Topics tagged with 'Carbon News world'
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.
South Korea to implement Green New Deal
17 Apr 2020
South Korea is on track to set a 2050 carbon neutrality goal and end coal financing after its ruling Democratic Party won an absolute majority in the country’s parliamentary elections on Wednesday.
More frequent violent weather could bring bloodshed
17 Apr 2020
Violent weather – seasonal storms, floods, fires and droughts – is growing more extreme, more often. And bloodshed might follow more often, too.
TEXAS OIL: We will disappear as an industry
16 Apr 2020
Texas just did something that only recently might have been unthinkable. The state whose name is synonymous with American oil took the unusual step of formally considering statewide production cuts.
Plane-free skies spur research into impact of aviation
16 Apr 2020
Mass groundings of flights caused by the coronavirus pandemic are giving scientists a rare chance to study plane-free skies and pin down how far aviation stokes global warming.
Here’s why soil smells so good after it rains
16 Apr 2020
That smell you detect after it rains is part of a chemical language between bacteria and animals.
EU hires BlackRock to advise on green bank rules
15 Apr 2020
BlackRock, one of the world’s largest investors in banks and fossil fuel companies, has been hired by the EU to work on potential new environmental rules for banks.
Paris failure carries costs in the trillions
15 Apr 2020
Failing to meet the Paris Agreement could cost the world hundreds of trillions of dollars this century, a new report says.
Have humans evolved beyond nature?
15 Apr 2020
Our society has evolved so much, can we still say that we are part of Nature? If not, should we worry – and what should we do about it?
Emissions from fossil fuels could fall 5% this year
14 Apr 2020
Global carbon emissions from the fossil fuel industry could fall by a record 2.5 billion tonnes this year, a reduction of 5 per cent, as the coronavirus pandemic triggers the biggest drop in demand for fossil fuels on record.
Biden must convince climate voters he's a believer
14 Apr 2020
Bernie Sanders’ departure from the US presidential race left hardcore climate change activists in mourning—and wondering where former vice-president Joe Biden stands.
It's positively alpine!: Cities taste fresh air
14 Apr 2020
Many of the world's major cities are enjoying improved air quality since restrictions were introduced due to the covid-19 coronavirus.
Chile sets new target of peak emissions by 2025
14 Apr 2020
Chile has committed to peaking its greenhouse gas emissions by 2025, in an updated national plan presented virtually to the UN.
Whole ecosystems could fail within 10 years
9 Apr 2020
Global warming is about to tear big holes into Earth's delicate web of life, pushing temperatures beyond the tolerance of thousands of animals at the same time.
Scientists blame poor soil for carbon limits
9 Apr 2020
Issues like poor soil fertility are limiting the ability of mature forests to store carbon and help reduce climate change, scientists say.
New mutant enzyme recycles plastic bottles in hours
9 Apr 2020
A mutant bacterial enzyme that breaks down plastic bottles for recycling in hours has been created by scientists.
Atmospheric methane increase greatest in five years
8 Apr 2020
The average level of methane in the atmosphere increased last year by the highest amount in five years, according to new data.
New renewables capacity hit record in 2019
8 Apr 2020
Almost three quarters of new electricity generation capacity built in 2019 uses renewable energy, representing an all-time record.
Australia closes in on hydrogen economy
8 Apr 2020
Australia says it is a step closer to a hydrogen economy, with new research into a “nanobelt” catalyst for breaking down water.
Tropical forest damage spreads catastrophically
8 Apr 2020
Human inroads into tropical forests stretch far beyond oil plantations or the edge of cattle ranches and are a wider threat to conservation.
Oceans could rebound in 30 years — if we act now
7 Apr 2020
The glory of the world’s oceans could be restored within a generation, according to a major new scientific review.
Poles attract marine life avoiding rising heat
7 Apr 2020
In a warming ocean, some species will swim, others sink. But all agree: the poles attract marine life without exception.
We need not fear ancient methane timebombs
7 Apr 2020
The Arctic is predicted to warm faster than anywhere else in the world this century, perhaps by as much as 7deg.
Spain obeys, but others drag the chain
7 Apr 2020
The Spanish government has submitted its energy and climate plan for 2030 to the European Commission, three months after the deadline, while five EU countries, including France, still need to turn in their strategies.
Airlines bailouts should come with climate conditions
6 Apr 2020
Financial help from taxpayers to airlines hit by the coronavirus crisis must come with strict conditions on their future climate impact, green campaigners have said.
Virus could trigger record fall in carbon emissions
6 Apr 2020
Carbon dioxide emissions could fall by the largest amount since World War Two this year as the coronavirus outbreak brings economies to a virtual standstill, according to scientists.
