Topics tagged with 'Carbon News world'
Net-zero corporate commitments largely over-reliant on carbon offsetting
8 Feb 2022
An analysis of 25 corporates' net-zero commitments has found that they cover, on average, just 40% of annual greenhouse gas emissions, with the likes of Unilever, Nestle and BMW Group named among the worst offenders.
Ice that took roughly 2,000 years to form on Mt. Everest has melted in around 25
8 Feb 2022
The highest glacier on the world's tallest mountain is losing decades worth of ice every year because of human-induced climate change, a new study shows.
Gambling on climate failure: fossil fuel projects that only succeed if world fails to meet climate targets
8 Feb 2022
A new analysis co-authored by a former BP geologist identifies five big oil and gas projects—run by ExxonMobil, Shell, Equinor, Petrobras, and the Kuwait Petroleum Corporation—that will only succeed if efforts to control global greenhouse gas emissions fail.
U.S. markets regulator flags risks for ratings firms in ESG boom
8 Feb 2022
Credit ratings agencies face new risks as they throw themselves into the fast-growing business of environmental, social and governance (ESG)-based investing, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) warned in a new report.
‘We need politicians and experts’: how Chile is putting the climate crisis first
8 Feb 2022
Hidden behind the Andes in a quiet corner of South America, a formidable generation of former student leaders are putting together one of the world’s most exciting progressive movements.
Electric cars fend off supply challenges to more than double global sales
8 Feb 2022
Sales of electric cars hit 6.6 million in 2021, more than tripling their market share from two years earlier
EV sales up but still short of government targets
4 Feb 2022
The number of vehicles powered by some form of electrification almost doubled last year from 12,997 in 2020 to 25,194.
European carbon price climbs to new high
4 Feb 2022
The cost of polluting in the European Union jumped to a fresh record, with utilities looking to burn more coal just as the supply of permits dries up.
Giant iceberg blocks scientists’ study of ‘Doomsday Glacier’
4 Feb 2022
Antarctica’s so-called Doomsday Glacier, nicknamed because it is huge and coming apart, is mostly thwarting an international effort to figure out how dangerously vulnerable it is.
North Sea oil and gas project gets green light just months after UK hosted COP26
4 Feb 2022
The UK government's fossil fuel industry regulator has approved a new oil and gas project in the North Sea, just months after the UK hosted the COP26 climate change summit.
Ending animal agriculture and planting trees on empty fields is 'best chance' to slow climate change: vegan scientists
4 Feb 2022
Getting rid of animal agriculture and planting trees on the empty fields is our "best and most immediate chance" to slow climate change, according to two prominent vegan scientists
Is a coffee shortage inevitable as climate change gets worse?
4 Feb 2022
A cup of coffee to start the day is non-negotiable for millions of people around the world. We’ve been drinking it for hundreds of years, with the earliest references to our favourite pick-me-up dating back to the 15th century.
Does hybrid work reduce carbon footprint? It's complicated
4 Feb 2022
Compared to either fully office-based or remote, could it be the worst of both worlds?
Hitting Biden’s greenhouse goals could save billions in health-related costs
4 Feb 2022
Slimming down America’s dependence on fossil fuels is crucial for a multitude of reasons. The one we hear about most often is slowing the toll of catastrophic climate change. But climate change policy has the potential to do a lot more than slash greenhouse gases—if done right, these policies can help build equitable and resilient communities, protect biodiversity, and improve human health.
Remote sensing technology reduces urban air pollution
4 Feb 2022
Cities that adopt roadside emissions sensors to detect high polluting vehicles, together with an enforcement programme to inspect and repair these vehicles, could significantly improve urban air quality, new research shows.
Extreme heat driven by climate change is ‘new normal’ for oceans: study
3 Feb 2022
More than half of the world’s ocean surface has surpassed historic extreme heat thresholds on a consistent basis since 2014, according to a new study by the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
New EU green finance strategy shuns decision on nuclear and gas power
3 Feb 2022
The EU is seeking to underpin its ambition to become the world's leading market for climate-friendly investments with an overhauled sustainable finance strategy and a new green bond standard.
Climate action takes centre stage in first Indian budget since COP26
3 Feb 2022
The first Union Budget since India joined the bandwagon of economies committed to becoming net carbon zero, focused on energy transition and climate action. However, it fell short of making significant budgetary allocation to key sectors of energy efficiency, sustainability and clean tech.
What’s driving the remarkable decline of urban sprawl in the US?
3 Feb 2022
Rising gas prices prevented the development of 4.19 million acres of forest and agricultural land in the U.S. between 2000 and 2015, according to a new study. The findings enhance understanding of the dynamics underlying urban sprawl.
