Topics tagged with 'Biofuels'
Right, says Ban, now get on with it
29 Jun 2012
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged world leaders to build on the commitments they made during the Rio+20 conference to achieve economic, environmental and social prosperity for people all over the world.
Rio shows how to have a conference with little paper
29 Jun 2012
Reducing the use of paper, providing vehicles powered by biodiesel and electricity, and using recyclable materials are some of the practices that were pursued during Rio+20 to minimise the forum’s environmental impact.
Experts show cities can be sustainable
22 Jun 2012
The United Nations and its partners has unveiled a new initiative to achieve sustainable urban development by promoting the efficient use of energy, water and other resources, lowering pollution levels and reducing infrastructure costs in cities.
Figures paint sad picture of the world
15 Jun 2012
A snapshot of our world paints a sorry picture on the eve of the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, Rio+20, in Rio de Janeiro.
Best green cars in a rapidly changing world
15 Jun 2012
The car industry is in the early stages of radical change, says an American eco magazine in its guide to the best green cars.
Industry eyes mega wood-fuel plant
8 Jun 2012
A mega pulp-and-paper plant producing biofuel for the domestic market could be on the cards.
Jobs boom looms in clean energy
8 Jun 2012
More than half the people working in the energy industry in 2030 will be employed in clean energy, a new report says.
Stand by for the golden age of gas
1 Jun 2012
Exploiting the world’s vast resources of unconventional natural gas holds the key to a golden age of gas, says the International Energy Agency.
Island nations commit to new fuels
11 May 2012
Twenty small island developing nations meeting in Barbados have announced new actions to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and end poverty.
It's a game-changer, says Aquaflow
20 Apr 2012
Kiwi clean energy company Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation believes it is poised to make refining next generation biofuels a commercial reality in New Zealand and in overseas projects within three years.
Build pulp-biofuel plant, urges expert
23 Mar 2012
New Zealand has a once-in-a-decade opportunity to build a mega pulp-and-paper mill that could also produce biofuel for the domestic market, the wood industry has been told.
Wood the answer, says biofuel expert
16 Mar 2012
New Zealand should be replacing fossil-fuel energy with wood, says the general manager of a Whakatane-based biotechnology business.
Biofuels get $15 million boost
16 Mar 2012
Australia’s biofuel industry has been given a boost with the Government’s announcement of a $15 million commitment to the new Advanced Biofuels Investment Readiness programme.
NZ could be centre for new fuel technology
24 Feb 2012
New Zealand could become a regional centre for emulsified fuel technology.
Why we must target the 2deg limit
9 Dec 2011
Scientists working on the Global Carbon Project have said that despite nearly 15 years of pledges to make cuts, the release of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels is still increasing at a record rate.
LanzaTech to make avgas for US
2 Dec 2011
New Zealand gas fermentation company LanzaTech has won an American government contract to make aviation fuel from waste products.
Sustainability study hailed as success
2 Dec 2011
The director of a ground-breaking graduate programme in sustainable practice says the first year of the course has been a success.
Business getting serious about green investment
18 Nov 2011
Businesses and governments are accelerating investment in the green sectors of the economy, a just-released United Nations report shows.
Aquaflow to show know-how in Australia
11 Nov 2011
New Zealand’s Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation is joining forces with an Australian company to build plants that turn waste into fuel.
Gas outage spurs forest biofuel option
4 Nov 2011
Major industries, hotels, hospitals and large schools in the central North Island should be seriously considering forest residues as an energy source, say forest owners.
Study urges care with harvesting for biofuel
28 Oct 2011
Turning trees into biofuel can release more carbon into the atmosphere than would have been released by fossil fuels, new American research says.
LanzaTech gases will fuel Virgin aircraft
14 Oct 2011
New Zealand’s LanzaTech has done a deal to that will provide Virgin Atlantic with low-carbon aviation fuel.
Windflow founder backs shares plan
7 Oct 2011
Windflow Technology founder Geoff Henderson is lending the company $150,000 to keep it afloat as the company extends the closing date for a share purchase plan.
Climate drives transport changes
16 Sep 2011
It is hard to overlook the issue of transport in New Zealand, particularly after the shambles that was Auckland’s public transport system for the Rugby World Cup opening ceremony last Friday.
