Topics tagged with 'Agriculture'
Experts predict the arrival of Hothouse Earth
8 Aug 2018
Allowing the world to warm by even 2deg could threaten the existence of humans.
How ignoring climate change will cost us billions
7 Aug 2018
Unchecked climate change will cost New Zealand nearly $6 billion a year in lost earnings, researchers have calculated.
Government hears Paris pact means methane cuts
1 Aug 2018
The Paris Agreement cannot be met without cutting methane emissions, the Government has been told.
STATS SHOW: Shaw about to change the story
31 Jul 2018
Green Party co-leader James Shaw might be the climate minister, but it’s in his statistics portfolio that he is about to change everything.
Taranaki Maori make stand against oil and gas
25 Jul 2018
Maori in Taranaki say they will oppose climate-damaging activities like oil and gas extraction and intensive farming.
Parties eye early start to zero-carbon talks
23 Jul 2018
Cross-party talks on the Zero Carbon Bill could be under way within a month.
Shaw applauds China's work on climate change
20 Jul 2018
China’s action on climate change makes New Zealand look like its “pussy-footing around”, says climate minister James Shaw.
Latest ETS review kicks off next month
18 Jul 2018
Consultation on the next review of the Emissions Trading Scheme will start next month.
Ngai Tahu targets a million native trees
17 Jul 2018
Ngai Tahu is planting a million native trees and converting some of its farms to horticulture as part of its strategy to deal with climate change.
Banks face divestment pressure from councils
16 Jul 2018
Banks can expect pressure from the country’s largest urban authorities to get their money out of fossil-fuel investment.
Act or face financial crisis, warns leading banker
13 Jul 2018
New central bank head Adrian Orr is warning of financial crisis and mass social unrest if the world doesn’t urgently address climate change.
Farmers like the idea of opting in to ETS
12 Jul 2018
Farmers could be interested into opting into the Emissions Trading Scheme – if the settings are right.
Let farmers opt in to ETS, says regional council
11 Jul 2018
Farmers should be able to opt into the Emissions Trading Scheme so they can get credit for introducing climate-friendly practices, says the Greater Wellington Regional Council.
Don't bet on the future of our cars being electric
27 Jun 2018
The future of low-emissions transport is not necessarily electric, car makers are telling the Government.
Government might aim for more carbon cuts
25 Jun 2018
The Government might increase New Zealand’s 2030 emissions reduction target.
Seaweed scientist wins global acclaim
22 Jun 2018
Research into farming seaweed as a way of storing carbon has earned a New Zealand scientist international recognition.
Our cities in the 30-year climate firing line
20 Jun 2018
New Zealanders are among the billions of city dwellers who will be hit by the impacts of climate change within three decades, a new report shows.
History says Bridges and Nats are talking hot air
18 Jun 2018
By publisher ADELIA HALLETT | Is Opposition Leader Simon Bridges’ offer to work with the Government on climate change policy worth any more than a dodgy hot-air carbon credit?
SIMON SAYS: We'll work for sensible solutions
15 Jun 2018
The National Party says it will work with the Government to establish a climate change commission.
Trust ticks off benefits of higher carbon prices
14 Jun 2018
Carbon prices of $50 to $350 a tonne by 2020 will drive investments in low-emissions development of Maori land, creating jobs and alleviating poverty along the way, the Government is being told.
Exempting methane won't change our obligations
13 Jun 2018
Exempting methane from New Zealand’s 2050 emissions-reduction target will not stop the country being held liable for it under international rules.
Shaw invites Nats to work on Zero Carbon Act
12 Jun 2018
Climate minister James Shaw has invited the National Party to help him to draft the Zero Carbon Act.
Government hears of $800 carbon price possibility
7 Jun 2018
Carbon prices of more than $800 a tonne will be needed if New Zealand doesn’t tackle greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, the Government has been told.
We could switch millions of hectares, say officials
5 Jun 2018
Two million hectares of New Zealand farmland could be switched from meat and dairy to more environmentally friendly horticulture, officials say.
Methane is a different beast, say scientists
5 Jun 2018
Methane – a gas causing New Zealand major headaches as it tries to cut its emissions - should be treated differently from other greenhouse gases, scientists say.
Northland iwi kicks off Billion Trees planting
31 May 2018
The first deal has been done under the Government’s Billion Trees programme.
Stop reacting and start planning, says report
24 May 2018
Climate change adaptation must be part of the Climate Change Commission’s agenda, says a new government report calling for strong action.
CCC bill points to cost of carbon-free economy
22 May 2018
The bureaucratic costs of shifting to a carbon-free economy are starting to be felt.
