Topics tagged with 'Agriculture'
Greens question Fonterra over water action
8 Apr 2011
The Green Party is congratulating Fonterra for investing in clean-water technology in its Australian factory - but want to know why it won’t do the same at its Wairarapa factory.
Synthetics answer might lie outside ETS
1 Apr 2011
Greenhouse gas emissions from the synthetic gases sector could be dealt with outside the Emissions Trading Scheme, says ETS review panel chair David Caygill.
What the IEA thinks of our ETS
1 Apr 2011
The International Energy Agency says there is no guarantee New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme will actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Greens: Emissions target is green-washing
1 Apr 2011
The Government’s greenhouse gas emissions target is little more than green-washing, said the Green Party.
The business of marine energy, May 25 and 26
1 Apr 2011
The growing maturity of marine energy both here and overseas will be the theme of this year's Aotearoa Wave and Tidal Energy Association (Awatea) conference in Wellington.
Scientists show biochar slashes animal gas
25 Mar 2011
New Zealand scientists have proved that emissions of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide from animal urine can be cut drastically by adding biochar to the soil.
Fonterra finds way to beat ETS problems
25 Mar 2011
Fonterra says a lack of liquidity in the New Zealand carbon market has caused the dairy co-operative some problems in its first year under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
How Europe found other ways to cut emissions
25 Mar 2011
Europe has found that you don’t have to bring every industry into an emissions trading regime to get them to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, the panel reviewing the New Zealand scheme is about to hear.
New centre will test gas samples
25 Mar 2011
The National Centre for Nitrous Oxide Measurement will be opened at Lincoln University next week.
New carbon measurement regime for large forests
25 Mar 2011
Owners of large forests are about to shift to a compulsory personalised carbon measurement system.
Ministers reveal more carbon details
25 Mar 2011
The Australian Government has released more details about its plans to put a price on carbon.
Jilted Fonterra to plead case at ETS review
18 Mar 2011
Access to free credits for trade-exposed businesses and the entry of agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme are two of the issues Fonterra will be raising with the ETS review panel.
Forests credit allocations top five million
18 Mar 2011
Owners of pre-1990 forests have now been allocated more than five million carbon credits.
Data predicts corn peril if temperatures rise
18 Mar 2011
A hidden trove of historical crop yield data from Africa shows that corn – long believed to tolerate hot temperatures – is a likely victim of global warming.
ETS review panel wants YOUR input
11 Mar 2011
The Emissions Trading Scheme review panel wants to know how the scheme is affecting businesses, households, farmers, foresters and Maori.
ETS PAPER 1: Businesses feel the costs
11 Mar 2011
The Emissions Trading Scheme has increased the cost of electricity and fuel for businesses by about 1 per cent of revenue, the panel reviewing the scheme says.
Caygill crew meets business leaders
11 Mar 2011
The committee reviewing the Emissions Trading Scheme has already met with some of the country’s most influential bodies as it works towards its June deadline.
Fertiliser firm wins battle over inhibitor
11 Mar 2011
A Christchurch company has won a court battle to patent its nitrogen emissions-reducing fertiliser.
Scientists get help with ag research
11 Mar 2011
The Government has announced a fellowship programme as part of New Zealand’s efforts on the Global Research Alliance on Agricultural Greenhouse Gases.
Welcome to the Year of the Forest
11 Mar 2011
The 2011 International Year of Forests was launched this week at Parliament by Forestry Minister David Carter and Woodco chair Doug Ducker.
Emissions target unrealistic, says lobbyist
4 Mar 2011
The natural resources sector is warning the Government that it’s unlikely to meet its target of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Windflow happy with UK tariff change
4 Mar 2011
New Zealand turbine maker Windflow Technologies say it does not expect a review of feed-in tariffs in the United Kingdom to affect business.
Waikato wind farm wins approval
4 Mar 2011
A new Waikato wind farm has been given a conditional go-ahead.
BOC signs long=term clean energy deal
4 Mar 2011
Australian gases and engineering company BOC says it secured a long-term industrial gas supply contract worth $A1 billion with a company planning to use clean energy technology to feed the world.
Australia sets date for carbon scheme
25 Feb 2011
Australia will have a price on carbon by July next year.
NZ farmers happy with omission of agriculture
25 Feb 2011
Federated Farmers will use Australia's decision not to put a price on agricultural emissions to back its argument to keep farmers out of the New Zealand scheme.
Science key to the future, says Gluckman
25 Feb 2011
New Zealand must globalise its science to strengthen its economy and protect its social and environmental development, says the Prime Minister's Chief Science Adviser, Sir Peter Gluckman.