Big business backs eucalypt biofuel
2 Sep 2011
A consortium of Australian businesses plans to use eucalypt trees to produce aviation biofuel from a pilot production unit operating by 2012.
Fund invites waste controls ideas
5 Aug 2011
Applications are open for grants from the Waste Minimisation Fund.
Biofuel plan stagnates while Government dithers
29 Jul 2011
Work on a multi-million dollar plant to turn tallow into biodiesel is on hold while investors wait to see whether the Government will continue its biofuel subsidy.
Renewable energy making its mark on the world
15 Jul 2011
The renewable energy sector has continued to perform well despite the global economic slowdown, cuts in incentives, and low natural-gas prices, according to a new United Nations-backed report.
Emissions trading is best, says Shell chief
17 Jun 2011
Emissions trading schemes are a better way of tackling carbon pollution than government subsidies of renewable energy projects, says a senior Shell executive.
Jet fuel industry viable, say scientists
3 Jun 2011
Establishing an Australian and New Zealand aviation biofuels industry is a viable proposition, according to scientists and the region’s major industry players.
Biofuels project wins $5m funding
13 May 2011
A government grant of $5 million is a further step toward establishing a Biofuels Research Institute in Australia.
Most Kiwis want renewables over fossil fuels
21 Apr 2011
Most New Zealanders do not support the Government’s strategy of prioritising more exploration and mining for fossil fuels such as oil, coal and gas to sell off-shore, says WWF.
Wood processors want slice of the pie
8 Apr 2011
Wood processors want a slice of the scheme providing free carbon credits to trade-exposed industries.
LanzaTech boost follows Taiwan deal
8 Apr 2011
New Zealand’s LanzaTech is fast-tracking commercialisation of its bio-chemical production process after signing a deal with one of the world’s leading chemical companies.
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.
Government sets 50 by 50 emissions target
1 Apr 2011
The Government has confirmed New Zealand's long-term emissions reduction target of 50 per cent on 1990 levels by 2050.
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.
LanzaTech NZBIO company of the year
25 Mar 2011
LanzaTech, which has taken its technology for converting waste gases in to ethanol and chemicals from its Auckland laboratory to the world, has won the NZBIO 2011 Company of the Year Award.
Biodiesel co-op wants to expand
18 Mar 2011
New Zealand’s first biodiesel co-operative is celebrating its first birthday with plans to expand into other towns.
Australia eyes 50% tax cut on new fuels
28 Jan 2011
Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten has released draft legislation for public consultation on the Australian Government's reform of the taxation of alternative fuels.
Dramatic emissions cuts possible, says UN
28 Jan 2011
Dramatic cuts in industrial emissions of greenhouse gas emissions are achievable in developed and developing countries at an acceptable cost, the United Nations says.
CANCUN: We're fooling nobody, says Chauvel
10 Dec 2010
Labour's Climate Change Issues spokesman, Charles Chauvel, reports from Cancun:
Lanzatech hits the hot 50
10 Dec 2010
Energy technology company LanzaTech (http://www.lanzatech.co.nz/) has climbed higher in the world ranking of the “50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy”.
Aquaflow links with US firm in energy move
3 Dec 2010
New Zealand’s Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation is joining forces with a Californian company to develop next-generation technology to produce low-cost renewable energy and chemicals.
EECA 1 - bioenergy all the rage
26 Nov 2010
The 2010 EECA Awards have been dominated by bioenergy in various forms – showing an increasing interest from Kiwi businesses in new forms of renewable energy.
Macro companies vie for a mega Giga
26 Nov 2010
More than two dozen of the world's largest companies have made the shortlist for the first Gigaton Awards based on their leadership and efforts to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.
LanzaTech to work on jet fuel development
19 Nov 2010
New Zealand's LanzaTech is to work with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory on converting some of LanzaTech’s products to drop-in jet fuel.
Agency doubts Copenhagen pact energy goal
12 Nov 2010
A lack of ambition in the Copenhagen Accord pledges has increased by $1 trillion the estimated cost of holding the global temperature increase to under 2°C, says the head of the International Energy Agency, Nobuo Tanaka.
