Topics tagged with 'Carbon News world'
In 50 years, some cities will be too hot to handle
6 May 2020
Unless steps are taken to check global warming, up to three billion people will find themselves in areas too warm for human comfort, a new study finds.
How Dutch were forced into emissions cuts
6 May 2020
Last month, the Dutch government announced a bold set of climate policies designed to reduce annual carbon emissions by nearly 10 megatons.
Inside gas cookers are making us sick
6 May 2020
Gas cookers are making people sick and exposing tens of millions to air pollution levels that would be illegal if they were outside.
Living in the Rainbow Tree with 30,000 plants
6 May 2020
Assuming the Rainbow Tree is actually built, the greenery-covered timber tower will rise to an impressive height of 115 m in Cebu, the Philippines.
Westpac to stop funding coal for power
5 May 2020
Westpac says it will stop funding mining projects for coal to be used for power generation by 2030, as part of a broader commitment to reach a net-zero emissions business model by 2050.
Trump-friendly fuel firms get millions in aid
5 May 2020
US fossil fuel companies have taken at least $50m in taxpayer money they probably won’t have to pay back, according to a review of coronavirus aid meant for struggling small businesses.
Coal industry uses enough water for 5 million people
5 May 2020
Coal mining and coal-fired power stations in New South Wales and Queensland use the same amount of water as 5.2 million people, or more than the entire population of Greater Sydney, says a new report.
Warren Buffett dumps US airline stocks
4 May 2020
Legendary American investor Warren Buffett has sold his firm’s entire holdings in the four major US airlines, warning that the world has changed for the aviation industry because of the coronavirus crisis.
Global energy markets in unpheaval
4 May 2020
The world’s energy markets are in upheaval, as experts report an historic fall in global fossil fuel demand.
Morrison offers $300m to boost hydrogen
4 May 2020
The Morrison government will change the investment mandate of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, directing it to make up to $300m available for a new Advancing Hydrogen Fund as part of the national hydrogen strategy.
Shopping online better for planet, says Bezos
4 May 2020
Amazon chief Jeff Bezos says that shopping online is “inherently” more efficient, from a carbon emissions perspective, than going to the store.
Emissions drop is not all good news
1 May 2020
Experts have cautioned that a drop of nearly 8 per cent in greenhouse gas emissions should not be seen as good news for efforts to tackle climate change.
North America’s fracking boom flounders
1 May 2020
The shale industry made the US a major producer once again. But Covid-19 looks likely to ruin many prospectors.
Germany offers 20 years of climate lessons
1 May 2020
Twenty years ago, before climate change was as widely seen as the existential threat it is today, Germany embarked on an ambitious program to transform the way it produced electric power.
Threats to the insect world are growing
1 May 2020
The Earth’s land-based insects are in steady decline, their numbers falling by around a quarter every three decades.
Stand by for big blows in the Atlantic
1 May 2020
New forecasts show that this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, which will take place between June and November, is shaping up to be among the worst.
VW set for Dieselgate legal showdown
30 Apr 2020
Germany’s main court for civil and criminal matters will hear a diesel emissions scandal case for the first time next week.
Germany defends €10 billion airline bailout
30 Apr 2020
Germany’s environment minister has defended a planned bailout of the country’s largest airline to protect jobs in the short term, insisting the next phase of post-coronavirus recovery will be green.
Michael Moore film dangerous, say campaigners
30 Apr 2020
A new Michael Moore documentary that takes aim at the supposed hypocrisy of the green movement is “dangerous, misleading and destructive” and should be removed from public viewing, according to climate scientists and campaigners.
North Pole may be clear water by mid-century
30 Apr 2020
Within 30 years, there could be clear blue water over the North Pole – not good news for most of the planet.
Developers might find spare land is drying up
30 Apr 2020
Developers might struggle to find enough land to offset the biodiversity impacts of future development, scientists say.
