Media round-up
Today 11:15am
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Crown lawyers agree High Court could quash emissions plan if found unlawful; NZ is locked in 'disaster inertia'; and climate change is notably absent from new development laws.
NZ–Ireland farm emissions deal labelled 'Greenwash Alliance'
Today 11:15am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A renewed research partnership between New Zealand and Ireland to tackle agricultural emissions is being promoted as a step forward for climate innovation – but Greenpeace says it risks becoming a distraction from meaningful cuts.
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
Today 11:15am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A $30 million government package to support regional air routes risks delivering poor value for money while increasing emissions, according to transport strategist Tim Adriaansen.
Can oil crisis lead to the economic transformation we desperately need?
Today 11:15am
COMMENT: The latest crisis has all the ingredients for the “wake-up call” we need to transform our economy to one fit for the future. But we thought that about COVID as well, writes Catherine Knight.
Govt finalises geothermal strategy and commits to $50m boost
Thu 19 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has launched a plan to grow geothermal energy and committed a further $50 million from the Regional Infrastructure Fund to support early-stage projects and drive expansion of the sector.
LNG sold as insurance, but modelling points to a bigger role
Thu 19 Mar 2026
New Zealand’s gas market is heading for a sharp contraction whether the country sticks with domestic supply alone or introduces liquefied natural gas imports.
ECan says coastal protection a priority despite planning handbrake
Thu 19 Mar 2026
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter | Canterbury’s regional council says it is continuing to address coastal protection rules, but conservationists say it is not acting fast enough.
Govt process to change climate plan ‘fundamentally flawed’, says judge
Wed 18 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government’s 2024 changes to New Zealand’s first Emissions Reduction Plan was “as fundamentally flawed a process as I think I have ever seen”, the judge presiding in a case challenging climate change decision-making has said.
Disestablishing Environment Ministry 'too risky', say environmental advocates
Wed 18 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government's plan to fold the Ministry for the Environment into a 'mega ministry' is fraught with risk, according to separate submissions from the Environmental Defence Society, Forest & Bird and Environment Network Manawatū.
Iran oil crisis: why NZ’s car dependence is now a strategic liability
Wed 18 Mar 2026
By Timothy Welch, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau | The war in Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz have sent oil prices past US$100 a barrel – and Kiwis flocking to fill up. Petrol just hit NZ$3 a litre and some stations have reported running dry.