Empty emergency reserve forces $6.1m flood repair loan
Mon 2 Mar 2026
By Kira Carrington, Local Democracy Reporter | A depleted emergency fund has forced Marlborough to borrow $6.1 million to repair damage from last year's floods.
South Korean farmers sue utility giant KEPCO over climate damage to crops
Wed 25 Feb 2026
As harvest season approached last November, farmer Ma Yong-un walked through his apple orchard in southern South Korea with a growing sense of dread.
Air NZ joins Marsden Point SAF project
Today 12:30pm
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.
Singapore sets first ever sustainable aviation fuel levy, as Southeast Asia’s fuel industry grows
17 Feb 2026
Flying in and out of Singapore, home to Southeast Asia’s busiest airport, will get slightly more expensive this year as the city state begins imposing a levy of between 75 cents to $32 per ticket to fund sustainable aviation fuel.
World leaders invited to see Pacific climate destruction before COP31
Today 12:30pm
The leaders and climate ministers of governments around the world will be invited to meetings on the Pacific islands of Fiji, Palau and Tuvalu in the months leading up to the COP31 climate summit in November.
Bidders no-show at carbon auction – again
Today 12:30pm
By Liz Kivi | As predicted, today’s carbon auction yet again failed to attract any bidders, with NZUs currently trading hands on the secondary market at a 35% discount on this year’s auction floor price.
Oil and gas prices jump as conflict escalates
Today 12:30pm
Oil and gas prices have surged as Iran continues to launch strikes across the Middle East in response to ongoing attacks by the US and Israel.
Carbon auction set to be another non-event
Mon 2 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | Tomorrow’s Emissions Trading Scheme auction – the first for 2026 – is set to be a non-event, with secondary market prices more than $25 below this year’s $71 auction floor price.
3,600 times faster: China is shaking up the steel industry
Wed 25 Feb 2026
For over a century, making steel meant coal, heat, and hours of waiting. A Chinese research team now reports collapsing that process into just three to six seconds; no coal, near zero emissions, and a vortex lance already moving toward commercial production. The technology is called flash ironmaking, and in February 2026, its implications are still unfolding.
LNG: a rational choice compared to unpalatable alternatives
10 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: By deciding to underwrite the private construction of a liquefied natural gas import facility in Taranaki, the Government has made a rational choice in favour of energy security and affordability.
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.
Italy calls for suspension of EU carbon market
Mon 2 Mar 2026
The Italian Minister said the Emissions Trading System (ETS) has a "perverse effect" and is condemning European companies from being competitive with other countries, urging other member states to back the suspension.
How Trump’s war could destabilize the global energy market
Mon 2 Mar 2026
It starts — but doesn’t end — with the Strait of Hormuz.
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.
Pacific climate advocates welcome pre-COP31 meeting in Fiji and Tuvalu
Fri 27 Feb 2026
Media release – 350.org | Climate advocates across the Pacific will now prepare for the Pre-COP31 meetings in Fiji and Tuvalu, with the Pacific Islands Forum confirming the hosts yesterday.
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.
The 15 foods destroying rainforests, in one simple chart
Wed 25 Feb 2026
It’s pretty much impossible to live a life free of environmental harm. But there is one thing you could do immediately that would help the planet a heck of a lot: eat less beef.
Judge orders Greenpeace to pay $345m over Dakota Access pipeline protest
Mon 2 Mar 2026
Greenpeace says the case is far from over after being found liable for defamation and other claims brought by the energy firm.
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.”
New study looks to nature markets to accelerate climate response
18 Feb 2026
The Nature Conservancy is teaming up with local groups to study the most affordable and effective ways of restoring native habitats at the top of the South Island, including ways to fund the work using international voluntary carbon markets and biodiversity credits.
Surviving on Trump's dangerous planet
Mon 2 Mar 2026
COMMENT: Yet another war, and yet another argument for an end to oil.
Claims that AI can help fix climate dismissed as greenwashing
18 Feb 2026
Tech companies are conflating traditional artificial intelligence with generative AI when claiming the energy-hungry technology could help avert climate breakdown, according to a report.
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.
