Topics tagged with 'Carbon News world'
Half of methane emissions come from aquatic ecosystems
7 Apr 2021
Methane — a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide — plays a major role in controlling the Earth’s climate. But methane concentrations in the atmosphere today are 150% higher than before the industrial revolution.
Active travel must be built for women too
7 Apr 2021
While the pandemic has seen more of us get out of cars and onto our two feet or our bikes, it’s also highlighted the differences in the availability of public spaces to men and women. As our cities move towards more sustainable transport models, with increased public funding being given to these, it’s worth examining whether that funding is being channelled appropriately to tackle this discrepancy.
Zimbabwean teen leads fight for climate
7 Apr 2021
Zimbabwean teenager Nkosilathi Nyathi has introduced solar power to his school and his now campaigning globally to fight climate change.
UK groups demand peat compost ban
7 Apr 2021
The UK government must ban the sales of peat compost this year after its goal of a voluntary phaseout by 2020 proved an “abject failure”, according to a group of gardening experts, conservationists and scientists.
NASA finds definitive proof of climate change
6 Apr 2021
It may come as a surprise, given the extensive body of evidence connecting humans to climate change, that directly-observed proof of the human impact on the climate had still eluded science. That is, until now.
Climate change slashes agricultural productivity
6 Apr 2021
Research shows rising temperatures since 1960s have acted as a handbrake on agricultural yield of crops and livestock
Indigenous pressure scuttles Gates' geoengineering plan
6 Apr 2021
The first stratospheric test of geoengineering research technology, funded by Bill Gates, has been suspended under pressure from the indigenous people over whose heads it would take place, the Saami of northern Scandinavia. It may be moved back to the United States.
Biden bets on climate action creating jobs
6 Apr 2021
The New York Times takes a deep dive into the question of whether climate change action will create or destroy jobs.
Biden says plan will 'finally' address climate change
1 Apr 2021
United States President Joe Biden says his new infrastructure plan will allow “transformational progress in our ability to tackle climate change” by bolstering investments in clean energy, electric vehicles and building homes resilient to threats posed by the climate crisis.
Will COP26 be delayed, again?
1 Apr 2021
Just as President Joe Biden unveils his $2 trillion infrastructure and climate plan and momentum surges on Wall Street for finance solutions, comes word that COP26 this November in Glasgow might be postponed because of covid.
Carbon price is coming, one way or another
1 Apr 2021
Australia is about to get a carbon price, one way or another. Unfortunately, the process is shaping up to be much more economically damaging than it could have been, says Sydney Morning Herald senior economics writer Jessica Irvine.
Joint venture to build electric passenger-plane
1 Apr 2021
Rolls-Royce, Tecnam and Scandinavia’s largest airline, Widerøe, have entered into a partnership that they say will see the launch of an all-electric aircraft for passengers by 2026.
Fossil-fuel shares fall while clean energy is on the rise
1 Apr 2021
The value of share offerings in fossil fuel companies has dropped by almost 20 per cent since 2012, while low-carbon companies gained ground in a shift towards clean energy, a report by think-tank Carbon Tracker show.
Gigawatt-scale solar manufacturing plan
1 Apr 2021
The $26 billion, gigawatt-scale solar export plans of the Sun Cable consortium made important progress this week, with the lodgement of a development application for the first phase of a solar manufacturing and assembly facility in Darwin.
ConsciousCupid: Coupling sustainable singles
1 Apr 2021
Tired of being in relationships with people who don't live up to your sustainability credentials? ConsciousCupid matches earth-friendly singles with suitably woke partners.
EU at loggerheads over 2030 target
31 Mar 2021
The fifth round of negotiations between the European Union Council and members of parliament achieved little progress on agreeing a climate law.
EU experts to say nuclear power is a green investment
31 Mar 2021
Experts tasked with assessing whether the European Union should label nuclear power as a green investment will say that the fuel qualifies as sustainable, according to a leaked document.
UK taken to task for ignoring Paris Agreement
31 Mar 2021
Prominent scientists and lawyers have said Britain's decision to ignore the Paris climate agreement when deciding on major infrastructure projects undermines its presidency of UN climate talks this year.
