Topics tagged with 'Biofuels'
Sustainability claims questioned as renewable diesel surges
14 May 2025
Critics are sceptical about industry claims of renewable diesel life-cycle greenhouse gas emission cuts and warn renewable diesel carbon releases will surge if sourcing is scaled up, triggering tropical deforestation as producers convert forests to energy crops, such as oil palm and soy.
Green Party plans to bring back industry decarbonisation fund
6 May 2025
The Greens want to bring back the Government Investment in Decarbonising Industry (GIDI) Fund and use it to kickstart sustainable forestry for building and fuel.
Air New Zealand announces less ambitious emissions ‘guidance’
2 May 2025
Air New Zealand has published its first “emissions guidance,” saying it expects to reduce net “well-to-wake” greenhouse gas emissions from jet fuel by 20-25% by 2030, from a 2019 baseline.
Genesis reports rising coal, declining gas
2 May 2025
Talks about the future of the third Rankine unit at Huntly continue as Genesis reported a third quarter result that showed the rise of coal and the decline of gas.
Pacific families on the food scraps revolution – and how to avoid maggots
16 Apr 2025
By Mary Afemata, Local Democracy Reporter| Tomato crops are thriving in Reporoa, powered by what Aucklanders are throwing in their green bins.
Biofuels key to food security and shipping resilience for NZ
7 Apr 2025
By Shannon Williams | Aotearoa New Zealand's reliance on imported fossil fuels poses significant risks for food security and shipping resilience in the face of global catastrophes, according to experts speaking at a recent webinar on biofuel self-sufficiency.
Genesis signs second biomass agreement
17 Mar 2025
Genesis Energy has signed another preliminary agreement with a potential biomass supplier to replace coal for Huntly power station.
Putting rainforests into fuel tanks? Groups warn IMO against 'biofuel disaster'
20 Feb 2025
Media release | The International Maritime Organization and its 176 Member States must oppose the promotion of biofuels in international shipping and commit to a future powered by genuine clean energy, say Biofuelwatch and the Global Forest Coalition.
Consultation on standard for measuring biogas and biomethane carbon intensity
19 Feb 2025
As biomethane and biogas become more common, New Zealand needs a consistent approach to measuring the carbon intensity of these fuels, according to the Bioenergy Association.
Airbus delay signals turbulence for hydrogen-powered aviation
11 Feb 2025
A plan to decarbonise aviation in New Zealand is up in the air after airplane manufacturer Airbus announced significant delays for its development of hydrogen-powered commercial aircraft.
Science reforms could further erode climate expertise
24 Jan 2025
Foresters have welcomed the government’s sweeping science reforms, but leading climate scientist James Renwick fears a further erosion of expertise from the research sector.
Auckland diverts over 30,000 tonnes of food scraps from landfill
19 Nov 2024
Media release | More than 30,000 tonnes of food scraps contributed by Aucklanders since the food scraps collections began in April last year have been used to produce renewable energy and fertiliser.
Are Air New Zealand's biofuel hopes just pie in the sky?
1 Nov 2024
By Liz Kivi | Air New Zealand and LanzaJet say a study shows promising results for turning wood waste into jet fuel. However, experts say that making jet fuel from wood at an industrial scale is challenging and extremely unlikely to result in near-term emissions reductions.
Could geothermal power stations go carbon-negative?
12 Aug 2024
Retrofitting a geothermal power station could allow carbon capture from other sources like forestry residue, according to a new study.
Is Air NZ leading the way in dropping its climate target?
2 Aug 2024
News that Air New Zealand is dropping its 2030 emissions target made international headlines this week, and experts are asking whether more businesses will follow suit.
Updated standard paves the way for introducing biomethane into existing gas pipeline network
30 Apr 2024
Media release: Gas NZ | The recent updating of the standard for reticulated natural gas by Standards New Zealand to allow for renewable gas to be injected into gas pipelines is a significant step towards New Zealand’s transition to renewable gas, GasNZ chief executive Jeffrey Clarke says.
Govt co-funding $33 million to cut industrial emissions
16 Aug 2023
The government has announced its latest round of co-funding for industry to cut emissions, with a $33.3 million investment aiming to reduce carbon emissions by 67,300 tonnes every year.
Sustainable aviation fuel funding is govt “greenwash”: fuel expert
10 Jul 2023
By Liz Kivi | A former senior oil executive says that the government and Air New Zealand investing more than $2 million in research into sustainable aviation fuel is a blatant greenwashing tactic.