Media round-up
13 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Senior UK ministers have asked their New Zealand counterparts to explain new climate policies, National’s LNG blunders are a warning ahead of election campaign, and what are the lessons New Zealand should take from another summer of weather disasters?
Wales council to buy and demolish homes prone to flooding
4 Feb 2026
A row of homes in a village in south Wales is to be bought by a local authority and demolished as they can no longer be protected from flooding caused by the climate crisis.
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.
EDS puts environmental lawmaking under the spotlight
Thu 26 Feb 2026
Media Release |The Environmental Defence Society has launched the first in a series of investigative pieces into how environmental laws are being made in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Climate 'dream team' launches foundation targeting 100 million tonnes in emissions cuts
Wed 25 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The New Zealand Climate Foundation, which has the ambitious aim of cutting 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, had its official launch on Monday.
China has a new competitor? Kazakhstan reveals huge rare Earth deposit that could power the next tech boom
Wed 25 Feb 2026
China’s grip on rare earths might finally see some competition, and the world is already taking notice.
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.
Kiwis overly optimistic about state of environment
Fri 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.
UN approves first carbon credits under Paris Agreement market mechanism
Fri 27 Feb 2026
The United Nations has approved the first credits to be issued under a carbon market established by the Paris climate accord, aimed at reducing emissions – a mechanism that has faced scrutiny over greenwashing concerns.
Australia-US minerals deal underpinned decision to allow mining company to clear threatened indigenous forest
23 Feb 2026
The Australian government’s decision to allow the US mining giant Alcoa to continue clearing swathes of Western Australian jarrah forest despite past illegal clearing practices was made in part due to a critical minerals deal reached between Australia and the Trump administration last year, a new document shows.
‘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?
Local govt shake-up risks weakened environmental outcomes – Commissioner
Fri 27 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government’s push to simplify local government is "deeply flawed" and has been launched without a clear understanding of which functions must remain regional, according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
UK Greens win by-election as anti-data centre protests mount
Today 12:30pm
The Green Party's Hannah Spencer won the contest for the vacant parliamentary seat of Gorton and Denton, with Nigel Farage's populist Reform UK party coming second, and Labour pushed into third place.
Media round-up
20 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: 'Every tonne matters': The climate scientist who wants to give you hope; Minister says managed retreat is an option; and climate change is here – is New Zealand ready?
Brazil and India agree to boost cooperation on rare earths
24 Feb 2026
Brazil and India sealed a deal Saturday on critical minerals and rare earths, enhancing cooperation on crucial resources between two major countries of the global south as they seek to diversify their trading relationships.
Africa primed for solar breakthrough after record capacity growth
Today 12:30pm
The continent of Africa looks set to emerge as a key driver of global solar power production over the rest of the 2020s thanks to a potent mix of policy support, rapid economic growth and declining component costs.
High-tech flights tackle climate modelling dilemma
Mon 2 Mar 2026
Media release – University of Canterbury | An ongoing challenge in global climate modelling is being addressed by HALO-South a German-Christchurch collaboration.
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.
NZ-UAE partnership boosts advanced tech
9 Feb 2026
Media release | A new Antarctic science partnership with a leading UAE university will grow New Zealand’s advanced engineering and modelling capability, supporting high-value jobs, encouraging economic growth, and enabling smarter climate risk management, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti says.
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.
Canterbury rolls out NZ’s first lightweight electric double-decker
Today 12:30pm
Metro has introduced the country’s first lightweight electric double-decker bus, marking a major milestone for public transport innovation in Canterbury.
General Assembly chief calls for US to pay UN fees in full
Fri 27 Feb 2026
The head of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday urged top contributor the United States to pay its fees in full after Washington made only a partial payment to the global body, amounting to less than 5% of the total amount owed.
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.
Study finds warming world increases days when weather is prone to fires around the globe
20 Feb 2026
The number of days when the weather gets hot, dry and windy — ideal to spark extreme wildfires — has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, with the trend increasing even higher in the Americas, a new study shows.
India and UK launch offshore wind taskforce
23 Feb 2026
Constituted under Vision 2035 and the Fourth India-UK Energy Dialogue, the Taskforce is designed to provide strategic leadership and coordination for India’s nascent offshore wind ecosystem.
