Topics tagged with 'Carbon News world'
Paris weathers one of worst heatwaves in a century
10 Aug 2020
Paris is facing one of its worst heat waves in more than a century, with daily average temperatures hovering around 30deg over a seven-day period and hitting a maximum of 39 degrees on Sunday, according to forecaster Meteo-France.
BP cuts oil production in favour of green energy
7 Aug 2020
BP is taking its business in a new direction, announcing it will slash its oil and gas production by 40 per cent and increase its annual investment in low-carbon technology to $5 billion, a 10-fold increase over its current level.
Business risk and covid-19 are pushing Asian financiers away from coal
7 Aug 2020
The use of coal as an energy source is steadily declining in the US and Europe, but coal mining and the construction of coal-fired power plants continues across South and Southeast Asia.
Europe is going all-in on hydrogen power - why isn’t the US?
7 Aug 2020
Once upon a time, hydrogen was supposed to be the future of energy. The possibilities for hydrogen power seemed endless: it could fuel our cars, heat our homes, and even power our airplanes. But 175 years after the creation of the first “gas battery,” the technology has yet to reach its full potential.
Diseases from wildlife thrive when nature is destroyed, study finds
7 Aug 2020
The human destruction of natural ecosystems increases the numbers of rats, bats and other animals that harbour diseases that can lead to pandemics such as Covid-19, a comprehensive analysis has found
Gillard says her carbon price proved climate policy isn't 'too hard'
6 Aug 2020
Former Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has warned against a feeling of “received helplessness” that policies to reduce greenhouse gases are “all too hard”, citing the carbon price legislated by her government as proof climate policy “can get done”.
EU can and must cut emissions by more than 55% by 2030
6 Aug 2020
The European Commission is proposing strengthening its 40 per cent greenhouse gas emission reduction target to 50 per cent or 55 per cent on 1990 levels in the next 10 years, but this doesn't meet the minimum level of ambition that climate science, and the EU’s own climate-neutrality goal, say is needed.
Major ship emissions study flags a bigger role for governments
6 Aug 2020
Greenhouse gas emissions from shipping increased by 9.6% from 2012 to 2018, as rising demand outweighed efficiency improvements.
Satellites find new colonies of emperor penguins
6 Aug 2020
Satellite observations have found a raft of new emperor penguin breeding sites in the Antarctic - welcome news as the species faces increasing pressure from climate change.
YOUNG v OLD: The battle goes on in the forest
5 Aug 2020
Are young trees or old forests more important for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and storing it?
Trucks and buses are the electric future
5 Aug 2020
There aren't enough batteries in the world to electrify all the cars, so instead we should be focusing on trucks and buses.
Ban SUV adverts to meet climate goals, report urges
5 Aug 2020
Advertising of sports utility vehicles, which emit more greenhouse gases than other cars, should be banned so the UK can meet its climate goals, a report has said.
Ireland's Supreme Court damns country's climate policies
5 Aug 2020
In what’s being seen as a landmark judgement, Ireland’s Supreme Court has ruled that the Dublin Government's policies on climate change are inadequate and has called for more action and clarity on the issue.
Big Oil takes big hit from covid-19
4 Aug 2020
The world's leading oil and gas giants are revealing the scale of the damage inflicted on the industry by the coronavirus pandemic, with top American companies reporting billions in losses while some European companies were able to eke out small profits.
More coal power-generation closed than opened last year
4 Aug 2020
The size of the global coal power fleet fell for the first time on record over the first six months of the year, with more generation capacity shutting than starting operation.
John Kerry backs new carbon-price ETF
4 Aug 2020
John Kerry is betting that Wall Street will succeed where governments failed in the fight against climate change.
RGGI cuts carbon and helps kids to breath
4 Aug 2020
With Virginia and Pennsylvania clamoring to join, the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, affectionately known as RGGI (pronounced “Reggie”), is becoming the coolest climate club on the United States East Coast.
Flying to bounce back faster in domestic markets
3 Aug 2020
Air travel is resuming on many routes as restrictions to contain the spread of coronavirus ease.
Health is all we have - but now Google wants it
3 Aug 2020
The EU probe of Google's deal for Fitbit is a harbinger of a future in which Big Tech is central to healthcare.
DEVELOPERS v DURRELL: The battle for Corfu
3 Aug 2020
Usually, at this time of year, Corfu would have submitted to the soporific rhythms of the relentless summer heat.
Ireland forced to strengthen climate plan
3 Aug 2020
The Irish government has been ordered to take more aggressive action on climate change, following a ruling by the country’s top judges.
Will China and the US become climate partners again?
31 Jul 2020
The Biden campaign’s ambitious new plan for domestic climate action might help renew collaboration between the world’s two largest greenhouse gas emitters.