Converting Huntly would take mass amounts of biomass
27 Feb 2023
Fuelling the Huntly power station with wood pellets will require building a domestic supply chain which would dwarf current global supply of the specialised product Genesis Energy would need.
Genesis biomass trial could lead to 90% reduction in Huntly’s emissions
23 Feb 2023
Genesis has completed a biomass burn trial as it looks at alternative fuels for Huntly Power Station, which could reduce emissions from the coal-fired plant by 90%.
Scrapping the biofuels mandate is short-term thinking during climate crisis
21 Feb 2023
By Paul Bennett | OPINION: The Government’s decision to halt the biofuels mandate may ease concerns about looming price hikes at the petrol pump but it’s a political can that can’t be kicked down the road forever.
Environmental groups say govt decision to drop biofuels mandate "enormous relief"
9 Feb 2023
Environmental groups, motoring and fossil fuel lobbyists, and opposition parties have all welcomed the government's decision to drop the biofuels mandate.
EU climate plan sacrifices carbon storage and biodiversity for bioenergy
30 Nov 2022
Incoming policies will cause the European Union to harvest more wood, shift one-fifth of cropland to bioenergy and outsource deforestation, analysis shows.
Govt calls for submissions on Sustainable Biofuel Obligation Bill
22 Nov 2022
The government is calling for submissions on the Sustainable Biofuel Obligation Bill, which is intended to simplify the transition from liquid fossil fuels to low-emissions fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport.
Best by the rest...
23 Sep 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in the local media: A biofuel mandate prompts economic and environmental criticism; new research in Australia reveals conservative voters care just as much about the environment as climate change activists; and slow lawmaking is making it difficult to act on environmental regulation in time.
As demand for electric cars grows, Chileans face the effects of lithium mining
19 Sep 2022
The South American country of Chile has become a center of lithium mining, which has boomed as demand for electric car batteries has risen. But what are the environmental costs?
The Government’s gas conundrum
27 Jun 2022
By Ian Llewellyn - Energy & Environment | The problem of how to phase out natural gas use and not cause energy security problems and inflict billions of dollars in costs is highlighted in a Cabinet paper starting work on a Gas Transition Plan.
Why plant-based biofuels are not the silver bullet to Europe's carbon problem
24 Feb 2022
Crop fuels are "fake solutions" to the pressing problem of reducing carbon emissions, concludes a new study commissioned by Environmental Action Germany (DUH).
This fuel plant will use agricultural waste to combat climate change
16 Feb 2022
A startup plans to build a new type of fuel-producing plant in California’s fertile Central Valley that would, if it works as hoped, continually capture and bury carbon dioxide.
Convert Marsden Point to produce bio-crude: Bioenergy Assoc
26 Jul 2021
The government is asleep at the wheel and should be pushing for the Marsden Point Refinery to be repurposed to produce bio-crude, the executive officer of the Bioenergy Association, Brian Cox, says.
Bioenergy Assoc responds to environmental concerns
22 Jul 2021
Last week we published an article outlining the concerns of a coalition of zero waste and regenerative farming groups about the potential for biogas development to lock in unsustainable farming practices. Today the Bioenergy Association's executive officer Brian Cox responds.
Biogas proposals risk locking in unsustainable agriculture: groups claim
15 Jul 2021
Proposals in a recent biogas report, part-funded by the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), risks locking in agricultural practices that harm the country’s soils and waters and contribute to climate change, a coalition of zero waste and regenerative horticulture groups say.
Biogas could meet 20% of NZ’s needs by 2050
7 Jul 2021
A joint study by engineering consultancy Beca, Firstgas and Fonterra claims renewable gas could replace close to 20% of New Zealand’s total gas usage by 2050.
Responses to ClimCom final advice divides along usual lines
10 Jun 2021
An avalanche of press releases in response to yesterday’s release of the Climate Change Commission’s final advice to the government sees interest groups dividing along familiar lines.
Inaia tonu nei – the time is now
9 Jun 2021
Inaia tonu nei – the time is now: a low emissions future for Aotearoa – the Climate Commission’s final advice to the Government, released to the public today, says a revision of the New Zealand’s baseline emissions has made the task ahead “slightly more difficult.”
10 YEARS AGO...
4 Jun 2021
Ten years ago, scientists an airlines were saying an aviation biofuels industry was a viable proposition.
How should that $3 billion in ETS revenues be spent?
27 May 2021
Paying farmers to reduce their stocks, electrifying the main trunk line, and subsidies to zero-carbon housing, are some of the ideas suggested by experts for how the Government should spend the estimated $3 billion dollars raised over the next five years from the ETS auctions.
