Topics tagged with 'Agriculture'
ETS bill has October deadline
24 Aug 2012
The Government expects to have its changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme through the select committee and back into Parliament by October 17.
EXCLUSIVE: Carbon News readers can now get full climate report
24 Aug 2012
Subscribers to Carbon News now have access to the full report on research into New Zealanders' views on climate change.
Let's all be like Taranaki, says Joyce
24 Aug 2012
The Government is continuing its pressure on local authorities to give environmental consents to mining and big dairying operations.
Transpower wins energy award
24 Aug 2012
A Transpower-led alliance to upgrade the North Island electricity grid has taken the environmental excellence title at this year’s Deloitte Energy Excellence Awards.
Biofuel under fire as food crisis looms
24 Aug 2012
Drought-stricken crops and record-high grain prices have strengthened critics of the European Union biofuel industry, adding fears of a food crisis to their claims that it does not ultimately reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Beer drinkers say cheers to reducing methane
24 Aug 2012
Australian beer drinkers don’t know it but they are helping cattle farmers to reduce methane produced by cows.
Mill Creek wind farm to play key role
17 Aug 2012
Meridian Energy has turned the first sod on Mill Creek, its 26-turbine wind farm north-west of Wellington City.
We must value water, say irrigators
17 Aug 2012
Instead of knocking the productive use of water for activities such as irrigation, it’s time all New Zealanders accepted and celebrated how water adds value, the irrigation industry says.
Study warns South Pacific of storm shocks
17 Aug 2012
South Pacific countries will experience more extreme floods and droughts, in response to increasing greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new study.
Conference urges Govt to act on carbon
10 Aug 2012
A conference on feeding the world and saving the planet is calling for Government action to lift the price of carbon.
Europe slams US for backing off
10 Aug 2012
The European Union and small island states have criticised the United States for backing away from a United Nations goal of limiting global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius
Right food vital, say UN experts
10 Aug 2012
Countries must take immediate action to promote sustainable diets and food biodiversity to improve the health of their citizens, says the United Nations food agency in a new book.
Business execs taking it seriously
3 Aug 2012
Business managers and executives are among the New Zealanders most concerned about climate change.
Don't stand back, environment adviser tells NZ
3 Aug 2012
Feeding the world and saving it at the same time is possible – but New Zealand might leave it too late.
ETS impact report out today
3 Aug 2012
Latest figures on the impact of the Emissions Trading Scheme will be out today.
A good word to use is languish ...
3 Aug 2012
Do we really want to know what is going on with the carbon markets in Europe and elsewhere, Carbon Market Solutions asks.
Sheep emissions loophole to close
27 Jul 2012
A loophole that allocates all greenhouse gas emissions from sheep to the meat sector and none to wool is about to be closed.
Forester forms safe haven for kiwi
27 Jul 2012
Forestry company Ernslaw One is promising to look after kiwi living in one of its forests.
Foresters might swap carbon for cows
20 Jul 2012
Tumbling carbon prices could trigger the conversion of large tracts of forest into dairy farms, the forestry industry is warning.
Our world in peril
20 Jul 2012
The world is in a perilous position - economically, environmentally and socially, according to a new report. And New Zealand is not exempt. Here, Rick Boven, Catherine Harland and Lillian Grace, the authors of Navigating an uncertain future: Environmental foundations for long-term success, outline the situation.
It's all good news for biodiesel maker
20 Jul 2012
Biodiesel producer Biodiesel NZ is upbeat about the future – despite the loss of a Government subsidy.
Plastics recovery sets record high
20 Jul 2012
The Agrecovery Rural Recycling programme has experienced unprecedented growth over the past two years, with collection of waste plastics reaching record levels, organisers say.
NZ helps Tonga build solar plant
13 Jul 2012
Auckland Mayor Len Brown and a delegation of New Zealand business leaders this week visited a Tonga solar farm project will become the first utility-scale energy generation facility in the kingdom.
Fisheries report gives NZ a nod
13 Jul 2012
The latest United Nations report on the state of the world’s fisheries released this week acknowledges New Zealand’s sustainable approach to fisheries management, the Seafood Industry Council says.
