Topics tagged with 'Carbon News world'
Our war with the environment is leading to pandemics
31 Mar 2020
The Global covid-19 crisis and the climate and biodiversity crises are deeply connected, health experts say.
Campaigners attack Japan's 'shameful' climate plans
31 Mar 2020
Japan has laid out its plans to tackle greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris agreement in the run-up to UN climate talks this year, becoming the first large economy to do so.
Trump throws lifeline to oil industry
31 Mar 2020
The Trump administration's unprecedented decision to suspend enforcement of US environmental laws amid the covid-19 crisis throws a lifeline to the oil industry.
Stage set for surge in sustainable investing
30 Mar 2020
The coronavirus pandemic and its economic fallout will trigger a skyward surge in sustainable, responsible and impactful investing over the next 12 months, says the CEO of one of the world’s largest independent financial advisory organisations.
Coronavirus hinders climate science
30 Mar 2020
The global response to the coronavirus pandemic is disrupting climate science.
Pandemic recovery needs green strings attached
30 Mar 2020
Governments and financial institutions are under growing pressure to make economic bailouts designed to counter the coronavirus pandemic dependent on climate action in the longer term.
Scientists seek signs of economic shock on CO2 levels
27 Mar 2020
Scientists are monitoring the atmosphere at a mountaintop in Hawaii for clues that the coronavirus will be the first economic shock in more than 60 years to slow a rise in carbon dioxide levels that are heating the planet.
Pandemic leading to huge drop in air pollution
27 Mar 2020
The coronavirus pandemic is shutting down industrial activity and temporarily slashing air pollution levels around the world, satellite imagery shows.
Earth's deepest ice canyon vulnerable to melting
27 Mar 2020
East Antarctic's Denman Canyon is the deepest land gorge on Earth, reaching 3500m below sea level. It's also filled top to bottom with ice which has a significant vulnerability to melting.
Too early to predict impact, says WMO
26 Mar 2020
The World Meteorological Organisation says it’s too soon to predict the impact the covid-19 pandemic will have on climate change.
Oil eyes $10 as world runs out of storage space
26 Mar 2020
The world might soon run out of space to store its extra oil as Saudi Arabia prepares to increase fossil fuel production.
Smoke from bushfires killed hundreds
26 Mar 2020
Smoke from Australia’s recent bushfires killed hundreds of people and sent thousands to hospitals and emergency rooms, according to a new study.
Shell to slash $9 billion from spending
25 Mar 2020
Royal Dutch Shell plans to slash $9 billion from its spending plans to weather the collapse in oil market prices in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
Pensacola plays host to a climate killer
25 Mar 2020
Ten miles north of Pensacola, Florida, an aging chemical plant, its tanks, smokestacks and stainless steel pipes sprawling across hundreds of acres, is a climate killer hiding in plain sight.
It's official, e-cars produce less CO2
25 Mar 2020
Electric vehicles produce less carbon dioxide than petrol cars across the vast majority of the globe – contrary to the claims of some detractors, who have alleged that the CO2 emitted in the production of electricity and their manufacture outweighs the benefits.
European recycling markets reel from coronavirus
24 Mar 2020
By MARK VICTORY | Concerns over the long-term impact of the coronavirus outbreak on key European recycling markets sharply escalated this week, following the adoption of further containment measures across the continent.
Climate change is harder to spot in some places
24 Mar 2020
Changeable weather in mid-latitude countries might have masked the impact of climate crisis up to now, a new study finds.
Why planners must look beyond history to judge risks
24 Mar 2020
Predictions based on past weather extremes are dramatically underestimating growing threats of extreme heat and rain linked to warming, researchers find.
Poor water systems greater risk than virus, says UN
23 Mar 2020
Decades of chronic underfunding of water infrastructure is putting many countries at worse risk in the coronavirus crisis, experts said as the UN marked World Water Day.
Virus forces climate activists to rethink tactics
23 Mar 2020
The coronavirus pandemic has created a quandary for the climate activists just as the movement has achieved unprecedented momentum.
Australian leaders told to get on with it
20 Mar 2020
Australia’s Government has been told to implement comprehensive climate-change policies in the national interest.