Climate change will deepen rich-poor global divide, economists warn
31 Mar 2021
Nearly nine in 10 leading global climate economists think climate change will deepen income inequality between rich and poor countries, with most calling for urgent action to cut planet-warming emissions.
Shell to link execs' pay to climate performance
30 Mar 2021
Royal Dutch Shell proposes linking its directors' pay more closely to the group's climate performance and severing the link between bonuses and liquefied natural gas production volumes.
Shopify backs underground sequestration of GHGs
30 Mar 2021
Canadian e-commerce operator Shopify plans to pay a Texas venture to pull carbon dioxide from the sky and store it underground.
Temperatures to soar for half a billion people
30 Mar 2021
Many millions of people − among them some of the world’s poorest − will be exposed to potentially lethal temperatures on a routine basis. At worst, the mercury could reach 56deg by 2100.
How our eating is causing global deforestation
30 Mar 2021
The average western consumer of coffee, chocolate, beef, palm oil and other commodities is responsible for the felling of four trees every year, many in wildlife-rich tropical forests, research has calculated.
Australia can replace oil & gas with renewables - report
29 Mar 2021
Renewable energy and batteries can secure Australia’s electricity grid as effectively as coal and gas, new research suggests.
Gas-led recovery? Probably not, says AEMO
29 Mar 2021
The Australian Energy Market Operator says gas could disappear from that country's grid because it can't compete with renewables and green hydrogen.
The real reason humans are the dominent species
29 Mar 2021
Energy is the key to humanity's world domination. Not just the jet fuel that allows us to traverse entire continents in a few hours, or the bombs we build that can blow up entire cities, but the vast amounts of energy we all use every day.
What the Canadian court rule means for carbon pricing
29 Mar 2021
Less than a week after Conservative Party members defeated a motion to acknowledge the reality of climate change in its official policy, Canada’s Supreme Court reminded Canadians that climate change threatens the future of humanity and cannot be ignored.
Farage...from Ukip leader to green finance spokesman
29 Mar 2021
He has criticised Greta Thunberg for “alarmism” and wind power as “economic insanity”.
Canada will keep its carbon tax
26 Mar 2021
Canada's national carbon tax will remain intact after the country's Supreme Court ruled in favour of its legality.
Brazil to pay farmers to protect nature
26 Mar 2021
Brazil's lawmakers have cleared the way for the creation of a national system to pay farmers, local communities and others to protect natural habitats that provide key environmental services such as water and carbon storage.
Meat giant vows net-zero by 2040 amid record profits
26 Mar 2021
Brazilian company JBS, the world’s biggest meat processor, has announced record profits a day after it pledged to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 – the first global meat and poultry company to do so.
Carbon markets prove resilient to the coronavirus pandemic
25 Mar 2021
After the 2008 global financial crisis, the price of pollution permits on the European Union emissions trading system plummeted, hitting confidence in carbon markets as a lever for climate action.
Small nuclear power plants no use in climate crisis
25 Mar 2021
Claims that a new generation of so-called advanced, safe and easier-to-build nuclear reactors (small nuclear power plants) will be vital to combat climate change are an illusion, and the idea should be abandoned, says a group of scientists.
Why we need a carbon club
25 Mar 2021
If the three biggest economies - China, the United States and the European Union - agree a carbon tax on imports, it will catalyse climate action globally, a new paper says.
Fifth of large companies back net-zero
24 Mar 2021
One in five of the world's 2000 largest publicly listed companies have now committed to a "net-zero" emissions target to help tackle climate change, researchers said on Tuesday.
Sweden to increase airport fees for high-polluting planes
24 Mar 2021
Sweden plans to charge airlines more at takeoff and landing if their aircrafts are more polluting, the government has said.
'Historic' climate bill due before NI Assembly
24 Mar 2021
Supporters of Northern Ireland's first climate bill say it is an "historic moment".
Oil pipeline tests the climate commitment of international banks
24 Mar 2021
Plans by Total to exploit and export Ugandan oil through a 1443 kilometre pipeline traversing east Africa to the Tanzanian coast are hanging in the balance as investors are under growing pressure to move away from fossil fuels.
Nature left alone offers more than if we exploit it
24 Mar 2021
Save nature, save money. It’s a simple argument. Wilderness cleared and ploughed offers us less than nature left alone.