Acting now pays dividends in the future
26 May 2021
Transforming the economy now rather than protecting key wealth generating sectors from the full effect of international carbon prices will see the economy grow more in the long run, updated economic modelling shows.
Is that lithium or methane on the Govt’s breath?
21 May 2021
In 1985, then prime minister, David Lange, memorably quipped that he could smell the uranium on the pro-nuclear televangelist Jerry Falwell’s breath during an Oxford Union debate.
10 YEARS AGO...
21 May 2021
Ten years ago, Solid Energy subsidiary Biodiesel New Zealand announced it was setting up a bulk distribution facility in Nelson.
10 YEARS AGO...
7 May 2021
Ten years ago, the Australian Government committed $5 million towards a research centre for biofuels.
Bursting the climate bubble
19 Apr 2021
The government missed an opportunity to transition to a more sustainable future with the opening of the trans-Tasman bubble today, according to two academics.
Renewable LPG the answer
7 Apr 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - Renewable LPG can supply New Zealand’s LPG needs and achieve the emissions reductions proposed by the Climate Commission without the need to ban new connections, a new study shows.
Climate change benefits include better health, quieter streets, cleaner water
24 Mar 2021
Government must encourage the benefits that come from climate change action, including health improvements, quieter streets, cleaner water and increased biodiversity through more native forests, He Pou a Rangi, the Climate Change Commission, says.
TRANSPORT 1: High carbon prices and behaviour change
16 Mar 2021
New Zealand is failing to get transport emissions under control, as latest data shows. Energy expert and IPCC lead author Emeritus Professor Ralph Sims says there is lots we can do, including pushing carbon prices higher.
Carbon-free future is in reach for US by 2050
12 Feb 2021
The United States − per head of population perhaps the world’s most prodigal emitter of greenhouse gases − can reverse that and have a carbon-free future within three decades, at a cost of no more than $1 per person per day.
Let's think about what's possible
4 Feb 2021
We need more than electric cars to save us - it's time to think about a whole new transport system, says applied mathematician Professor Robert McLachlan.
Shell targets power trading and hydrogen
2 Feb 2021
Royal Dutch Shell is betting on its expertise in power trading and rapid growth in hydrogen and biofuels markets as it shifts away from oil, rather than joining rivals in a scramble for renewable power assets, company sources say.
FRIDAY POLITICS: Government in a flurry
29 Jan 2021
It’s been a busy week for our politicians, with lots of behind-the-scenes flurrying over the looming release of the Climate Change Commission’s first report.
NZ urgently needs to change approach to flood management - experts
Today 11:15am
Experts say climate change is squarely to blame for flooding in Nelson - but isn’t getting the media attention it deserves - and the country urgently needs to change its approach to flood management in the face of climate change.
Australia's red meat industry drops 2030 carbon neutral goal
Today 11:15am
An Australian livestock industry body said on Tuesday it had abandoned its goal to make the sector, a significant emitter of planet-warming methane, carbon neutral by 2030 but that reducing emissions would remain a priority.
Greenwashing is rife in Australia, but could its days be numbered?
28 May 2025
COMMENT: Have you ever ticked the box to “fly carbon neutral”, had something delivered via “carbon-neutral shipping” or chosen to pay a bit extra to buy “carbon-neutral gas” from your energy retailer?
Nations agree to tax premium flyers, private jets
Today 11:15am
A group of countries, including France, Kenya, Spain and Barbados, pledged on June 30 to tax premium-class flying and private jets in a bid to raise funds for climate action and sustainable development.
Biodiversity plan is ‘light on detail and heavy on vague intentions’
Tue 1 Jul 2025
Media Release - WWF New Zealand | The government’s plan to tackle Aotearoa New Zealand’s biodiversity crisis lacks ambition and fails to match the scale and urgency of the challenge.
Carbon price grinds higher - where to from now?
Mon 30 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price has continued to grind slowly higher since this month’s failed auction, with prices at their highest since March, although still languishing well below this year’s auction floor price.
Scientists are just beginning to understand how life makes clouds, and their discoveries may drastically improve climate science
Today 11:15am
Plants, plankton and sea spray all release elements that help the atmospheric blankets form.
Carbon auction fails again
18 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | As predicted, today’s carbon auction failed to attract any bidders, with the secondary market languishing at nearly 20% below the minimum auction price.
