Topics tagged with 'Adaptation'
NZ part of hidden global deep-sea network beneath the waves
25 Jul 2025
Media release - Earth Sciences New Zealand | A world-first study of marine life, including sea creatures found in New Zealand's dark, cold, pressurised ocean depths, has revealed that deep-sea life is surprisingly more connected than previously thought.
Good response to South Dunedin Future engagement
23 Jul 2025
Media release - Otago Regional Council | There is a clear mandate for change in South Dunedin, based on the results of the most recent public engagement on the South Dunedin Future programme.
UN court's decision could reshape approach to climate commitments
22 Jul 2025
The International Court of Justice will this week deliver its advisory opinion on what obligations countries have to address the impacts of climate change. It will be a vital step toward climate justice and equity, according to one local expert.
Govt failing Māori on climate commitments – Shaw
21 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Former climate change minister James Shaw says the Luxon-led government is failing to uphold its obligations under both the Paris Agreement and the Zero Carbon Act, warning that this inaction risks breaching Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Local govt bill 'completely misses the point,' passes first reading
18 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government’s bill making changes to the Local Government Act to "refocus" councils on their core functions passed its first reading in Parliament last night, with critics saying it will set back climate resilience.
Media round-up
18 Jul 2025
In our round-up of the latest climate coverage in local media: with parts of the country still reeling from flooding exacerbated by climate change, debate heats up over who will pay for managed retreat from at-risk areas.
Communities can’t foot the bill for climate crisis
17 Jul 2025
Media release - Te Pāti Māori O Aotearoa | Te Pāti Māori sends aroha to whānau, and communities impacted by the recent severe weather across Nelson Tasman, Banks Peninsula, Northland and beyond.
As the sea level rises, who will pay? Councils seek answers
15 Jul 2025
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter | North Canterbury's councils are seeking guidance from Government over who pays for protections from sea level rise, flooding and weather events.
Extreme global weather events show urgent need for collective effort ahead of world’s premier climate adaptation event
15 Jul 2025
As the Northern Hemisphere experiences another major heatwave, and other parts of the world grapple with extreme weather events, experts are calling for the urgent acceleration of adaptation efforts to help manage the life-threatening impacts of a rapidly changing climate.
Councils need more clarity around climate adaptation
14 Jul 2025
Media release - Local Government NZ | LGNZ says a lack of clarity around who pays for climate adaptation puts ratepayers at risk of footing the bill – which many could not afford.
'Back-to-basics' approach for councils ignores climate risk
11 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | While ACT is standing local government candidates to oppose councils' attempts to manage emissions and ministers are calling for local authorities to 'get back to basics' - or even suggesting scrapping regional councils altogether - one expert says this narrative is putting communities at risk in the face of climate change.
Tipping points: Window to avoid irreversible climate impacts is ‘rapidly closing’
11 Jul 2025
In the midst of a record-breaking heatwave in Europe, the UK city of Exeter recently played host to the second international conference on “tipping points”.
The struggle for control of the Arctic is accelerating - and it's riskier than ever
11 Jul 2025
As the battle for one of the world’s coldest places heats up, an increasingly fragile security balance may be breaking down, leading to an escalating arms race.
‘Significant gaps’ in proposed approach to climate adaptation
10 Jul 2025
A new report into climate adaptation doesn’t suggest how development in high-risk areas should be avoided - an issue that needs urgent action with thousands of homes still being built in hazardous areas, according to the Environmental Defence Society.
Regions in China take steps to ensure power supply amid heatwave-driven record demand
10 Jul 2025
China is battling intense heatwaves across multiple regions in recent days, with temperatures surpassing 40C in some areas, triggering yellow heat warnings and high-temperature health risk warnings.
Net-zero much cheaper than thought for UK – and unchecked global warming far more costly
9 Jul 2025
Reaching net-zero will be much cheaper for the UK government than previously expected – and the economic damages of unmitigated climate change far more severe.
Experts question business case for nature credits as European Union publishes plan
9 Jul 2025
To protect and restore nature, the world needs to spend $700bn a year, says the Global Biodiversity Framework. The European Commission on Monday published a plan for how nature credits can play their role in boosting biodiversity funds.
