Topics tagged with 'Carbon Credits'
Treasury increases estimated ETS auction revenue
22 Dec 2023
Treasury has increased its forecast ETS auction revenue from $2.7 billion to $3.5 billion.
Govt must address climate crisis: Lawyers
14 Dec 2023
Activist lawyers have put the new government on notice that they could be facing legal repercussions if they fail to take adequate action to meet the country’s climate targets.
Climate Change Commission doubles down on ETS criticism
13 Dec 2023
The Climate Change Commission has doubled-down on its long held view that the ETS is not fit for purpose when it comes to driving down emissions, in its latest advice to government.
Environmental Defence Society calls on climate minister to revisit ETS review
12 Dec 2023
The Environmental Defence Society is calling on the government to revisit its decision to stop the Emissions Trading Scheme review.
Kiwi nature-based solution at COP28
11 Dec 2023
A nature-based climate solution to strategically restore and enhance 2.1 million hectares of Indigenous forest across Aotearoa over the next decade took the stage at the UN’s global climate summit yesterday.
Climate minister confirms commitment to international climate targets
8 Dec 2023
Climate Change minister Simon Watts confirmed New Zealand’s commitment to the Paris Agreement ahead of flying to Dubai for the annual United Nations climate summit.
Best by the rest...
8 Dec 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: COP28’s first Health Day points to what needs to change in NZ; Protecting climate refugees is more urgent than ever; And Subsidising petro-states to stop drilling oil and gas.
Carbon price down following declined auction
7 Dec 2023
The carbon price is down following yesterday’s failed auction, which sent 15 million NZUs out of the ETS for good.
New Zealand criticised for dependence on offsetting
7 Dec 2023
New Zealand has been singled out, along with Japan and South Korea, for relying on offshore offsetting to meet its nationally determined contribution in the latest update by non-profit Climate Action Tracker.
Fourth consecutive carbon auction failure sends 15 million carbon units up in smoke
6 Dec 2023
The final ETS carbon auction of the year has failed, taking 15 million tonnes worth of carbon “pollution permits” out of the market - and a potential $1 billion out of the government’s coffers.
Controversial carbon credits flood COP28, yet still no rules
6 Dec 2023
The COP28 climate talks have been flooded with announcements hyping controversial carbon credits before rules for them have been hammered out, with environmental groups fearing "greenwashing" on a massive scale.
Carbon price up ahead of auction next week
1 Dec 2023
The carbon price is up to just under $75 ahead of the Emissions Trade Scheme auction on Wednesday next week.
Scrutiny on global voluntary carbon market and changes to ETS led to Toitū dropping NZUs
1 Dec 2023
By Ann Smith | OPINION: Toitū’s decision last week to transition away from accepting New Zealand carbon credits brought the global voluntary carbon market, and debates about its integrity, into sharp focus.
Massive native reforestation project proposed
29 Nov 2023
By Jeremy Rose | New Zealand could go from being a buyer of offshore carbon credits to an exporter of offsets, according to the promoters of an ambitious plan to reforest and restore 2.1 million hectares of indigenous forests over the next 10 years.
Toitū to stop accepting NZUs
23 Nov 2023
Toitū Envirocare, the government’s carbon certification service, announced today that it will transition away from accepting New Zealand carbon credits in its carbon certification programmes.
Carbon price steady amidst political uncertainty
16 Nov 2023
The carbon price has pushed through the $70 mark over the last past two months, from a low of $64 in late September to a high last week of $71.25.
Taskforce recommends continuous canopy forestry for Nelson
9 Nov 2023
A taskforce is calling for a halt to clear-felling on Nelson council land, and a transition to a continuous canopy of mixed species to replace the council’s commercial forestry operations, as part of a set of recommendations that will be presented to Nelson City Council today.
Carbon price predicted to go close to $100 in 2024
8 Nov 2023
An expert is picking a bump in the carbon price if the December auction doesn’t clear, predicting it will to go up to between $80 and $100 next year - with an expectation it will be closer to $100.
Best by the rest...