Bio-farming pays the bills, says study
6 Jul 2012
Biological farming systems use significantly fewer agrichemicals, are more energy-efficient, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve soil qualities without reducing output and financial benefits than conventional farming, new research shows.
Carbon forestry in hibernation
6 Jul 2012
The announcement from Government on the review undertaken in 2011 on the Emissions Trading Scheme will provide a continuation of the status quo for the next two years, and reveals fundamentally good sense, given current economic conditions, but also dismisses perhaps a good opportunity to prove to the rest of the world that New Zealand Inc could have been enhanced upon a shift toward a low-carbon high-primary-production future, Carbon Market Solutions says.
Heavy metals firm wins accolade
29 Jun 2012
A company recycling heavy metals heads a new list of clean-tech companies that are turning over more than $1 billion a year between them.
Puketoi wind farm gets go-ahead
29 Jun 2012
Mighty River Power has been given the go-ahead for the 53-turbine Puketoi Range wind farm.
Rio pledges pass $500 billion mark
29 Jun 2012
More than $513 billion in funding has been committed by governments, the private sector, civil society and other groups to achieve a sustainable future.
Right, says Ban, now get on with it
29 Jun 2012
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged world leaders to build on the commitments they made during the Rio+20 conference to achieve economic, environmental and social prosperity for people all over the world.
Joyce slams businessmen's report
15 Jun 2012
Economic Development Minister Stephen Joyce says the Pure Advantage business group is just looking for subsidies for businesses it likes.
Wind energy pathway to jobs, says report
15 Jun 2012
The wind energy industry will be creating jobs and revenue on a par with the oil and gas industry by 2030, a new report says.
Figures paint sad picture of the world
15 Jun 2012
A snapshot of our world paints a sorry picture on the eve of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, in Rio de Janeiro.
Farmers eye new deal on cow gases
15 Jun 2012
Australian dairy producers could soon earn carbon credits through the Federal Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative by capturing and destroying harmful greenhouse gases released by cow manure.
Fabric maker finds life after Starbucks
15 Jun 2012
The company that transformed Starbucks coffee sacks into high-quality upholstery fabric has come up with another groundbreaking material.
Travel leaders call for sustainability
15 Jun 2012
Travel and tourism leaders are calling for a new enlightened framework for sustainable tourism in a ground-breaking collection of essays compiled by academics at Melbourne’s Victoria University academics.
Court fines sharemilker $25,000
15 Jun 2012
A sharemilker in Flemington, near Ashburton, has pleaded guilty to two charges of discharging effluent into waterways during April and May last year.
US conservationist to tell his stories
15 Jun 2012
American conservation biologist Guy McPherson is to visit New Zealand to talk about global warming and the world’s decline in energy resources.
Now’s the time to change our thinking
8 Jun 2012
The need for a change in thinking and approach to ensure the sustainability of the Earth’s resources as the world population grows has been highlighted as part of World Environment Day this week.
Help us, pleads wind power innovator
1 Jun 2012
A company whose technology has been described as one of the world’s leading innovations in wind power says that policies in this country are making it almost impossible to turn good ideas into export earnings.
Science out to solve carbon mystery
25 May 2012
On a Waharoa dairy farm two special machines aren’t missing a trick.
Switched-on insurer turns over new Leaf
18 May 2012
Sovereign is the first company in New Zealand to purchase the world’s first mass-produced, fully electric, zero-emission vehicle; the Nissan Leaf.
Europe ETS to spare some industries
18 May 2012
The European Commission has drawn up a draft list of 14 industrial sectors that will be eligible for special state aid to compensate for the increased cost of electricity due to the European Emission Trading Scheme.
Rural poor might be let off the hook
11 May 2012
Poor rural areas might soon be exempt from having to deal with the greenhouse gas emissions of their rubbish.
Time running out for ETS submissions
11 May 2012
If you haven’t yet made your submission on the latest round of changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme you’re nearly out of time.
