Topics tagged with 'Biofuels'
Iwi forest plan key to processing boom
14 Feb 2014
A proposal by iwi to plant a million hectares of new forest over 10 years could provide the economies of scale needed to kick the New Zealand industry into large-scale processing.
Badlands could cost us a ‘Brazil’, says report
31 Jan 2014
If demand for new land on which to grow food continues at the current rate, by 2050 an area nearly the size of Brazil could be ruined, warns a new report.
Study shows how to double renewable energy
24 Jan 2014
The global renewable energy share can reach and exceed 30 per cent by 2030 at no extra cost, says a new report.
Fuels emissions levels show increase
20 Dec 2013
New Zealand's emissions from liquid fuels rose over the September quarter, latest figures show.
UK proposes double-counting on biofuels
13 Dec 2013
Britain has proposed a way to lower the European Union's 2020 target for renewable energy by counting the contribution from biofuels twice, avoiding the need for billions of euros in investment, a document shows.
Govt has way to aid clean-tech pioneers, says Labour
6 Dec 2013
The Government could use its buying power to support New Zealand’s clean-tech pioneers, the Labour Party says.
NXT biofuels project excites retail chain
6 Dec 2013
The NXT Fuels biofuels refinery project could be a breakthrough for the industry, says fuel retailer Gull New Zealand.
EXCLUSIVE: Biofuels pioneer wants to go into production with refinery in NZ
22 Nov 2013
A New Zealand second generation-biofuels company is in the market for funding to build a refinery.
Melbourne expo might give us some answers
22 Nov 2013
Businesses looking for a steer on how Australia’s Emissions Reduction Fund scheme will work could find it at the Carbon Expo Australasia next month.
LanzaTech wins praise for China operation
8 Nov 2013
LanzaTech’s steelmill-waste-to-bioenergy plant in Beijing has earned recognition from international sustainability certifier RSB.
US biodiesel set to pass billion-gallon mark
18 Oct 2013
The United States biodiesel industry is on pace to produce more than the 1.28 billion gallons set under the Renewable Fuels Standard for this year.
Where's the Kiwi vision, asks IPCC author
11 Oct 2013
New Zealand could substantially cut greenhouse emissions from transport but lacks the vision to do so.
Production of biodiesel falls
30 Aug 2013
Production of biodiesel fell after the Government scrapped the Biodiesel Grant Scheme last year.
India laps up LanzaTech fuel process
16 Aug 2013
Gas fermentation technology developed in New Zealand will be used to produce low-carbon fuels from industrial carbon dioxide emissions in India.
Groser defends climate change attitudes
9 Aug 2013
This week in Parliament, Climate Change Minister Tim Groser found himself defending statements by two of his Cabinet colleagues that seem to suggest they are not entirely convinced that anthropogenic climate change is real:
NZ eyes move to natural capital cost
2 Aug 2013
Government officials are working on ways to bring in policies recognising the economic value of New Zealand natural capital.
Biofuel brokers welcome Beehive backing
2 Aug 2013
The bioenergy industry is welcoming Government support of a wood-waste-to-biofuel pilot.
Foresters cool on wood fuel project support
26 Jul 2013
The Government’s decision to back the initial stages of a wood-to-biofuel plant is welcome - but it’s not the game-changer that the industry needs.
Beehive backs Stump to Pump project
26 Jul 2013
A private project to investigate the commercial viability of turning wood waste into biofuel has won Government backing.
Fuel crops spell hunger, says scientist
12 Jul 2013
Growing fuel crops in place of food automatically creates either hunger or deforestation, new research shows.
Yes, we can make steel without coal
21 Jun 2013
Our ancestors made steel without coal, so why don't we? Former Green Party co-leader JEANETTE FITZSIMONS examines the feasibility of coal-less steel:
Air NZ in Paris to show off new green aircraft
21 Jun 2013
Air New Zealand's new Airbus A320s will each produce 250 tonnes less of carbon-equivalent emissions a year than the airline's current planes do.
