Topics tagged with 'Carbon News world'
Europe’s cruise ships produce toxic sulphur emissions equivalent to 1 billion cars, study finds
5 Dec 2024
Cruise ships are producing higher levels of toxic air pollutants than they did before the pandemic, according to a new study by the European Federation for Transport and Environment (T&E).
Floods wreak havoc in Malaysia, southern Thailand with over 30 killed, tens of thousands displaced
5 Dec 2024
Severe floods caused by monsoon rains killed more than 30 people and displaced tens of thousands in Malaysia and southern Thailand, officials said Tuesday, with both countries preparing shelters and evacuation plans in anticipation of more heavy rain.
China bans export of critical minerals to US as trade tensions escalate
5 Dec 2024
China on Tuesday banned exports to the United States of the critical minerals gallium, germanium and antimony that have widespread military applications, escalating trade tensions the day after Washington's latest crackdown on China's chip sector.
Australia accused of undermining landmark climate change case brought by Pacific nations in international court
4 Dec 2024
Vanuatu leads the charge of several nations arguing developed nations have a legal responsibility beyond UN commitments.
How COPs, the climate conferences accused of perpetuating inaction, can be reformed
4 Dec 2024
With still insufficient results, proposals are emerging to select the hosts of climate conferences, exclude fossil fuel lobbyists and move on to the practical implementation of agreements.
COP16: United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification kicks off
4 Dec 2024
The Indian Minister for the Environment underlined efforts on land restoration, drought resilience Forests at the UN Convention to Combat Desertification this week.
‘Unprecedented’ climate extremes are everywhere. Our baselines for what’s normal will need to change
4 Dec 2024
Extreme temperature and rainfall events are increasing around the world, including Australia. What makes them extreme is their rarity and severity compared to the typical climate.
Amazon to pilot AI-designed material for carbon removal
4 Dec 2024
Amazon.com Inc opens new tab plans to pilot a new carbon-removal material for data centers, which are at risk of worsening emissions from artificial intelligence systems they power, a startup behind the deal said on Monday.
Wake up and smell the coffee: rising food prices show destabilising impact of climate crisis
3 Dec 2024
Your morning – and afternoon – coffee is the latest staple threatened by climate chaos: the price of quality arabica beans shot to its highest level in almost 50 years last week amid fears of a poor harvest in Brazil.
Agribusiness-friendly states in Brazil try to undo forest protections
3 Dec 2024
Several states in Brazil are trying to rid themselves of rainforest protections, bowing to pressure from cattle ranchers and soybean growers to cut down trees and expand agriculture.
Jeff Bezos wants AI to design your Christmas turkey
3 Dec 2024
If you care about the climate but you’re looking forward to gobbling down some turkey, Jeff Bezos has a proposition for you: let artificial intelligence design a tastier meat alternative.
We have officially advised our university to ditch carbon offsets – and focus on cutting emissions
3 Dec 2024
Some would say carbon offsetting offers us a way out. At the University of Exeter we have explored the role of carbon offsets in the university’s very ambitious target of net zero by 2030.
Can we avert the looming food crisis of climate change? Mathematical model reveals critical threshold
3 Dec 2024
Human activities are causing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels to rise, which increases the global average surface temperature—and poses a threat to crop growth. Escalating concerns about climate change's impact on global food security inspired researchers from Banaras Hindu University in India to create a way to explore how these factors influence crop yields.
Countries fail to reach agreement in UN plastic talks
2 Dec 2024
Countries negotiating a global treaty to curb plastic pollution failed to reach agreement on Monday with over 100 nations wanting to cap production while a handful of oil-producers were prepared only to target plastic waste.
Footballers to compete in 50°C heat at 2026 World Cup, study warns
2 Dec 2024
Most of the World Cup venues in North America are at high risk of excessive heat, according to new research.
Spain’s new ‘climate leave’ gives workers four days off during extreme weather
2 Dec 2024
The law on paid leave protects the rights of workers not to go to work in the event of catastrophes or climate-related weather alerts that could put them in danger.