Unexpected breather offers sport a chance
30 Apr 2020
AROUND THE WORLD, athletes are taking a forced break and wondering what the future holds for their sports.
This year likely to be hottest since records began
29 Apr 2020
This year is on course to be the world’s hottest since measurements began, according to meteorologists.
Germany and Britain call for green recovery
29 Apr 2020
Germany and Britain say that efforts to revive the global economy in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic must ensure a ‘green recovery’ that helps the world to tackle climate change.
Costs kill Mercedes dreams of hydrogen
29 Apr 2020
Mercedes-Benz is killing its programme to develop passenger cars powered by hydrogen fuel cells.
Trump wants to mine Grand Canyon
29 Apr 2020
The Trump administration, seeking to restore America’s “competitive nuclear advantage,” wants to mine uranium on land bordering the Grand Canyon.
Big Plastic asks Congress for $1b bailout
29 Apr 2020
The plastics industry is asking Congress for $1 billion to bail out plastic recycling during the coronavirus crisis.
Dutch to act on emissions after court ruling
28 Apr 2020
The Dutch government has announced measures including huge cuts to coal use, garden greening and limits on livestock herds as part of its plan to lower emissions to comply with a supreme court ruling.
'We need to hear these poor trees scream'
28 Apr 2020
New studies show drought and heat waves will cause massive die-offs, killing most trees alive today.
It’s a galloping goodbye to Europe’s coal
28 Apr 2020
The energy that has powered Europe for several hundred years, driving its industry, fighting its wars and keeping its people warm, is on the way out, fast.
Michael Moore takes a swipe at green A-listers
28 Apr 2020
A new film from the Michael Moore stable takes a pop at green, liberal A-listers such as Al Gore – but doesn’t dare criticise Greta Thunberg.
Indonesia puts new jungle capital on hold
28 Apr 2020
The Indonesian government’s plan to relocate the country’s capital from Java to the jungles of Borneo has hit a wall.
Floods will be catastrophic by 2030, says study
24 Apr 2020
New research finds 147 million will be hit by floods by the end of the decade – ‘the numbers will be catastrophic’.
Climate fighter Gore throws weight behind Biden
24 Apr 2020
Climate champion and former US vice-president Al Gore has endorsed Joe Biden's presidential candidacy.
Our e-waste mountain is an outrage
24 Apr 2020
Unrepairable phones and laptops are one of the scandals of our throwaway society. But the pushback is building – and the coronavirus crisis has added more pressure for change.
UK plutonium stockpile is a costly headache
24 Apr 2020
For 70 years Britain has been dissolving spent nuclear fuel in acid, separating the plutonium and uranium it contains and stockpiling the plutonium in the hope of finding some peaceful use for it, to no avail: all it has to show today is a UK plutonium stockpile.
Economic rescue could take path to decarbonisation
23 Apr 2020
As states contemplate how to restart the global economy after the pandemic, it’s important to remember that we’ve been here before.
Will climate change end waterfront living?
23 Apr 2020
Developers are creating waterfront homes in Boston with innovative seawall defences but is this a model for other cities? Or a sign of climate gentrification?
'Horrible hybrids' give plastics recyclers nightmares
23 Apr 2020
From singing birthday cards to baby food pouches, a growing trend of mixing materials is making recycling even harder.
France wants public buildings to be 50% wood
23 Apr 2020
The French Government is set to require that all new public buildings must be made at least 50 per cent from wood or other sustainable materials from 2022 as it pushes for sustainable urban development.
How are negative oil prices even possible?
22 Apr 2020
It’s hard to believe that the price of any commodity, let alone oil, can dip into negative territory. But that’s just what’s happened to oil prices.
Climate change greatest threat to humanity, say experts
22 Apr 2020
A new group of eminent Australian policy experts and academics have warned that climate change is one of the greatest threats to the long-term survival of human society.