Nelson adopts ambitious target to slash emissions
8 Jul 2025
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | After some of the most passionate debate seen in the chamber this triennium, Nelson City Council has adopted the more ambitious of two community greenhouse gas targets.
Open letter warns against Seymour's Regulatory Standards Bill
4 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A group of prominent New Zealanders are speaking out against the Regulatory Standards Bill, with top climate scientist Jim Salinger warning it will have a chilling effect on future climate change and adaptation policy.
NZ urgently needs to change approach to flood management - experts
2 Jul 2025
Experts say climate change is squarely to blame for flooding in Nelson - but isn’t getting the media attention it deserves - and the country urgently needs to change its approach to flood management in the face of climate change.
Council land banks to prepare for future disasters
27 Jun 2025
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter | In a "uniquely Hurunui" move, a North Canterbury council is land banking to prepare for future natural disasters and the threat of climate change.
Nearly a third of Tuvaluans have applied for climate migration visa
27 Jun 2025
With their country threatened by sea level rise, the people of Tuvalu have been offered an escape route through an agreement with Australia, and many are contemplating leaving their home.
Biodiversity market needs govt regulation to avoid fraud risk
17 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Participants have applauded the government’s pilot programme for New Zealand’s voluntary biodiversity market, but an expert says the emerging market needs better regulation to avoid reputational risk and fraud.
How flying can be a climate solution
16 Jun 2025
By Paul Callister and Robert McLachlan - Planetary Ecology | How can aviation contribute to tackling climate change when no practicable technology-based solutions are on the horizon?
Govt uses climate change as ‘Trojan horse’ for other objectives
10 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Waitangi Tribunal has heard that the New Zealand Government’s international trade and investment agreements are failing to meet Tiriti o Waitangi obligations in the context of climate change – prioritising commercial interests while sidelining Māori rights and worldviews.
Climate progress slowing, says Auckland councillor
5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The devastating cyclone that tore through Tāmaki Makaurau in 2023 left behind more than just broken infrastructure, sparking calls to focus on facts over ideology in the fight against climate change.
Experts examine climate impacts on Pacific health
4 Jun 2025
Media release | The devastating impacts of climate change on health in the Pacific Islands will be discussed at a symposium at the University of Auckland tomorrow, 5 June.
Urban rewilding combats global biodiversity decline
28 May 2025
Media release | A new study led by the University of Sydney reveals how cities around the world are restoring wildlife to their former habitats in the face of ongoing urban sprawl.
New climate hazards report for Waikato region
26 May 2025
By Shannon Williams | A new hazards and risks report from Waikato Regional Council aims to help councils, iwi, businesses and communities in the region understand and respond to risks associated with climate change.
Cuts to climate finance put exports in jeopardy: Lawyers
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has halved international climate finance, a move aid organisations describe as “devastating,” and which lawyers say could put our Paris Agreement commitments and export market access at risk.
Govt budgets $200m for would-be gas investors
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | Energy Resources Aotearoa has welcomed the government's plan to co-invest $200 million in fossil gas expansion, while environmental and climate groups have reacted with horror.
Budget 2025 needs to prioritise a thriving and resilient Pacific region
16 May 2025
Media release | World Vision New Zealand is urging the government to prioritise Pacific prosperity and resilience with strong investment in climate finance and foreign aid as part of Budget 2025.
Climate change will worsen existing threats to Hawke’s Bay
15 May 2025
Climate change is projected to substantially alter weather patterns and environmental conditions in the coming decades, with significant implications for the human, built and natural environments.
Antarctic expedition unearths clues to climate catastrophe
15 May 2025
Media release | Rocks from the coldest continent hold clues to an extinction event 183 million years ago.
Global sea levels rise spelling catastrophe for coastal towns and cities
14 May 2025
For around 2,000 years, global sea levels varied little. That changed in the 20th century. They started rising and have not stopped since — and the pace is accelerating.
Three-year flood map legal dispute ends in win for landowners
13 May 2025
By Alisha Evans, Local Democracy Reporter | Tauranga property owners have had a “significant win” after the council agreed to update flood maps, a developer says.
‘Serious’ game looks at coastal climate change
13 May 2025
Media release | A new online game that enables New Zealanders to experience a climate-changed future and explore choices has been launched this month to get 10,000 game-plays over the wettest time of the year.
