Topics tagged with 'Agriculture'
Nervous foresters: We don't want policy flip-flops
31 Oct 2008
Foresters awaiting regulations due to released at the end of the year in order to make firm calculations of their carbon credits and liabilities fear that a new government might turn the existing policy on its head.
Forum leaders keen to keep on being heard
31 Oct 2008
The Climate Change Leadership Forum is making a bid to keep going.
Exporters fear impact of European emissions decisions
31 Oct 2008
New Zealand exporters say increased costs from recent emissions legislation decisions in Europe will be passed on to customers, but Air New Zealand isn’t talking about the potential impact on the cost of air freight and air travel.
Brits reluctant investors in climate change, says report
31 Oct 2008
British investors are still failing to grasp the significant opportunity offered by climate change, according to a report from wealth management specialist Holden & Partners.
Australian scientists to help wean chemicals industry off crude oil
31 Oct 2008
CSIRO scientists have joined one of the world’s largest biotechnology consortia to help to develop crops which produce oils to be used by the chemicals industry as sustainable alternatives to those derived from the world’s non-renewable stocks of crude oil.
FORUM: The flawed economics of nuclear power
31 Oct 2008
By Lester R. Brown, president, Earth Policy Institute, California. Over the past few years the nuclear industry has used concerns about climate change to argue for a nuclear revival. Although industry representatives may have convinced some political leaders that this is a good idea, there is little evidence of private capital investing in nuclear plants in competitive electricity markets.
ETS will put us out of business, says horticulture chief
28 Oct 2008
The horticulture sector’s official body says that the ETS legislation was enacted in dangerous haste and will put many of its members out of business.
Cities' leaders pledge action on climate change
28 Oct 2008
Leaders of 40 of the world's major cities have pledged action to fight climate change, taking measures ranging from promoting solar energy to tracking genetically modified food.
Now is the time to get out of Kyoto, says Hide
24 Oct 2008
ACT party leader Rodney Hide says New Zealand should pull out of the Kyoto Protocol in the face of increased pressures on businesses and households caused by the global financial crisis - but it won’t be a make-or-break issue during any post-election discussions with National.
National-Maori deal to put geothermal under Minerals Act?
24 Oct 2008
Close to the top of the agenda for a prospective prime minister John Key with any Maori Party allies is the business of transferring the nation’s geothermal resources from the jurisdiction of the Resource Management Act to Crown Minerals.
MAF’s master tool for farm emissions measurement in doubt
24 Oct 2008
The efficiency of a proprietary, home-grown software package that underpins much of the ETS and Kyoto governance calculations is increasingly being called into question.
Costs force Smart Drive innovator to look at US base
21 Oct 2008
Freight costs might force a New Plymouth-based renewable energy company to set up a base in the United States to manufacture and distribute its products.
Nats promise electricity-first ETS by 2010
21 Oct 2008
The National Party will have an emissions trading scheme covering the electricity sector by January 1, 2010, climate change spokesman Nick Smith said in a debate yesterday.
Parker: Nats won't, but we'll answer the questions
21 Oct 2008
Climate Change Minister David Parker says that he is willing to answer Carbon News’ questions on climate change policy – even if National isn’t.
Biodeisel demand fuels price of wood waste
21 Oct 2008
Solid Energy’s demand for high-grade biomass materials is forcing up prices for sawmill shavings and other prime process residue.
National-Maori coalition raises major issues over fate of ETS
17 Oct 2008
ANALYSIS: If a National-Maori Party Government takes power next month the new coalition could face immense difficulties agreeing on changes to the emissions trading scheme.
Climate change targets could cripple UK agriculture, say farmers
17 Oct 2008
New targets to cut Britain’s greenhouse emissions by at least 80 per cent will cripple agriculture, according to farmers.
It’s full speed ahead for America’s new energy economy
17 Oct 2008
As fossil fuel prices rise, as oil insecurity deepens, and as concerns about climate change cast a shadow over the future of coal, a new energy economy is emerging in the United States, says sustainability expert Lester Brown.
