Media round-up
17 Apr 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The fuel crisis is a chance for government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, what would it take to tap into New Zealand's oceans energy, and which political parties would subsidise your rooftop solar panels?
Fuel crisis chance for government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions - scientists
By Kate Newton, RNZ
Climate scientists say the fuel crisis is the perfect chance for the government to act to reduce the country's greenhouse gas emissions.
NZ is surrounded by ocean energy. Just what would it take to tap it?
By Craig Stevens, The Conversation
“Same as it ever was” is a phrase that continues to resonate in 2026.
$86 billion Super Fund failed to properly address human rights, court rules
Keiller MacDuff, RNZ
The managers of the country's $86 billion Super Fund failed to properly address human rights issues when considering whether to exclude companies from its investments, the High Court has found
Cyclone Vaianu was the third major weather event this year, and experts say we aren’t taking it seriously enough
By Emma Ricketts, Stuff
Cyclone Vaianu was the third major weather event to hit the North Island in just three months. While this won’t necessarily happen every year, climate change is making extreme weather more likely.
Which political parties would subsidise your rooftop solar panels?
RNZ Nine to Noon
The Smart Energy Alliance told Nine to Noon the case for electrification has never been clearer, with the war in the Middle East, soaring fuel costs, and the shorter term case for importing liquefied natural gas now in doubt.
By Mike White, The Post
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has issued strong warnings over a controversial gold mine proposed for Central Otago.
Wildlife deaths, intergenerational harm flagged in gold mine assessments
By Katie Todd, RNZ
More than half the 53 invited parties who commented on the Bendigo-Ophir project explicitly opposed it, including environmentalists, locals and mana whenua.
New Zealand faces coastal retreat reality
By Amanda Gillies, for The Detail, RNZ
Rising seas, more intense rainfall, and back-to-back extreme weather events are exposing the vulnerability of many coastal settlements.
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NZ Govt’s move to halt climate litigation under international scrutiny
Tue 19 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Local and international NGOs have signed an open letter calling on the Government to reconsider its decision to shield major emitters from legal liability for climate-related harm.
Hipkins pans LNG plan as ‘massive step backwards’
Tue 19 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Labour leader Chris Hipkins has told a Queenstown audience that a Government he leads would not proceed with a planned LNG import terminal, if elected at November’s election.
Competition weak in key energy sectors says Commerce Commission
Tue 19 May 2026
The Commerce Commission says competition remains weak in New Zealand's electricity and gas sectors despite modest improvement across the wider economy, highlighting how difficult it is for new entrants to challenge established infrastructure players.
Biomass sector asks: where did the love go?
Mon 18 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand has sufficient biomass in its plantation forests to replace natural gas for industrial process heat at lower costs than electrification, but is failing to get the attention it deserves, sector leaders say.
Urgent need to rethink tourism says expert
Mon 18 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The post-pandemic recovery has created an urgent need to rethink how tourism operates, who benefits from it, and how it impacts the social and environmental systems it depends on, according to new research.
Green building council calls for clean energy policies
Mon 18 May 2026
The New Zealand Green Building Council has released its 2026 election manifesto calling for policies to reduce energy waste in buildings, lower household and business energy costs, and improve New Zealand’s energy security.
Future big droughts may be worse than we think – NZ’s past shows why
Mon 18 May 2026
By Adam Brown, University of Waikato; Dave Frame, University of Canterbury, and Luke Harrington, University of Waikato | For an agricultural nation like New Zealand, severe drought is one of the most ominous consequences of a warming planet.
Labour condemns Govt plan to stop climate litigation
Fri 15 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Labour Party has slammed the Government’s move to block climate lawsuits against big emitters but won’t say if they would repeal the legislation if elected in November.
Mercury eyes $1b geothermal expansion near Taupō
Fri 15 May 2026
Mercury is planning the next phase of its geothermal expansion near Taupō, with two proposed projects carrying a potential investment of up to $1 billion and enough new renewable generation to power an additional 125,000 homes.
Why ‘greenhushing’ signals deeper issues with NZ’s climate risk reporting regime
Fri 15 May 2026
By Hang Pham, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington | Most of us are familiar with the concept of greenwashing: organisations exaggerating or overstating their environmental credentials. But in New Zealand, there are signs the country’s climate disclosure regime may inadvertently be driving a very different trend: not saying much at all.