Halve the farmland, save nature, feed the world
22 Apr 2020
If we farm efficiently, scientists say, we can cut climate change, slow extinction and feed the world even as it asks for more.
Windows could produce future electricity
21 Apr 2020
Windows could replace rooftop solar panels within a decade as a way of generating electricity, scientists say.
France, Germany join call for green recovery
21 Apr 2020
Paris and Berlin have added their names to a growing list of EU capitals asking for the European Green Deal to be placed at the heart of the EU’s post-pandemic recovery plan.
Norway's a-ha moment made electric cars the answer
21 Apr 2020
Norway, a country fuelled by hydropower, has become the world’s electric vehicle leader.
BoE under fire for deal with oil companies
20 Apr 2020
The Bank of England has been accused of failing to live up to its tough talk on the climate crisis after it revealed it would buy debt from oil companies as part of its coronavirus stimulus programme.
Everything points to a megadrought
20 Apr 2020
Climate change could be pushing the US west and northern Mexico towards the most severe and most extended period of drought observed in a thousand years of US history, a full-blown megadrought.
Their world is wasted veges and empty shelves
20 Apr 2020
Climate change and covid-19 are testing a food system that critics say has lost its resilience.
Shell plans to be net-zero carbon by 2050
17 Apr 2020
Royal Dutch Shell plans to become a net zero-carbon company by 2050 or sooner by selling more green energy to help to reduce the carbon intensity of its business.
‘Pathetic': experts slam govt’s approach to adaptation
Mon 20 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has signalled it will step back from full property buyouts if assets are hit by climate disasters, a move adaptation experts say will condemn hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders to a “dismal” future.
Govt ‘captured by industry’ on methane – Carr
Tue 21 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr says that recent moves to weaken methane targets and halt plans for agricultural emissions pricing show the Government has been captured by industry.
NZ needs to be part of a regional SAF strategy: Z, Air NZ
9 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand needs to be part of a regional strategic approach to sourcing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with domestic production less the aim than ensuring access to the fuel from one of a number of strategically positioned bio-refineries around the world.
Air NZ inks deal for its first internationally verified carbon credits
9 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Air New Zealand has committed to buying 8000 tonnes of carbon removals by 2030, in partnership with local native forest investment platform My Native Forest.
NZ not 'holding the line' on wilding pine management – experts
15 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand is no longer “holding the line” against invasive threats, with the country’s scale, remoteness and rugged terrain making control costly and complex, one expert has said ahead of this week's Wilding Pines Conference.
Researchers say sealing old oil wells with bio-oil from crop waste is a dual carbon-removal solution
19 Sep 2025
A new analysis shows that oil made from corn husks, wood chips, and other waste could plug greenhouse gas-belching abandoned oil wells while sequestering carbon for about $152 per ton.
Broker predicts all this year’s carbon auctions will fail
10 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Marex New Zealand is forecasting that the government will sell no ‘pollution permits’ at the NZU auctions this year, with a significant gap continuing between secondary market prices and this year’s $68 auction floor price.
Will govt’s light touch approach lead to higher carbon prices?
3 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Carbon market watchers are hoping the government’s plan for the electricity sector will eventually lead to higher carbon prices, with the secondary market still trading sideways for the longest time in its history.
Electricity to remain in ETS
1 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has rejected Frontier Economics' recommendation that electricity should be removed from the Emissions Trading Scheme.
The merchants of doubt are back
3 Sep 2025
OPINION: If you don’t follow climate policy closely, you might not know that the Trump administration is launching an effort to overturn one of the most fundamental pillars of American climate policy.
Milestone for NZ Steel electrification
10 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | NZ Steel has passed an installation milestone for its new electric arc furnace, which will reduce emissions from the Glenbrook steel mill site by as much as one megatonne (1Mt) a year.
UN limits staff at COP30 climate summit over accommodation concerns
19 Sep 2025
High hotel prices for Brazil's COP30 climate summit in November have prompted the United Nations to urge its staff to limit attendance, while government delegations are still scrambling to find rooms within their budgets.