US dairy industry slashes carbon footprint
17 Oct 2008
Improved efficiency in the production of milk has resulted in a huge reduction in the dairy industry's carbon footprint, making it very "green," said a University of Illinois Extension dairy specialist.
Company clustering aims to cut energy and waste costs
14 Oct 2008
Energy-intensive industries can cut greenhouse-gas emissions and energy costs by pooling resources on projects like bio-energy plants using waste materials, says the Clean Energy Centre.
Anderton vows to shelter farmers troubled by ETS
14 Oct 2008
Agriculture Minister Jim Anderton has vowed to do all he can to shelter farmers from any adverse effects of the emissions trading scheme.
Hydro schemes on wrong side of the island, says report
14 Oct 2008
A long-range rainfall forecast has ignited a controversy that the bulk of the South Island hydro capacity was built on the wrong side of the Southern Alps.
Don’t blame cities for climate change troubles, says report
14 Oct 2008
Cities are being unfairly blamed for most of humanity’s greenhouse gas emissions and this threatens efforts to tackle climate change, warns a new report.
Key players ponder Nat's 'unusual' R&D decision
10 Oct 2008
Key players in New Zealand’s renewable energy sector are stoic - if somewhat bemused - in the face of National’s announcement that it intends dropping the 15 per cent tax-credit for research and development if it wins power.
Bluff smelter sale could mean big problems in the south
10 Oct 2008
BHP Billiton’s ever-closer acquisition of Rio Tinto could solve one big and enduring problem ... and create another even bigger one.
FORUM: Institute of Forestry reply
10 Oct 2008
It is time for politicians and farm leaders to stop using knowledge of cobalt deficiency and incomplete economic analysis as excuses for deforestation, says NZ Institute of Forestry president Andrew McEwen.
The Deadly Dozen - 12 climate change diseases that could sweep the world
10 Oct 2008
Health experts are calling them the Deadly Dozen - 12 pathogens that could spread into new regions as a result of climate change and could have potential impacts on both human and wildlife health as well as global economies.
Reducing greenhouse gases one fridge at a time.
10 Oct 2008
Natural refrigeration specialist company Arneg New Zealand is to tell this year’s New Zealand Cold Storage Association conference that the industry needs to do more to reduce the effect of refrigeration systems on the environment.
Time for green thinking on the economy, say Greens
7 Oct 2008
It is time for Government to set its sights on a green economy to ensure there will be jobs for New Zealanders, that food will be affordable, and it won’t be out of people’s reach to get around, the Green Party says.
Farmers working hard for the environment
7 Oct 2008
Otago dairy farmer Philip Wilson and his family had a point to prove when they entered this year’s Ballance Farm Environment Awards.
Power users unite in push for electricity reform
3 Oct 2008
Electricity users across the economy are joining forces to push the Government into the biggest review of our electricity system since the 1996 deregulation.
Wind power poser: Low lakes mean low wind speeds
3 Oct 2008
The same weather conditions that cause hydro-generation lakes to go dry will also stop some wind farms generating power, according to a new report.
'Hard year' nearly halves Meridian profit
3 Oct 2008
State-owned Meridian energy’s profits have almost halved.
Waste water becomes drinkable using NZ algae process
3 Oct 2008
Farms, meat processing plants and factories could soon be recycling their own discharged water on-site thanks to a world-leading algae-based refining process developed in Blenheim.
Further 32 turbines ordered for TRH wind farm
3 Oct 2008
Windflow Technology has received a further order from the Te Rere Hau (TRH) Joint Venture for the 32 turbines required to complete the initial TRH wind farm near Palmerston North.
Big emitters play the waiting game with ETS
30 Sep 2008
Some of New Zealand’s major emitters of greenhouse gases are waiting to see who wins the election before committing themselves to buying carbon credits.
Bosses know little of carbon risk, survey shows
30 Sep 2008
Most of the people running New Zealand companies have no idea of their enterprises’ carbon risk.
Millions of new jobs in green economy, says UN report
30 Sep 2008
Tackling climate change could potentially generate millions of new employment opportunities, according to a new UN-backed study – the first of its kind on the emergence of a “green economy” and its impact on labour.