Woodies want large-scale biofuel plant
14 Jun 2013
A massive wood-processing plant with a substantial biofuel plant add-on could be viable, the sector says.
Carbon price cancels out CCS potential
7 Jun 2013
A potentially lucrative industry in the underground storage of carbon dioxide is being stymied by almost negligible carbon prices.
Biofuels + Food = farming winner
24 May 2013
Farmers should be thinking about growing feedstocks for biofuels, says Federated Farmers.
Think bionergy, farmers will be told
12 Apr 2013
Farmers are being urged to think about how they can boost farm income by turning shelter belts and other bits of forestry into biofuels.
Biodiesel NZ good buy, says new owner
15 Mar 2013
Christchurch shipping executive Andrew Stark does not agree with political claims that Biodiesel NZ is a bad investment.
Don't blame biofuels, says minister
15 Mar 2013
The Government is denying its decision to scrap the biofuels obligation contributed to Solid Energy’s financial meltdown.
Wood industry report shows the way
8 Mar 2013
The wood industry’s investigation of future economic opportunities – including biofuels and biochemicals – is finished.
Water huge issue for food producers, says Nestle chief
1 Mar 2013
The food industry has been warned by one of its biggest players that water scarcity is among the greatest threats it faces.
Companies link to build fuel demo plant
15 Feb 2013
Development of a large-scale wood-to-biofuel plant in New Zealand came a step closer this week with the announcement that Z Energy and Norske Skog want to build a demonstration plant.
Former employees buy biofuels maker
15 Feb 2013
Solid Energy’s biofuels production company has been sold to two of its former employees.
Wood-waste plant idea excites biofuel pioneer
8 Feb 2013
Ground-breaking biofuel company LanzaTech is interested in building a woody-waste gasification plant in New Zealand.
Bio crop could put money in the margins
18 Jan 2013
A team of New Zealand researchers say that biofuels can be produced sustainably and economically from crops grown on the margins of paddocks.
Organisers hail success of green Olympics
14 Dec 2012
The London Olympics generated 28 per cent less carbon dioxide than was forecast as energy use at venues was cut, the organisers say.
Boost regional bio-industry, says report
16 Nov 2012
Fostering industries such as biofuels from woody biomass and investing in technologies such as smart grids could give New Zealand’s regional economies a real boost, says one of the authors of a new report on green growth.
We'd sign with Kyoto, promises Labour
16 Nov 2012
A Labour Government would sign up to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
US leads energy race, says report
16 Nov 2012
The global energy map is changing in dramatic fashion, the International Energy Agency said as it launched the 2012 edition of the World Energy Outlook.
Greenies threaten to sue Netherlands
16 Nov 2012
The Netherlands Government is facing legal action unless it takes swift action on climate change.
US forces going green to fuel military machine
9 Nov 2012
The United States military is going green – for security reasons.
EXPO: How to lower fuel and power prices
9 Nov 2012
An expo featuring ways of cutting power and fuel prices will be held in Wellington this month.
Bioenergy process bad, says report
26 Oct 2012
Bioenergy production is often increasing greenhouse gas emissions in the short term even though the European Union counts it as a carbon neutral technology, according to an unreleased report obtained by agency EurActiv.
LanzaTech does the business in Malaysia
19 Oct 2012
New Zealand’s LanzaTech is working with Malaysia’s government-owned national oil company, Petronas, to convert carbon dioxide to sustainable chemicals.
Europe’s biofuel makers threaten revolt
19 Oct 2012
Representatives of Europe’s biofuels industry have threatened to sue the European Commission if it proceeds with plans to limit crop-based biofuels because of their indirect effect on greenhouse gas emissions.
Developing countries adopt green energy
12 Oct 2012
Investments in renewable energy continued their steady rise last year - and the developing world is taking the lead.
Industry angry as Solid Energy acts to drop biodesiel
5 Oct 2012
Solid Energy says it is in negotiations to sell its biodiesel business, but the industry remains angry over the Government’s retreat from the sector.