Foresters should have their say on new rules
4 May 2012
While forestry talks at the 2011 UN climate change summit in Durban focused predominantly on the reduction of deforestation through mechanisms such as REDD and REDD+, there were other changes proposed to international carbon forestry laws which may have a profound effect on New Zealand foresters, Carbon Market Solutions says.
NZUs close to 12 million mark
27 Apr 2012
Nearly 12 million NZUs have been allocated so far to forest owners for carbon stored in their trees last year.
Islands face big fresh water problems
27 Apr 2012
Climate change will exacerbate water stress in Pacific Islands, particularly small islands that rely on seasonal rain for their freshwater needs, says a new United Nations report.
Growers eye huge potential of safflower
27 Apr 2012
New varieties of the safflower plant containing the world’s highest levels of valuable oleic acid are in the pipeline for Australian grain growers thanks to breakthrough research at CSIRO.
Politicians need to ‘get over themselves’ to reduce emissions
Fri 24 Jul 2026
New Zealand needs to face up to two big areas of climate emissions: transport and agriculture, says climate policy expert Bronwyn Hayward.
$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.
Media round-up
9 Jul 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The Government re-wrote fast-track law after mining companies pushed for change; costs from inland flooding are expected to rise by up to 53% by 2075; and is there such a thing as a sustainable tourist?
Greens promise to take forestry out of the ETS
Mon 27 Jul 2026
The Green Party launched its election manifesto at its AGM yesterday, promising action to reduce climate pollution and boost resilience, with an emphasis on Emissions Trading Scheme reform.
Biomass can free-up electrons to perform higher value roles – with multiple other benefits
Fri 24 Jul 2026
By Rob Mallinson | OPINION: New Zealand’s energy debate too often treats electricity as the universal solution.
Govt signs NZ up for carbon credit co-operation with Philippines
Tue 28 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand has signed an agreement with the Philippines to establish a framework for Paris Agreement co-operation allowing offshore mitigation, including on Article 6 credits – despite the Coalition Government repeatedly telling the voting public they wouldn’t send “billions overseas”.
Africa facing up to $20 billion economic hit from 'super' El Niño, bank climate chief warns
Wed 29 Jul 2026
An impending "super" El Niño is likely to inflict a combined $10 billion to $20 billion hit on affected African countries and trigger mass migration from hard-hit areas, the African Development Bank's top climate expert told Reuters.
Red Stag boss questions $60m cement support as timber ETS reforms stall
23 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The Government has granted $60 million to an emissions-intensive industry while dragging its feet on a proposal to allow firms making harvested wood products to earn carbon credits in the Emissions Trading Scheme, an industry leader says.
Coal is back in Australian Super’s portfolio. What happened to that net zero pledge?
13 Jul 2026
In 2020 Australia’s biggest super fund dumped its Whitehaven shares. Fast forward to 2026 and it is now the coalminer’s single biggest investor.
The price of international citizenship
Wed 29 Jul 2026
By Jeremy Rose | OPINION: In the run-up to the 1975 New Zealand election, the Labour, National, Social Credit, and Values parties all committed to the target of spending 1% of Gross National Product on foreign aid, with 70% of that coming from the government (or 0.7% of GNP.)
EMA pushes for steady hand on energy and regulation
13 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Employers and Manufacturers Association wants the next government to commit to a long-term energy plan and allow faster investment in renewable generation, at the same time as slowing the pace of policy change and providing businesses with greater certainty.
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.
Meridian gets green light for Waikato solar farm
Wed 29 Jul 2026
Meridian Energy has secured resource consent for a 110MW solar farm near Morrinsville, paving the way for a project capable of generating enough electricity to power more than 25,000 homes a year.
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.
‘We have lost everything’: extreme rainfall across Asia brings flash floods and typhoons
Wed 29 Jul 2026
From Afghanistan to Taiwan, unprecedented deluge highlights the devastating impact of the climate breakdown.
Tarakihi on verge of extinction: Stock collapse exposes major fisheries management failings
3 Jul 2026
Media release: Environmental Defence Society | Fisheries NZ is consulting on new sustainability measures for the country’s two tarakihi stocks.
