Media round-up
15 Aug 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Australia could be about to leapfrog New Zealand on climate targets; 'strangled' rivers are fighting back; and 10 rangatahi will join Aotearoa New Zealand’s delegation at the United Nations' major climate conference in Brazil.
Australia could be about to leapfrog NZ on climate targets
By Eloise Gibson, RNZ
A conservative Australian politician turned climate leader has told New Zealand ministers it is in their interests to do more on climate change.
We strangled our rivers; now they’re fighting back
By Marc Daalder, Newsroom
We forced New Zealand’s braided rivers into tiny channels so we could build our homes and farms in their riverbeds – now we’re seeing the consequences
Rangatahi chosen to speak on climate change at COP30 in Brazil
By Te Karere Reporters, 1News
A lack of young Māori voices at one of the world’s biggest conferences on climate change has led to a selection of 10 rangatahi to join Aotearoa New Zealand’s delegation heading to the UN Climate Change Conference for the first time.
Wilding pine problem at ‘tipping point’ in Southland
By Matthew Rosenberg, RNZ
Wild conifer trees are running rife in Southland with fears some areas could be overtaken in the next 30 years.
Homeowners face $200-plus hike in Natural Hazards Commission levy
By Jonathan Milne, Newsroom
David Seymour commiserates with ‘long-suffering taxpayer’, but the only alternative is the Government bailing out the Crown-owned quake and flood insurer when it’s bankrupted by the next big storm
Green fuel on the blue horizon
By Richard Rennie, Farmers Weekly
Scion scientists are developing means of getting biofuel from forests to power ships.
By Juha Saarinen, interest.co.nz
The coalition government is changing the way the public funds roading, by switching from taxing the most widely used fuel for cars, petrol, at the source, to drivers paying based on how much they drive.
Three of New Zealand's biggest emitters no longer have to reveal their climate impact
By Eloise Gibson, RNZ
Three of the country's biggest greenhouse gas emitters no longer have to reveal how much planet-heating gas they produce.
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Climate law change spanner in the works for Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry
19 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s controversial changes to New Zealand’s legal framework for climate policy have thrown a spanner in the works for a long-running Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry into climate change.
Seasons greetings for the summer break
19 Dec 2025
The Carbon News team is taking a break over the summer holidays. We’ll be back with more crucial climate coverage from New Zealand and around the world from 26 January 2026.
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.
Wetlands and biodiversity at risk as mining rules loosen: Greenpeace
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Greenpeace says Government changes to national direction instruments under the RMA paves the way for mining in wetlands and biodiversity hotspots and will expose some of Aotearoa’s most fragile ecosystems to irreversible damage.
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.
Govt unveils plans for carbon storage regulations – and ETS rewards
18 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government has released plans to regulate carbon capture and storage in natural geological formations, which include Emissions Trading Scheme incentives, with the aim of introducing related legislation in 2026.
Farm-level emissions cuts possible, but almost everything stands in the way
18 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Progress to slash farming emissions is being blocked by limited farmer confidence in mitigation tools, inconsistent engagement, misinformation and a lack of clear policy signals, according to a new report.
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.
Could tidal energy one day power NZ?
18 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New research suggests Aotearoa holds some of the world’s strongest tidal-stream energy potential – enough to generate up to 93% of today’s electricity use – but one expert cautions that extracting energy at such a scale could have significant impacts and remains highly uncertain.
Climate change policy moving to new mega-ministry
17 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government’s primary adviser on climate change policy, the Ministry for the Environment, is to be folded into a new mega-agency that will also cover urban, transport, local government and housing.