Low warming goal vital to our primary production
21 May 2018
New research with serious implications for New Zealand’s primary production-based economy and the country’s rare and endangered species says global warming needs to be kept below 1.5deg.
Tax system must go green, says enviro group
17 May 2018
Another organisation is telling the Government to shift the tax burden from the production of private wealth to the consumption of public wealth, aka the environment.
Use taxes for a better world, says thinktank
14 May 2018
Taxes should be aiming at keeping human activity within the planet’s physical capacity – and that means carbon prices that deliver fast, deep and sustained emissions reductions, the Government’s Tax Working Group has been told.
Get ready for longer droughts, warn scientists
10 May 2018
New Zealand’s land-based primary industries need to get ready for more serious crop diseases as climate change causes longer droughts, warns new research.
Fonterra front and centre of dairy industry review
9 May 2018
The Government’s overhaul of the climate-damaging dairy industry is under way.
Kiwis question cow numbers and need for more farms
9 May 2018
Roughly half of the country thinks New Zealand has too many cows and nearly as many want a moratorium on new dairy conversions, a poll suggests.
Young scientists to get NZ study money
8 May 2018
New Zealand is funding doctorate scholarships for nine young scientists to investigate ways to get greenhouse gas emissions out of food production.
TALANOA TIME: Talks hear climate tales
7 May 2018
It’s Talanoa Dialogue day in Bonn – and New Zealand is suggesting the world take a look at Maori concepts of stewardship as a way of battling climate change.
Global markets and agriculture our Bonn targets
2 May 2018
Access to international carbon markets and getting the rest of the world to cut emissions from agriculture are two of New Zealand’s negotiating priorities at international climate talks this week.
Prod Com off course, says carbon tech company
1 May 2018
The Productivity Commission is badly under-estimating the potential to cut greenhouse gas emissions from the steel and iron industries, says a New Zealand company with technology to do just that.
Industrial emissions can be cut - but it's not easy
30 Apr 2018
Soaring emissions from the industrial sector can be cut through improved efficiency and using lower-emissions fuels, but there’s no easy fix, the Productivity Commission says.
PROD COM REPORT: Farmland into forests
27 Apr 2018
New Zealand might need to convert more than three million hectares of farmland into forests to meet its emissions targets, the Productivity Commission says.
One debate that's now over
27 Apr 2018
By publisher ADELIA HALLETT | Debate about whether New Zealand can decarbonise without going bankrupt should now be over.
We're getting more worried about climate change
26 Apr 2018
New Zealanders are more worried about climate change than they have been for six years.
OUR LAND: Trouble ahead ... but how much?
19 Apr 2018
Climate change will have long-term impacts on New Zealand’s land-based industries and biodiversity – but we don’t have enough information to predict what will happen.
OUR LAND: We're losing our best growing soils
19 Apr 2018
The Government is moving to protect New Zealand’s best growing soils in the wake of a report that shows they’re compacted, contaminated and being washed away at an alarming rate.
Govt announces body to steer climate transition
17 Apr 2018
The interim climate commission has just been announced.
Waste food could fuel emissions cuts. says report
17 Apr 2018
New Zealand could slice thousands of tonnes off its greenhouse gas emissions by turning industrial food waste into fertiliser and energy, says a new report.
We can do net-zero by 2050, says Prodcom
16 Apr 2018
New Zealand can get to net-zero emissions by 2050, the Productivity Commission says.
Emissions trimmed, but that's not the full story
13 Apr 2018
Increased hydro-electricity generation and a 1.5 million fall in the national sheep flock has led to a slight fall in New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions.
If we're serious about change, we must break the chains of economic growth, says think tank
6 Apr 2018
An end to economic growth must be considered a distinct possibility if New Zealand is to decarbonise, the Government has been told.
Act now, says report, or watch carbon price rocket
4 Apr 2018
Carbon prices could hit $145 a tonne by 2050 if New Zealand delays decarbonising the economy, a new report warns.
FMA urges sharper focus on climate risk disclosures
Today 11:30am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand companies are making steady progress in climate-related financial disclosures, but the Financial Markets Authority says many organisations still need to provide clearer and more robust reporting on physical climate risks and their potential business impacts.
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
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.
Europe has 'maybe six weeks of jet fuel left', energy boss warns
20 Apr 2026
Stocks would reach a tipping point in June if Europe was unable to replace at least half of its imports from the Middle East, the organisation said in a report this week.
Govt ramps up war on wilding pines with $79m boost
Mon 25 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is ramping up efforts to contain the spread of wilding pines with a $79 million funding boost aimed at protecting farmland, biodiversity hotspots, tourism landscapes and water catchments across New Zealand.
