Topics tagged with 'Carbon News world'
Burning gas “worse than coal” for climate
12 Mar 2020
Emissions from natural gas have been dangerously underestimated and it was wrong to treat gas as a “transition fuel” in the shift away from coal, according to an Australian think-tank.
VW wants to hire climate activist
12 Mar 2020
Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess wants to recruit an “aggressive climate activist” to work for the company, with direct access to the board in order to challenge its green policies.
EU announces ‘clean hydrogen alliance’
11 Mar 2020
Plans for an EU-wide hydrogen alliance were confirmed yesterday when the European Commission unveiled its new industrial strategy.
Amazon-sized ecosystems can collapse within decades
11 Mar 2020
Even large ecosystems the size of the Amazon rainforest can collapse in a few decades, according to a study that shows bigger biomes break up relatively faster than small ones.
Virus scare could show us how to tackle climate crisis
11 Mar 2020
Coronavirus is not the only global crisis we face: the climate crisis is expected to be more devastating. Some have observed that the response to the two crises is starkly different.
Honolulu sues petroleum companies
11 Mar 2020
Honolulu city officials suing eight oil companies say climate change already is having damaging effects on the city's coastline, and lays out a litany of catastrophic public nuisances.
Big Oil counting on plastics to save them
10 Mar 2020
In the past decade, petrochemicals have moved from a sideshow for the oil and gas industry to a major profit machine - and the trend is expected to accelerate.
Expert debunks myth about e-car emissions
10 Mar 2020
Dutch electric vehicle expert Auke Hoekstra has cut through the latest claims of renowned climate denialist Bjorn Lomborg, published at the weekend by The Australian, on the emissions from electric vehicles.
Inside Europe's shadow climate fight
10 Mar 2020
The EU’s new industrial strategy, due out today, is an opportunity to shake up more than a decade of lethargic progress in cutting greenhouse gas emissions from Europe’s heavy industries.
Green Deal could cost 11m jobs, say unions
10 Mar 2020
Trade unions have stepped up warnings that the Green Deal put forward by the European Commission in December last year could put 11 million jobs at risk.
Morrison stops funding international collaboration
9 Mar 2020
The Morrison government has told researchers at two of Australia’s leading universities it will break a commitment to fund an international collaboration into what is required to shift to a zero emissions future.
Pro-Trump climate denial group lays off staff
9 Mar 2020
An influential climate-denial think tank bankrolled by President Donald Trump’s far-right billionaire donors has laid off nearly a dozen staffers amid financial troubles, according to three former employees.
UN cancels climate-change meetings
9 Mar 2020
The United Nations is cancelling climate-change meetings in Bonn for the next two months because of the Covid-19 virus outbreak.
Is climate change urgent enough to justify a crime?
9 Mar 2020
On April 28, 2019, four retirees and a 20-year-old student were arrested for planting a vegetable garden on the railroad tracks at Zenith Energy, an oil distribution facility in Oregon.
Tropical forests could be heating Earth by 2035
9 Mar 2020
Within about 15 years, the great tropical forests of Amazonia and Africa could stop absorbing atmospheric carbon, and slowly start to release more carbon than growing trees can fix.
Carbon capture and storage has stalled - needlessly
6 Mar 2020
The idea is simple: capture and concentrate CO2 before it's released to the air and store it deep underground where it can't escape.
Investor group tells firms to set out climate crisis plans
6 Mar 2020
An influential group of investors is for the first time demanding that all UK-listed companies disclose how the climate emergency will impact their business.
British Gas and VW unveil electric-vehicle deal
6 Mar 2020
British Gas has teamed up with Volkswagen to accelerate the rollout of its electric vehicles across UK roads by helping drivers to charge up at home at a lower price.
Past failures put pressure on emissions deadlines
5 Mar 2020
Global failure to address climate change a decade ago means emissions must now drop at 7 per cent a year to meet the Paris Agreement, prompting scientists to call for the world to switch into crisis mode.
EU unveils law for climate neutrality by 2050
5 Mar 2020
Net-zero emissions by 2050 is set to be a legally binding objective for all 27 EU member states, according to the bloc's first climate law.
UK to introduce cleaner petrol
5 Mar 2020
The UK government is set to introduce E10 fuel containing 10 per cent ethanol as a new form of “cleaner” petrol aimed at cutting carbon dioxide emissions.
Climate change on their minds
5 Mar 2020
Major international oil companies are talking more about climate change, a new study show says.
Support grows for cloud seeding
5 Mar 2020
New research supports cloud seeding efforts to bolster water supplies in drying regions, but some scientists question its effectiveness in addressing climate change.
Coronavirus could derail COP 26 summit
4 Mar 2020
Concern is growing among campaigners that vital UN climate talks in Glasgow later this year will be derailed by the coronavirus outbreak.
Green groups take on energy giant
4 Mar 2020
General Electric is in the sights of 65 environmental groups for promoting coal-fired power generation in 17 countries.