A second Dust Bowl would hit world food stocks
6 Apr 2020
The next time the fertile soils of North America turn to dust, the consequences will hit food stocks worldwide.
San Francisco bans reusable shopping bags
6 Apr 2020
San Francisco is banning reusable shopping bags to prevent outside germs from entering grocery stores.
UN postpones COP26 climate talks in Glascow
3 Apr 2020
Green campaigners vowed to keep up the pressure on governments to make stringent new commitments on the climate crisis, as the COP26 climate summit was delayed until next year.
Will this coronavirus kill off the oil industry?
3 Apr 2020
Analysts say the coronavirus pandemic and a savage price war means the oil and gas sector will never be the same again.
Obama urges voters to 'demand better'
3 Apr 2020
Former US president Barack Obama has urged voters to "demand better" of the government after the Trump administration rolled back a key Obama-era fuel standard intended to combat climate change.
Blue energy revolution comes of age
3 Apr 2020
The amount of energy generated by tides and waves in the past decade has increased 10-fold. Now governments around the world are planning to scale up these ventures to tap into the oceans’ vast store of blue energy.
Barclays bows to investor pressure
2 Apr 2020
Barclays has bowed to investor pressure over its climate track record and announced plans to shrink its carbon footprint to net zero by 2050.
Hydrogen not the answer for transport, says study
2 Apr 2020
Renewable hydrogen has the potential to slash the global greenhouse gas emissions of fossil fuel power generation by more than one-third, but it’s not the answer for low-carbon automotive transport, says a new report.
Is climate law change a first nail in the coffin for Climate Commission?
Thu 6 Nov 2025
The Government’s sweeping overhaul of New Zealand’s climate laws has drawn sharp condemnation, with one expert predicting it's another step towards 'the beginning of the end' for the Climate Change Commission.
NZ off-track for 2030 methane target
Thu 6 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is no longer on track to meet its 2030 methane target, according to the Ministry for the Environment.
NZ’s government wants tourism to drive economic growth – but how will it deal with aviation emissions?
22 Oct 2025
By Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University | Following a brief dip during the COVID pandemic, aviation is back in a growth phase.
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.
New Indigenous-led Climate Institute opens at Lincoln University
Thu 6 Nov 2025
Media release | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University proudly announces a pivotal new chapter in climate resilience with the establishment of the Kāika Institute of Climate Resilience.
Govt launches strategy backing wood-based heat sector
23 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Forestry biomass could replace as much as 40% of fossil fuel-generated process heat by 2050, but access to supply, regulatory settings and business cases for converting to wood-based heat sources are required, the Government says in a series of documents released yesterday.
Does NZ's 2035 NDC meet Paris Agreement obligations?
Fri 7 Nov 2025
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: New Zealand’s 2035 Paris Agreement Target needs strengthening, with multiple reasons the 51 to 55% emissions reduction target does not meet our obligations under the accord.
Carbon market tanks off the back of Govt’s proposed climate law changes
Thu 6 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Secondary market prices dropped 20% in early morning compliance carbon trading yesterday, as the market woke up to Tuesday’s late-breaking government announcement of proposed law changes to climate policy.
Scrutiny on energy security
Mon 3 Nov 2025
A special debate in Parliament put the Government’s energy security agenda under scrutiny, with parties splitting sharply over the role of gas, the place of an LNG import terminal, and how far to push market reform to ease pressure on power bills.
'Little to be hopeful about' – NZ scientists caution ahead of COP30
31 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Record heat, worsening climate impacts and global backsliding on emission reduction commitments have left some New Zealand climate experts with little optimism as COP30 approaches.
$235 billion worth of NZ buildings exposed to flooding
30 Oct 2025
More than 750,000 New Zealanders live in locations exposed to one-in-100-year floods, according to a nationwide study which shows escalating flood risk.
UN chief scolds nations for failing climate goals ahead of COP30 summit
Fri 7 Nov 2025
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tore into nations for their failure to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as Brazil hosted world leaders for a summit ahead of the COP30 climate conference in the rainforest city of Belem.
Why I’m not outraged at the Govt’s latest climate backsliding
Fri 7 Nov 2025
COMMENT: The Government’s latest climate rollbacks underline New Zealand’s long history of a lack of genuine desire to cut emissions, writes Geoff Bertram.
Govt gas expansion 'climate vandalism' – Greens
Fri 7 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Green Party has labelled the Government’s move to broaden the scope of its $200 million fossil gas investment fund as vandalism, accusing Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of breaking trust with New Zealanders.
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.
Solar geoengineering in wrong hands could wreak climate havoc, scientists warn
Thu 6 Nov 2025
Blocking the sun may reduce global heating – but ‘rogue actor’ could cause drought or more hurricanes, report finds.