All carrot, no stick for farmers on methane
Fri 17 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: The abandonment of methane emissions pricing and the adoption of a weaker target is effectively the last nail in the coffin of the historic cross-parliamentary consensus embedded in the Zero Carbon Act 2019.
Electricity Authority proposes doubling solar export limits to 10 kW
Mon 20 Oct 2025
The Electricity Authority is proposing a default 10kW export limit for small-scale generation, saying new inverter standards and voltage settings allow homes and businesses to feed more power into local networks without compromising safety.
From nuisance to crisis: New report on pest wasps In Aotearoa
24 Sep 2025
Media release: Moths and Butterflies NZ Trust | Just published is the Final Report of the Pest Wasps Survey carried out by the Moths and Butterflies of NZ Trust (MBNZT) offering a comprehensive look at New Zealanders’ awareness, experiences, and attitudes toward wasps and the growing ecological, health, and social issues associated with them.
Adaptation plan at odds with public sentiment: survey
Tue 21 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s position on climate adaptation buyouts shows a disconnect with public opinion, according to survey findings from insurer Suncorp NZ.
NZ marine heatwaves could double in intensity under high-emissions pathway
Thu 16 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New projections show marine heatwaves will grow more intense around the North Island and more frequent around the South Island as the climate warms – raising risks for fisheries, aquaculture, coastal ecosystems and tourism.
World falling far behind deforestation goals with farms and fires driving loss, report says
15 Oct 2025
The report said the world permanently lost 8.1 million hectares (20 million acres) of forest, an area about the size of England, in 2024 alone.
‘Damp squib’ – Govt energy plan slammed for locking in fossil fuels
2 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Critics across business, climate groups and the opposition say the Government’s electricity reforms duck structural change, double down on LNG and gas, and offer little relief for soaring power prices – warning of an “expensive white elephant", deeper energy poverty and a missed chance to scale renewables.
RMA to speed up fossil fuel consents
18 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | An energy lobby group has welcomed a last-minute amendment to the RMA that puts fossil fuels on the same footing as renewables, however a sustainable energy expert says the move “beggars belief.”
Climate investment is only growth opportunity of 21st century, says leading economist
15 Oct 2025
Investment in climate action is the economic growth story of the 21st century, while growth fuelled by fossil fuels is futile because the damage it causes ends in self-destruction, the economist Nicholas Stern has said.
Difficult trade-offs ahead for climate adaptation
Fri 17 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | While climate impacts are already here, bringing the urgent need to accelerate effective adaptation now, the Government's newly minted adaptation framework still leaves important questions unanswered about who will pay.
Climate credibility gap widening for Aussie firms
1 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Australian public companies’ climate change commitments are in retreat, reflecting difficulty in achieving stated targets and increased fossil use, but not because of any pressure to make less effort, according to a study of major companies’ ESG reporting.
Coal imports up 650%
12 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams and Liz Kivi | Coal imports are up 650% as generators stockpile the most polluting fossil fuel ahead of next winter.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
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.
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.
Judge dismisses suit by young climate activists against Trump’s pro-fossil fuel policies
Fri 17 Oct 2025
Plaintiffs had ‘overwhelming evidence’ of climate crisis but a court injunction would be ‘unworkable’, ruling says.
'Non-negotiable' – EU carbon pricing to hit Kiwi exporters, expert warns
11 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | High carbon exports will inevitably face a high carbon tax at the EU border, possibly in the next five years, and high methane agricultural products might not be exempt, an international expert told a local audience yesterday.
Deep sea mining threatens sharks, rays and ghost sharks
6 Oct 2025
Mining the world’s deep seas for metals will likely threaten many species of sharks, rays and chimaeras (ghost sharks), according to researchers.
Methane pledge in question following NZ weakening targets
Mon 20 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi New Zealand’s new methane target puts the Global Methane Pledge – and ultimately climate targets – at risk, according to an international expert.