France, Germany, Sweden urge EU battery sector push to avoid China reliance
2 Dec 2024
France, Germany, and Sweden have jointly urged the forthcoming European Commission (EU) to prioritise the autonomy of the EU's battery sector to avoid over-reliance on China amid the green transition.
Albanese government says Australia on target to reduce emissions – but campaigners say it could do more
2 Dec 2024
Departmental analysis includes contentious measurements but climate minister says government is cleaning up after ‘decade of denial, delay, dysfunction and utter neglect’.
COP29: Climate change could kill millions — and world leaders must work to limit fatalities
2 Dec 2024
The COP29 climate change conference has come to a close — as per normal it looks like very little will be done.
Global plastics pact “hangs in balance” as petrostates block talks
29 Nov 2024
Major fossil fuel-producing countries are blamed at negotiations in Busan for opposing curbs on plastic manufacturing, a key market for oil and gas.
Climate-vulnerable nations look to world's top court as COP29 ends in bitter truce
29 Nov 2024
Disappointed in the outcome of COP29, nations on the frontlines of the climate crisis will get their day in court this December.
Thirty-five million Africans driven from homes by war and climate disasters – report
29 Nov 2024
Data shows a threefold increase in internal displacement across the African continent since 2009, with flooding and drought posing a growing threat.
Fossil fuel supply: the elephant in the room at climate change conferences
29 Nov 2024
It seems completely inappropriate to sing the praises of fossil fuels at an international gathering that aims to radically reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Biden administration put $7 billion into 'hydrogen hubs'. Critics smell a boondoggle.
29 Nov 2024
Many experts question hydrogen’s cost and efficacy in reducing CO2 emissions.
Exxon lobbyist investigated over hack-and-leak of environmentalist emails
29 Nov 2024
The FBI has been investigating a longtime Exxon Mobil consultant over the contractor's alleged role in a hack-and-leak operation that targeted hundreds of the oil company’s biggest critics, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Japan eyes cutting emissions by 60% by 2035 from 2013 levels
28 Nov 2024
The Japanese government said Monday it is considering cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 60 percent by fiscal 2035 compared with fiscal 2013 levels.
California governor says state could offer EV rebates if Trump bins federal tax credit
28 Nov 2024
California could offer rebates for electric vehicle purchases if the incoming Trump administration eliminates a federal tax credit for people who buy electric cars, Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday.
Clean-up continues for areas hit by Storm Bert
28 Nov 2024
Heavy rain and high winds caused widespread disruption across Wiltshire, Gloucestershire and South Gloucestershire, with damage to homes, shops and roads.
COP29's last-minute $300 billion deal is a mess and a miracle
28 Nov 2024
It went well past the official deadline, late into the night – but finally, COP29 ended with a deal. Hardly anyone felt victorious.
A planet in crisis: How can we solve our plastics problem?
28 Nov 2024
It boggles the mind to know we humans are literally made of stardust. Nearly all the elements in our bodies come from the stuff produced as stars exploded over the last 13 billion years.
China’s CO2 emissions have peaked or will in 2025, say 44% of experts in survey
28 Nov 2024
Research reflects rising optimism about country’s green transition as it takes leading position on climate action.
After nearly ten years of debate, COP29’s carbon trading deal is seriously flawed
27 Nov 2024
Negotiators at the COP29 climate conference in Baku have struck a landmark agreement on rules governing the global trade of carbon credits, bringing to a close almost a decade of debate over the controversial scheme.
Five charts: Why a UN plastics treaty matters for climate change
27 Nov 2024
A global treaty on plastics, which is being touted as the most important environmental treaty since the 2015 Paris Agreement, is set to be negotiated in South Korea over the next week.
Trump win forces carbon removal developers to reconsider oil
27 Nov 2024
Startups seeking to vacuum carbon dioxide from the skies have long had an uneasy relationship with the oil giants fueling global warming.
Carbon footprint of a total knee replacement in Australia on par with driving a car from Brisbane to Sydney
27 Nov 2024
Researchers have calculated the greenhouse gas impact from a single knee replacement. A three-hour operation has similar emissions compared to a 914-kilometre car trip.