27 Oct 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Is a $90m project to cool cow burps working? an East Coast leader argues that indigenous reforestation is a Treaty right; and MetService defends its inability to forecast the extreme rainfall that led to Auckland’s deadly floods.
Australian carbon price set to double
17 Oct 2023
Analysts say Australia’s carbon price is set to double, with reforms underway affecting industrial greenhouse gas emitters who are responsible for about 28% of the country’s emissions.
NZX updates ETS auction calendars
13 Oct 2023
NZX has updated the Emissions Trading Scheme auction calendars, with new settings in line with Climate Change Commission recommendations.
NZ still has a long way to go to meet emission reduction targets: "This ship can sink"
10 Oct 2023
By Robert McLachlan | COMMENT: The 2016 Paris Agreement contains a built-in feedback mechanism to help ensure that its goals are met: the Global Stocktake. Every five years all pledges and progress are assessed and compared to the targets on warming, adaptation, and financing.
Govt releases Cabinet papers on ETS forestry charges
5 Oct 2023
The government has proactively released cabinet papers on controversial new charges for forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Wildfire conditions could be worst for 25 years
29 Sep 2023
By Liz Kivi | A wildfire expert says that New Zealand could be heading for the worst wildfire conditions for 25 years this summer, with El Niño and climate change combining to bring dry spells, high temperatures and high winds.
Likely ETS auction failure will eat into stockpile
29 Sep 2023
The likely failure of the final ETS auction of the year in December would result in a significant chunk of the current stockpile evaporating.
Differing visions for Climate Change Commission
27 Sep 2023
By Jeremy Rose | The Act Party wants it abolished, NZ First is calling for its head’s head, and Labour, the Greens and TOP want it given more powers.
Can ‘carbon offsets’ help to tackle climate change?
27 Sep 2023
Every day, people are invited to buy products and services with supposed climate benefits – whether this be “carbon-neutral flights”, “net-zero beef” or “carbon-negative coffee”.
Foresters say new ETS charges will discourage planting
22 Sep 2023
Foresters say that new charges for forestry in the ETS will penalise sustainable forestry and disincentivise planting when it is most needed.
Top carbon offset projects may not cut planet-heating emissions
21 Sep 2023
Majority of offset projects that have sold the most carbon credits are ‘likely junk’, according to analysis by Corporate Accountability and the Guardian.
Rainforest carbon credit schemes misleading and ineffective, finds report
18 Sep 2023
System not fit for carbon offsetting, puts Indigenous communities at risk and should be replaced with new approach, say researchers.
Carbon price hovers around $73
13 Sep 2023
The NZU price is up $2 since early last week, with a price bump both before and after last week’s auction.
European Energy Exchange launches Global Carbon Index Family
7 Sep 2023
Media release | The European Energy Exchange (EEX) has launched its Global Carbon Index (GCI) Family, offering a comprehensive view into the rapidly evolving global carbon markets. The new index bundle will introduce the EEX GCI Core, and the EEX GCI Extended.
Carbon price up ahead of Wednesday auction
4 Sep 2023
The carbon price pushed through the $70 mark at the end of last week, last fixing at $71 on Commtrade on Friday. It has climbed $6 in the past two weeks to its highest point since February - more than double the price just two months ago.
Sealord investing $10 million in Māori-led carbon forestry offsetting
4 Sep 2023
Fishing giant Sealord is investing $10 million over the next ten years in a carbon offsetting programme that it says will develop underutilised Te Arawa land in the Rotorua region into permanent forest.
Concerns around NZU reporting
1 Sep 2023
Emissions Trading Scheme participants are calling for better accuracy and transparency in NZU movement reporting, after two reporting glitches have led to serious questions.
Petition calls to end free carbon credits for big emitters
1 Sep 2023
A group of NGOs and activists have launched a petition calling for an end to free carbon credits for industry and for the system to be replaced by a carbon border mechanism.
National’s climate “dividend” isn’t really a dividend - and could increase emissions
31 Aug 2023
By Liz Kivi | Yesterday the National Party announced a “climate dividend” amid much fanfare as part of its $14.6 billion package of tax cuts.