Thumbs up for Govt help for businesses transitioning from gas
Today 11:30am
By Liz Kivi | Businesses and climate advocates alike have welcomed the Government’s pre-budget announcement that it will help secure cheap lending for businesses transitioning from gas, as New Zealand’s domestic supply dwindles.
Govt unveils long-awaited voluntary carbon market guidance
15 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has released long-awaited guidance for New Zealand’s voluntary carbon and nature markets, as questions continue for the sector despite ministers signalling support for its growth.
Trump officials, billionaires and the quiet reshaping of America’s public lands
Today 11:30am
A controversial land swap orchestrated by the megarich could be “a harbinger of what’s to come” for public lands under Trump.
Carbon News updates forward curve
13 May 2026
Carbon News has updated its ten-year NZU forward curve, following a recent rise in spot market prices, with NZUs rallying from about $34 in January to nearly $54 in early May.
New coal plants hit ‘10-year’ global high in 2025 – but power output still fell
Fri 22 May 2026
The number of new coal-fired power plants built around the world hit a “10-year high” in 2025, even as the global coal fleet generated less electricity, amid a “widening disconnect” in the sector.
Mike Smith’s asymmetric victory
Mon 25 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: The New Zealand Government’s recent move, undercutting citizens’ rights and the rule of law to cancel the country’s most important climate case is a massive win for Mike Smith, the climate change activist who brought it.
Green building council calls for clean energy policies
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.
What Magyar’s defeat of Orbán in Hungary means for climate and energy
21 Apr 2026
Hungary has played a disproportionate role in EU climate and energy policy in recent years, by repeatedly vetoing climate action and by delaying the phaseout of Russian fossil-fuel imports.
Conservation land open for voluntary carbon market schemes
12 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government is to open up the Crown-owned conservation estate to private investment in voluntary carbon market projects.
Marae solar project boosts sustainability and mana motuhake
Mon 25 May 2026
By Moana Ellis, Local Democracy Reporter | Five marae from Whanganui to Taumarunui are running on solar power and many more could join a major green energy initiative aimed at cutting electricity costs and strengthening community resilience.
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.
How do hurricanes and typhoons form and is climate change making them stronger?
Mon 25 May 2026
Rising temperatures mean that hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones have the potential to bring stronger winds and heavier rain – and scientists warn it only takes one strong storm to bring major impacts.
EDS urges MPs to scrap the Fisheries Amendment Bill
5 May 2026
Media release | The Environmental Defence Society today lodged a substantive submission on the Fisheries Amendment Bill.
Biomass sector asks: where did the love go?
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.
Govt’s LNG plan puts trade deals at risk, lawyers warn
Today 11:30am
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers for Climate Action are warning that the government’s plans for an LNG import terminal and to subsidise gas fields are in breach of New Zealand’s free trade agreements with the UK and the EU.
Hipkins pans LNG plan as ‘massive step backwards’
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.
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.”
New funding for low methane farming uptake
29 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government will co-fund projects under an Early Adoption Accelerator scheme announced today to accelerate the uptake of low emissions farming technologies emerging from the AgriZero public-private partnership.
NZ Govt’s move to halt climate litigation under international scrutiny
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.
Why ‘greenhushing’ signals deeper issues with NZ’s climate risk reporting regime
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.
‘Formidable’ El Niño expected this winter
29 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Meteorologists are anticipating a significant El Niño influence on weather patterns across the country from winter onwards, with predicted lower rainfall for some areas and heavier rain for others likely to impact multiple sectors of the economy as well as the carbon market.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
Media round-up
24 Apr 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: What is the real cost of storm-hit infrastructure? Urgency is needed over climate adaptation funding; and a community conservation group has won a legal victory against multinational mining company OceanaGold.
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.
Climate resolution conundrum for NZ
Today 11:30am
By Vernon Rive | COMMENT: While the United Nations resolution endorsing a landmark climate ruling is significant – politically, diplomatically and legally – its impact on international climate negotiations and domestic action is likely to be indirect and incremental.
GIDI-style help cheaper than LNG: MBIE
11 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Officials advised ministers last July that the lowest-cost way to free up gas for use during dry winters was to assist industrial gas users to switch to electricity.
Govt missing tricks to save fuel in crisis
30 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is being urged to shift its response to the fuel crisis away from short-term relief and towards measures that reduce demand, with public health experts warning it is missing an opportunity to boost energy security and lower household costs.
Climate risks could reshape business finances, new guidance warns
15 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New guidance warns climate change is set to fundamentally reshape financial outcomes for businesses, including difficult-to-model climate “tipping points” – irreversible changes such as ice sheet collapse or ocean circulation shifts – which threaten severe and sudden financial impacts.
Move to block lawsuits could strengthen climate case against Govt
14 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s plan to block climate lawsuits – while potentially fatal for one groundbreaking climate case – could actually bolster claims in another live climate case underway against the Government.