Buyers dominate market
25 Feb 2011
Prices this week have traded between $19.10 and $19.70 on a spot equivalent basis, Westpac reports, with volumes trading both spot and forward.
Windfarm decision worries developers
18 Feb 2011
A decision to let only part of the proposed Tiritea wind farm go ahead has got wind energy developers worried.
Fewer emissions aid rural sector, says Garnaut
18 Feb 2011
Cutting greenhouse gas emissions could improve the economic prospects of rural Australia, says that country’s government adviser on climate change.
UN chief calls for a global revolution
18 Feb 2011
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a “revolution” in how the world defines prosperity and relates to nature.
US investors ask enviro questions
18 Feb 2011
American investors are asking coal, energy and oil companies about their exposure to risks from climate change – and want executive pay linked to environmental performance.
Aussie scheme could be lucrative for NZ carbon sellers
18 Feb 2011
As more of the Garnaut papers are released, Australia moves closer to a revised carbon scheme, Carbon Market Solutions says.
Wind farm adds power to the economy
11 Feb 2011
The new Te Uku wind farm showcases the benefits of wind energy to the New Zealand economy, according to Fraser Clark, chief executive of the Wind Energy Association.
NZ winning war on dioxin emissions
11 Feb 2011
A report by the Environment Ministry on dioxin emissions shows New Zealand is making significant progress in reducing our exposure to these toxic chemicals, Environment Minister Nick Smith says.
Ag emissions calculator updated
11 Feb 2011
The group giving neutral climate change advice to agriculture has updated its online emissions calculator.
Time running out for say on forest schemes
4 Feb 2011
The public has just two weeks left in which to make submissions on the future of the Permanent Forest Sink Initiative and other forestry schemes.
Smith calls for carbon reduction submissions
4 Feb 2011
The Government is calling for submissions on New Zealand’s 2050 emissions reduction target.
Forestry credits close on 10m mark
28 Jan 2011
The government is on the verge of issuing its 10 millionth forestry carbon credit.
Animal emissions going under microscope
28 Jan 2011
The Southern Hemisphere’s largest research centre measuring methane emissions from animals will be opened in Palmerston North next month.
Energy market contemplates the end of oil
28 Jan 2011
By Nick Hodge. The energy market as you know it is on the verge of a vast transformation.
Govt stays silent on value of free credits
21 Jan 2011
Some of New Zealand’s biggest companies received free carbon credits from the Government.
Investment in five wind farms tops $250m
21 Jan 2011
More than $250 million is being invested in new wind farms in New Zealand - and all without government subsidy.
FORUM: Signs of change
21 Jan 2011
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Susan Krumdieck, of Canterbury University, reflects on a sustainability conference which was, in itself, sustainable.
Review rules out some ETS challenges
23 Dec 2010
Questions about whether the Emissions Trading Scheme is the best way for New Zealand to tackle climate change have been ruled out of a review of the scheme.
Farmers renew call to keep agriculture out
23 Dec 2010
Federated Farmers says it will use the review of the Emissions Trading Scheme to try to keep agriculture out of the scheme.
CANCUN: Significant step forward
17 Dec 2010
New Zealand climate change minister Tim Groser and Nick Smith say that the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Cancún, Mexico, is a significant step towards a global, legally binding and comprehensive agreement on climate change.
CANCUN: A clearer picture is emerging
17 Dec 2010
A clearer overall framework for global greenhouse gas emissions reductions is emerging - even if more work is needed to develop market mechanisms, writes Business New Zealand energy, enviornment and infrastructure manager John Carnegie from Cancun.
CANCUN: Give money to research, says FedFarm
17 Dec 2010
The Cancun climate change summit proved that a solution to global carbon emissions is still as elusive as ever, says Federated Farmers.
Fifty years of observations, no reversal of glacier climate damage
Tue 31 Mar 2026
Media release: Earth Sciences New Zealand | Fifty years on from the first aerial survey of our Southern Alps glaciers, late snow and variable summer weather delivered a temporary reprieve from rapid ice loss, says Earth Sciences New Zealand.
$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.
Signs of jet fuel hoarding emerge in Asia on Iran oil shock
26 Mar 2026
Signs are growing that Asian countries are hoarding jet fuel after the Iran war sent oil prices surging, reflecting growing strain on the aviation industry.
Wellington planting nears one million trees
Mon 30 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Greater Wellington’s parks restoration programme will hit one million native trees this year, with the first dams to rewet peat wetlands in Queen Elizabeth Park now completed after a years-long effort to bring these ecosystems – and their carbon sequestering superpowers – back to life.
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.
Economic contraction will impact carbon market
Wed 1 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | While higher fossil fuel prices strengthen the long-run economics of decarbonisation, the current fuel crisis won’t inspire near-term confidence in the carbon market, according to Lizzie Chambers of Carbon Match.