Consultation on exotic hardwoods and carbon tables in the ETS
30 Aug 2023
The Ministry for Primary Industries is consulting on recognising space-plantings and exotic hardwoods in the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme.
Analysts predict carbon price will hit $140 by 2050
25 Aug 2023
Analysts are predicting the spot price of NZUs will rise to $150 by 2050 - a level they say will negatively affect some of New Zealand’s big energy gentailers and encourage behavioural change from carbon polluters.
Best by the rest...
25 Aug 2023
Is carbon forestry pushing farm prices out of reach? Auckland’s cyclone recovery funding deal; and why sustainability shouldn’t be just an afterthought in space exploration.
Kenya’s ‘green growth’ pitch for Africa Climate Summit sparks justice concerns
25 Aug 2023
Outcry over a fossil fuel consultancy taking a lead role, and unease over the Kenyan president’s focus on finance, raises questions as to whether the summit will truly be “by Africans for Africans”.
Unexplained anomaly in NZU surrenders
23 Aug 2023
An unexplained reporting anomaly suggests a big emitter - or emitters - are late submitting their NZU surrenders, with about 13 million units unaccounted for.
Secondary carbon market “pops” to 5-month high, ETS announcement later today
22 Aug 2023
The NZU price hit a 5-month high late last week, trading as high as $66.50 on Friday - up 10% for the week.
Updated bill “big win” for climate
17 Aug 2023
Activists are claiming a climate bill update as a significant win against big polluters - with 800,000 tonnes of subsidised carbon dioxide pollution now cut from free allocations.
International carbon crediting bodies explained
15 Aug 2023
Confused about who is part of shoring up the voluntary carbon market? Us too.
Best by the rest...
11 Aug 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: What does the hottest month in human history mean for Aotearoa? Planning for the worst from climate change; and the Lake Onslow Battery Project's uncertain future.
ETS needs to incentivise gross emissions reductions: Consultations close tomorrow
10 Aug 2023
By Ann Smith | Although New Zealand has updated its international commitment to reduce emissions, it is still ranked as “Highly Insufficient” by Climate Action Tracker.
Meeting the long-term climate threat takes more than private investment – 10 ways NZ can be smart and strategic
10 Aug 2023
By Kevin Trenberth | The announcement of a partnership between the government and the world’s biggest investment manager BlackRock in a NZ$2 billion climate infrastructure fund suggests the company is expecting renewable energy in New Zealand to increase its own profitability.
From Kenya to England are carbon offsets all they’re cracked up to be?
10 Aug 2023
Carbon credits are suddenly everywhere, and they explain the hyper-financialization of climate policy.
Tender for forestry NZUs
9 Aug 2023
An unnamed buyer is in the market for a “significant volume” of forestry NZUs through a tender process.
UN limits staff at COP30 climate summit over accommodation concerns
Today 11:45am
High hotel prices for Brazil's COP30 climate summit in November have prompted the United Nations to urge its staff to limit attendance, while government delegations are still scrambling to find rooms within their budgets.
Govt passes law to limit farm-to-forest conversions
Today 11:45am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has passed legislation intended to limit farm-to-forest conversions in the Emissions Trading Scheme, with ministers saying the changes “restore balance,” while opponents call it a band-aid that risks climate targets.
NZ needs to be part of a regional SAF strategy: Z, Air NZ
9 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand needs to be part of a regional strategic approach to sourcing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with domestic production less the aim than ensuring access to the fuel from one of a number of strategically positioned bio-refineries around the world.
'Non-negotiable' – EU carbon pricing to hit Kiwi exporters, expert warns
11 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | High carbon exports will inevitably face a high carbon tax at the EU border, possibly in the next five years, and high methane agricultural products might not be exempt, an international expert told a local audience yesterday.
UK foreign aid for nature hits £800m record due to cash for carbon credits
Tue 16 Sep 2025
The UK’s climate-aid spending on “nature protection and restoration” reached record levels of nearly £800m last year, according to government figures obtained by Carbon Brief.