National deer management strategy urgently needed to halt 'catastrophe' for native forests
Mon 27 Jul 2026
Scientists are calling for an urgent national deer management strategy, with deer numbers now at unsustainable levels and decimating native forests.
Here we go again. Why oil keeps tumbling even when the Iran war drags on
Wed 29 Jul 2026
Sound familiar? A pause in fighting between the United States and Iran has given oil traders hope that a diplomatic resolution could restart the flow of oil traffic out of the Middle East.
West Africa signs off $25bn mega gas-pipeline plan
22 Jul 2026
One of Africa's most ambitious energy infrastructure projects has finally been signed off at the highest level, with West African leaders formally endorsing the long-awaited Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline.
$3m Govt boost for Tauranga geothermal energy
14 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Resources Minister Shane Jones has announced a $3 million grant for the Gas to Geoheat Tauranga Geothermal System Project as part of the Government's plan to double geothermal energy by 2040.
Will new UK PM’s green measures at home cause climate finance pain overseas?
23 Jul 2026
Andy Burnham will cut bus fares and household electricity tax in a boost for UK climate action – but this will be funded partly by switching international climate finance from grants to loans.
The thriving coral reef that ‘defeated time’ in West Africa
22 Jul 2026
A 60-year mystery has been solved as researchers discover a coral ecosystem on the Benin-Togo continental shelf that is still teeming with marine life.
‘Master class in greenwash’ as Ottawa unveils CCS deal
20 Jul 2026
A multi-billion-dollar plan to transport and store greenhouse gas emissions from Canada’s emissions-intensive oil sands has received a major boost, even though the highly-touted deal between Ottawa, Alberta, and the five oil major sands companies will only capture a tiny fraction of the oil sands’ climate pollution.
Contact: New biodiversity goal may be 'highly problematic' for renewable projects
Fri 24 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The goal of no net loss of indigenous biodiversity in the new resource management system may be highly problematic for renewable energy developments, Contact Energy says.
Groundbreaking steel startup cuts production time while slashing emissions
Mon 27 Jul 2026
Startup CullBeck has raised a record $20 million to commercialise its new ironmaking technology, which replaces coal with hydrogen to eliminate carbon emissions from one of the world's most emissions-intensive industries.
Climate change keeps adding to the list of uninsurable assets, Allianz executive says
Fri 24 Jul 2026
Extreme weather events — such as the heat wave that just hit Europe — are making more and more assets too risky to insure, according to a director at Europe’s largest primary insurer.
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.
Petition latest bid to stop climate torts bill
Wed 29 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate activist and iwi leader Mike Smith has launched a petition calling on the Government to abandon its legislation to bar climate torts, marking the latest step in his campaign against a bill criticised as shielding major emitters from legal accountability.
NZ at risk of missing all its climate goals: Commission
22 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Aotearoa New Zealand’s rate of emissions reduction needs to more than double, with progress stalling since 2024 after the Coalition Government took power, according to the latest report from the Climate Change Commission.
Planetary Facts dashboard aims to make environmental costs visible
15 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Consumers can now compare the environmental impacts of everyday products with a new online dashboard designed to do for sustainability what nutrition labels have long done for food.
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.
Media round-up
Fri 24 Jul 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Labour leader Chris Hipkins floats the idea of a carbon border tax; two-way charging between the garage and the grid will slash power bills; and cost isn't everything when it comes to rooftop solar.
What’s next for Sams Creek after failed mining bid?
15 Jul 2026
Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | A controversial gold mining application at Sams Creek has been declined, leaving question marks hanging over the future of the land.
Govt should bin draft voluntary market assurance and start again – expert
Fri 24 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government is consulting on its criteria for endorsing domestic nature and carbon markets, however market experts say the draft document falls short of what is needed to support trust in the market and stop low-integrity credits being sold.
European fish are adapting to climate change in unexpected ways
Tue 28 Jul 2026
As climate change reshapes marine habitats, scientists have discovered European fish aren’t just moving north to stay cool. Instead, they’re diving deeper into darker waters.