Countries line up for EU climate fight cash
4 Mar 2020
The European Commission has revealed which countries are eligible to split a €7.5 billion-strong climate fund, earmarked for spending on cleaning up heavy industry and supporting workers in the fossil fuel industry.
How wood waste can strengthen recycled concrete
4 Mar 2020
Researchers in Japan have revealed that discarded concrete can be strengthened with the addition of wood waste.
World could lose half its sandy beaches by 2100
3 Mar 2020
The world will lose almost half of its valuable sandy beaches by 2100 as the ocean moves landward with rising sea levels, a new report says.
EIB vows new backing for environment projects
3 Mar 2020
The European Investment Bank is promising to help to boost climate and environment funding.
Billionaire launches campaign to starve coal plants
3 Mar 2020
British hedge fund billionaire Chris Hohn has launched a campaign to persuade central banks to starve hundreds of planned coal-fired power plants around the world of finance.
Oil giants facing split over climate change
3 Mar 2020
BP's net-zero emissions announcements are the latest signs that a gap might be opening between European and US oil giants over climate change.
Hunger threat as tropical fish seek cooler waters
3 Mar 2020
Stocks of tropical fish that have provided vital protein for local people for generations may soon disappear as the oceans warm, leaving empty seas in their wake, scientists believe.
Australia's summers getting longer
3 Mar 2020
Australia’s summers are getting longer and winters have become shorter as a result of global heating, according to a new report.
Congo drilling could release vast amount of CO2
2 Mar 2020
Drilling in one of the greatest carbon sinks on the planet could release greenhouse gases equivalent to Japan’s annual emissions.
BROADCAST SNOOZE: US networks drag the chain
2 Mar 2020
Television news is covering little more than the tip of the climate change iceberg, a new US survey shows.
Logging is the last thing fire-forests need
2 Mar 2020
The New South Wales’ Forestry Corporation this week will start “selective timber harvesting” from two state forests ravaged by bushfire on the state’s south coast.
Farmers speak out on mental health
2 Mar 2020
Isolation and bad weather are compounding the strain from what UK farmers call the “anti-meat agenda”.
Morrison to encourage plastics recycling
2 Mar 2020
The Australian government will use its procurement policy to encourage the recycling of plastics, as well as committing financial assistance for upgrading infrastructure to boost the capacity for this waste to be reused.
Rio Tinto spending $1b to reach net-zero emissions
28 Feb 2020
Mining giant Rio Tinto says it wants its globe-spanning operations to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and will spend $US1 billion over the next five years to reduce its carbon footprint.
Dire prospects await corporate climate-wreckers
28 Feb 2020
Reputational damage, financial vulnerability and a lack of access to capital are likely impacts on firms that fail to respond to the climate crisis this decade, experts surveyed for a new study say.
Netherlands faces pressure as global test case
28 Feb 2020
The Netherlands is under pressure to slash emissions in sectors such as power generation and agriculture after a ruling by a top court made the government a reluctant test case for tougher global climate policies.
Skip the jargon if you want people to care
28 Feb 2020
If you’re confused what the “circular economy” is, or what it means for a company to go “net-zero,” you’re far from alone.
FIFA aims for carbon-neutral 2022 World Cup
28 Feb 2020
FIFA aims to reach carbon neutrality at the next World Cup, to be hosted by Qatar in 2022, in spite of environmental challenges linked to the location of the event.
Crisis could pose catastrophic threat, experts warn
27 Feb 2020
Climate change could become a “catastrophic” threat to global security, as people lose their livelihoods, fall ill and battle over scarce water and food, a host of US security, military and intelligence experts have warned.
JPMorgan Chase to curb fossil fuel loans
27 Feb 2020
JPMorgan Chase, one of the world’s biggest lenders to fossil fuel projects, will curb loans to coal firms and bar the financing of oil and gas developments in the Arctic.
A third of plants and animals risk mass extinction
27 Feb 2020
Within 50 years, a third of all plant and animal species could be caught up in a mass extinction, as a consequence of climate change driven by ever-rising temperatures. What is new about this warning is the method, the precision, the timetable and the identification of a cause.
Ride-hailing operations highly carbon intensive
27 Feb 2020
A new study finds the ride-hailing companies emit nearly 70 percent more carbon thanks largely to a practice known as “deadheading.”
Not in five years, but holy grail of energy on its way
26 Feb 2020
Recent reports from scientists pursuing a new kind of nuclear fusion technology are encouraging, but we are still some distance away from the “holy grail of clean energy”.
Old batteries can be source of new energy
26 Feb 2020
Driving an electric-powered vehicle rather than one reliant on fossil fuels is a key way to tackle climate change and improve air quality − but it does leave the old batteries behind as a nasty residue.
Newly waterproofed Arctic seed vault hits 1m samples
26 Feb 2020
The Arctic global seed vault has reached the milestone of having one million varieties stored in its deep freeze.
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.
