Topics tagged with 'Carbon News world'
China’s crackdown on illegal CFC gases is working
11 Feb 2021
A Chinese government crackdown on producers and buyers of illegal CFC gases is working, research has found.
Denmark to build 'first energy island' in North Sea
11 Feb 2021
A project to build a giant island providing enough energy for three million households has been given the green light by Denmark's politicians.
Bank to stop lending to port over fossil fuels
10 Feb 2021
ANZ will stop lending money to Australia’s biggest coal port, the Port of Newcastle, after adopting new policies last year that prohibit it entering new finance deals for customers with significant exposure to the fossil fuel.
Scientists warn over misuse of climate models in financial markets
10 Feb 2021
Misuse of climate models could pose a growing risk to financial markets by giving investors a false sense of certainty over how the physical impacts of climate change will play out, according to the authors of a new paper.
'Dangerous' push to leave farmers out of Aussie target
9 Feb 2021
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison might be warming to the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, but federal Nationals leader Michael McCormack has thrown a spanner in the works by suggesting agriculture be excluded from the target.
Millions for carbon capture contest
9 Feb 2021
Tesla co-founder Elon Musk is offering $138 million for inventions that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or oceans.
Australian carbon offset prices jump on surging corporate demand
5 Feb 2021
Prices for Australian carbon offset permits have pushed above $17, a new 12-month high, boosted by demand from corporate emitters looking to take advantage of lower prices as the push for stricter long-term emissions targets gains momentum.
Will planes be flying on air?
5 Feb 2021
Scientists are working on recovering atmospheric carbon to conjure aviation jet fuel from thin air.
How steel might finally kick its coal habit
5 Feb 2021
An American company is experimenting with replacing coal with electrons to produce emissions-free steel.
Plant-based diets crucial to saving wildlife, says UN report
4 Feb 2021
The global food system is the biggest driver of destruction of the natural world, and a shift to predominantly plant-based diets is crucial in halting the damage, according to a report.
Court condemns French government over climate inaction
4 Feb 2021
A Paris court has found the French government responsible for failing to cut emissions in line with its own target, in the country’s first major climate lawsuit.
Ditch GDP and value nature, says report
3 Feb 2021
Biodiversity is declining faster than at any time in human history, says a report calling for a new economic framework recognising the importance of ecology.
Ireland uses peat to combat climate change
3 Feb 2021
Ireland’s peat is offering the country a novel way to back the global effort to save the planet from overheating dangerously. It is helping to lock up the carbon emissions which are feeding the steady rise in the Earth’s temperature.
Scania says no to hydrogen power
3 Feb 2021
Where will hydrogen fit in the clean transport mix? Not in trucking, says one of the world's largest heavy-duty-vehicle manufacturers.
Shell targets power trading and hydrogen
2 Feb 2021
Royal Dutch Shell is betting on its expertise in power trading and rapid growth in hydrogen and biofuels markets as it shifts away from oil, rather than joining rivals in a scramble for renewable power assets, company sources say.
More consultation needed on EU carbon border levy, says China
2 Feb 2021
The European Commission needs to have further discussions with Beijing and other trading partners about its upcoming carbon border levy, a senior Chinese diplomat says.
Is Pacific Forum Zoomed to fail?
2 Feb 2021
Pacific diplomacy hinges on in-person discussion but web-only meetings have fed a growing dispute over the forum’s leadership and purpose.
EXPERTS: Australia must halve emissions by 2030
29 Jan 2021
Australia will effectively be abandoning the Paris agreement unless it makes at least a 50 per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and reaches net zero well before 2050, according to an analysis by policymakers and scientists.
Salla - 'The heat is coming'
29 Jan 2021
Salla, the coldest place in Finland, is making a tongue-in-check bid for the 2032 Summer Olympics, saying thanks to climate change, it expects that by then it will have sand for beach volleyball, lakes for swimming and snow-free hills for downhill bike-riding.
Biden signs sweeping orders on climate change
28 Jan 2021
United States president Joe Biden has unveiled a radical change in direction from the Trump era by halting fossil fuel activity on public lands and directing the United States government to start a full-frontal effort to lower planet-heating emissions.
Two-thirds of people say climate change is an emergency
28 Jan 2021
Almost two-thirds of the 1.2 million people surveyed in about 50 nations say global warming is a crisis.