‘Obsolete’ market system to blame for deforestation, PNG tells UN
30 Sep 2008
The current global economic system is to fault for deforestation, Papua New GuineaDeputy Prime Minister Puke Temu told the UN General Assembly’s high-level debate yesterday, stressing the need to protect the South Pacific nation’s rainforests from degradation.
First ‘carbon state’ report finds troubling imbalance
30 Sep 2008
The first "State of the Carbon Cycle Report" for North America, released online this week by the US Climate Change Science Program, finds the continent's carbon budget increasingly overwhelmed by human-caused emissions.
Eco-friendly Aussie farmers at a loss in no-agriculture ETS
30 Sep 2008
Leaving agriculture out of an emissions scheme could cost farmers using environmentally friendly methods of production, the Biological Farmers of Australia (BFA) says.
IDEAcarbon rates Joint Implementation projects
30 Sep 2008
The Carbon Rating Agency, a dedicated ratings subsidiary of IDEAcarbon, has released the first set of ratings for Joint Implementation (JI) projects under JI guidelines.
Nats vow to sweep new broom through forest industry
26 Sep 2008
National hopes to sweep a new broom through the forestry sector, promising changes to the Resource Management Act, pushing for offsetting to be included in the Kyoto Protocol, and creating open, regular dialogue between the government and industry.
UK emissions bill about to become law, says minister
26 Sep 2008
The Climate Change Bill introduced by Britain's ruling Labour Party is about to become law, British Secretary of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Hilary Benn said yesterday.
Ban urges faster efforts to expand access to safe drinking water
26 Sep 2008
Warning that a world without water will be very unstable, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon yesterday called for a three-pronged strategy to ensure that the poorest inhabitants of the developing world have access to clean water and basic sanitation within seven years.
New Zealand’s sustainability trailblazers announced
26 Sep 2008
After an extensive six-month search across the country, the finalists of the 2008 NZI National Sustainable Business Network Awards have been announced.
Is the end of higher fert prices on the horizon?
26 Sep 2008
There are signs that farmers might be in for some respite from rising fertiliser prices, says Ballance Agri-Nutrients Chairman, David Graham.
Local ethanol production could ensure NZ farming sustainability
26 Sep 2008
New Zealand farming communities could be growing alcohol based fuels without impacting on the global food supply whilst at the same time benefitting the local environment, says American sustainable farming expert David Blume.
Water management leaking through the cracks
26 Sep 2008
A report card on the state of water infrastructure in New Zealand shows that management of one of New Zealand's most valuable assets, water, is only "adequate", at best, and that significant improvements are required to bring New Zealand's water services up to world's best practise.
UK names date to run first emissions trading auction
23 Sep 2008
The first auction of carbon trading allowances in the United Kingdom will take place on November 18, the British Government has confirmed.
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?
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.
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 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.
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.
Red Stag boss questions $60m cement support as timber ETS reforms stall
Thu 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.
Politicians need to lead on climate: Carr
30 Jun 2026
As the election campaign heats up, former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr has a list of actions he's hoping to see from our aspiring leaders, which includes confronting climate denial as well as refusing funds or policy advice from vested interests.
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.
Govt brushes off 'damning' assessment of stalled emissions reductions
Thu 23 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government is downplaying the Climate Change Commission’s “damning” report on the country’s stalled emission reductions, while experts say policy changes since the Coalition Government came into power are squarely to blame.
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.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
20 Feb 2026
Several environmental organisations are calling on political parties to make climate and biodiversity central to the 2026 election campaign, with reforming the Emissions Trading Scheme seen as a key priority.
Climate 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.
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.
Emissions Trading Scheme ‘stockpile’ shrinking
9 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The “stockpile” of NZUs in private accounts continues to shrink, with the latest Environmental Protection Authority figures showing the number has dropped by 9.5 million since this time last year.
West Africa signs off $25bn mega gas-pipeline plan
Wed 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.
NZ First’s oil and gas plan ‘doesn’t stack up’ – professor
Tue 21 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | NZ First’s plan to invest $1 billion in offshore oil and gas exploration doesn’t make economic sense, says Auckland University emeritus professor and energy economics expert Basil Sharp.