The huge, high-tech, low-carbon kitchens feeding young Kenyans
27 Nov 2024
The Giga Kitchen is the jewel in the crown of Food4Education, a Kenyan nonprofit using high-tech, low-carbon and centralized kitchens to feed students en masse in what is Africa’s largest locally led and independently run school feeding program.
COP 29’s new carbon market rules offer hope after scandal and deadlock
26 Nov 2024
Governments have given the sector fresh hope by signing off rules that will create an international carbon trading system for countries to meet their Paris commitments.
How does $300 billion stack up?
26 Nov 2024
Countries agreed at the U.N.'s COP29 climate conference to spend $300 billion on annual climate finance. Here are some ways of understanding what that sum is worth:
Global Plastic Treaty: Talks begin to finalise deal for curbing plastic pollution
26 Nov 2024
Global plastic production has increased over 200-fold to hit almost 460 million tonnes annually since 1950.
170 climate protesters arrested after allegedly disrupting shipping in New South Wales
26 Nov 2024
Two protesters have been granted bail after facing court on charges relating to an anti-fossil fuel demonstration that allegedly disrupted the shipping channel leading into the world's largest coal port.
Climate change ‘burnout’ is taking its toll
26 Nov 2024
Activists and others on the front lines of the climate crisis, one therapist says, “are living in fight-or-flight mode constantly.” Here’s their battle-tested advice.
Inside the frantic manoeuvres that saved COP29 talks at a cost
26 Nov 2024
Two weeks of difficult negotiations came to the brink of failure before settling on a $300 billion deal that flashes warnings for the future of climate diplomacy.
Key outcomes agreed at the UN climate talks in Baku
25 Nov 2024
Developed nations have agreed to help channel “at least” $300bn a year into developing countries by 2035 to support their efforts to deal with climate change.
Study finds four global policies could eliminate >90% of plastic waste and 30% of linked carbon emissions by 2050
25 Nov 2024
A study released in Science determines that just four policies can reduce mismanaged plastic waste—plastic that isn't recycled or properly disposed of and ends up as pollution—by 91% and plastic-related greenhouse gases by one-third.
Tuvalu: The disappearing island nation recreating itself in the metaverse
25 Nov 2024
Facing erasure due to climate change, the Pacific Island nation of Tuvalu is digitally backing up everything from its houses to its trees as it endeavors to save whatever it can.
Athletes see climate change as threatening their sports and their health. Some are speaking up
25 Nov 2024
Athletes spoke at the United Nations climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan to talk about the threat that climate change poses to them, to fans and to sport itself.
Group of nations make COP29 pledge on no new unabated coal power
22 Nov 2024
A total of 25 countries and the European Union are pledging to commit to no new unabated coal power in their next round of national climate plans, the latest global pledge aimed at curbing use of the fuel.
'A walking conflict of interest' - oil giants' favourite PR firms at climate talks
22 Nov 2024
Fossil-friendly communications companies are represented on some national delegations to the UN climate summit, analysis finds.
A draft deal on climate money for developing world is silent on how much as UN summit nears end
22 Nov 2024
Countries of the world took turns rejecting a new but vague draft text released early Thursday which attempts to form the spine of any deal reached at United Nations climate talks on money for developing countries to transition to clean energy and adapt to climate change.
Europe’s Azerbaijan gas gambit is good news for Russia
22 Nov 2024
Europe keeps striking deals with Azerbaijan, even at COP29. And while it might not be Russian gas, Moscow is still likely to benefit.
Governments must vote in favour of moratorium on deep sea mining
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Media release - Greenpeace | The 30th session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has ended with Greenpeace saying governments are continuing to fall short in protecting the deep sea.
Does NZ need a national incentive scheme for wetlands?
25 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | An expert is calling for a national incentive programme to restore New Zealand’s wetlands and wants to stop schemes to drain these vital carbon-sequestering ecosystems.
