aug 2017
The media plays a big part in generating awareness over environmental issues. but what is often missing from the discussion is the environmental costs of producing media in the first place.
Watts full-throated in National’s support for Paris
Today 12:45pm
By Pattrick Smellie | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts came to this week’s Climate Change and Business Conference with nothing to announce.
Milestone for NZ Steel electrification
Today 12:45pm
By Pattrick Smellie | NZ Steel has passed an installation milestone for its new electric arc furnace, which will reduce emissions from the Glenbrook steel mill site by as much as one megatonne (1Mt) a year.
International scientists slam NZ govt's proposed approach to methane
13 Aug 2025
New Zealand's proposed approach to methane emissions has again been attacked by international climate scientists, with a new study saying the attempt to redefine climate target-setting by livestock-exporting countries undermines the transition to a sustainable and equitable food system
Vector hits emissions reduction goal five years early
Fri 5 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | Auckland lines company Vector has met its 2030 emissions reduction reduction target five years early, more than halving its direct emissions, and crediting innovation and a laser-focus for its success in a hard-to-abate sector.
NZ needs to be part of a regional SAF strategy: Z, Air NZ
Tue 9 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand needs to be part of a regional strategic approach to sourcing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with domestic production less the aim than ensuring access to the fuel from one of a number of strategically positioned bio-refineries around the world.
Kawerau's new hope: Plan to replace coal with pine ramps up
Mon 8 Sep 2025
By Diane McCarthy, Local Democracy Reporter | Construction on a $300 million wood pellet plant in the Eastern Bay of Plenty is expected to start next month, with hopes it could cut the use of coal in New Zealand.
XRB consults on delaying climate reporting requirements
Thu 4 Sep 2025
The External Reporting Board is proposing a further two years relief for companies to adopt anticipated financial impacts reporting and scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions reporting and assurance.