China's approvals of coal power plants grow after 2024 decline
11 Jun 2025
China approved 11.29 gigawatts of new coal power plants in the first three months of 2025, already exceeding the 10.34 GW approved in the first half of 2024.
A credible UN carbon market needs rules that count – we’ve just set them
11 Jun 2025
COMMENT: The broad standards for a more ambitious market are now in place. But without a steady flow of investment, this progress will remain largely on paper.
Common low-grade clay strengthens low-carbon concrete
5 Jun 2025
Media release | Engineers at RMIT University have converted low-grade clay into a high-performance cement supplement, opening a potential new market in sustainable construction materials.
Cuts to climate finance put exports in jeopardy: Lawyers
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has halved international climate finance, a move aid organisations describe as “devastating,” and which lawyers say could put our Paris Agreement commitments and export market access at risk.
Could an unexplained carbon forest sink solve govt’s billion-dollar climate woes?
23 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | A groundbreaking study shows that New Zealand’s native forests are absorbing far more carbon dioxide than previously thought.
SolarZero liquidation complex - but sale possible
Tue 1 Jul 2025
It will likely take a long time to sort out the complexities around the liquidation of SolarZero, with a series of claims against the company adding to the myriad complexities in arrangements set up to manage its contracts and obligations.
Govt budgets $200m for would-be gas investors
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | Energy Resources Aotearoa has welcomed the government's plan to co-invest $200 million in fossil gas expansion, while environmental and climate groups have reacted with horror.
Govt policy going backwards on protecting communities from climate-fuelled flooding, say campaigners
Tue 1 Jul 2025
Extreme flooding at the top of the South Island demonstrates the dangers of the government’s ‘growth at any cost’ agenda, according to freshwater campaigners.
Latest trawl bycatch numbers 'a grim wake-up call'
24 Jun 2025
Media release – Greenpeace | The latest fisheries bycatch data paints a grim picture, with trawlers hauling up thousands of kilograms of coral and killing hundreds of fur seals and seabirds over a 12 month period.
Policymakers often ignore forest regeneration in fight against climate change
Mon 30 Jun 2025
Naturally-regenerating forests are often ignored by policymakers working to curb climate change even though they hold an untapped potential to rapidly absorb planet-warming carbon from the atmosphere.
NZ quits Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance
25 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | The New Zealand government has quietly withdrawn from an ambitious coalition to phase out fossil fuels, with a $200 million publicly-funded subsidy for new gas fields the latest policy in conflict with that goal.
Watts talks big on energy reform, but barriers persist
29 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Energy and Climate Change minister Simon Watts says the government is doubling down on efforts to boost renewable energy generation, streamline regulation, and drive private sector investment as New Zealand faces mounting energy security and affordability challenges.
Electrification challenge for politicians, regulators
27 May 2025
Rewiring Aotearoa is calling for stronger political leadership to bring its vision of a cheaper, cleaner and stronger energy system to life, with the launch of its policy manifesto today.
Council land banks to prepare for future disasters
Fri 27 Jun 2025
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter | In a "uniquely Hurunui" move, a North Canterbury council is land banking to prepare for future natural disasters and the threat of climate change.
Biodiversity market needs govt regulation to avoid fraud risk
17 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Participants have applauded the government’s pilot programme for New Zealand’s voluntary biodiversity market, but an expert says the emerging market needs better regulation to avoid reputational risk and fraud.
Methanex closure comes early this year
14 May 2025
The almost-now-annual closure of Methanex has come earlier this year, giving more confidence that the electricity system will get through the winter without a fuel shortfall.
Electric firebricks: decarbonising high-temperature industrial heat
13 Jun 2025
By Ian Mason | A new technology could offer a more cost-effective solution than hydrogen to decarbonise one ‘hard-to-abate’ sector of New Zealand’s economy, as well as having ample potential for demand response as the electricity grid becomes more renewable.
90% of NZers expect more extreme weather disasters because of climate change
23 Jun 2025
A new climate change poll from AMI, State, and NZI shows New Zealanders are expecting more extreme weather events as a result of climate change.
Will NZ walk away from the Paris Agreement?
20 Dec 2024
By Geoff Bertram | COMMENT: Unless the government can find very cheap offshore mitigation, the temptation to walk away from its Paris Agreement obligations may well be too strong to resist for a coalition government focused on fiscal austerity.
Rise in legal challenges over carbon credit schemes
Fri 27 Jun 2025
Scrutiny of how companies plan to meet climate commitments is growing, with many successful legal challenges.
Could ‘orange’ hydrogen be NZ’s key to net-zero?