There's two sides to the green car story, say critics
21 Sep 2012
Critics of electric cars have pointed out that the vehicles are only as green as the electricity they use.
Experts urge action to save carbon market
14 Sep 2012
A high-level panel established to take stock of the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism has released its recommendations by urging nations to intervene forcefully to address the crisis in the carbon market.
Europe eyes limit on crop biofuels
14 Sep 2012
The European Union plans to impose a limit on the use of crop-based biofuels over fears they are less climate-friendly than initially thought and compete with food production, according to draft legislation.
Bid to review Kāpiti Coast climate emergency declaration fails
Mon 15 Jun 2026
By Justin Wong, Local Democracy Reporter | Kāpiti Coast councillors have rejected a motion to review the local district council’s climate emergency declaration.
EU climate policy ‘won’t survive’ its clash with EU farmer politics
Fri 12 Jun 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | European Union climate change policy is on a collision course with European farmer politics, exacerbated by the rise of populist right-wing parties in the UK and the Continent, says Oxford University professor of geosystem science, Myles Allen.
$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.
Airline CEOs warn EU plan to expand carbon costs will raise fares
Wed 10 Jun 2026
Europe's biggest airlines have urged the European Union not to extend its Emissions Trading System to cover international flights, warning the move would raise ticket prices, a letter seen by Reuters showed.
Millions of UK homes at risk of sinking as climate crisis worsens
Fri 12 Jun 2026
Millions of homes are at risk from climate-related subsidence, according to an analysis by the British Geological Survey.
Govt looks to tighten ETS auction supply
Fri 12 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government is consulting on auctioning fewer ‘pollution permits’ for 2027-2031, a move it says would help meet the country’s domestic emissions targets while also maintaining short-term confidence in the ETS.
El Niño under way and threatens weather extremes, scientists say
Mon 15 Jun 2026
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has declared that El Niño conditions are now under way in the tropical Pacific, with sea surface temperatures having risen sharply in recent months.
Treasury says 2030 climate target could cost $5 billion
Thu 11 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | Treasury is predicting it could cost between $4.4 and $5 billion to buy the offshore mitigation needed to meet New Zealand’s 84-96 million tonne emissions reduction shortfall for its 2030 target under the Paris Agreement.
Importing LNG would raise costs and emissions: it’s a terrible decision for New Zealand
9 Jun 2026
COMMENT: Today’s announcement from the Government is political smoke and mirrors, with electricity users’ wallets still set to bear the brunt of the proposed LNG facility, writes Christina Hood.
NZ’s sustainable finance credibility gap
5 Jun 2026
By Manbo He | COMMENT: New Zealand has built serious sustainable finance infrastructure - but risks failing to attract the global capital that infrastructure was designed for, because it lacks the practitioner capability to operate it credibly.
Green building council calls for clean energy policies
18 May 2026
The New Zealand Green Building Council has released its 2026 election manifesto calling for policies to reduce energy waste in buildings, lower household and business energy costs, and improve New Zealand’s energy security.
What Magyar’s defeat of Orbán in Hungary means for climate and energy
21 Apr 2026
Hungary has played a disproportionate role in EU climate and energy policy in recent years, by repeatedly vetoing climate action and by delaying the phaseout of Russian fossil-fuel imports.
‘A shame’: experts on decision to send Govt carbon auctions offshore
Wed 10 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | Carbon market experts are questioning whether the Government has made the right decision in sending its auctions of carbon 'pollution permits' worth billions of dollars offshore.
New Zealand faces $26b energy infrastructure challenge, report warns
Mon 15 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand will need an additional $26 billion of investment in energy infrastructure over the next 30 years to meet its decarbonisation goals, with a new report warning that policy certainty is critical to unlocking the renewable generation needed to power a low-carbon economy.
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.
