Topics tagged with 'Agriculture'
NZ bankrolls Scottish search for clean green sheep
4 Oct 2019
New Zealand is putting money and science behind Scottish research into farming climate-friendly sheep.
NZ scientists use algae to improve Japanese cars
3 Oct 2019
New Zealand scientists are working with the Japanese motor industry to find a low-carbon replacement for fuels, plastics and a host of other substances.
ROBO-CROP: Five roles robots will play in future of farming
2 Oct 2019
With the complex data collecting devices of today’s world, agriculture is in the midst of a high-tech revolution- particularly in the area of precision farming.
Why environment has place in red-meat debate
1 Oct 2019
Recommendations that people should keep eating red meat fail to take environmental damage into account – posing a long-term threat to human health, says one of New Zealand’s leading medical researchers.
Ardern sets up climate-change trade deal
26 Sep 2019
New Zealand is one of five countries bringing climate change into a trade deal.
Farmers fret over green demands, says bank
26 Sep 2019
Fonterra’s economic woes are not the only thing worrying farmers – they’re also becoming increasingly anxious about the Government’s plans to make them clean up their environmental performance and cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Emissions spotlight on land use and transport
25 Sep 2019
The committee of experts advising the Government on emissions budgeting has its sights set on our two biggest climate-polluting sectors – land use and transport.
ARDERN'S GLOBAL INVITE: Let's trade strengths
24 Sep 2019
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has told the world New Zealand wants climate change included in trade deals and global co-operation on carbon pricing.
Green fund hires clean-investment banker
24 Sep 2019
A former Bank of America Merrill Lynch vice-president with a background in financing “clean” investment is heading the investment programme of the Government’s Green Investment Fund.
Smarts and skills keys to the future, says Govt
23 Sep 2019
Deeper pools of capital, a smart, skilled and motivated workforce and plentiful clean energy are behind the Government’s plans for the future of the economy.
New water rules have Govt guessing on gases
20 Sep 2019
New rules to improve water quality will also drive down New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions – but the Government doesn’t know by how much.
At last, we're getting a look at climate risks
19 Sep 2019
Progress is being made at last on assessing the risk climate change poses to New Zealand.
Local businesses given emissions know-how
19 Sep 2019
The Government has released new advice for local businesses wanting to voluntarily offset their emissions.
Ardern has faith in farmers to do the job
18 Sep 2019
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern agrees with farmers that greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture should be managed at a farm level.
Govt puts faith (and $10m) into smart cows
17 Sep 2019
The Government is putting $10 million into breeding cows that produce more milk and fewer greenhouse gases and can withstand heat.
OUR ETS: What goes around, comes around
16 Sep 2019
New Zealand had the opportunity a decade ago to adopt the type of agricultural emissions pricing regime for which farmers are now fighting.
Go-it-alone farmers up pressure on politicians
16 Sep 2019
The farming industry is upping pressure on the Government for its own emissions-pricing regime.
Farming is losing ground, says Sir Lockwood
13 Sep 2019
New Zealand agriculture can be carbon-neutral but it is slipping behind developments in Ireland, former Speaker, UK ambassador and agricultural scientist Sir Lockwood Smith says.
Let new commission be the arbiter, says Upton
12 Sep 2019
ANYTHING in the zero-carbon bill that MPs can’t agree on should be referred to the new climate commission, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton has told MPs.
Govt expects $7b windfall from new forestry rules
11 Sep 2019
The move to new forestry carbon accounting rules will earn the Government $7 billion over the next 30 years.
Big Hydro might sidestep new water rules
10 Sep 2019
Because of climate change, the country’s six largest hydro power schemes should be exempt from rules requiring minimum water levels in rivers, the Government says.
Cabinet refuses to show ETS farming papers
9 Sep 2019
The Government is refusing to release six documents relating to farming and the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Green taxes make business sense, says study
9 Sep 2019
Environmental taxes such as carbon pricing don’t necessarily slow economic development, researchers say.
OPINION: New Zealand is one of a kind
9 Sep 2019
New Zealand climate scientist Professor Jim Salinger and United States meteorologist Professor Jose D Fuentes explain why they’ve told the Government to be much harder on methane emissions than it is planning to be.
METHANE MEASURE: It's all a matter of GWPs
6 Sep 2019
A new way of accounting for methane proposed by New Zealand researchers ignores the damage this country has already done to the climate and locks in its “right to emit”, Parliament has been told.
EDITORIAL: It's a long way from Montreal to Paris
4 Sep 2019
By ADELIA HALLETT | The Montreal Protocol – an international treaty to save the protective ozone layer that covers the Earth – has worked.