Researchers say sealing old oil wells with bio-oil from crop waste is a dual carbon-removal solution
Today 11:45am
A new analysis shows that oil made from corn husks, wood chips, and other waste could plug greenhouse gas-belching abandoned oil wells while sequestering carbon for about $152 per ton.
EU set to miss UN deadline for new target under Paris climate accord
Today 11:45am
The delay is intended to allow countries more time to agree to an ambitious goal.
Carbon price steady after failed quarterly auction
Tue 16 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price has continued to trade in its familiar moribund range in the high $50s following last week’s failed quarterly auction, with ample supply still trading on the secondary market at about $10 below this year’s $68 auction floor.
Industry struggles with double-digit power price hikes
Mon 15 Sep 2025
As power prices surge by double-digit amounts for the second year in a row, industrial users can’t keep absorbing cost increases, the Major Electricity Users’ Group says.
The merchants of doubt are back
3 Sep 2025
OPINION: If you don’t follow climate policy closely, you might not know that the Trump administration is launching an effort to overturn one of the most fundamental pillars of American climate policy.
Milestone for NZ Steel electrification
10 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | NZ Steel has passed an installation milestone for its new electric arc furnace, which will reduce emissions from the Glenbrook steel mill site by as much as one megatonne (1Mt) a year.
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.”
Watts not considering removing electricity from ETS
Tue 16 Sep 2025
Energy and Climate Change Minister, Simon Watts, says he is “not currently considering” removing electricity generation from the Emissions Trading Scheme, as proposed by NZ First Minister Shane Jones.
Gentailers told to behave as ministers weigh Frontier review
Wed 17 Sep 2025
The chief executives of Contact, Meridian, Mercury and Genesis met Energy and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts on Thursday for their regular monthly session.
Declining sea-ice is altering Antarctic food webs
11 Sep 2025
A new study shows a significant change in Antarctic phytoplankton over time that could cascade through the marine food web and affect the ocean’s capacity as a carbon sink.
Lobby group launches ‘blueprint’ for ocean management reform
Thu 18 Sep 2025
The Environmental Defence Society yesterday released its plan to tackle widespread ecological decline in our oceans.
Marginal drop in last year's regional emissions
27 Aug 2025
Regional greenhouse gas emissions were down slightly last year, with a fall in gas supply leading to a big drop in Taranaki, but more coal burnt leading to higher emissions in Waikato, according to new figures from Stats NZ
Australia leapfrogs NZ on climate ambition
Today 11:45am
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers for Climate Action say Australia’s new 2035 climate target should be a wake-up call for ‘clean, green’ New Zealand.
Exxon and Shell sue the Netherlands in secret tribunals for closing Europe’s biggest gas field
Today 11:45am
Following billions in profits and over a thousand gas extraction-related earthquakes, the oil and gas giants filed claims against the Dutch state in four separate investor-state disputes concerning compensation for home damages and the permanent closure of the Groningen gas field.
A modest geothermal strategy
31 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has unveiled a far more modest geothermal energy strategy than its primary backer, Resources Minister Shane Jones, had sought.
Why mega-polluters have little to fear from the European Central Bank and its new climate policy
12 Sep 2025
The European Central Bank plans to raise borrowing costs for climate offenders – but a new FTM analysis shows that big polluters such as Shell will barely feel it.
Science cuts will hold back climate research
Wed 17 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | A crisis in government-backed science funding is worsening, with dire implications for climate research in New Zealand, according to experts from the scientific community.
Media round-up
5 Sep 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The great methane debate; law change scuppers legal challenge to irrigation scheme consent; and what are the energy and climate implications of the $7.5 billion Amazon Web Services data centre deal?
Coal imports up 650%
12 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams and Liz Kivi | Coal imports are up 650% as generators stockpile the most polluting fossil fuel ahead of next winter.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
29 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Green hydrogen pioneer Hiringa Energy is deep in planning to develop an “eight-to-nine figure” methanol plant near Whanganui, using a combination of biomass and hydrogen produced using renewable energy.