Top emitters a long way from Paris goals - report
23 Mar 2021
The world's biggest carbon-emitting companies are far from aligning with the Paris Climate Agreement, a report by the leading climate-focused investor group shows.
Climate polluters accused of 'sportswashing'
23 Mar 2021
Polluting industries are pouring hundreds of millions of pounds into sports sponsorship in an attempt to “sports-wash” their role in the climate crisis, according to the authors of a report published on Monday.
Incinerator could go carbon-negative
23 Mar 2021
A waste-to-energy plant in the Norwegian capital could become one of the world’s first carbon-negative incinerators, pending a decision from the European Commission to fund a carbon dioxide capture facility there. Environmentalists, for their part, are yet to be convinced.
Japan and China back coal despite Paris pledges
22 Mar 2021
Japan and China remain among the world’s top coal industry lenders and underwriters, says a report, despite both countries declaring intent ions to go carbon-neutral as part of their commitments to climate target set out in the Paris Agreement.
Climate facts back on US EPA website
22 Mar 2021
Canceled four years ago by a president who considered global warming a hoax, climate crisis information has returned to the website of the US government’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as part of Joe Biden’s promise to “bring science back”.
Industry calls for hydrogen blending into gas
22 Mar 2021
More than 90 energy companies, equipment manufacturers and gas network operators have called on the European Commission to consider hydrogen blending into natural gas for parts of Europe that cannot yet afford a dedicated hydrogen network.
Aviation fuel from food waste could cut emissions
22 Mar 2021
Food waste could be instrumental in producing sustainable aviation fuel, according to a recent study.
Japan's car--making heavyweights could be facing an electric shock
19 Mar 2021
Japan’s traditional car-making giants need to raise their game in the race to develop pure, battery-driven electric vehicles or risk being left behind by Chinese, American and European producers, analysts are warning.
IEA warns petrol demand may never recover
19 Mar 2021
Gasoline demand may never recover to pre-pandemic levels, the International Energy Agency says, with increased use in developing countries offset by rising fuel efficiency and a switch to electric vehicles in wealthy nations.
UK calls for net--zero by 2050
19 Mar 2021
Alok Sharma sets out UK’s aims as host of climate talks, including new emissions targets for 2030.
Carbfix turns emissions into stone
19 Mar 2021
An Icelandic startup has an intriguing solution to the emissions problem: turn carbon into stone.
Climate progress slowing, says Auckland councillor
Thu 5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The devastating cyclone that tore through Tāmaki Makaurau in 2023 left behind more than just broken infrastructure, sparking calls to focus on facts over ideology in the fight against climate change.
Fed Farmers launches campaign against carbon forestry
Fri 6 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Federated Farmers has launched what they are calling the ‘Save Our Sheep’ campaign, blaming carbon forestry for declining sheep numbers and calling on the government to urgently review the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Greenwashing is rife in Australia, but could its days be numbered?
28 May 2025
COMMENT: Have you ever ticked the box to “fly carbon neutral”, had something delivered via “carbon-neutral shipping” or chosen to pay a bit extra to buy “carbon-neutral gas” from your energy retailer?
Help sustainable aviation fuels take off or delay targets, airlines warn EU
20 May 2025
Earmarked funding, risk-reduction tools, and simplified imports top Airlines for Europe’s wish list for the EU’s upcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan.
Microplastics found in sand on dozens of NZ beaches
Wed 4 Jun 2025
Scientists have extracted microplastics from the sand of 22 beaches from the Far North to Banks Peninsula.
Sustainability claims questioned as renewable diesel surges
14 May 2025
Critics are sceptical about industry claims of renewable diesel life-cycle greenhouse gas emission cuts and warn renewable diesel carbon releases will surge if sourcing is scaled up, triggering tropical deforestation as producers convert forests to energy crops, such as oil palm and soy.
Govt mulls status quo for ETS auction settings
29 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has released its consultation on the Climate Change Commission’s latest advice on Emissions Trading Scheme auction settings and volumes, putting forward the option to ignore the commission’s advice to boost auction volumes from 2028-2030.