Economists launch study of droughts
4 Sep 2019
The impacts of climate change-induced droughts on New Zealand’s rural communities is under investigation.
Elevation of hydrogen is 'dumb', says engineer
3 Sep 2019
New Zealand is “dumb” if it thinks hydrogen is the energy solution for the future, says one of the country’s leading experts on transition engineering.
How KiwiSaver funds could green the enconomy
3 Sep 2019
An organisation which believes billions of dollars’ worth of KiwiSaver funds are ripe for ethical investing says the sector is at a tipping point.
You don't have the guts, campaigner tells MPs
2 Sep 2019
A young woman who has dedicated her life so far to the zero-carbon bill says she has so little faith in the country’s leaders to act on climate change that she is afraid to have children.
Where's the consultation promise, ask Nats
30 Aug 2019
The Government’s decision to make mining on conservation land a non-starter in a new minerals strategy is being criticised.
It's not all down to the Industrial Revolution
30 Aug 2019
Humans have been putting themselves ahead of the state of the planet for at least 4000 years, scientists say.
Government puts faith in minerals of the future
28 Aug 2019
The Government is gearing up to go looking for the minerals that will drive the low-carbon economy – lithium and cobalt.
Climate all-important, economist reminds Govt
27 Aug 2019
Government decisions that don’t take climate change into account should be voided, says an economist who has spent 30 years trying to get governments in New Zealand and Australia to take the issue seriously.
Pressure builds for farming carbon-storage break
26 Aug 2019
Parliament is under increasing pressure to let farmers claim credit for carbon stored in trees and soils on their land.
HEMP HURRAH: Bigger than oil, says backer
23 Aug 2019
The low-carbon future is hemp, says a company dedicated to making the once-banned product the backbone of the New Zealand economy.
Farmland loss more like 10%, says ministry
23 Aug 2019
Implementing the zero-carbon bill could see about 10 per cent of current farmland converted to forests, the Ministry for the Environment says.
Carbon farmer questions forestry land facts
22 Aug 2019
The country’s largest carbon-farming company says there is more marginal land available for forestry than officials are telling the Government.
Pioneer pushes farming for soil-carbon credits
21 Aug 2019
Farming for soil-carbon credits offers landowners in New Zealand and other OECD agricultural countries a vast potential to make money, says a global carbon markets pioneer.
Burp-free cow food almost ready for market
15 Aug 2019
A seaweed that can cut livestock methane emissions is almost ready for commercial production, scientists say.
Government said no to official methane advice
15 Aug 2019
The Government went beyond officials’ advice in proposing cuts in methane emissions of up to 47 per cent, briefing papers show.
Fracking pushes up methane count, says research
15 Aug 2019
Fracking is probably the reason atmospheric methane is rising, with the United States shale gas industry behind a third of the increase in global greenhouses gas emissions over the past decade, new research warns.
Big Four's free credits top $1 billion mark
13 Aug 2019
Four companies have been given a total of more than $1 billion worth of free carbon credits in the latest round of subsidies under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
New world means new look at GM, say experts
13 Aug 2019
New Zealand needs to reconsider gene-editing technology in light of climate change, says the co-chair of a Royal Society expert panel on the issue.
Changing climate now farmers' biggest worry
12 Aug 2019
Climate change is now the single greatest issue on farmers’ minds, according to the latest Farm Confidence Survey.
Global report hurts farmers' emissions case
9 Aug 2019
Farmers fighting a push for substantial cuts in methane emissions have been dealt a blow by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Protein diet would free up land, say scientists
9 Aug 2019
Americans could feed themselves on half the amount of land used now if they switched from meat to protein-conserving plants, scientists say.
New waste action targets makers of goods
9 Aug 2019
Producers and users of electrical and electronic goods, farm chemicals and plastics, tyres, refrigerants and packaging could be about to become legally responsible for their disposal.
Beware of freeloaders, warns Enviro-Mark chief
8 Aug 2019
Without regulations requiring all businesses to cut greenhouse gas emissions, some New Zealand companies will freeload off the efforts of others, the country’s leading emissions auditor is warning.
Firms celebrate reduced carbon footprints
8 Aug 2019
A print shop, a company supplying uniforms, a skincare product manufacturer, a district council and a health board have taken the top prizes in the Enviro-Mark Solutions Awards announced in Auckland this morning.
Climate progress slowing, says Auckland councillor
Thu 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.
Greenwashing is rife in Australia, but could its days be numbered?
28 May 2025
COMMENT: Have you ever ticked the box to “fly carbon neutral”, had something delivered via “carbon-neutral shipping” or chosen to pay a bit extra to buy “carbon-neutral gas” from your energy retailer?