One summer cost Greenland 600 billion tonnes of ice
20 Mar 2020
Greenland lost 600 billion tonnes of ice last summer due to an exceptionally warm season, according to a new study.
The frightening origins of coronavirus
20 Mar 2020
In November 2002, a 46-year-old man from the Chinese coastal province of Guangdong developed a fever and struggled to breathe.
General Motors wants to go big on EVs
20 Mar 2020
General Motors' Bolt and Volt models never sold well, but now the company is touting a battery that has more range than Tesla’s.
Southeast Asian mangrove destruction is rampant
20 Mar 2020
Southeast Asia’s aggressive development to spur economic growth are stripping the region’s coasts of mangrove forests at rates faster than anywhere.
Study fingers US banks as largest fossil fuel financers
19 Mar 2020
A new analysis from a coalition of environmental groups has found that four US banks are the world’s largest fossil fuel financers.
China's greenhouse emissions rise 2.6%
19 Mar 2020
China’s greenhouse gas emissions rose 2.6 per cent in 2019 despite a fall in the share of coal in the country’s energy mix, driven by a rise in energy consumption and greater use of oil and gas.
Pandemic plays havoc with climate legislation
19 Mar 2020
Debate on new climate action is being delayed in Australia and the United States because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Johnson under pressure to stage UN climate talks
19 Mar 2020
Nicholas Stern, one of the most prominent global experts on the climate crisis, has urged UK leader Boris Johnson to resist calls to postpone vital UN climate talks this year, despite the coronavirus outbreak.
India finally takes climate crisis seriously
19 Mar 2020
With financial losses and a heavy death toll from climate-related disasters constantly rising, India is at last focusing on the dangers of global warming.
Blame the rich, says university study
18 Mar 2020
The rich are primarily to blame for the global climate crisis, a study by the University of Leeds of 86 countries claims.
South Korea wants Green New Deal
18 Mar 2020
South Korea's ruling party has announced its ambition for the nation to adopt a Green New Deal and deliver net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Air pollution likely to increase virus death rate
18 Mar 2020
The health damage inflicted on people by long-standing air pollution in cities is likely to increase the death rate from coronavirus infections, experts have said.
Virus could hurt growth of solar power
18 Mar 2020
Fallout from the global spread of the Covid-19 virus could deliver the first down year for global solar growth since at least the 1980s, a new report says.
Old fridges still pumping out emissions
18 Mar 2020
Old fridges, air-conditioners and insulating foam still being used are contributing nine billion tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions and causing a six-year delay in the recovery of the ozone hole.
Biden and Sanders go head to head on climate
17 Mar 2020
It only took 10 debates, a worldwide pandemic, and the winnowing of the Democratic field down to two men in their late 70s — but the American public finally got to hear a substantive debate about climate change.
Big Money firms back Amazon oil boom
17 Mar 2020
Five large financial firms from the US and UK are bankrolling an oil boom in the western Amazon, says a new report.
US shale will be first casualty of oil price war
17 Mar 2020
Although the oil price war was triggered by the Russia-Saudi fall-out, US shale will be the first casualty.
STOP THE ROT: The fight to save fresh food
17 Mar 2020
An American firm has developed an organic coating that extends the shelf-life of fruit and vegetables. Might it save the world?
Green turns brown as the ecosystem suffers
17 Mar 2020
The drought in eastern Australia drove the recent bushfires but it also caused another, less well- known, environmental calamity: entire hillsides of trees turned from green to brown.
Virus threatens climate action, says energy watchdog
16 Mar 2020
The coronavirus health crisis might lead to a slump in global carbon emissions this year but the outbreak poses a threat to long-term climate action by undermining investment in clean energy, according to the global energy watchdog.
Coronavirus could mean the end of Small Oil
16 Mar 2020
In a globalised world, the US economy cannot escape the effects of a global pandemic, geopolitical upheaval, and the subsequent plunge in oil prices.
Attenborough calls for ban on deep-sea mining
16 Mar 2020
Sir David Attenborough has urged governments to ban deep-sea mining, following a study warning of “potentially disastrous” risks to the ocean’s life-support systems if it goes ahead.
NSW makes life easier for electric vehicles
16 Mar 2020
New South Wales is aiming for a more-efficient transport future by encouraging electric vehicle uptake in its just-announced Net Zero Plan.