BlackRock threatens to sell shares in worst climate polluters
27 Jan 2021
BlackRock, the world’s biggest investment fund manager, has threatened to sell shares in the worst corporate polluters in a bid to support the goal of net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050.
Energy efficiency boosts jobs, says IEA
27 Jan 2021
Improving energy efficiency creates far more jobs than generating it, and at the same time provides a way out of the covid crisis by bringing prosperity.
US promises 'significant' investment in climate action
27 Jan 2021
The United States will “make good” on financial commitments to developing countries struggling with climate change, top US climate envoy John Kerry has told a summit of world leaders.
'Gas is over,' says EU bank chief
26 Jan 2021
The European Investment Bank says it will end all funding for fossil fuels before the end of the year.
Fuel industry leaders join Aussie emissions reduction panel
26 Jan 2021
Fossil-fuel industry leaders and a controversial economist have joined a committee responsible for ensuring the integrity of projects that get climate funding in Australia.
Reformed trade rules could help save the climate
26 Jan 2021
Reformed trade rules could provide a climate dividend of the rancorous Brexit process of leaving the European Union.
Biden's Keystone death sentence means oil industry must innovate
26 Jan 2021
In one of his first acts of office, United States President Joe Biden has issued an executive order that effectively kills the Keystone XL pipeline project.
Biden takes US back into Paris
22 Jan 2021
Joe Biden has moved to reinstate the US to the Paris climate agreement just hours after being sworn in as president, as his administration rolls out a cavalcade of executive orders aimed at tackling the climate crisis.
Countries signal greater climate ambition but ‘step change’ needed on road to Glasgow
14 Dec 2020
As 2020 comes to a close, world leaders have sent a signal of their willingness to step up their climate ambition, at a virtual event celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement.
FTSE giants fail to disclose their carbon footprint
14 Dec 2020
BP, Glencore and Rolls-Royce are among eight FTSE 100 companies who have refused to comply with investor demands to disclose their carbon dioxide emissions, as the UK government prepares to compel firms to report their climate impact.
UN chief calls for more climate finance for poor nations as 2020 goal slips
14 Dec 2020
Rich nations are "lagging badly" on a longstanding pledge to channel $100 billion a year in funding, from 2020 onwards, to help poorer countries develop cleanly and adapt to the worsening impacts of climate change, the U.N. chief said on Saturday.
Australia will not be given speaking slot at climate summit, Morrison says
11 Dec 2020
Scott Morrison has signalled Australia will not be granted a speaking slot at a climate ambition summit this weekend, despite telling Parliament a week ago he would attend to “correct mistruths” about the Government’s heavily criticised record on emissions reduction.
Global 'elite' need to slash high-carbon lifestyles
11 Dec 2020
The world's wealthiest 1 per cent account for more than twice the combined carbon emissions of the poorest 50 per cent, according to the United Nations.
Global emissions at new record
10 Dec 2020
Greenhouse gas emissions reached a new high last year, putting the world on track for an average temperature rise of 3deg, a new United Nations report shows.
One-in-500,000 spring heat in Australia
10 Dec 2020
Australia’s hottest spring on record, which saw temperatures more than 2deg above average, would have been “virtually impossible” without human-caused climate change, new analysis has found.
Climate tipping point threatens Australia and China
10 Dec 2020
The grasslands of northern China and Mongolia could be about to lurch into a climate tipping point, an irreversible sequence of heat and drought.
Brazil sets ‘indicative’ goal of carbon neutrality by 2060
10 Dec 2020
Brazil has announced it will aim for carbon neutrality by 2060, sparking anger among campaigners who say the pledge is meaningless and a deliberate distraction from president Jair Bolsonaro’s destruction of the Amazon rainforest.
Parisversaire party to revive momentum on climate
9 Dec 2020
At the end of year dominated by the coronavirus pandemic, world leaders are expected to revive momentum for climate action with fresh commitments to bring the goals of the Paris Agreement closer.
Is the Paris Agreement strong enough to avert climate catastrophe?
9 Dec 2020
No-one who was in the hall that winter evening in a gloomy conference centre on the outskirts of the French capital will ever forget it. Tension had been building throughout the afternoon, as after two weeks of fraught talks the expected resolution was delayed and then delayed yet again.
Japan's emissions at record low
9 Dec 2020
Japan's greenhouse gas emissions fell 2.7 per cent to a record low in the 2019 financial year that ended March 2020, government figures showed on Tuesday, thanks to growing use of renewable energy and lower energy consumption by manufacturers.