Help sustainable aviation fuels take off or delay targets, airlines warn EU
20 May 2025
Earmarked funding, risk-reduction tools, and simplified imports top Airlines for Europe’s wish list for the EU’s upcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan.
Microplastics found in sand on dozens of NZ beaches
Wed 4 Jun 2025
Scientists have extracted microplastics from the sand of 22 beaches from the Far North to Banks Peninsula.
Sustainability claims questioned as renewable diesel surges
14 May 2025
Critics are sceptical about industry claims of renewable diesel life-cycle greenhouse gas emission cuts and warn renewable diesel carbon releases will surge if sourcing is scaled up, triggering tropical deforestation as producers convert forests to energy crops, such as oil palm and soy.
Govt mulls status quo for ETS auction settings
29 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has released its consultation on the Climate Change Commission’s latest advice on Emissions Trading Scheme auction settings and volumes, putting forward the option to ignore the commission’s advice to boost auction volumes from 2028-2030.
Global energy investment set to hit record $3.3 trillion in 2025, IEA says
Fri 6 Jun 2025
A surge in clean energy spending is expected to drive a record $3.3 trillion in global energy investment in 2025, despite economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday.
Carbon price too low to fund carbon capture
20 May 2025
The government’s climate target to 2030 is at risk, after revelations that a carbon capture project which the government was relying on to deliver one third of its carbon reductions, might not go ahead.
Fight over coal mine heats up
30 May 2025
Forest & Bird is calling on the government to create a new scientific reserve covering the Denniston Plateau on the West Coast, which would stop a fast-tracked coal mine.
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.
Common low-grade clay strengthens low-carbon concrete
Thu 5 Jun 2025
Media release | Engineers at RMIT University have converted low-grade clay into a high-performance cement supplement, opening a potential new market in sustainable construction materials.
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.
Watts talks big on energy reform, but barriers persist
29 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Energy and Climate Change minister Simon Watts says the government is doubling down on efforts to boost renewable energy generation, streamline regulation, and drive private sector investment as New Zealand faces mounting energy security and affordability challenges.
Gas supply reducing faster than forecast
Thu 5 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Gas reserves have reduced 27% as of 1 January 2025 compared to last year, according to data released today by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
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.
Extreme ocean warming engulfed South-West Pacific in 2024
Fri 6 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Unprecedented ocean warming engulfed the South-West Pacific in 2024, with extreme heat and rainfall causing deadly and devastating impacts and sea level rise threatening entire islands.
Oceans Commission must have teeth – minister
14 May 2025
If an Oceans Commission were to be established under the government it would need genuine powers to make change, says Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones.
Fed Farmers launches campaign against carbon forestry
Fri 6 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Federated Farmers has launched what they are calling the ‘Save Our Sheep’ campaign, blaming carbon forestry for declining sheep numbers and calling on the government to urgently review the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Vanuatu criticises Australia for extending gas project while making COP31 bid
Wed 4 Jun 2025
Vanuatu’s climate minister has expressed disappointment over Australia’s decision to extend one of the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas projects and said it raises questions over its bid to co-host the COP31 summit with Pacific nations.
Hotter and deeper: how NZ’s plan to drill for ‘supercritical’ geothermal energy holds promise and risk
2 Apr 2025
By David Dempsey, University of Canterbury | New Zealand’s North Island features a number of geothermal systems, several of which are used to generate some 1,000 MegaWatts of electricity. But deeper down there may be even more potential.
Electrification challenge for politicians, regulators
27 May 2025
Rewiring Aotearoa is calling for stronger political leadership to bring its vision of a cheaper, cleaner and stronger energy system to life, with the launch of its policy manifesto today.
How the little-known ‘dark roof’ lobby may be making US cities hotter
Fri 6 Jun 2025
As cities heat up, reflective roofs could lower energy bills and help the climate. But dark-roofing manufacturers are waging a quiet campaign to block new rules.
Energy Australia is in court accused of greenwashing. What is the case about and why is it significant?
16 May 2025
Climate group alleges energy giant misled 400,000 customers about ‘Go Neutral’ product, arguing that carbon credits don’t actually remove emissions.
Methanex closure comes early this year
14 May 2025
The almost-now-annual closure of Methanex has come earlier this year, giving more confidence that the electricity system will get through the winter without a fuel shortfall.
What happened to the hydrogen economy?
Tue 3 Jun 2025
The hydrogen car that was supposed to carry us into a cleaner future is still not in the driveway. In fact, outside of a few test markets, it’s not in anyone’s driveway.
Climate change could drive surge in foreclosures and lender losses, new study finds
22 May 2025
Extreme weather linked to climate change could spell financial ruin for many American homeowners and lead to billions in losses for lenders, a new study finds.