Colombia’s climate crossroads: Trumpism casts shadow over presidential battle
Today 11:30am
Colombia is a global leader in climate activism. Could US influence drag country to a future of mining and fracking?
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.
Six NZ climate solutions up for 2026 Earthshot prize
Thu 21 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Six New Zealand climate and sustainability initiatives have been nominated for the 2026 Earthshot Prize, with the shortlist showcasing Kiwi-led solutions tackling emissions, plastic waste and ocean restoration.
Environmental groups sue Trump administration over approval of new ultra deep-water drilling project
23 Apr 2026
Environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Monday over its approval last month of oil company BP’s ultra deep-water drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico.
Govt had ‘little choice’ in signing key UN climate resolution – expert
Fri 22 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate policy expert Bronwyn Hayward said it was “shameful’ New Zealand didn’t throw more active support behind a pivotal climate resolution ratified by the United Nations this week.
A real ‘intergenerational equity’ budget would address Australia’s unceasing environmental decline
15 May 2026
Labor has unveiled a budget designed to tackle intergenerational equity in Australia through bold tax reform.
ESG funds include petrochemical companies, report finds
5 May 2026
Global banks have invested US$133bn into US petrochemical expansion, even as the industry is linked to climate change.
Greens bill to ban mining on conservation land drawn from ballot
Today 11:30am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A Greens member’s bill seeking to ban new mining, prospecting and exploration on conservation land has been drawn from Parliament’s ballot, with the party saying the proposed law would close a loophole allowing mining on land set aside for environmental protection.
Media round-up
Fri 22 May 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Shane Jone is urging mining bosses to apply for fast-track before the election, climate risk is changing where investors put their money, and Hiringa gets more hydrogen-fuelled trucks on the road.
Green Party calls for national electrification plan
20 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is calling for a national plan to electrify homes, transport and industry using renewable energy, to reduce fossil fuel dependence in response to the Middle East crisis.
NZ at risk of falling behind on EV transition
Fri 22 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | An EV lobby group is warning that New Zealand is at a crossroads on transport electrification, with inconsistent policy settings and lagging charging infrastructure slowing uptake, while global adoption accelerates and fuel price shocks renew interest in electric vehicles.
‘Landmark’ conservation reform bill – boost or bust for nature?
8 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government has announced an overhaul of the country’s conservation system, which environmental organisation Forest & Bird says will undo the work of many generations of Kiwis to protect public conservation land.
Climate scientists accuse livestock industry of fuzzy math to downplay climate warming emissions
Fri 22 May 2026
A group of the world’s leading climate scientists are warning governments and the livestock industry against adopting an “accounting trick” that will imperil the all-out global effort required to control heat-trapping emissions.
Global wind and solar power outpace gas for first time in April, report shows
Fri 22 May 2026
Wind and solar combined generated more electricity than gas globally in April for the first month ever, data analysed by UK-based think tank Ember showed on Thursday.
Carbon trading schemes cut more emissions than carbon taxes, according to global study
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.
Why both trees and technology are important in the race to mitigate carbon emissions
4 May 2026
Different carbon‑removal approaches solve different problems, and pitting these technologies against each other could slow progress.
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.
Rotorua extends diesel bus contract after NZTA declines extra funding
Mon 25 May 2026
By Mathew Nash, Local Democracy Reporter | Rotorua is stuck with its diesel-powered public buses after a funding snag played a part in setting back plans for zero-emission buses by years.
NZ votes in favour of key UN climate resolution
Thu 21 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | A pivotal United Nations resolution to recognise a landmark International Court of Justice climate ruling has passed with nations voting overwhelmingly in its favour, with New Zealand voting on the same side as Pacific allies who spearheaded the vote.
NZ First moves to revive container return scheme
4 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | NZ First is aiming to launch a national container return scheme, which could recycle over a billion wasted containers each year, reviving a policy shelved by the previous Labour-led Government in 2023.
Commission urges Govt action on climate risks
7 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate change currently poses major risks to our water infrastructure with “significant gaps” in readiness to manage risks and increasing hazards, according to the Climate Change Commission.
Why is Northern Ireland facing a growing threat from wildfires?
7 May 2026
Figures show that spring drought events are happening more often while there has been a sharp rise in "fire weather" - a mix of warmth, dryness, and wind that allows fires to ignite and spread rapidly. Experts warn this combination, along with climate change, is creating a longer and more volatile wildfire season.
Human health appears unaffected by living near wind turbines
Thu 21 May 2026
Media release: PNAS | High-resolution data collected across the United States show negligible evidence of adverse health outcomes tied to wind turbine exposure, a study finds.