Greenflation is real: opinion
3 Feb 2022
Like the cicadas that plague the Atlantic seaboard of the United States every 17 years, inflation has awoken from its most recent hibernation. The hike from about 2 percent in a typical year in the United States to 5.3 percent in the third quarter of this year marked roughly a decade since the last time economists took to op-ed pages and talking head circuits to warn of an uncontrollable rise in prices.
TransAlta submits plan for battery storage near Alberta hydro dam
3 Feb 2022
Fossil heavyweight TransAlta Corporation has officially filed an application to build a 180-megawatt battery storage facility near one of its hydroelectric projects in Alberta.
Countries back away from pledge to update climate goals this year
2 Feb 2022
EVEN before the ink was dry on the Glasgow pact, questions about how many nations would actually honor their pledges were already circulating.
Climate change has likely begun to suffocate the world's fisheries
2 Feb 2022
By 2080, around 70% of the world's oceans could be suffocating from a lack of oxygen as a result of climate change, potentially impacting marine ecosystems worldwide, according to a new study.
30,000 year-old carbon deposits are thawing in Siberia
2 Feb 2022
Carbon, freeze-locked under ice over 30,000 years ago, is now thawing and being released into the climate.
How "cool roofs" are helping women earn more in India
2 Feb 2022
During the scorching midday heat in Behrampura, a slum in the Indian city of Ahmedabad, it can be difficult to breathe, let alone get any work done. Throughout the summer, peak daytime temperatures often exceed 38C. Crowded and cramped housing, a lack of ventilation and the prevalence of cheap, heat-trapping materials such as metal roofs magnify that heat to even more unbearable levels.
Repeat photography shows climate change impacts on real places
2 Feb 2022
A 2004 photo captures a boat cruising a strip of water where an 1899 picture taken from the same spot shows a giant glacier. On either side of the channel, green trees and shrubs cover a rocky landscape that a century ago had been blanketed with white snow.
More Zoom, less climate gloom
2 Feb 2022
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted many aspects of everyday life, including the way we work. Now, more than ever, professionals are working from home due to health and safety concerns and local restrictions. The pandemic has also forced the trillion-dollar events industry to undergo a fundamental shift as many organizers move conferences from physical halls to online platforms such as Zoom.
Global carbon markets value surged to record US$851 billion last year
1 Feb 2022
The value of traded global markets for carbon dioxide (CO2) permits grew by 164% to a record 760 billion euros ($851 billion) last year, analysts at Refinitiv said on Monday.
This Fed pick is a climate hero. Will it sink her nomination?
1 Feb 2022
When former President Obama tapped Sarah Bloom Raskin to join the Federal Reserve in 2010, the appointment went smoothly; the Senate unanimously confirmed her nomination to the world’s most powerful central bank.
Beijing expected to relaunch the China Certified Emission Reduction scheme
1 Feb 2022
What is the China Certified Emission Reduction scheme and why is it important for Beijing’s carbon neutral goal? The South China Morning Post journalist Yujie Xue explains.
Q&A: What do rich countries owe the rest of the world?
1 Feb 2022
Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò, assistant professor of philosophy at Georgetown University in Washington D.C., links the debt rich countries owe poor ones to what the descendants of enslaved people are owed in the United States – and says the legacies of colonialism, slavery, and carbon emissions are inextricably connected.
New transport blueprint unveiled for Scotland
1 Feb 2022
A mass transit network in Glasgow and bridges or tunnels to some of Scotland's islands are among the ideas in the Scottish government's new transport strategy.
20% of Brits eating less meat to fight climate change
1 Feb 2022
A survey, commissioned by environmental search engine Ecosia, has revealed new plant-based trends. Major takeaways include more than 20%of participants reducing meat intake in light of the climate crisis. It was revealed that 32% are willing to change their diets to help the environment.
Renewables investment hits record $755B
31 Jan 2022
Renewable energy development hit a record US$755 billion last year, but still fell far short of what will be needed to bring the world’s greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2050, according to analysis released yesterday by BloombergNEF.
Net zero will result in hundreds of thousands of job losses in Australia: report
31 Jan 2022
Australia will lose hundreds of thousands of jobs, mostly in a handful of regions, if it fails to make the changes required by our emissions-busting trading partners, a report warns.
Alaska Supreme Court narrowly dismisses youths’ climate change lawsuit
31 Jan 2022
The Alaska Supreme Court narrowly decided Friday to dismiss a challenge to the state’s fossil fuel policy brought by Alaska youths.
How to win more global warming lawsuits
31 Jan 2022
Plaintiffs who sue governments and companies over climate change would have a higher success rate if they relied on the most recent global warming data.
