Media round-up
Today 9:45am
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Simon Watts acknowledges he may face ‘challenging’ conversations with Pacific nations at COP30, New Zealand's climbdown on its methane emissions target is "embarrassing", and corporates are the real winners of the gutting of the Zero Carbon Act this week.
Govt prepared to ‘pull the trigger’ on offshore carbon credits – Watts
By Marc Daalder, Newsroom
Simon Watts acknowledged he may face ‘challenging’ conversations with Pacific nations at the COP30 climate summit over the Govt’s policies.
'Embarrassing’: International climate expert at COP30 scorns NZ’s methane target
By Kate Newton, RNZ
New Zealand's climbdown on its methane emissions target and an agricultural emissions tax is dangerous and embarrassing, an international climate science and policy expert says.
Integrity Briefing: Don't get fooled on climate change again
By Bruce Edwards, The Integrity Institute
New Zealand’s landmark Zero Carbon Act was gutted this week, and hardly anyone even noticed. There’s not been a lot of media coverage of it, and even less debate. The winners of this, and other recent climate change reforms, are the powerful corporates who wanted an easier ride at the public’s expense.
Green finance was supposed to contribute solutions to climate change. So far, it’s fallen well short
By Simon O'Connor, Ben Neville & Brendan Wintle, interest.co.nz
Despite nearly a decade of action in sustainable finance, the extensive policy work delivered to fix this tragedy has merely subdued the symptoms, but to date has not overcome the core of the problem.
Climate change minister defends weakened methane emissions target ahead of COP30
By Kate Newton, RNZ
Technology, rather than taxing methane emissions, will be what brings New Zealand's agricultural emissions down, the climate change minister says.
Bye-bye bi-partisan climate pact
By Vernon Small, Sunday Star Times
It’s not clear whether the political consensus on net-zero climate change emissions is still alive or whether its corpse is simply being chauffeured around by the coalition to convince us – and the world – that it still has a beating heart.
Sea level rise 'a very complicated area of science', renowned climate scientist says
By Kate Green, RNZ
Despite New Zealanders' affinity with the great white continent, Edwards explains scientists now think far-off places like Greenland are more likely to affect sea-level rise around our shores.
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Carbon price tanks again – call for auctions halt
Today 9:45am
By Pattrick Smellie | The collapse of the New Zealand carbon price is serious enough to consider cancelling further Emissions Trading Scheme unit auctions, says Carbon Match founder Lizzie Chambers.
Climate Action Tracker slams NZ’s ‘massive’ decarbonisation rollback
Today 9:45am
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is the subject of scathing criticism from an international organisation which tracks countries' emission commitments and actions.
Act-NZ First split over future of the energy sector
Today 9:45am
Act leader David Seymour has set out an energy policy platform that diverges sharply from coalition partner NZ First, arguing New Zealand must accept coal-fired backup generation, consider nuclear power, remove political interference from the electricity sector and sell down the government’s majority stakes in the gentailers.
Coastal roads in the climate spotlight
Today 9:45am
By Sue Teodoro, Local Democracy Reporter | Vulnerable coastal roads across New Zealand, including in Masterton district, are coming under the spotlight as the Government works on a plan to address the cost of climate-related damage.
ETS price spike fears drove NDC decoupling
Thu 13 Nov 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Fears about the economic and fiscal costs of failure to buy enough offshore carbon credits to meet New Zealand’s Nationally Determined Contribution drove last week’s key climate change policy decision.
NZ backs international government push for high-integrity carbon markets
Thu 13 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand has joined a coalition of governments aiming to strengthen corporate demand for voluntary carbon credits.
NZ’s shameful new role as ‘international climate pariah’
Thu 13 Nov 2025
OPINION: New Zealand has ratcheted up its climate backsliding in the past month – losing any shred of climate credibility we once had and showing the world we’re giving up on a net zero future, writes Kayla Kingdon-Bebb.
Tongariro blaze exposes fire-risk threats as climate change dries NZ landscapes
Thu 13 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A major fire sweeping nearly 3,000 hectares of sub-alpine shrublands in Tongariro National Park has ignited urgent questions about New Zealand’s readiness for a hotter, more fire-prone future.
Oxfam urges NZ to renew climate funding as Pacific projects face closure
Wed 12 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Oxfam Aotearoa is calling on the Government to urgently renew New Zealand’s climate finance commitments, warning that vital projects supporting Pacific communities’ resilience are running out of funding.