$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?
Thu 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
Wed 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
Mon 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.
Lake Onslow pumped hydro consortium secures funding for consent push
26 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | The consortium behind Lake Onslow pumped hydro has secured funding to finalise its resource consent application, aiming to lodge it under the fast-track process before 2027.
Ballance secures gas for 2026 as it progresses energy transition plan
16 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | One of the largest industrial gas users in New Zealand is working on an energy transition plan to futureproof domestic fertiliser manufacturing, while continuing to secure ongoing gas supply contracts.
Climate change is here and we’re all paying for it
15 Jul 2026
By Raewyn Peart | COMMENT: Another week, another storm. Just days ago, Kaikōura saw two months of rain fall within 48 hours, the most recent in a long line of adverse weather events.
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.
Greenpeace launches legal challenge against US$2.5bn expansion by Premier Beehive parent company JBS
Thu 23 Jul 2026
Media release | Greenpeace Netherlands has petitioned a Dutch court seeking to compel the world’s largest meat company JBS, to disclose information, in order to challenge its business policies in court. This includes its planned US$ 6 billion global expansion, of which almost half is earmarked for Nigeria.
NZ at risk of missing all its climate goals: Commission
Wed 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.
UN chief says fossil fuel industry must cut methane for warming “relief”
25 Jun 2026
UN chief António Guterres called for stronger action to cut emissions of planet-heating methane, taking aim at the fossil fuel industry’s practices and profits, and pointing to coal, oil and gas as the root of today’s climate and energy crises.
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.
‘I can’t work in the farce of climate change cruise tourism anymore’: why Antarctic guides quit their dream jobs
Wed 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?’”
Norway’s national oil company’s profits double to $11.5bn amid war on Iran
Fri 24 Jul 2026
Profits at Norway’s state oil company nearly doubled to $11.5bn (£8.6bn) in the three months to the end of June as the jump in oil and gas prices caused by the war against Iran boosted earnings.
NZ First promises $1 billion for offshore oil and gas
Mon 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.
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.
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.
Expert election briefings on climate and the polycrisis now free to the public
Fri 24 Jul 2026
Expert briefings on climate change and the wider "planetary polycrisis" from the Reality of Everything symposium have been made freely available online, with organisers aiming to broaden public understanding of the interconnected issues ahead of New Zealand's general election.
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".
China solar exports to South, Southeast Asia and Africa rise despite post-rebate slump
Wed 22 Jul 2026
China's solar exports to Southeast and South Asia as well as Africa rose year-over-year in June, customs data showed on Monday, though overall solar exports slipped for a second month after China removed an export tax rebate.
Resource management Bills 'not yet ready to be enacted', says Upton
Wed 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.
Turning waste into climate-resilient soils for communities
Fri 24 Jul 2026
Media release: University of Canterbury | Christchurch’s Red Zone is being used as a test bed to see whether biological wastes (biowastes) can help transform contaminated soil into climate-resilient soil.
Green Party takes ‘electric election’ up a notch
Tue 21 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is promising to cut power bills and establish a publicly owned company, ‘Kiwipower,’ to deliver affordable renewable energy.
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.
Big tech joins big oil in ruining summer
Mon 20 Jul 2026
The industry has abandoned its climate pledges in favor of fossil fuel-powered AI data centers.
'Shocking' changes to RMA replacement further weakens environmental protections –EDS
Tue 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.
New funding round opens for Auckland zero waste projects – $500k available
Fri 24 Jul 2026
Media release | Auckland Council is inviting applications for the 2026 Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund (WMIF) with $500,000 available to support projects that reduce waste and increase recycling and reuse to help achieve Auckland’s goal of zero waste by 2040.
Greens announce water policy, including nitrogen fertiliser phase-out
7 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party announced its water policy yesterday, promising to phase out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, as well as destructive fishing methods, if the party is elected in November.
Trump blames Canada for wildfire smoke affecting US
Tue 21 Jul 2026
A series of Republican “leaders” have started producing angry denunciations of Canada for polluting America’s air with their "thoughtless" fires.
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.