New book searches for language to connect to the climate crisis
9 May 2025
Working with Māori communities on climate research for the Deep South National Science Challenge led to many of the stories in new book Slowing the Sun by essayist Nadine Hura.
Northland opens $600k Climate Resilient Communities Fund
9 May 2025
Northland Regional Council has opened applications to the Climate Resilient Communities Fund.
Conference to tackle flooding and storms to build a climate-resilient future
9 May 2025
Protecting communities from flooding and ensuring a sustainable and climate resilient water future will be a key focus at a major stormwater conference in Rotorua next week.
Govt pledges to slash building emissions
8 May 2025
The government is signing up to an international agreement aimed at decarbonising the building and construction sector in line with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees.
Second council quits Hawke’s Bay climate committee
7 May 2025
By Linda Hall, Local Democracy Reporter | Wairoa District Council has pulled the plug on the Hawke’s Bay Climate Action Joint Committee after councillors questioned its value.
Warm water affecting Antarctica’s largest ice shelf - new research
22 Apr 2025
While Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf is currently stable, new research shows warm water is reaching up to 170 kilometres under the front of the ice shelf.
NZ heritage sites join international climate programme
17 Apr 2025
Two New Zealand heritage sites are joining an international climate programme for community-led adaptation solutions designed to protect them from pressing climate threats.
New Plymouth consults on managing climate impacts
17 Apr 2025
With severe storms, coastline erosion, landslides, droughts and other extreme weather events on the rise over the past decade, New Plymouth District Council is looking at ways to manage the impacts of climate change.
Australia: Climate change pushing up insurance risk
17 Apr 2025
With flood waters rising, there are warnings of a “climate-induced credit crunch” as natural disasters threaten the viability of home insurance.
Heatwaves, floods, fires – NZ research warns of escalating climate threats
16 Apr 2025
After five years of research, New Zealand’s first dedicated climate extreme weather programme, Whakahura, has released its final synthesis report, sounding the alarm on the increasing intensity and frequency of extreme weather events linked to climate change.
NZ could make better use of natural processes to reduce flood risk
15 Apr 2025
Media release | New Zealand could make better use of natural processes to reduce the risk of flooding, according to research by the National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA).
New Zealand’s glacier volume down 42% since 2005
14 Apr 2025
Media release | Total glacier ice volumes in Aotearoa New Zealand decreased by 42 percent between 2005 and 2023, according to figures released by Stats NZ.
Trump’s actions are already having consequences for climate, especially for the IPCC - expert
11 Apr 2025
Leading climate scientist, Dr Kevin Trenberth, left the US and came home to New Zealand because of the rise of Donald Trump. In this comment piece, he writes that he is appalled in multiple ways by the so-called “war on science” unfolding through staff cuts and the president’s policy edicts.
Planting mānuka might bring birds, bats and insects back to farms
Mon 23 Mar 2026
Media release | New research published today in the New Zealand Journal of Ecology shows that Mānuka forests planted to support honey production provide positive nature-related impacts.
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
Fri 20 Mar 2026
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.
Auckland Airport switches on giant heat pump system to cut gas use
6 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | While Auckland Airport’s switch from gas to heat pumps is welcome, the emissions savings are dwarfed by ongoing aircraft emissions, which are set to rise, according to a sustainable transport expert.
NZ urged to grab a slice of burgeoning $35 billion market for nature credits
13 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand could unlock strong domestic and international demand for high-integrity nature-based credits, if government, investors and restoration groups work together to scale supply, a new report says.
Air NZ joins Marsden Point SAF project
3 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand has quietly added its name to a consortium exploring the viability of green hydrogen production for sustainable aviation fuel at Channel Infrastructure’s Marsden Point energy hub.
Carbon trading schemes cut more emissions than carbon taxes, according to global study
Fri 20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Carbon trading schemes are more effective than carbon taxes at reducing emissions, cutting fossil fuel use, and accelerating the shift to renewable energy, a global study has found.
Oil tumbles nearly 11% after Trump puts hold on U.S. strikes against Iran energy infrastructure for five days
Tue 24 Mar 2026
Oil prices tumbled after President Donald Trump said the U.S. and Iran had productive talks and that he has ordered a halt on strikes against key Iranian energy infrastructure.