Will NZ walk away from the Paris Agreement?
20 Dec 2024
By Geoff Bertram | COMMENT: Unless the government can find very cheap offshore mitigation, the temptation to walk away from its Paris Agreement obligations may well be too strong to resist for a coalition government focused on fiscal austerity.
Energy Australia apologises to 400,000 customers and settles greenwashing legal action
22 May 2025
Energy retailer says carbon offsetting ‘not the most effective way’ to reduce emissions.
Could ‘orange’ hydrogen be NZ’s key to net-zero?
30 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand could be sitting on resources for a thriving multi-billion-dollar, low-carbon hydrogen economy, which might even be capable of creating a net reduction of carbon dioxide, according to scientists.
Carbon News launches price index
24 Jun 2024
Today’s issue is the first to feature Carbon News’ own carbon price index for secondary market spot prices for NZUs on New Zealand’s compliance market.
Govt's RMA overhaul sparks fears for nature and climate
30 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has opened public consultation on the biggest overhaul of environmental planning rules in New Zealand’s history, with critics warning it puts nature and climate at risk in favour of fast-tracked development and industry expansion.
Waste Levy risks becoming ‘slush fund’ under proposed changes – Commissioner
Thu 5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Proposed changes to New Zealand's waste legislation risk undermining public trust in the waste levy scheme, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton.
Top ocean experts sound the alarm over growing marine crisis due to climate change
Fri 6 Jun 2025
On the opening day of a global science conference, French fishery scientist Clea Abello presented research showing that marine protected areas could protect commercially valuable fisheries.
Tech alone won’t save us, warns climate expert
Wed 4 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Technology alone won't be enough to reach net zero emissions, environmental psychologist Lorraine Whitmarsh told the Carbon and Energy Professionals conference in Auckland last week.
New research reveals NZ’s natural resource footprint
29 May 2025
Media release | New research from the office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment reveals that about 107 million tonnes of natural resources were required to produce the goods and services consumed by New Zealanders in 2019 – approximately 21 tonnes per person on average.
NZ's first chance in 20 years to catch up on waste
30 May 2025
Media release | The government has announced proposals for updating the Waste Minimisation Act and the Litter Act. For the first time in nearly 20 years, Kiwis have a chance to catch up with other countries to reduce our waste and litter.
Dismissals 'massive win' for climate movement
13 May 2025
The outstanding charges against 25 climate activists who disrupted traffic in Wellington have been dropped, a move the group calls a win for the climate movement.
Straterra has a new name: the New Zealand Minerals Council
16 Apr 2025
Media release | Straterra has been renamed as New Zealand Minerals Council, says chief executive Josie Vidal.
UK’s solar power surges 42% after sunniest spring on record
Fri 6 Jun 2025
The UK’s solar farms and rooftops generated more electricity than ever before in the first five months of 2025, as the country enjoyed its sunniest spring on record.
Green budget 'ludicrous la-la land' – govt
15 May 2025
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the budget was "clown show economics" and an "absolute circus".
Biochar's negative emissions tech coming to Fieldays
Fri 6 Jun 2025
Biochar Network New Zealand will showcase its negative emissions technology biochar at this year's Forestry Hub at Fieldays 2025.
United Nations carbon market rules agreed but concerns remain
25 Nov 2024
New carbon market rules agreed at the fractious UN climate summit will be a relief to New Zealand and Singapore, who were leading the negotiations, but concerns about greenwashing and disadvantaging nature-based solutions remain.
“It’s not the car – it’s how we move” – EECA
Tue 3 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams| New Zealand’s transport emissions conversation has focused heavily on electric vehicles – but Richard Briggs, group manager, delivery and partnerships at the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, says we’re asking the wrong question.
Europe’s next climate target may already have been agreed in Berlin
28 May 2025
Germany’s new coalition has adopted a climate stance shaped by talks with the EU’s top climate official, signalling where the bloc may land on a likely upcoming 2040 emissions target.
Water crisis on the horizon?
26 May 2025
Media release | Sewage contaminating Auckland oyster farms highlights the “dire state” of water infrastructure in Aotearoa, says University of Auckland Associate Professor Daniel Hikuroa.
Tropical forest loss hit new heights in 2024; fire a major driver in Latin America
23 May 2025
Tropical forest loss skyrocketed in 2024, with vast swaths of primary forest consumed by fire, according to new satellite data.
For the first time, China invests more in wind and solar than coal overseas
29 May 2025
China’s Belt and Road Initiative, long derided for its heavy carbon footprint, was dominated by wind and solar power projects for the first time from 2022 to 2023, according to a new analysis. But coal plants financed in earlier years are still coming online.