Record number of land activists die in 2019
31 Jul 2020
A record 212 land and environmental defenders were killed last year, equivalent to an average of more than four per week, according to a new report.
Super-rich fail on pledge to hand over rising wealth
31 Jul 2020
Super-rich individuals who pledged to give away most of their money to good causes are instead sitting on rising wealth fuelled by the "warehousing" of cash in dedicated family foundations or funds, a new study has found.
E-trains gain upper hand over hydrogen locomotives
31 Jul 2020
Rail operators could make big savings by choosing electric battery power over hydrogen fuel cells when replacing diesel engines, a new study has suggested, although the ever-changing price of energy means the jury is still out on the best power source.
France to ban heated terraces in cafes and bars
31 Jul 2020
France's government has announced new environmental measures, including a ban on heated terraces for cafes and bars.
Scientists pull 100-million-year-old microbes from sea
31 Jul 2020
Microbes buried beneath the sea floor for more than 100 million years are still alive, a new study reveals.
Is there time for the nuclear fusion dream to work?
30 Jul 2020
The biggest science experiment on Earth could avert climate change. But is there still time for nuclear fusion to work?
UK's biggest pension fund begins fossil fuels divestment
30 Jul 2020
The UK’s biggest pension fund, the government-backed National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) scheme with nine million members, is to begin divesting from fossil fuels.
Dutch city redraws layout to prepare for heating effects
30 Jul 2020
The Dutch city of Arnhem is digging up asphalt roads and creating shady areas around busy shopping districts after concluding that the consequences of global heating are unavoidable.
The surprising reasons why people ignore the facts
30 Jul 2020
Picture yourself giving nearly the same speech hundreds of times, filled with rock-solid facts, detailed charts, and impassioned moral pleas. Despite years of these efforts, you’re hoarse and exhausted and can’t shake the sense that people still aren’t listening.
How to hide from a drone (the subtle art of ghosting)
30 Jul 2020
Drones of all sizes are being used by environmental advocates to monitor deforestation, by conservationists to track poachers, and by journalists and activists to document large protests.
Deutsche Bank to cut ties with coal companies
29 Jul 2020
Deutsche Bank will end business worldwide with the companies most exposed to coal mining by 2025 at the latest, as part of a revamp of its policies on financing the fossil fuel industry.
The campaign that made Swedes give up flying for good
29 Jul 2020
Europe’s major airlines are likely to see their turnover drop by 50 per cent this year as a result of the covid-19 pandemic, while European airports expect to welcome 700 million fewer passengers.
Chinese fishing vessels sound alarm off Galapagos
29 Jul 2020
Ecuador has sounded the alarm after its navy discovered a huge fishing fleet of mostly Chinese-flagged vessels 200 miles from the Galápagos Islands.
Big Oil helps fund powerful police groups in US cities
29 Jul 2020
Big corporations accused of driving environmental and health inequalities in black and brown communities through toxic and climate-changing pollution are also funding powerful police groups in major US cities, according to a new investigation.
Carbon emissions chill atmosphere at edge of space
29 Jul 2020
While greenhouse gases are warming Earth’s surface, they’re also causing rapid cooling far above us, at the edge of space.
OPINION: I’m bewildered that Trump would imperil America by abandoning the Paris Agreement
28 Jul 2020
By BAN KI-MOON | The Paris agreement to tackle climate change is an extraordinary opportunity. In a remarkable display of unity, almost every nation on Earth has agreed to make critical changes that will help humanity avoid disaster. But Donald Trump is walking away.
Earth's biggest ice sheet more vulnerable than thought
28 Jul 2020
Shocking evidence suggests that the last time the East Antarctic ice sheet collapsed, it added more than three metres to sea level rise, and that it’s likely to happen again.
How nature and business can boost each other
28 Jul 2020
Businesses that add value to nature instead of degrading and destroying it could tap into a $10.1 trillion opportunity which could create 395 million jobs by 2030.
Microsoft can’t achieve climate goals alone
28 Jul 2020
Back in January, Microsoft announced arguably the most ambitious climate plan of any tech company to date.
Human climate change causes record Arctic heat
27 Jul 2020
AN INTERNATIONAL team of scientists has pinned the strange weather and record heat in the Siberian Arctic firmly on human-induced climate change.
Telework helps affluent and has few climate benefits
27 Jul 2020
Back in 2018 – in the pre-pandemic world – about 5 per cent of the US workforce teleworked from home. That changed dramatically with the onset of the covid-19 pandemic; by May 2020 that number had jumped to about 35 per cent.
States rev up plans for electric trucks and vans
27 Jul 2020
The world enjoyed cleaner air and clearer skies earlier this year as streets and highways largely emptied during coronavirus-related lockdowns. The sharp decline of oil-burning vehicles gave a glimpse into a world without pollution-spewing tailpipes and fewer growling 18-wheelers, school buses, and other large vehicles.