Bank links bosses' pay to sustainability performance
8 Dec 2020
Deutsche Bank says it will join a small number of financial institutions that link management pay to environmental, social and governance-related criteria.
Biogas plans from livestock called greenwashing by environmentalists
8 Dec 2020
Corporate pork and dairy producers are producing biogas to reduce methane emissions. But the actual climate benefits are unclear, and often overstated.
Cutting emissions and making fertiliser from beer-and-chip waste
8 Dec 2020
The much-loved combination of beer and chips is being harnessed to tackle climate change.
Morrison yet to be granted speaking slot at weekend climate summit
8 Dec 2020
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison does not yet have a speaker’s spot at a global climate ambition summit this weekend, despite telling his parliament last week he intended to use an appearance at the event to “correct mistruths” about the government’s heavily criticised record on emissions reduction.
UK announces stronger 2030 emissions target
7 Dec 2020
The UK government has announced it will slash greenhouse gas emissions at least 68 per cent by 2030, compared to 1990 levels, in line with independent advice.
The Danish climate minister closing down the oil industry for good
7 Dec 2020
Denmark’s climate minister is fairly certain that the deal to close down the nation’s oil industry by 2050, announced on Friday morning, marks the biggest moment in his career.
China might ban coal-power investment abroad
4 Dec 2020
China’s environment ministry is proposing a crackdown on state involvement in building coal power plants abroad, in a report co-authored with international green groups.
Pressure mounts on UK to update its UN climate target
4 Dec 2020
Scotland and British businesses are piling pressure on the UK government to set an ambitious 2030 climate target ahead of a summit co-hosted by Britain and the UN on the fifth anniversary of the Paris Agreement.
How heat threatens global health
4 Dec 2020
Heat-related deaths are surging around the world, particularly among older people, scientists say, warning of growing pressure on health systems hit hard by covid-19.
Govt had ‘little choice’ in signing key UN climate resolution – expert
Fri 22 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate policy expert Bronwyn Hayward said it was “shameful’ New Zealand didn’t throw more active support behind a pivotal climate resolution ratified by the United Nations this week.
Climate scientists accuse livestock industry of fuzzy math to downplay climate warming emissions
Fri 22 May 2026
A group of the world’s leading climate scientists are warning governments and the livestock industry against adopting an “accounting trick” that will imperil the all-out global effort required to control heat-trapping emissions.
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A $30 million government package to support regional air routes risks delivering poor value for money while increasing emissions, according to transport strategist Tim Adriaansen.
Europe has 'maybe six weeks of jet fuel left', energy boss warns
20 Apr 2026
Stocks would reach a tipping point in June if Europe was unable to replace at least half of its imports from the Middle East, the organisation said in a report this week.
Govt unveils long-awaited voluntary carbon market guidance
15 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has released long-awaited guidance for New Zealand’s voluntary carbon and nature markets, as questions continue for the sector despite ministers signalling support for its growth.
Biomass sector asks: where did the love go?
18 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand has sufficient biomass in its plantation forests to replace natural gas for industrial process heat at lower costs than electrification, but is failing to get the attention it deserves, sector leaders say.
Carbon News updates forward curve
13 May 2026
Carbon News has updated its ten-year NZU forward curve, following a recent rise in spot market prices, with NZUs rallying from about $34 in January to nearly $54 in early May.
Drop in ETS forestry registrations
5 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | ETS forestry registrations have dropped off this year, with the new mandatory emissions return period, new land-use rules, and carbon price volatility all meaning participants aren’t rushing to register forestry in the emissions trading scheme.
New coal plants hit ‘10-year’ global high in 2025 – but power output still fell
Fri 22 May 2026
The number of new coal-fired power plants built around the world hit a “10-year high” in 2025, even as the global coal fleet generated less electricity, amid a “widening disconnect” in the sector.
Tairāwhiti deserves better than weakened forestry rules
5 May 2026
OPINION: The government's proposed amendments to forestry standards, released yesterday, ignore the hard lessons learned in our region and ignore the voices that have fought hardest to protect it, writes Manu Caddie.
Green building council calls for clean energy policies
18 May 2026
The New Zealand Green Building Council has released its 2026 election manifesto calling for policies to reduce energy waste in buildings, lower household and business energy costs, and improve New Zealand’s energy security.