Panama Canal braces for El Niño, announcing first transit restrictions
Fri 24 Jul 2026
The probability of a severe El Nino has risen from 25% to 81% and the Panama Canal is preparing to restrict transits.
NZ First promises $1 billion for offshore oil and gas
20 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand First wants to “drill baby drill,” and has made an election campaign promise of $1 billion to survey New Zealand’s offshore basins to extract oil and gas, in an announcement at the party’s campaign launch on Sunday.
‘I can’t work in the farce of climate change cruise tourism anymore’: why Antarctic guides quit their dream jobs
22 Jul 2026
“You’d see massive glacier calvings, and you’d just want to cry. But all the guests would be cheering. And you’d be like … ‘can you not put two and two together?’”
UN plastics pact talks restart amid fears production curbs will be left out
2 Jul 2026
Diplomats reconvene a year after negotiations collapsed, but campaigners fear the agenda risks burying tricky discussions on key elements.
Greens want one-year pause on AI datacentres
Tue 28 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Datacentre opponents have welcomed the Greens' call to press pause on new operations, while others say the energy-hungry facilities will bring jobs to the regions.
Northern Thai residents march for action on polluted rivers. ‘This is an emergency’
9 Jun 2026
More than 600 residents of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces embarked May 31 on a roughly 68-kilometer, six-day ‘peace walk’ to demand the Thai government take action on the river pollution crisis that has seen Thai rivers polluted with heavy metals.
Swarbrick slams $50m critical minerals funding as 'Trump's war machine' subsidy
7 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Green Party has criticised the Government's investment into two West Coast critical minerals projects, claiming the funding could ultimately support the United States defence industry rather than New Zealand's clean energy transition, while Shane Jones dismissed opponents as "flat earth idiots".
Major climate tech summit to connect investors and startups
Wed 29 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | A two-day summit connecting climate tech startups, investors and policymakers starts in Wellington on Thursday.
Resource management Bills 'not yet ready to be enacted', says Upton
22 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The two Bills to replace the Resource Management Act are not ready to be enacted and there is no way of knowing how they will affect the environment, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says.
Indoor ski venue partners with Sunergise on solar install to reduce grid reliance by 30%
Wed 29 Jul 2026
Auckland's Snowplanet indoor ski venue has partnered with commercial solar company Sunergise on a 1MW solar array, cutting the facility’s grid energy reliance by about 30%.
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.
'Shocking' changes to RMA replacement further weakens environmental protections –EDS
21 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The select committee's report back on bills to replace the Resource Management Act fails to address the Environmental Defence Society's "massive concerns" with the legislation.
How e-scooter company Lime cut its supply chain emissions
Fri 24 Jul 2026
The company’s latest sustainability report, shared exclusively with Heatmap, shows that carbon intensity per kilometer traveled has dropped 81% since 2019.
Experts call on Govt to withdraw ‘repugnant’ legislation to block climate lawsuits
13 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers and climate policy experts are calling on the Government to withdraw legislation intended to block climate lawsuits, with an adaptation expert arguing that the legislation could worsen the insurance protection gap.
Greens bill aims to keep supermarket food out of landfill
Mon 27 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Green Party has introduced a member's bill that would require New Zealand's largest supermarkets to donate edible surplus food to food rescue organisations instead of sending it to landfill, saying the move would reduce waste, cut emissions and help tackle food insecurity.
Calls for stronger protection of drinking water sources
Tue 28 Jul 2026
A new report has highlighted growing risks to New Zealand's drinking water supplies, with Water New Zealand warning stronger protection of source water is needed as almost half of all drinking water consents come up for renewal over the next decade.
European wildfires may not be out for months, authorities warn, as flames rage near Bordeaux and Madrid
Tue 28 Jul 2026
President Macron said France's wildfire situation is toughest since WWII as higher temperatures loom again this week.
Faster consenting, harder trade-offs
7 Jul 2026
Faster consenting is starting to produce results, but this week's decisions show speed has not removed the harder trade-offs around electricity security, conservation, ecology and climate liability.