Carbon price too low to fund carbon capture
20 May 2025
The government’s climate target to 2030 is at risk, after revelations that a carbon capture project which the government was relying on to deliver one third of its carbon reductions, might not go ahead.
Fight over coal mine heats up
30 May 2025
Forest & Bird is calling on the government to create a new scientific reserve covering the Denniston Plateau on the West Coast, which would stop a fast-tracked coal mine.
Trump’s actions are already having consequences for climate, especially for the IPCC - expert
11 Apr 2025
Leading climate scientist, Dr Kevin Trenberth, left the US and came home to New Zealand because of the rise of Donald Trump. In this comment piece, he writes that he is appalled in multiple ways by the so-called “war on science” unfolding through staff cuts and the president’s policy edicts.
Common low-grade clay strengthens low-carbon concrete
Thu 5 Jun 2025
Media release | Engineers at RMIT University have converted low-grade clay into a high-performance cement supplement, opening a potential new market in sustainable construction materials.
Cuts to climate finance put exports in jeopardy: Lawyers
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has halved international climate finance, a move aid organisations describe as “devastating,” and which lawyers say could put our Paris Agreement commitments and export market access at risk.
Watts talks big on energy reform, but barriers persist
29 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Energy and Climate Change minister Simon Watts says the government is doubling down on efforts to boost renewable energy generation, streamline regulation, and drive private sector investment as New Zealand faces mounting energy security and affordability challenges.
Gas supply reducing faster than forecast
Thu 5 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Gas reserves have reduced 27% as of 1 January 2025 compared to last year, according to data released today by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Govt budgets $200m for would-be gas investors
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | Energy Resources Aotearoa has welcomed the government's plan to co-invest $200 million in fossil gas expansion, while environmental and climate groups have reacted with horror.
Extreme ocean warming engulfed South-West Pacific in 2024
Fri 6 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Unprecedented ocean warming engulfed the South-West Pacific in 2024, with extreme heat and rainfall causing deadly and devastating impacts and sea level rise threatening entire islands.
Oceans Commission must have teeth – minister
14 May 2025
If an Oceans Commission were to be established under the government it would need genuine powers to make change, says Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones.
Biochar's negative emissions tech coming to Fieldays
Fri 6 Jun 2025
Biochar Network New Zealand will showcase its negative emissions technology biochar at this year's Forestry Hub at Fieldays 2025.
Vanuatu criticises Australia for extending gas project while making COP31 bid
Wed 4 Jun 2025
Vanuatu’s climate minister has expressed disappointment over Australia’s decision to extend one of the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas projects and said it raises questions over its bid to co-host the COP31 summit with Pacific nations.
Hotter and deeper: how NZ’s plan to drill for ‘supercritical’ geothermal energy holds promise and risk
2 Apr 2025
By David Dempsey, University of Canterbury | New Zealand’s North Island features a number of geothermal systems, several of which are used to generate some 1,000 MegaWatts of electricity. But deeper down there may be even more potential.
Electrification challenge for politicians, regulators
27 May 2025
Rewiring Aotearoa is calling for stronger political leadership to bring its vision of a cheaper, cleaner and stronger energy system to life, with the launch of its policy manifesto today.
How the little-known ‘dark roof’ lobby may be making US cities hotter
Fri 6 Jun 2025
As cities heat up, reflective roofs could lower energy bills and help the climate. But dark-roofing manufacturers are waging a quiet campaign to block new rules.
Energy Australia is in court accused of greenwashing. What is the case about and why is it significant?
16 May 2025
Climate group alleges energy giant misled 400,000 customers about ‘Go Neutral’ product, arguing that carbon credits don’t actually remove emissions.
Methanex closure comes early this year
14 May 2025
The almost-now-annual closure of Methanex has come earlier this year, giving more confidence that the electricity system will get through the winter without a fuel shortfall.
What happened to the hydrogen economy?
Tue 3 Jun 2025
The hydrogen car that was supposed to carry us into a cleaner future is still not in the driveway. In fact, outside of a few test markets, it’s not in anyone’s driveway.
Climate change could drive surge in foreclosures and lender losses, new study finds
22 May 2025
Extreme weather linked to climate change could spell financial ruin for many American homeowners and lead to billions in losses for lenders, a new study finds.
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.
