NZ's climate target 'wholly inadequate' to protect health
12 Feb 2025
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| Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash |
A global organisation has slammed New Zealand's 2035 climate commitment, saying it shows limited mitigation ambition and fails to address health impacts.
Story copyright © Carbon News 2025
Environment ministry straining under pressure of reforms and potential disestablishment
Today 11:00am
The ministry responsible for New Zealand’s most significant resource management reform in a generation is doing so under institutional strain, compressed timeframes, and an uncertain future – including its own potential disestablishment.
Climate risks could reshape business finances, new guidance warns
Today 11:00am
By Shannon Morris-Williams New guidance warns climate change is set to fundamentally reshape financial outcomes for businesses, including difficult-to-model climate “tipping points” – irreversible changes such as ice sheet collapse or ocean circulation shifts – which threaten severe and sudden financial impacts.
Climate change could sharply increase NZ landslide risk
Tue 14 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate change could significantly increase the number and intensity of landslides in New Zealand, with new research showing a Cyclone Gabrielle-scale storm in a warmer world could trigger tens of thousands more slips across a wider area.
Pūkaki consent battle becomes proxy for system risk
Tue 14 Apr 2026
The fight over Lake Pūkaki is no longer just about a consent change. It has become a proxy for how much New Zealand is willing to pay for electricity system resilience – and how that price should be set.
NZ’s latest push to roll out more EV chargers is a good thing – but can it go the distance?
Tue 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.
Global uncertainty driving solar surge
Mon 13 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Global instability and rising energy costs are pushing more New Zealanders towards solar, with companies reporting a surge in enquiries as households look for greater control and resilience in an increasingly uncertain energy landscape.
Self-interest should drive investment in overseas climate action, says former climate commissioner
Mon 13 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Wealthy countries – including New Zealand – aren’t doing nearly enough to fund climate mitigation in the developing world, with new research saying we need to "change the conversation" to spark action in this vital area.
NZ aid cuts put Pacific climate response at risk
Mon 13 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand’s aid spending dropped 12.8% in 2025, with Oxfam warning the cuts risk undermining climate adaptation efforts in the Pacific as the region faces an accelerating climate crisis.
Govt tweaks consenting rules for EV chargers
Fri 10 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has announced a national reset of planning rules for EV chargers, which it says aim to address infrastructure shortages which have put the brakes on electric vehicle uptake in New Zealand.
Activist ends five-day tree-top protest at West Coast coal mine
Fri 10 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A climate activist has ended a five-day tree-top occupation that blocked access to Bathurst Resources’ Cypress Mine on the West Coast, in a protest against plans to expand what could become New Zealand’s largest coal mine.