30 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand could be sitting on resources for a thriving multi-billion-dollar, low-carbon hydrogen economy, which might even be capable of creating a net reduction of carbon dioxide, according to scientists.
McClay shrugs off legal warning in push for oil and gas
Today 11:15am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has dismissed legal advice warning that its plan to co-invest in oil and gas exploration could breach international treaty obligations, sparking fresh criticism from the Greens in Parliament.
Bill to limit farm-to-forest conversions passes first reading
Fri 27 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government's bill aiming to limit farm-to-forestry conversions in the Emissions Trading Scheme passed its first reading in Parliament this week, however concerns were raised over rushing it through under urgency, with less than two weeks allowed for public submissions.
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.
UN talks delivered a drop in the ocean of finance and policy change needed to save the sea
Fri 27 Jun 2025
Never has the ocean been the focus of so much investor and political attention as it was in Nice earlier this month.
Brussels to stand its ground on 90% emissions cut by 2040
Today 11:15am
The European Commission is set to propose a target to slash greenhouse gas emissions to a mere tenth of the levels seen back in 1990 – but a leaked summary confirms it will offer significant leeway as a sweetener for reluctant EU members.
Fight over coal mine heats up
30 May 2025
Forest & Bird is calling on the government to create a new scientific reserve covering the Denniston Plateau on the West Coast, which would stop a fast-tracked coal mine.
Microplastics found in sand on dozens of NZ beaches
4 Jun 2025
Scientists have extracted microplastics from the sand of 22 beaches from the Far North to Banks Peninsula.
Govt undermining its own climate tool – expert
25 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme is at risk of becoming useless as a tool to cut emissions, partly because of dubious forecasting about emissions, according to a climate policy expert.
Protesters flood Venice’s streets during Amazon founder Bezos’s wedding
Mon 30 Jun 2025
Protesters denounced the Amazon billionaire’s multimillion-dollar wedding in Venice as the city deals with environmental concerns.
Straterra has a new name: the New Zealand Minerals Council
16 Apr 2025
Media release | Straterra has been renamed as New Zealand Minerals Council, says chief executive Josie Vidal.
How solar panels and batteries can now run close to 24/365 in some cities
24 Jun 2025
A few years ago, solar power became the “cheapest electricity in history”, but it still lacked the ability to meet demand 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.
Methane-detecting satellite lost in space
Today 11:15am
By Liz Kivi | A multi-million dollar satellite to detect methane emissions from the oil and gas industry, financed by the New Zealand government and others including billionaire Jeff Bezos, has been lost in space.
Green budget 'ludicrous la-la land' – govt
15 May 2025
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the budget was "clown show economics" and an "absolute circus".
Biochar's negative emissions tech coming to Fieldays
6 Jun 2025
Biochar Network New Zealand will showcase its negative emissions technology biochar at this year's Forestry Hub at Fieldays 2025.
United Nations carbon market rules agreed but concerns remain
25 Nov 2024
New carbon market rules agreed at the fractious UN climate summit will be a relief to New Zealand and Singapore, who were leading the negotiations, but concerns about greenwashing and disadvantaging nature-based solutions remain.
Trump just revoked California’s EV rules. How much is California to blame?
19 Jun 2025
Before Trump overturned the state’s electric vehicle rules, California had been pushing automakers too hard, according to one of the state’s leading experts.
As methane climate impacts soar, NGOs, scientists, and advocates launch campaign to 'pull the methane emergency brake'
13 Jun 2025
Media release | International NGOs, scientists, and climate advocates are launching a global campaign calling for deep, rapid, mandatory cuts in methane emissions as the best way to lower near-term global temperature rise.
Waste Levy risks becoming ‘slush fund’ under proposed changes – Commissioner
5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Proposed changes to New Zealand's waste legislation risk undermining public trust in the waste levy scheme, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton.
Govt's RMA overhaul sparks fears for nature and climate
30 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has opened public consultation on the biggest overhaul of environmental planning rules in New Zealand’s history, with critics warning it puts nature and climate at risk in favour of fast-tracked development and industry expansion.
UN University report warns against carbon credits from REDD, tree planting, and improved forest management
13 Jun 2025
But the report stops short of recommending banning the trade in carbon temporarily stored in trees.
For the first time, China invests more in wind and solar than coal overseas
29 May 2025
China’s Belt and Road Initiative, long derided for its heavy carbon footprint, was dominated by wind and solar power projects for the first time from 2022 to 2023, according to a new analysis. But coal plants financed in earlier years are still coming online.