Bidders no-show at carbon auction – again
3 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | As predicted, today’s carbon auction yet again failed to attract any bidders, with NZUs currently trading hands on the secondary market at a 35% discount on this year’s auction floor price.
NSW to ban new coalmines in major shake-up for $23bn industry
Mon 23 Mar 2026
A major shake-up is on the way for one Australian state’s single biggest export, which powers homes here and abroad.
Hormuz crisis critical to New Zealand
10 Mar 2026
By Nathan Surendran | COMMENT: Why the Hormuz crisis is a symptom, not the disease – and what it means for New Zealand.
Sustainable retail-office project breaks ground under new Green Star framework
19 Feb 2026
Construction is set to begin on a new retail-office development in central Auckland, which is targeting a 40% reduction in embodied carbon and 25% lower energy.
Opposition attacks Govt over fossil fuel phaseout backdown
2 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | Revelations that Resources Minister Shane Jones ruled out New Zealand signing up to a 'road map' away from fossil fuels at last year’s global climate summit show the National Party’s minor coalition partners’ undue influence over the Government, according to Labour leader Chris Hipkins.
MfE forecasts suggest diminishing NZU stockpile
Thu 19 Mar 2026
By Clive Bradbury | ANALYSIS: The Ministry for the Environment has updated its NZ ETS forecasts of emissions, removals and entitlements from the Crown's financial forecasting, with predictions pointing to a significant drop in the ‘stockpile’ this year.
The decarbonisation agenda is (re)writing itself
Tue 24 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: There’s one thing that a lot of greenies, as he would call them, get wrong about Resources Minister Shane Jones.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
20 Feb 2026
Several environmental organisations are calling on political parties to make climate and biodiversity central to the 2026 election campaign, with reforming the Emissions Trading Scheme seen as a key priority.
Climate warnings mount as 2025 ranks among hottest years on record
Tue 24 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The world is entering an era of sustained record heat, with 2025 confirmed as one of the hottest years ever recorded and the past decade the warmest on record, as scientists warn climate impacts are accelerating.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
10 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Transport pollution was the biggest contributor to an increase in New Zealand’s consumption-based emissions in 2023, with emissions from household travel up 12%, and consumption-based emissions totalling 58.3 million tonnes – up 1.6% from the previous year.
Close questioning over ‘ministerial latitude’ at climate hearing
17 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Lawyers challenging the legality of the government’s emissions reduction plans faced close questioning on the limits of ministerial foresight in the first of three days of hearings at the Wellington High Court yesterday.
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.
RMA to speed up fossil fuel consents
18 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | An energy lobby group has welcomed a last-minute amendment to the RMA that puts fossil fuels on the same footing as renewables, however a sustainable energy expert says the move “beggars belief.”
Gaps in adaptation taxonomies hinder climate finance in Asia: report
5 Mar 2026
Without clearer criteria and metrics in adaptation taxonomies, Asia risks widening its climate financing gap, warns a new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
Top scientist speaks out against Trump regime’s attack on premier research centre
Mon 23 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | Kevin Trenberth, one of the world’s leading climate scientists, now based in New Zealand, has told the Trump administration he is “appalled” at its attempt to break up the international research centre he has been associated with for nearly 50 years.
Five trees can’t offset a car: Lawyers accuse Mazda of greenwashing
9 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action NZ is taking Mazda to the Advertising Standards Authority over its claims that a tree-planting programme will offset vehicle emissions.
Govt missing opportunity to slash electricity prices, says expert
11 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s fixation on eliminating the "dry-year risk margin" as a lever to reduce costs misses a much bigger opportunity to lower electricity prices, according to Christina Hood, head of Compass Climate.
Japan eyes New Zealand as green hydrogen export hub
12 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A new partnership between major Japanese companies aims to explore exporting green hydrogen from New Zealand – but the economics of producing the energy-hungry fuel remain the biggest hurdle.
Media round-up
Fri 20 Mar 2026
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.
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.
Govt process to change climate plan ‘fundamentally flawed’, says judge
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.
Climate 'dream team' launches foundation targeting 100 million tonnes in emissions cuts
25 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The New Zealand Climate Foundation, which has the ambitious aim of cutting 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, had its official launch on Monday.