Media round-up
29 Aug 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Changes to road user charges will increase New Zealand's emissions; Climate Change Minister Simon Watts promises better access to hazard data for homeowners; and Kiwis borrow over $1 billion in ‘green loans’ for heat pumps and electric cars.
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.
Young activists won a landmark state climate trial. Now they’re challenging Trump’s orders
Thu 18 Sep 2025
Young climate activists and their attorneys who won a landmark global warming trial against the state of Montana are trying to convince a federal judge to block President Donald Trump’s executive orders promoting fossil fuels.
Forest carbon stores massive blind spot - study
4 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Aotearoa New Zealand’s planted forests hold significant deep soil organic carbon — with over half of it stored below 30 cm, and much of it over 1,000 years old.
Govt tweaks offshore energy bill with 'declared areas' model
Wed 17 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is making changes to the Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to address offshore wind developers' concerns about competing for space with other industries.
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.
A steady ocean pattern just failed for the first time ever observed
Wed 17 Sep 2025
The failure of the Gulf of Panama’s seasonal upwelling system has left scientists wondering what happens next.
Australia's 2035 climate targets on path to net zero judged by the experts
Today 11:45am
After much anticipation, Australia has set its new climate targets: a reduction of 62 to 70 per cent within the next 10 years.
‘Plastic Cup’ competitions are cleaning up rivers in Hungary
1 Sep 2025
Afloat on DIY boats, teams of volunteers have removed over 450 tons of plastic waste from the Danube and its tributaries.
Can certificates solve NZ's heavy vehicle emissions problem?
Thu 18 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Sustainable Business Council has launched a new framework for a national system to cut freight emissions.
Climate change collaboration and competition law
Thu 18 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The revamped competition law regime needs to be able to take into account the benefits of companies that collaborate for action on climate change, says the panel that reviewed both the Commerce Commission and the Commerce Act.
Underestimating support for climate action limits political decision making, study says
8 Sep 2025
Research reveals huge disparity between perceived and actual willingness of public to contribute to fixing climate.
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.
One city’s race to ‘solarise everything we possibly can’
Thu 18 Sep 2025
Bordeaux is quickly transforming itself into France’s top solar-powered city, banking on innovations like transparent panels that preserve its historic architecture.
Turning squashed bugs into climate change data
Today 11:45am
Media release: University of Auckland | What if the insects you hit with your car could contribute to research on climate change?
Climate groups want UK wealth tax to make super-rich fund sustainable economy
17 Jul 2025
Growing number of campaigners urge government to ensure green investment is not done ‘on backs of the poor’.
Ara Ake backs 13 projects to unlock NZ’s energy flexibility
11 Sep 2025
Media release | Ara Ake has approved over $600,000 in funding from the National Flex Discovery Fund for 13 flexibility service providers (FSPs).
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
31 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government is expected to repeal the oil and gas ban today, with a last-minute amendment handing discretionary power to two ministers over the controversial issue of decommissioning.
Most EU carmakers on track to meet emission targets: study
10 Sep 2025
Almost all European carmakers are on track to meet EU emission targets after winning a reprieve this year as electric vehicles (EV) sales pick up, a study showed.
Echo Tech secures growth investment to tackle NZ's e-waste crisis
Mon 15 Sep 2025
Media release | Echo Tech Limited, New Zealand’s leading provider of e-waste recycling and IT asset recovery services, is proud to announce a strategic investment from growth equity firm Altered Capital.
La Niña set to prolong NZ hydro shortfall
9 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With La Niña favouring a drier-than-normal spring across much of the South Island, hydro lakes are unlikely to recover without substantial rain and late snowmelt – keeping national storage levels below average.
Record UK wildfires have burned an area twice the size of Glasgow in 2025
12 Aug 2025
Wildfires have scorched more than 40,000 hectares of land so far this year across the UK – an area more than twice the size of the Scottish city of Glasgow.
Which countries are scaling solar and wind the fastest?
12 Sep 2025
The leaderboard is quite different depending on what metric you look at.