NZ marine heatwaves could double in intensity under high-emissions pathway
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.
Govt delays will damage carbon market confidence, experts warn
Tue 4 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Emissions Trading Scheme experts have warned the Government that its move to delay decisions on the country’s emissions budgets will further undermine confidence in an already weak carbon market.
“Dirty and expensive:” City of Sydney bans gas as it votes to electrify all new big buildings
Thu 6 Nov 2025
The City of Sydney has followed the example of the ACT and Victoria governments and voted unanimously to require all newly built residential buildings, medium to large commercial buildings, hotels, and serviced apartment buildings, to be all-electric.
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.”
Bank of England must better address climate risk to tackle inflation
Tue 4 Nov 2025
The central bank is being urged to take a series of actions to better respond to environmental risks.
No major banks have yet committed to stop funding new oil, gas and coal, research finds
24 Oct 2025
‘The objectives of the Paris agreement are slipping further out of reach,’ say researchers.
TotalEnergies loses in Paris court, marking a turning point for fossil fuel truth-in-advertising
Wed 5 Nov 2025
TotalEnergies was found to have misled consumers about its role in the energy transition.
Lake Onslow battery project set for revival?
29 Oct 2025
A newly formed private consortium has emerged with plans to finance and build the massive Lake Onslow pumped-hydro project, despite the coalition government’s decision to abandon the scheme.
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.
Media round-up
31 Oct 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: A controversial seabed mining project could lead to sediment flows knocking over rigs and damaging wind turbines; weather-related insurance claims climb; and is the government playing Russian Roulette with our future over methane targets?
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.
Z Energy settles greenwashing case over ‘quitting petrol’ claims
Tue 4 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Z Energy has settled a landmark greenwashing case over claims it misled the public about moving away from petrol – a result Lawyers for Climate Action NZ says delivers long-overdue accountability.
Nelson commuters urged to ditch car once a week
22 Oct 2025
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | Nelson has a bold carbon emission reduction target and residents are being encouraged to leave the car at home one day a week to help meet it.
Supermarket fast-track a ‘cynical ploy’, risks climate and environmental protections
Wed 5 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government’s “express lane for supermarkets” announcement has been met with fierce backlash, with critics calling the Fast-track Approvals Amendment Bill a Trojan horse that strips environmental protections, sidelines communities, and hands sweeping powers to ministers at the expense of democracy.
Undermining the ETS is poor policy – Mindful Money
Fri 7 Nov 2025
Politicising settings for the Emissions Trading Scheme creates uncertainty for investors at a time when we need clear and stable policy, says Mindful Money's Barry Coates.
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.
Climate impacts hit NZ with increasing wild weather
23 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is facing a triple whammy of climate impacts today, with severe winds and rainfall predicted for much of the country while some areas are still dealing with wildfires ignited earlier in the week.
Carbon Finance Program upscales efforts to close climate investment gap in climate vulnerable nations
22 Oct 2025
Media release | The Climate Vulnerable Forum and its V20 Finance Ministers (CVF-V20) will work with the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) to upscale the Carbon Finance Program in reach and impact, supporting more climate-vulnerable countries to host high-integrity carbon projects that yield tangible climate, nature, and sustainable development benefits.
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.
Judge says Greenpeace must pay $345 million in pipeline lawsuit, cutting jury amount nearly in half
31 Oct 2025
A North Dakota judge has ordered Greenpeace to pay damages of $345 million, reducing an earlier jury award after it found the environmental group and related entities liable for defamation and other claims in connection with protests of an oil pipeline nearly a decade ago.
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.
Here comes the sun: solar surge gathers pace
Tue 4 Nov 2025
More than $700 million of new solar investment advanced last week, underscoring the pace of the renewable buildout.
AgriZero backs first nitrous oxide solution with $1.2m investment
Thu 6 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A Kiwi ag-tech start-up developing a device for cows to wear to drastically cut nitrous oxide emissions has secured $1.2 million in government-industry funding.
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
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.
How ‘vehicle-to-grid’ technology could boost China’s electricity system
31 Oct 2025
China’s surging electric vehicles ownership – now exceeding 25.5m – is opening the door to a new technology that can help to enhance the flexibility of electricity supply.
Govt climate policy set by vested interests to delay emissions cuts - Carr
Thu 6 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Rod Carr, former Climate Change Commission chair, says the Government’s move to unlink the Emissions Trading Scheme from our international climate target to 2030 undermines the credibility of emissions pricing as a tool for climate action – and is yet another Coalition Government policy designed to benefit vested interests rather than ordinary New Zealanders.
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.
Council buys dairy farm to help clean up Lake Rotorua
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.
Adaptation plan at odds with public sentiment: survey
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.
‘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.