Plant-based epoxy enables recyclable carbon fibre
31 Jan 2022
Ten times stronger than steel, nearly half the weight of aluminum, far stiffer than fiberglass — carbon fibre carries a package of advantages, making it a preferred material for use in luxury sedans and Formula One racecars alike.
8 reasons Finland is winning on climate: opinion
31 Jan 2022
The race to act on climate breakdown and ecological crisis is against time - rather than each other. Finland, though, is definitely way ahead of the pack.
Key crops face major shifts as world warms
28 Jan 2022
The parts of the world suitable for growing coffee, cashews and avocados will change dramatically as the world heats up, according to a new study.
How Pacific climate diplomacy is changing
28 Jan 2022
Pacific Island nations facing the reality of climate change-induced land loss are using their diplomatic strength to ensure their sovereignty and economic future are protected, Jess Marinaccio writes from Tuvalu.
Future forests will have smaller trees and soak up less carbon: study
28 Jan 2022
There is no crystal ball to tell ecologists how forests of the future will respond to the changing climate, but a University of Arizona-led team of researchers may have created the next best thing.
Gas stoves leak climate-warming methane even when they're off
28 Jan 2022
Your natural gas cooking stove may leak climate-warming methane even when it is turned off, warns a new Stanford University study.
The pandemic has been great for electric car sales
28 Jan 2022
Electric vehicles grabbed a much bigger share of the global car market last year as sales more than doubled despite turbulent economic conditions and a severe shortage of computer chips.
Jordan Peterson and Joe Rogan talking about climate change will make your brain dissolve
28 Jan 2022
In a new episode of his podcast, Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson talked at length about climate change in an exchange that makes Rogan’s recent anti-vax content seem scientifically sound enough to win a Nobel Prize.
Climate change costs world US$329 billion in damages
27 Jan 2022
Led by the deadly and costly Hurricane Ida and massive flooding in Europe, the world racked up $329 billion in economic losses linked to severe weather last year, and only 38% of that bill was covered by insurance.
Huge aluminium demand expected in solar industry, concerns arise on emissions
27 Jan 2022
Researchers from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) predict that growth to 60TW of photovoltaics needed to rapidly reduce emissions to ‘net zero’ and limit global warming to <2 °C could require up to 486 Mt of aluminium by 2050. A key concern for this large aluminium demand is its large global warming potential.
Cutting carbon to take backseat to ‘normal life’ in China: Xi Jinping
27 Jan 2022
Chinese President Xi Jinping has stated the Asian superpower’s low carbon desires must not get in the way of ‘normal life’.
Oil firms accused of scare tactics after claiming climate lawsuits ‘a threat to US'
27 Jan 2022
US oil firms have been accused of using scare tactics after telling a federal court on Tuesday that lawsuits alleging fossil fuel companies lied about the climate crisis could threaten America’s oil supply.
Here’s how top predator species might buffer climate change impacts on biodiversity
27 Jan 2022
Sometimes even a finger-length fish can make all the difference in an ecosystem. As many of the world’s wild places confront a double-whammy of a warming climate and vanishing species, new research suggests that predators as small as the lowly sculpin could help dampen ecological turmoil triggered by heatwaves.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
Fri 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.
Media round-up
Fri 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?
NZ’s government wants tourism to drive economic growth – but how will it deal with aviation emissions?
22 Oct 2025
By Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University | Following a brief dip during the COVID pandemic, aviation is back in a growth phase.
Singapore sets first ever sustainable aviation fuel levy, as Southeast Asia’s fuel industry grows
Tue 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.
Greens slam move to disband Environment Ministry
Fri 20 Feb 2026
The Green Party has joined climate and health advocates in condemning the Government's decision to disestablish the Ministry for the Environment as part of a multi-ministry merger.
Govt’s own modelling shows LNG leads to higher electricity prices than other solutions
Thu 19 Feb 2026
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: According to modelling conducted by Concept Consulting for MBIE, either developing the Tariki gas storage facility or managing electricity demand would deliver lower wholesale electricity prices than the Government’s preferred solution of an LNG import terminal.
New study looks to nature markets to accelerate climate response
Wed 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.
Carbon price drops as volatility continues
Tue 17 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market is still displaying extreme volatility, with prices dropping back to below $40 yesterday, after trading as high as $46.25 last week.
Flawed decision-making around taxing electricity to fund LNG import terminal
Mon 16 Feb 2026
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: The Government's decision to back an LNG import terminal exemplifies an egregious failure in public policy and energy sector governance.
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
Thu 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.
Carbon market rallies but auction floor still out of reach
13 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market has rallied, with secondary market prices up more than 25% in the past two weeks, although current prices in the mid-$40s are still far below this year’s $71 auction floor, with the first auction of 2026 less than three weeks away.
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.
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.