What Magyar’s defeat of Orbán in Hungary means for climate and energy
21 Apr 2026
Hungary has played a disproportionate role in EU climate and energy policy in recent years, by repeatedly vetoing climate action and by delaying the phaseout of Russian fossil-fuel imports.
Conservation land open for voluntary carbon market schemes
12 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government is to open up the Crown-owned conservation estate to private investment in voluntary carbon market projects.
NZ at risk of falling behind on EV transition
Fri 22 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | An EV lobby group is warning that New Zealand is at a crossroads on transport electrification, with inconsistent policy settings and lagging charging infrastructure slowing uptake, while global adoption accelerates and fuel price shocks renew interest in electric vehicles.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
20 Feb 2026
Several environmental organisations are calling on political parties to make climate and biodiversity central to the 2026 election campaign, with reforming the Emissions Trading Scheme seen as a key priority.
Are hailstones getting bigger due to climate change?
Thu 21 May 2026
Scientific studies suggest that a warmer climate does not necessarily lead to more frequent hail, but rather to more severe hailstorms with larger hailstones.
EDS urges MPs to scrap the Fisheries Amendment Bill
5 May 2026
Media release | The Environmental Defence Society today lodged a substantive submission on the Fisheries Amendment Bill.
Govt presses ahead with forestry rule changes despite opposition
14 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is pushing ahead with changes to commercial forestry rules despite most submitters opposing the proposals, with critics warning the reforms will weaken councils’ ability to manage erosion and forestry slash risks in vulnerable regions such as Tairāwhiti.
Media round-up
Fri 22 May 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Shane Jone is urging mining bosses to apply for fast-track before the election, climate risk is changing where investors put their money, and Hiringa gets more hydrogen-fuelled trucks on the road.
Hipkins pans LNG plan as ‘massive step backwards’
Tue 19 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Labour leader Chris Hipkins has told a Queenstown audience that a Government he leads would not proceed with a planned LNG import terminal, if elected at November’s election.
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.”
New funding for low methane farming uptake
29 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government will co-fund projects under an Early Adoption Accelerator scheme announced today to accelerate the uptake of low emissions farming technologies emerging from the AgriZero public-private partnership.
NZ Govt’s move to halt climate litigation under international scrutiny
Tue 19 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Local and international NGOs have signed an open letter calling on the Government to reconsider its decision to shield major emitters from legal liability for climate-related harm.
Why ‘greenhushing’ signals deeper issues with NZ’s climate risk reporting regime
15 May 2026
By Hang Pham, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington | Most of us are familiar with the concept of greenwashing: organisations exaggerating or overstating their environmental credentials. But in New Zealand, there are signs the country’s climate disclosure regime may inadvertently be driving a very different trend: not saying much at all.
‘Formidable’ El Niño expected this winter
29 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Meteorologists are anticipating a significant El Niño influence on weather patterns across the country from winter onwards, with predicted lower rainfall for some areas and heavier rain for others likely to impact multiple sectors of the economy as well as the carbon market.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
Media round-up
24 Apr 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: What is the real cost of storm-hit infrastructure? Urgency is needed over climate adaptation funding; and a community conservation group has won a legal victory against multinational mining company OceanaGold.
Climate law change spanner in the works for Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry
19 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s controversial changes to New Zealand’s legal framework for climate policy have thrown a spanner in the works for a long-running Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry into climate change.
Labour condemns Govt plan to stop climate litigation
15 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Labour Party has slammed the Government’s move to block climate lawsuits against big emitters but won’t say if they would repeal the legislation if elected in November.
GIDI-style help cheaper than LNG: MBIE
11 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Officials advised ministers last July that the lowest-cost way to free up gas for use during dry winters was to assist industrial gas users to switch to electricity.
Govt missing tricks to save fuel in crisis
30 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is being urged to shift its response to the fuel crisis away from short-term relief and towards measures that reduce demand, with public health experts warning it is missing an opportunity to boost energy security and lower household costs.
Climate risks could reshape business finances, new guidance warns
15 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New guidance warns climate change is set to fundamentally reshape financial outcomes for businesses, including difficult-to-model climate “tipping points” – irreversible changes such as ice sheet collapse or ocean circulation shifts – which threaten severe and sudden financial impacts.
Move to block lawsuits could strengthen climate case against Govt
14 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s plan to block climate lawsuits – while potentially fatal for one groundbreaking climate case – could actually bolster claims in another live climate case underway against the Government.