NZ Post drops science-based climate target
8 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | NZ Post has dropped its science-based emissions reduction target of 42% by 2030 with no plans to replace it.
Airlines risk legal challenges by advertising jet fuel as “sustainable”, NGO warns
18 Jul 2025
Amid suspected fraud in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a new report says the airline industry should stop calling all alternatives to kerosene “sustainable”.
Challenges persist in bid to mine the deep sea, even after boost from Trump
Tue 29 Jul 2025
After years of delay, the deep-sea mining plans of Canadian firm The Metals Company (TMC) now appear to be progressing as it pursues a controversial new path to securing a license to mine in international waters under U.S. jurisdiction.
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.
Carbon prices slide as market awaits ETS decision
Today 11:45am
By Liz Kivi | Volatility has returned to the secondary carbon market, with prices sliding again after plateauing in recent weeks, as the market waits for government decisions on Emissions Trading Scheme settings.
Bearish sentiment lingers for carbon market
11 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The compliance carbon market could be set for a gradual upward trajectory, however unsold volume from the quarterly Emissions Trading Scheme auctions continues to act as ‘a price ceiling,’ according to an expert.
Coal use drove recent emissions increase
Today 11:45am
Increased use of coal for electricity generation was a large driver for an increase in New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions in the last quarter.
Is extending Huntly power station to 2035 in consumers’ best interest?
22 Jul 2025
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: Genesis Energy is proposing a cartel to keep high-emitting Huntly Power Station in business to 2035. If extending Huntly has economic benefits, is a cartel necessary?
What does 'drier' really mean in 'green' homes?
Today 11:45am
Media release - Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland | Researchers say green-rating systems could improve clarity and effectiveness by explicitly defining ‘drier’ and using two measures of humidity.
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.
NZ voluntary carbon market’s sad state
14 Jul 2025
By John O’Brien | OPINION: A combination of scandals, challenging economic times, and cheaper offshore carbon credits, mean that the domestic voluntary carbon market in New Zealand remains absolutely tiny.
Bill to restart oil and gas exploration clears final hurdle
Today 11:45am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government’s Crown Minerals Amendment Bill is set to become law after passing its third reading in parliament last night, with critics calling it humiliating for the climate minister and an embarrassment to New Zealand's international reputation.
Key orange roughy population on verge of collapse, govt considers closure
9 Jul 2025
Media release - Deep Sea Conservation Coalition | New data reveals that New Zealand’s main orange roughy fishery, accounting for half of the country’s total catch, is on the brink of collapse, with one model showing it may have reached that point already, and the government’s considering closing it.
Warmer than usual weather ahead, wetter in north and east, as La Niña signals strengthen
Today 11:45am
Media release – Earth Sciences New Zealand | Seasonal Outlook Climate August to October 2025 suggests warm, damp weather, with La Niña’s possible return.
Latest trawl bycatch numbers 'a grim wake-up call'
24 Jun 2025
Media release – Greenpeace | The latest fisheries bycatch data paints a grim picture, with trawlers hauling up thousands of kilograms of coral and killing hundreds of fur seals and seabirds over a 12 month period.
Wilding pines threaten Molesworth Station
Mon 28 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Without increased support, the unchecked spread of wilding pines will continue to creep across Marlborough’s high country – putting iconic landscapes and one of New Zealand’s top five biodiversity hotspots at serious risk, according to an expert.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
Thu 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.
A modest geothermal strategy
Thu 31 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has unveiled a far more modest geothermal energy strategy than its primary backer, Resources Minister Shane Jones, had sought.
European Central Bank to consider 'climate factor' when lending to banks
Thu 31 Jul 2025
The European Central Bank will add climate change considerations to its lending operations from late 2026, raising pressure on banks to channel financing towards greener sectors as the euro zone seeks to reduce its carbon footprint.
NZ part of hidden global deep-sea network beneath the waves
25 Jul 2025
Media release - Earth Sciences New Zealand | A world-first study of marine life, including sea creatures found in New Zealand's dark, cold, pressurised ocean depths, has revealed that deep-sea life is surprisingly more connected than previously thought.