Make nature part of 'build, build, build' policy
27 Jul 2020
Instead of blaming protected newts for thwarting the “build, build, build” agenda, politicians and developers must incorporate green thinking into the design of new infrastructure, according to the chair of the UK government’s conservation watchdog.
Tesla crushes rivals with first full-year profit
24 Jul 2020
Electric vehicle-maker Tesla has posted its first full-year profit – not just beating analyst expectations but also cementing its position as the most valuable automaker in the world and highlighting the huge advantage it holds over legacy car makers.
Renewables overtake fossil fuels in EU power generation
24 Jul 2020
Renewable sources have overtaken coal, oil and gas in EU electricity generation for the first time, new analysis shows.
Cycling and walking can help drive Australia’s recovery
24 Jul 2020
What do bike paths and walk-friendly streets have to do with economic recovery from a pandemic-induced recession? How could removing a car parking space benefit a local business? Instead of considering such questions, building roads for cars is often seen as the obvious answer to “kick-start” the economy.
GLOBAL HEATING: Range of evidence widens
24 Jul 2020
Doomsayers and hopemongers alike may need to revise their climate predictions after a study that almost rules out the most optimistic forecasts for global heating while downplaying the likelihood of worst-case scenarios.
UN chief confronts China over coal boom,
24 Jul 2020
UN secretary-general António Guterres has urged China to stop funding coal projects, warning the Paris climate agreement goals will slip out of reach if the world fails to deliver a green recovery to covid-19.
Governments must vote in favour of moratorium on deep sea mining
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Media release - Greenpeace | The 30th session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has ended with Greenpeace saying governments are continuing to fall short in protecting the deep sea.
Does NZ need a national incentive scheme for wetlands?
25 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | An expert is calling for a national incentive programme to restore New Zealand’s wetlands and wants to stop schemes to drain these vital carbon-sequestering ecosystems.
NZ Post drops science-based climate target
8 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | NZ Post has dropped its science-based emissions reduction target of 42% by 2030 with no plans to replace it.
Airlines risk legal challenges by advertising jet fuel as “sustainable”, NGO warns
18 Jul 2025
Amid suspected fraud in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a new report says the airline industry should stop calling all alternatives to kerosene “sustainable”.
Challenges persist in bid to mine the deep sea, even after boost from Trump
Tue 29 Jul 2025
After years of delay, the deep-sea mining plans of Canadian firm The Metals Company (TMC) now appear to be progressing as it pursues a controversial new path to securing a license to mine in international waters under U.S. jurisdiction.
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.
Is extending Huntly power station to 2035 in consumers’ best interest?
22 Jul 2025
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: Genesis Energy is proposing a cartel to keep high-emitting Huntly Power Station in business to 2035. If extending Huntly has economic benefits, is a cartel necessary?
Bearish sentiment lingers for carbon market
11 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The compliance carbon market could be set for a gradual upward trajectory, however unsold volume from the quarterly Emissions Trading Scheme auctions continues to act as ‘a price ceiling,’ according to an expert.
Multi-day protest continues at coal mine
Wed 30 Jul 2025
Bathurst Resources has been forced to truck coal from its Stockton mine as climate activists occupy coal buckets at the mine for a third day.
Forestry can be a big plus for sheep and beef farmers – but there are caveats
22 Jul 2025
By Keith Woodford | OPINION: These are good times for sheep and beef farmers with record product prices for meat, which is precisely why now is the time for sheep and beef farmers to be looking again at farm forestry.
Common low-grade clay strengthens low-carbon concrete
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.
NZ voluntary carbon market’s sad state
14 Jul 2025
By John O’Brien | OPINION: A combination of scandals, challenging economic times, and cheaper offshore carbon credits, mean that the domestic voluntary carbon market in New Zealand remains absolutely tiny.
A modest geothermal strategy
Thu 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.
Key orange roughy population on verge of collapse, govt considers closure
9 Jul 2025
Media release - Deep Sea Conservation Coalition | New data reveals that New Zealand’s main orange roughy fishery, accounting for half of the country’s total catch, is on the brink of collapse, with one model showing it may have reached that point already, and the government’s considering closing it.
2025 on track to be second or third warmest year on record
Thu 31 Jul 2025
As it passes its midway point, 2025 is on track to be the second or third warmest year on record. However, it is very unlikely to beat 2024 as the hottest year.
Latest trawl bycatch numbers 'a grim wake-up call'
24 Jun 2025
Media release – Greenpeace | The latest fisheries bycatch data paints a grim picture, with trawlers hauling up thousands of kilograms of coral and killing hundreds of fur seals and seabirds over a 12 month period.