Energy Australia apologises to 400,000 customers and settles greenwashing legal action
22 May 2025
Energy retailer says carbon offsetting ‘not the most effective way’ to reduce emissions.
Could ‘orange’ hydrogen be NZ’s key to net-zero?
30 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand could be sitting on resources for a thriving multi-billion-dollar, low-carbon hydrogen economy, which might even be capable of creating a net reduction of carbon dioxide, according to scientists.
Carbon News launches price index
24 Jun 2024
Today’s issue is the first to feature Carbon News’ own carbon price index for secondary market spot prices for NZUs on New Zealand’s compliance market.
Govt's RMA overhaul sparks fears for nature and climate
30 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has opened public consultation on the biggest overhaul of environmental planning rules in New Zealand’s history, with critics warning it puts nature and climate at risk in favour of fast-tracked development and industry expansion.
Waste Levy risks becoming ‘slush fund’ under proposed changes – Commissioner
Thu 5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Proposed changes to New Zealand's waste legislation risk undermining public trust in the waste levy scheme, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton.
Top ocean experts sound the alarm over growing marine crisis due to climate change
Fri 6 Jun 2025
On the opening day of a global science conference, French fishery scientist Clea Abello presented research showing that marine protected areas could protect commercially valuable fisheries.
Tech alone won’t save us, warns climate expert
Wed 4 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Technology alone won't be enough to reach net zero emissions, environmental psychologist Lorraine Whitmarsh told the Carbon and Energy Professionals conference in Auckland last week.
New research reveals NZ’s natural resource footprint
29 May 2025
Media release | New research from the office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment reveals that about 107 million tonnes of natural resources were required to produce the goods and services consumed by New Zealanders in 2019 – approximately 21 tonnes per person on average.
NZ's first chance in 20 years to catch up on waste
30 May 2025
Media release | The government has announced proposals for updating the Waste Minimisation Act and the Litter Act. For the first time in nearly 20 years, Kiwis have a chance to catch up with other countries to reduce our waste and litter.
Dismissals 'massive win' for climate movement
13 May 2025
The outstanding charges against 25 climate activists who disrupted traffic in Wellington have been dropped, a move the group calls a win for the climate movement.
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.
Global energy investment set to hit record $3.3 trillion in 2025, IEA says
Fri 6 Jun 2025
A surge in clean energy spending is expected to drive a record $3.3 trillion in global energy investment in 2025, despite economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday.
Green budget 'ludicrous la-la land' – govt
15 May 2025
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the budget was "clown show economics" and an "absolute circus".
US: Clean energy project cancellations top $14 Billion so far in 2025
Wed 4 Jun 2025
Businesses have pulled the plug on big projects amid Trump’s retreat on climate action. But plenty remain in the pipeline, awaiting a Congressional decision on tax credits.
United Nations carbon market rules agreed but concerns remain
25 Nov 2024
New carbon market rules agreed at the fractious UN climate summit will be a relief to New Zealand and Singapore, who were leading the negotiations, but concerns about greenwashing and disadvantaging nature-based solutions remain.
“It’s not the car – it’s how we move” – EECA
Tue 3 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams| New Zealand’s transport emissions conversation has focused heavily on electric vehicles – but Richard Briggs, group manager, delivery and partnerships at the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, says we’re asking the wrong question.
Europe’s next climate target may already have been agreed in Berlin
28 May 2025
Germany’s new coalition has adopted a climate stance shaped by talks with the EU’s top climate official, signalling where the bloc may land on a likely upcoming 2040 emissions target.
Water crisis on the horizon?
26 May 2025
Media release | Sewage contaminating Auckland oyster farms highlights the “dire state” of water infrastructure in Aotearoa, says University of Auckland Associate Professor Daniel Hikuroa.
Tropical forest loss hit new heights in 2024; fire a major driver in Latin America
23 May 2025
Tropical forest loss skyrocketed in 2024, with vast swaths of primary forest consumed by fire, according to new satellite data.
For the first time, China invests more in wind and solar than coal overseas
29 May 2025
China’s Belt and Road Initiative, long derided for its heavy carbon footprint, was dominated by wind and solar power projects for the first time from 2022 to 2023, according to a new analysis. But coal plants financed in earlier years are still coming online.