China warns of risk of 'extreme floods' in desert regions
Mon 15 Jun 2026
China warned communities in its northwestern Xinjiang and nearby regions on Friday to prepare for "extreme floods" this summer, driven by abnormally high temperatures, heavy rainfall, and rapid glacier melt.
EDS urges MPs to scrap the Fisheries Amendment Bill
5 May 2026
Media release | The Environmental Defence Society today lodged a substantive submission on the Fisheries Amendment Bill.
GHG Protocol under fire as standards board member resigns
Thu 11 Jun 2026
At the heart of former GHG Protocol standards board member Danny Cullenward’s complaint is the protocol’s approach to forest carbon accounting.
World’s largest banks pledged $906bn to fossil fuel companies in 2025
Fri 12 Jun 2026
The world’s largest banks committed $906bn in financing to the fossil fuel industry last year, an “unfathomable” increase in investment locking in years more of coal, oil and gas production as the world continues to overheat, a new report has found.
Liebreich: Electrify first, insure second
Thu 11 Jun 2026
New Zealand is having an argument about gas while the rest of the world is building an electric future. That, in essence, is the challenge Michael Liebreich left behind after a visit to Wellington last week.
Cabinet green-lights $55M super-critical geothermal drilling programme
9 Jun 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Cabinet has agreed to release the $55 million unspent of the $60m secured by Resources Minister Shane Jones to drill up to 5 kilometres deep into super-critical geothermal heat under the Taupō volcanic zone.
Lack of finance stalling sustainable innovation – report
Fri 12 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A lack of access to suitable finance is threatening growth in New Zealand's sustainable innovation sector, despite strong confidence and ambitious expansion plans among purpose-driven businesses, according to a new report.
Antarctic surface melt set to increase dramatically this century, new study finds
Wed 10 Jun 2026
Media release – Victoria University | New research shows surface melting across Antarctica is set to intensify and spread dramatically over the 21st century, with melt increasing by 10 times and the area affected growing by more than 10 percent by 2100 if global temperatures continue to rise.
Why ‘greenhushing’ signals deeper issues with NZ’s climate risk reporting regime
15 May 2026
By Hang Pham, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington | Most of us are familiar with the concept of greenwashing: organisations exaggerating or overstating their environmental credentials. But in New Zealand, there are signs the country’s climate disclosure regime may inadvertently be driving a very different trend: not saying much at all.
Huntly biomass option no cheap fix, Genesis tells MPs
28 May 2026
Genesis Energy says biomass can be burned in Huntly's Rankine units, but current costs put it in roughly the same price range as imported LNG and extra Rankine capacity would be expensive and could take years.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
'Ad hoc, piecemeal, incomplete': NZ's approach to hazards not fit for purpose, says insurer
Wed 10 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's ability to manage natural hazard risks is failing to keep pace with the growing threat posed by floods, storms, earthquakes and climate change, according to a new report from IAG.
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.
Media round-up
Fri 12 Jun 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: A legal expert labels the government's climate law change "constitutionally abhorrent", the first critical minerals project has applied for fast-track, and warming winters are changing New Zealand’s landscapes.
LNG imports might not be needed for 'dry year' security: redacted report
Thu 11 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | The need for imported liquefied natural gas to provide security of supply in a dry year is low, according to newly released modelling, with some scenarios featuring higher levels of renewable generation requiring no gas imports at all.
Changes to emissions factors prompt caution over climate claims
4 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Organisations may need to revisit how they calculate and communicate their greenhouse gas emissions after the Ministry for the Environment released an updated version of its Measuring Emissions Guide, incorporating new emissions factors based on New Zealand's latest greenhouse gas inventory.
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.
'Terrible result': Emissions barely budged in 2024
5 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions were virtually unchanged in 2024, falling by 0.03%, despite the economy shrinking by ten times that amount during the same period, according to new data.
Lack of demand leads to Bathurst pausing coal mine expansion
2 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | Bathurst Resources has confirmed it is struggling to find a market for coal from its planned extension of the Rotowaro coal mine in North Waikato, and is putting the project on ‘pause’.