Wind and solar plants will soon be cheaper than coal
13 Mar 2020
Building new wind and solar plants will soon be cheaper in every major market across the globe than running existing coal-fired power stations, according to a new report.
BOE eyes bank capital charge on polluting assets
13 Mar 2020
Britain’s first stress-test of the response of banks to climate change will help the Bank of England to determine if polluting assets should face “penalty” capital charges.
Europe’s farm sector struggles to cut emissions
13 Mar 2020
Europe’s agricultural sector has barely managed to reduce its emissions since 2018, according to a report by the European Environment Agency.
Greenpeace sues Poland's largest carbon emitter
13 Mar 2020
Greenpeace Poland has filed a lawsuit today against the largest carbon emitter in the country, demanding that the company stop any further fossil fuel investments and achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions from its existing coal plants by 2030.
2020 make or break for climate action, says UN
12 Mar 2020
The year 2020 will be pivotal for climate action if the world is to control ever-worsening impacts and indicators of climate change before it is too late, says the United Nations.
Public backs ban on short-haul flights
12 Mar 2020
A majority of European citizens would support a ban on short-distance flights to fight climate change, according to a new survey.
Experts examine climate impacts on Pacific health
Today 10:30am
Media release | The devastating impacts of climate change on health in the Pacific Islands will be discussed at a symposium at the University of Auckland tomorrow, 5 June.
Controversy around NZ’s methane target hits international press
Tue 3 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s approach to methane targets has hit international media, with climate scientists from multiple countries penning an open letter warning Prime Minister Christopher Luxon not to weaken methane targets.
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
Today 10:30am
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
Thu 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
Fri 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.
Owning a green home could cut mortgage payback time by two years
9 May 2025
A green certified home plus a green mortgage and associated energy bill savings could save Kiwi families up to $98,800 over the course of their mortgage - the equivalent of being mortgage-free several years early, according to new research.
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
Thu 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.
Surge of lobbying over electricity sector review
Today 10:30am
Jostling and lobbying have intensified ahead of the release of a review into the electricity sector.
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.
Death toll from Nigeria flash floods rises to 151
Tue 3 Jun 2025
At least 151 people in central Nigeria are now known to have died following flash floods that destroyed homes and displaced thousands of residents earlier this week.
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.
Environmentalists see forestry changes as dangerous step for Tairāwhiti
Tue 3 Jun 2025
By Zita Campbell, Local Democracy Reporter | Tairāwhiti environmentalists have called changes for commercial forestry under proposed Resource Management Act reforms “a slap in the face” and a return to weaker forestry regulations.
Vanuatu criticises Australia for extending gas project while making COP31 bid
Today 10:30am
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.
Could ‘orange’ hydrogen be NZ’s key to net-zero?
Fri 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.
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.
Kiwi cleantech companies on the world stage
27 May 2025
Six New Zealand 'cleantech' companies were in Singapore earlier this month, along with a venture capital firm and the MacDiarmid Institute, to meet investors and multinational partners.
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
Fri 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.
World’s nations to gather in France to tackle what UN says is a global emergency in the oceans
Fri 30 May 2025
The world’s nations are gathering in France next month to tackle what the United Nations calls a global emergency facing the world’s oceans as they confront rising temperatures, plastic pollution choking marine life, and relentless overexploitation of fish and other resources.
Tech alone won’t save us, warns climate expert
Today 10:30am
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
Thu 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
Fri 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.
US: Clean energy project cancellations top $14 Billion so far in 2025
Today 10:30am
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.
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.
India, a major user of coal power, is making large gains in clean energy adoption
Today 10:30am
One of the most carbon-polluting countries, India is also making huge efforts to harness the power of the sun, wind and other clean energy sources.
A fungus that can ‘eat you from the inside out’ could spread as the world heats up
27 May 2025
Infection-causing fungi responsible for millions of deaths a year will spread significantly to new regions as the planet heats up, new research predicts — and the world is not prepared.
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".
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.
Global sea levels rise spelling catastrophe for coastal towns and cities
14 May 2025
For around 2,000 years, global sea levels varied little. That changed in the 20th century. They started rising and have not stopped since — and the pace is accelerating.
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
Thu 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.