‘Utterly elated’ – controversial Sams Creek gold mine application declined
Thu 21 May 2026
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | Campaigners are elated after the controversial gold mining application for Sams Creek in Golden Bay was declined.
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.
Six NZ climate solutions up for 2026 Earthshot prize
Thu 21 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Six New Zealand climate and sustainability initiatives have been nominated for the 2026 Earthshot Prize, with the shortlist showcasing Kiwi-led solutions tackling emissions, plastic waste and ocean restoration.
Environmental groups sue Trump administration over approval of new ultra deep-water drilling project
23 Apr 2026
Environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Monday over its approval last month of oil company BP’s ultra deep-water drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico.
NZ votes in favour of key UN climate resolution
Thu 21 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | A pivotal United Nations resolution to recognise a landmark International Court of Justice climate ruling has passed with nations voting overwhelmingly in its favour, with New Zealand voting on the same side as Pacific allies who spearheaded the vote.
A real ‘intergenerational equity’ budget would address Australia’s unceasing environmental decline
15 May 2026
Labor has unveiled a budget designed to tackle intergenerational equity in Australia through bold tax reform.
ESG funds include petrochemical companies, report finds
5 May 2026
Global banks have invested US$133bn into US petrochemical expansion, even as the industry is linked to climate change.
New DOC chief appointed as public sector cuts loom
Fri 22 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Peter Chrisp has been appointed the new Director-General of Conservation, just as the Department of Conservation again finds itself in the firing line of the Government’s public sector cost-cutting programme.
Thousands protest in Germany urging faster shift to renewable energy, amid Iran war
20 Apr 2026
Thousands of people demonstrated across Germany on April 18, urging a faster shift to renewable energy and accusing conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition of putting the brakes on the transition.
Green Party calls for national electrification plan
20 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is calling for a national plan to electrify homes, transport and industry using renewable energy, to reduce fossil fuel dependence in response to the Middle East crisis.
Global wind and solar power outpace gas for first time in April, report shows
Fri 22 May 2026
Wind and solar combined generated more electricity than gas globally in April for the first month ever, data analysed by UK-based think tank Ember showed on Thursday.
‘Landmark’ conservation reform bill – boost or bust for nature?
8 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government has announced an overhaul of the country’s conservation system, which environmental organisation Forest & Bird says will undo the work of many generations of Kiwis to protect public conservation land.
Combined climate extremes may prompt carbon budget rethink
14 May 2026
Media release: Springer Nature | Combined extreme climate events are likely to become more common in the future if carbon emissions continue to rise, a paper in Nature suggests.
New solar farm to boost West Coast energy security
Thu 21 May 2026
Construction has begun on a new 13.5MW solar farm in Reefton, with developer Lightyears saying the project will help strengthen electricity security on the West Coast and support future regional growth.
Carbon trading schemes cut more emissions than carbon taxes, according to global study
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Carbon trading schemes are more effective than carbon taxes at reducing emissions, cutting fossil fuel use, and accelerating the shift to renewable energy, a global study has found.
Why both trees and technology are important in the race to mitigate carbon emissions
4 May 2026
Different carbon‑removal approaches solve different problems, and pitting these technologies against each other could slow progress.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
New Zealanders losing ambition on climate change: Ipsos
Wed 20 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealanders’ belief that their government has a plan to combat climate change has taken another serious hit in the latest poll of 31 countries by global research firm Ipsos.
UN members prepare for pivotal vote on landmark ICJ climate justice ruling
15 May 2026
If the resolution is passed, governments will recognise their legal responsibility to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
NZ First moves to revive container return scheme
4 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | NZ First is aiming to launch a national container return scheme, which could recycle over a billion wasted containers each year, reviving a policy shelved by the previous Labour-led Government in 2023.
Commission urges Govt action on climate risks
7 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate change currently poses major risks to our water infrastructure with “significant gaps” in readiness to manage risks and increasing hazards, according to the Climate Change Commission.
Why is Northern Ireland facing a growing threat from wildfires?
7 May 2026
Figures show that spring drought events are happening more often while there has been a sharp rise in "fire weather" - a mix of warmth, dryness, and wind that allows fires to ignite and spread rapidly. Experts warn this combination, along with climate change, is creating a longer and more volatile wildfire season.
Human health appears unaffected by living near wind turbines
Thu 21 May 2026
Media release: PNAS | High-resolution data collected across the United States show negligible evidence of adverse health outcomes tied to wind turbine exposure, a study finds.