Fed Farmers' election wish-list includes stopping whole-farm conversions to carbon forestry
9 Jun 2026
Federated Farmers has launched a five-point plan for the next government, setting out what it says should be a major focus for political parties heading into the November election.
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.
Once-in-a-century floods routine as sea levels rise due to climate change
Thu 11 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A coastal flood expected to occur just once every 100 years is now hitting Wellington about twice a year, according to new international research that scientists say offers clear evidence of how climate change is already reshaping New Zealand's coastline.
Hipkins pans LNG plan as ‘massive step backwards’
19 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Labour leader Chris Hipkins has told a Queenstown audience that a Government he leads would not proceed with a planned LNG import terminal, if elected at November’s election.
Seven ‘new approaches’ to avoid our Paris commitments: Carr
4 Jun 2026
Praying for “new approaches” to materialise to meet our international climate obligations isn’t a strategy, writes Rod Carr.
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.
Six NZ climate solutions up for 2026 Earthshot prize
21 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Six New Zealand climate and sustainability initiatives have been nominated for the 2026 Earthshot Prize, with the shortlist showcasing Kiwi-led solutions tackling emissions, plastic waste and ocean restoration.
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.
Why China's critical minerals strategy leaves the US behind
8 Jun 2026
The United States cannot realistically recreate that dominance overnight even if the political will existed.
Sustainable finance taxonomy for energy sector – consultation
8 Jun 2026
The Centre for Sustainable Finance is consulting on the sustainable finance taxonomy’s draft energy sector criteria.
Solar overtakes gas power in Asia for first time ever
Mon 15 Jun 2026
Solar has overtaken gas power in Asia to become the continent’s third-largest source of electricity, according to new analysis by Carbon Brief.
‘Landmark’ conservation reform bill – boost or bust for nature?
8 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government has announced an overhaul of the country’s conservation system, which environmental organisation Forest & Bird says will undo the work of many generations of Kiwis to protect public conservation land.
NZ’s largest rooftop solar switched on at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare
Thu 11 Jun 2026
Media release | Sunergise, New Zealand’s leading commercial solar company, has switched on the country’s largest-ever rooftop solar installation at Fisher & Paykel Healthcare’s East Tāmaki campus in Auckland.
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.
Govt backs faster uptake of on-farm emissions tools with $51m fund
Thu 11 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is investing up to $51 million over three years to help accelerate the uptake of on-farm emissions reduction technologies, with a new AgriZeroNZ initiative aimed at getting proven tools into the hands of farmers sooner.
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.
Labour pledges unlimited public transport for $20 a week
Wed 10 Jun 2026
The Labour Party is promising to cap weekly public transport fares at $20 in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, if elected in November.
Bonn Bulletin: Tackling climate crisis is “hardest” challenge ever, Stiell says
9 Jun 2026
The June Climate Meetings open with a reminder to delegates of the tough but ever-clearer imperative of shifting away from fossil fuels to clean energy.
Project linking food waste to cutting methane emissions gets underway
27 May 2026
Media release | Kai Commitment is leading a New Zealand-first project to help understand the connection between food waste and methane emissions and identify effective interventions.
Record-breaking heat and dry spring leave parts of England without water
2 Jun 2026
Thousands of households in southeast England were left without water or facing low pressure during a record-breaking heatwave this week, as high demand followed a dry spring to expose the failings in Britain's ageing infrastructure.
Increase in wildfire-driven ozone linked to premature deaths across the U.S.
Wed 10 Jun 2026
Smog linked to wildfires is getting worse across much of the U.S., playing a role in more than 300 additional premature deaths every year since 2013, researchers say.
Waikato launches vision for energy transition bringing $4.5 billion investment to the region
8 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Waikato Regional Council has released a strategy aiming to position the region at the centre of New Zealand's energy transition, with plans to boost energy security, cut emissions and unlock billions of dollars in economic opportunities by 2050.