Expert Panel invites EDS to comment on Bendigo goldmine
13 Mar 2026
Media release | The Environmental Defence Society has been invited to provide comment on the Bendigo-Ophir gold mine by the expert Panel tasked with deciding the fast-track project.
NZ's latest climate target 'weak' – Climate Action Tracker
24 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's new international climate target to 2035 is weak, and could even allow for higher emissions than the 2030 target, according to a global scientific project that tracks government climate action.
Tiny, lost and constipated: what a baby turtle told Australian scientists about warming seas
6 Mar 2026
The arrival of loggerheads in New South Wales shows these ‘sentinels of climate change’ are being forced into unknown territory.
Govt challenged in the High Court over climate plans
16 Mar 2026
A landmark case starts today that will see Climate Change Minister Simon Watts taken to the High Court over claims the Government’s climate plans are unlawful.
Kiwis overly optimistic about state of environment
27 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New research suggests many New Zealanders believe the environment is in better shape than it really is, with public perceptions often out of step with scientific evidence.
‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics
24 Feb 2026
Plastic production has doubled over the last 20 years – and will likely double again. For author Beth Gardiner, metal water bottles and canvas tote bags are not the solution. So what is?
Govt's $50m EV charging boost to double network
Mon 23 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | More than 2,500 new EV chargers are set to be rolled out across New Zealand, more than doubling the public network – but still leaving the total at less than half the Government's 10,000 target.
Media round-up
20 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: 'Every tonne matters': The climate scientist who wants to give you hope; Minister says managed retreat is an option; and climate change is here – is New Zealand ready?
China has a new competitor? Kazakhstan reveals huge rare Earth deposit that could power the next tech boom
25 Feb 2026
China’s grip on rare earths might finally see some competition, and the world is already taking notice.
‘Significant’ shift as EECA backs commercial battery storage
Tue 24 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority is preparing to roll out co-funding for commercial battery storage projects, targeting businesses ready to deploy systems that can ease pressure on the grid.
World-leading plasma torch takes aim at NZ's most potent greenhouse gases
Tue 24 Mar 2026
Media release | A high-tech plasma torch was lit up today as Minister of Conservation, Hon Tama Potaka, officially opened the $10 million National Refrigerant Destruction Facility – signalling a new era in addressing the environmental impact of New Zealand’s most potent greenhouse gases.
DOC trims costs and winds down jobs for nature
10 Nov 2025
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is entering a new phase of tighter budgets and structural change as it winds down the pandemic-era Jobs for Nature programme and reshapes its operations to absorb long-term cost pressures.
Claims that AI can help fix climate dismissed as greenwashing
18 Feb 2026
Tech companies are conflating traditional artificial intelligence with generative AI when claiming the energy-hungry technology could help avert climate breakdown, according to a report.
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.
Greens offer votes to National Party for immediate relief in fossil fuel crisis
Mon 23 Mar 2026
Media release | The Green Party is offering its votes to the National Party to get on with passing a sensible and urgent fossil fuel crisis relief package. With the Greens’ and National’s combined 63 votes, no other political party’s support is necessary.
Summit aims to revive stalled UN talks on phasing out fossil fuels
11 Mar 2026
Colombia and the Netherlands have set out three priorities for a conference on phasing out fossil fuels they will co-host in Colombia in April.
Infrastructure plan calls for ‘predictable approach’ to electrifying economy
18 Feb 2026
Aotearoa’s first National Infrastructure Plan, introduced to Parliament yesterday, calls for "a predictable approach to electrifying the economy" as one of ten priorities for the next decade.
Global coastal sea-level risks may be underestimated, say scientists
5 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Coastal communities across the Pacific and Southeast Asia could be facing greater sea-level rise risks than previously estimated, researchers say.
Study finds warming world increases days when weather is prone to fires around the globe
20 Feb 2026
The number of days when the weather gets hot, dry and windy — ideal to spark extreme wildfires — has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, with the trend increasing even higher in the Americas, a new study shows.
Western Australian communities want mandatory payments from new renewable developments
6 Mar 2026
The West Australian government wants to make new wind and solar farms pay into community funds, but host towns say more work needs to be done to make sure the payments actually happen.