Wilding pines threaten Molesworth Station
Mon 28 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Without increased support, the unchecked spread of wilding pines will continue to creep across Marlborough’s high country – putting iconic landscapes and one of New Zealand’s top five biodiversity hotspots at serious risk, according to an expert.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
Thu 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.
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.
European Central Bank to consider 'climate factor' when lending to banks
Thu 31 Jul 2025
The European Central Bank will add climate change considerations to its lending operations from late 2026, raising pressure on banks to channel financing towards greener sectors as the euro zone seeks to reduce its carbon footprint.
NZ part of hidden global deep-sea network beneath the waves
25 Jul 2025
Media release - Earth Sciences New Zealand | A world-first study of marine life, including sea creatures found in New Zealand's dark, cold, pressurised ocean depths, has revealed that deep-sea life is surprisingly more connected than previously thought.
‘Ideological sludge’: How NZ is quiet quitting climate action
17 Jul 2025
New Zealand once stood out as a world leader on climate change. In June it became the first country in the world to abandon a commitment to phase out oil, gas and coal.
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.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
Tue 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.
Climate catastrophes are creating a ‘new market reality’ for insurance carriers
23 Jul 2025
Raging wildfires and severe storms contributed to record-high global insurance losses — totalling an estimated US$84 billion — for the first six months of the year.
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.
The ICJ’s ruling means Australia and other major polluters face a new era of climate reparations
25 Jul 2025
By Harj Narulla | OPINION: Australia has found itself on the wrong side of history.
Fund for low emissions transport winds up
Thu 31 Jul 2025
New Zealand’s Low Emission Transport Fund has officially wrapped up, ending a nine-year programme that put hundreds of millions of dollars towards accelerating the country’s shift to cleaner transport.
Urgent action needed to get on track for climate goals - commission
25 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand is making progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but more work is needed – urgently – to set up for future reductions, according to the latest report from the Climate Change Commission.
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.
Toxic algae are turning South Australia’s coral reefs into underwater graveyards
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Since March, a harmful algal bloom, fueled by a marine heat wave, has been choking South Australia’s coastline.
NZ govt’s fossil fuel plans could break international law
24 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government could be breaching international law with its plans to subsidise and expand fossil fuel extraction, following a ruling overnight from the world’s highest court.
Tipping points: Window to avoid irreversible climate impacts is ‘rapidly closing’
11 Jul 2025
In the midst of a record-breaking heatwave in Europe, the UK city of Exeter recently played host to the second international conference on “tipping points”.
‘Total infiltration’: How plastics industry swamped vital global treaty talks
Mon 28 Jul 2025
Petrostates and well-funded lobbyists at UN-hosted talks are derailing a deal to cut plastic production and protect people and the planet.
Media round-up
25 Jul 2025
In our round-up of the climate coverage in local media: Dairy conversions surge; Gore is hit with a drinking water crisis; meanwhile farming lobby groups Groundswell and Federated Farmers are up in arms about a plan to classify environmental impacts in the agriculture and forestry sector.
The EU’s ‘fantasy’ $750B energy promise to Trump
Thu 31 Jul 2025
The EU has narrowly avoided a full-blown trade war with Donald Trump by pledging to buy $750 billion of U.S. oil and gas by the end of his term. But achieving that will be almost impossible.
Activists sue US development bank over $4.6bn loan to massive Mozambique gas project
18 Jul 2025
Environmental groups claim loan is ‘unlawful’ in legal filing.
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.
Tilting at windmills? Trump’s claims about turbines fact-checked
Thu 31 Jul 2025
The US president has taken a swipe at wind power as the blades visible from his Turnberry golf course turn.
Ocean heatwaves may signal climate tipping point
25 Jul 2025
A recent study that tapped into satellite data has revealed that 2023 marked an unprecedented year for marine heatwaves, with record-breaking levels of duration, reach and intensity across the world's oceans.
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’.
Can robot taxis solve NZ's transport woes?
23 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Ministry of Transport has tested the idea of driverless taxis as a futuristic fix. But while new modelling explores how "robotaxis" could ease congestion and reduce car ownership, critics say it misses a crucial point – the country’s worsening transport emissions.
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.
EV sales fall, but it’s complicated
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Imports of fully electric vehicles fell over 50% in value during the 12 months to June 2025, compared with the year ended June 2024, according to Stats NZ.
Waste Levy risks becoming ‘slush fund’ under proposed changes – Commissioner
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.
The struggle for control of the Arctic is accelerating - and it's riskier than ever
11 Jul 2025
As the battle for one of the world’s coldest places heats up, an increasingly fragile security balance may be breaking down, leading to an escalating arms race.
UN University report warns against carbon credits from REDD, tree planting, and improved forest management
13 Jun 2025
But the report stops short of recommending banning the trade in carbon temporarily stored in trees.
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.