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.
Mystery heatwave warms Pacific Ocean to new record
Tue 21 Oct 2025
The waters of the north Pacific have had their warmest summer on record, according to BBC analysis of a mysterious marine heatwave that has confounded climate scientists.
‘Weird and sad’ – Tuvalu Climate Minister condemns NZ halving methane target
15 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Dr Maina Talia, Tuvalu’s Minister for Home Affairs, Climate Change, and Environment, says he’s surprised at New Zealand’s decision to weaken its target for reducing methane emissions – and is planning to take up the issue with his counterpart Climate Minister Simon Watts this week.
Bottom trawling a triple threat to marine environments - new report
9 Oct 2025
Media release | Greenpeace is calling for urgent action to restrict bottom trawling after a new government report highlights the compounding effects this destructive fishing method has on climate change, habitat degradation and biodiversity loss.
Lobby group launches ‘blueprint’ for ocean management reform
18 Sep 2025
The Environmental Defence Society yesterday released its plan to tackle widespread ecological decline in our oceans.
Council buys dairy farm to help clean up Lake Rotorua
Tue 21 Oct 2025
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has bought a 266-hectare dairy farm in the Lake Rotorua catchment and plans to retire it from production to reduce nitrogen entering the lake.
States sue to stop Trump cancellation of $7 billion solar grant program
Tue 21 Oct 2025
Nearly two dozen states are suing the Trump administration over its cancellation of a $7 billion grant program aimed at expanding solar energy in low-income communities, according to court papers.
Students repeat request for Victoria University to divest from fossil fuel investments
24 Sep 2025
Media release | A group of students campaigning for climate action at Victoria University of Wellington have dropped a banner protesting against the university’s lack of action on its 2014 commitment to divest from fossil fuels.
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.
How one country’s Russian gas crisis became a green energy boom
Tue 21 Oct 2025
When Russia invaded Ukraine, Moldova quickly empowered its small towns to produce their own renewable energy so no one could push it around.
Solar households to get little-noticed tax break
23 Sep 2025
A provision in the government’s latest tax bill would exempt households from paying tax on income they earn by selling excess electricity back to the grid.
Climate scientists and republican lawyers are taking aim at Big Tech’s emissions
Fri 17 Oct 2025
Technology companies have long been one of the biggest investors in clean energy, but new accounting rules could upend that.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
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.
Landmark deal to cut global shipping emissions in tatters after US pressure
Mon 20 Oct 2025
A landmark deal to cut global shipping emissions has been abandoned after Saudi Arabia and the US succeeded in ending the talks.
Where’s Watts? Climate Minister no-show at climate conference
Thu 16 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Opposition parties have slammed the Climate Change Minister’s failure to front up to a major international conference in Christchurch, saying it shows that climate adaptation is a low priority for the National Party.
Fix it, don't ditch it: University of Auckland hosts first Repair Cafe
9 Oct 2025
Media release - Auckland University | The University's first-ever Repair Cafe is bringing students and staff together to give broken items a new lease on life, while promoting a culture of repair and reuse.
Farmers face heightened solvency risks as climate changes: research
10 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Increasingly volatile weather patterns, higher insurance costs driven by climate change risk and global financial volatility represent risks to New Zealand farmers’ capacity to service debt and remain solvent, according to new research by Christchurch-based research firm Kōmanawa Solutions.
‘Con,’ ‘scam,’ ‘hoax’: Trump’s UN speech on climate
24 Sep 2025
The president used a large chunk of his hour-long speech to world leaders to condemn climate science and clean energy policies.
Trump administration moves to revoke permit for Massachusetts offshore wind project
24 Sep 2025
The Trump administration has moved to block a Massachusetts offshore wind farm, its latest effort to hobble an industry and technology that President Donald Trump has attacked as “ugly” and unreliable compared to fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas.
