Media round-up
14 Nov 2025
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.
print this story
NZ at risk of missing all its climate goals: Commission
Today 11:30am
By Liz Kivi | Aotearoa New Zealand’s rate of emissions reduction needs to more than double, with progress stalling since 2024 after the Coalition Government took power, according to the latest report from the Climate Change Commission.
Resource management Bills 'not yet ready to be enacted', says Upton
Today 11:30am
By Oli Lewis | The two Bills to replace the Resource Management Act are not ready to be enacted and there is no way of knowing how they will affect the environment, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says.
Green Party takes ‘electric election’ up a notch
Tue 21 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is promising to cut power bills and establish a publicly owned company, ‘Kiwipower,’ to deliver affordable renewable energy.
'Shocking' changes to RMA replacement further weakens environmental protections –EDS
Tue 21 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The select committee's report back on bills to replace the Resource Management Act fails to address the Environmental Defence Society's "massive concerns" with the legislation.
NZ First’s oil and gas plan ‘doesn’t stack up’ – professor
Tue 21 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | NZ First’s plan to invest $1 billion in offshore oil and gas exploration doesn’t make economic sense, says Auckland University emeritus professor and energy economics expert Basil Sharp.
SEANZ urges Govt not to sign contract for LNG before the election
Tue 21 Jul 2026
The Smart Energy Alliance has penned an open letter to the Government urging ministers not to sign a binding agreement for an LNG import facility before November’s election.
Study outlines methane-cutting options for NZ livestock
Tue 21 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Breeding, feed and forage strategies could play a key role in reducing methane emissions from New Zealand's grazing livestock, with researchers concluding that a combination of approaches will be needed to achieve meaningful cuts.
NZ First promises $1 billion for offshore oil and gas
Mon 20 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand First wants to “drill baby drill,” and has made an election campaign promise of $1 billion to survey New Zealand’s offshore basins to extract oil and gas, in an announcement at the party’s campaign launch on Sunday.
Govt changes risk weakening climate policy, officials warn
Mon 20 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is pushing ahead with plans to remove health and life insurers from New Zealand's climate disclosure regime despite official advice that the move risks undermining the effectiveness of the reporting system anyway.
NZ’s complex problems require visionary solutions, not quick fixes. Here’s how we can govern for the future
Mon 20 Jul 2026
By Jonathan Boston, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington As New Zealand heads toward another general election, political attention is naturally focused on the issues touching people’s lives right now.