Slash for cash turns storm debris into jobs and climate resilience
Thu 19 Feb 2026
A community-led initiative in Tairāwhiti is transforming storm-damaged forestry slash into jobs, soil regeneration and long-term climate resilience.
Calls for action to reduce emissions as extreme weather bites
Tue 17 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | Renewable energy advocates and environmental groups are calling for more action to reduce emissions and increase resilience as severe weather wreaks havoc across the country.
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.”
European Central Bank's green supervision grows teeth, but will banks avoid being bitten?
13 Feb 2026
After several years of issuing guidance and repeatedly calling on banks to take climate and environmental risk management seriously, the European Central Bank is moving from guidance and expectations to enforcement.
Green Member’s Bill aims to give whales legal ‘personhood’
9 Feb 2026
The Green Party wants to give whales legal rights, including the right to sue.
Claims that AI can help fix climate dismissed as greenwashing
Wed 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.
Australian gas producer Santos wins court fight over net zero claims
Wed 18 Feb 2026
An Australian court on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit against gas producer Santos that alleged the company misled the public on its plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions.
Govt unveils plans for carbon storage regulations – and ETS rewards
18 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government has released plans to regulate carbon capture and storage in natural geological formations, which include Emissions Trading Scheme incentives, with the aim of introducing related legislation in 2026.
Seabed miners quit South Taranaki fast-track bid
Fri 20 Feb 2026
By Craig Ashworth, Local Democracy Reporter | Would-be seabed miners have abandoned their fast-track bid to mine in South Taranaki waters, saying they can’t change the minds of the panel that rejected their application.
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.
Partnership to advance Pacific science and environmental leadership
Thu 19 Feb 2026
Media release | Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in Pacific-led science, research and capacity-building, with a strong focus on environmental sustainability and ocean stewardship.
Lawyers seek answers on climate impacts of LNG import facility
13 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action has written to Climate Change and Energy Minister Simon Watts warning that the Government's plan for an LNG import terminal could be in conflict with New Zealand’s climate obligations and emissions reduction targets.
Commentators slam Govt inaction in aftermath of climate change-fuelled storms
30 Jan 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate action - or inaction - is shaping up to be an election issue, with multiple commentators drawing a line between the Coalition Government’s backsliding on climate targets and the deadly extreme weather events of the past week.
Kiwi startup takes on global plastic pollution
12 Feb 2026
A New Zealand startup is launching what it says is the world’s first plastic-free effervescent drink tablet, with the ambitious aim of eliminating bottled beverages to reduce global plastic pollution.
78% of NZers want bottom trawling banned as Govt pushes to catch more coral in South Pacific
Tue 17 Feb 2026
Media release | New polling shows overwhelming support from New Zealanders for a ban on bottom trawling in the South Pacific high seas, says Greenpeace.
Critical minerals talks with US questioned in Waitangi Tribunal climate inquiry
9 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand and the United States' negotiations over critical minerals have raised questions for the Waitangi Tribunal’s long-running inquiry into climate change.
IEA Declaration strengthens international co-operation on critical minerals
Fri 20 Feb 2026
Media release – NZ Government | New Zealand has joined international leaders at the 2026 International Energy Agency Ministerial meeting in committing to strengthen global co-operation on critical minerals to strengthen long‑term energy security.
Antarctic sediment core reveals past ice sheet retreat during warmer climates
Wed 18 Feb 2026
A record-breaking sediment core drilled from beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is giving scientists new insight into how the ice sheet responded to warmer climates in the past — and what that could mean for future sea-level rise.
Solar households to get little-noticed tax break
23 Sep 2025
A provision in the government’s latest tax bill would exempt households from paying tax on income they earn by selling excess electricity back to the grid.
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.
Infrastructure plan calls for ‘predictable approach’ to electrifying economy
Wed 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.
Climate ambassador moves on
13 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government is on the hunt for a new top climate diplomat, with previous climate ambassador Stu Horne moving on to a posting in Honolulu as New Zealand’s Consul General to Hawai’i.
EU to ban destruction of unsold clothes and shoes
12 Feb 2026
The European Commission has adopted new measures that will require medium and large companies to stop discarding unsold clothing and footwear, in the bloc’s latest move to target textile waste.
New research on climate adaptation as severe weather hits
Mon 16 Feb 2026
As extreme weather batters the country yet again, researchers have published the first ever empirical study of climate adaptation justice in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Study finds warming world increases days when weather is prone to fires around the globe
Fri 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.
Hydrogen plant to start construction
10 Feb 2026
Construction is set to start this month on Hiringa Energy’s long delayed green hydrogen project in South Taranaki, after years of consenting fights that culminated in the Court of Appeal rejecting Greenpeace’s challenge in late 2023.