‘Ideological sludge’: How NZ is quiet quitting climate action
17 Jul 2025
New Zealand once stood out as a world leader on climate change. In June it became the first country in the world to abandon a commitment to phase out oil, gas and coal.
Watts talks big on energy reform, but barriers persist
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.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
Tue 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.
Climate catastrophes are creating a ‘new market reality’ for insurance carriers
23 Jul 2025
Raging wildfires and severe storms contributed to record-high global insurance losses — totalling an estimated US$84 billion — for the first six months of the year.
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.
Multi-day protest continues at coal mine
Wed 30 Jul 2025
Bathurst Resources has been forced to truck coal from its Stockton mine as climate activists occupy coal buckets at the mine for a third day.
Fund for low emissions transport winds up
Thu 31 Jul 2025
New Zealand’s Low Emission Transport Fund has officially wrapped up, ending a nine-year programme that put hundreds of millions of dollars towards accelerating the country’s shift to cleaner transport.
Urgent action needed to get on track for climate goals - commission
25 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand is making progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but more work is needed – urgently – to set up for future reductions, according to the latest report from the Climate Change Commission.
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.
Toxic algae are turning South Australia’s coral reefs into underwater graveyards
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Since March, a harmful algal bloom, fueled by a marine heat wave, has been choking South Australia’s coastline.
NZ govt’s fossil fuel plans could break international law
24 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government could be breaching international law with its plans to subsidise and expand fossil fuel extraction, following a ruling overnight from the world’s highest court.
Tipping points: Window to avoid irreversible climate impacts is ‘rapidly closing’
11 Jul 2025
In the midst of a record-breaking heatwave in Europe, the UK city of Exeter recently played host to the second international conference on “tipping points”.
‘Total infiltration’: How plastics industry swamped vital global treaty talks
Mon 28 Jul 2025
Petrostates and well-funded lobbyists at UN-hosted talks are derailing a deal to cut plastic production and protect people and the planet.
Activists sue US development bank over $4.6bn loan to massive Mozambique gas project
18 Jul 2025
Environmental groups claim loan is ‘unlawful’ in legal filing.
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.
Tilting at windmills? Trump’s claims about turbines fact-checked
Thu 31 Jul 2025
The US president has taken a swipe at wind power as the blades visible from his Turnberry golf course turn.
Ocean heatwaves may signal climate tipping point
25 Jul 2025
A recent study that tapped into satellite data has revealed that 2023 marked an unprecedented year for marine heatwaves, with record-breaking levels of duration, reach and intensity across the world's oceans.
Climate groups want UK wealth tax to make super-rich fund sustainable economy
17 Jul 2025
Growing number of campaigners urge government to ensure green investment is not done ‘on backs of the poor’.
Can robot taxis solve NZ's transport woes?
23 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Ministry of Transport has tested the idea of driverless taxis as a futuristic fix. But while new modelling explores how "robotaxis" could ease congestion and reduce car ownership, critics say it misses a crucial point – the country’s worsening transport emissions.
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.
EV sales fall, but it’s complicated
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Imports of fully electric vehicles fell over 50% in value during the 12 months to June 2025, compared with the year ended June 2024, according to Stats NZ.
The ICJ’s ruling means Australia and other major polluters face a new era of climate reparations
25 Jul 2025
By Harj Narulla | OPINION: Australia has found itself on the wrong side of history.
Waste Levy risks becoming ‘slush fund’ under proposed changes – Commissioner
5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Proposed changes to New Zealand's waste legislation risk undermining public trust in the waste levy scheme, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton.
The struggle for control of the Arctic is accelerating - and it's riskier than ever
11 Jul 2025
As the battle for one of the world’s coldest places heats up, an increasingly fragile security balance may be breaking down, leading to an escalating arms race.
UN University report warns against carbon credits from REDD, tree planting, and improved forest management
13 Jun 2025
But the report stops short of recommending banning the trade in carbon temporarily stored in trees.
For the first time, China invests more in wind and solar than coal overseas
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.