Why the real oil crisis hasn’t started yet
Wed 1 Apr 2026
If the Strait of Hormuz remains closed much longer, things will get really bad, really fast.
Carbon price: Ups and downs amid geopolitical uncertainty
26 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | After ups and downs in recent weeks, the carbon market again broke above the $40 mark this week, with questions around how the Middle East conflict will play out weighing on market confidence.
Labour mulls GIDI 2.0 as factory closures mount
Wed 1 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Factory closures across the country could have been prevented if the last Labour-led government’s GIDI fund to assist companies with the cost of electrification hadn't been scrapped, Labour energy spokesperson, Megan Woods, says.
Death toll in Afghanistan flooding increases to 28, authorities say
Wed 1 Apr 2026
Afghan authorities said Monday that the death toll from severe weather that has struck swathes of the country over the past four days has increased to 28, with 49 people injured. Dozens of people have died from extreme weather in the country so far this year.
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.
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.
‘Even more bonkers now’ – energy expert on LNG terminal
Wed 1 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | An energy consultant says the Government’s plan to back an LNG import facility is a “non-starter” in the face of rising gas prices due to the Middle East conflict.
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.
Dairy farmers' lack of climate action 'even bleaker' than water inaction – Upton
Wed 1 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Government projections for cutting agricultural emissions are being undermined by low farmer uptake, with the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment warning the country is relying on “heroic” assumptions to meet its methane targets.
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.
Lawyers complain to ombudsman over Govt failure to release LNG modelling
Wed 1 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers for Climate Action has made a formal complaint to the Ombudsman over the Government’s failure to release information about its controversial decision to build a LNG import terminal.
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.”
FMA to ease conditions for green bond issues
Tue 31 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Green, social and sustainability-linked bonds will face lower disclosure requirements and regulatory costs under a class exemption newly granted by the Financial Markets Authority.
Tuvalu prioritises climate change in agreement with NZ
Fri 27 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand has pledged an additional $20 million to climate resilience work in Tuvalu, more than doubling Aotearoa's aid to the tiny island nation in the current financial year.
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.
NZ prepares to join ‘gold rush’ for white hydrogen
25 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand may be close to commercialising the capture and use of naturally occurring ‘white’ hydrogen, with investment plans for developments in the Wairarapa region picking up pace in response to spiralling oil prices.
Media round-up
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.
Cleantech expo coming to Auckland
26 Mar 2026
New Zealand’s first national cleantech expo is set to bring together 30 innovators, in what organisers say is the country’s fastest growing area in the tech sector.
NZ First targets regional share of mining royalties
Mon 30 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand First has proposed returning 50% of mining royalties to regional communities, saying that too much of the value from resource extraction is currently flowing to Wellington.
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.
Worst in a generation: Environmentalists slam fisheries reform bill
25 Mar 2026
Media release: Greenpeace | The Fisheries Amendment Bill, which will likely have its first reading in parliament this week, is being labelled the worst fisheries policy in a generation by environmental groups who are calling for it to be rejected to protect ocean health.
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?
Activists occupy controversial gold drilling site
25 Mar 2026
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | Opposition in Golden Bay to a controversial gold mine at Sams Creek has flared up over the weekend after several activists briefly occupied a drilling site.
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.
World-leading plasma torch takes aim at NZ's most potent greenhouse gases
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.
Why the Iran war may have just killed the AI boom
26 Mar 2026
The $1.5 trillion in committed AI infrastructure spending by major tech companies is built on an assumption of a functional global supply chain, which the Iran conflict has fundamentally broken.
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.
Two Australian states offer free public transport as war pushes up fuel prices
Mon 30 Mar 2026
Public transport in two Australian states will be made free to incentivise people not to drive as fuel prices soar due to the war in the Middle East.
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.
‘Stop burning fossil fuels’ pleads scientist as extreme rain causes floods yet again
Fri 27 Mar 2026
Northland and Auckland have again been lashed by heavy rain, with hundreds of people evacuated last night because of extensive flooding in the Far North, and some areas hit by more than a month's average rainfall in just 24 hours.
AI tool predicts wildfire danger faster than current systems
26 Mar 2026
Media release | A wildfire forecasting system powered by artificial intelligence could help detect dangerous fire conditions earlier and reduce the cost of wildfire response, according to new research from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury.
Record wind output helps shield the UK from worst of Iran war fallout
Wed 1 Apr 2026
Record output from wind farms has helped boost total clean power supplies in the United Kingdom to new highs so far in 2026, and allowed power firms to pare use of fossil fuels to multi-year lows.
