Topics tagged with 'Carbon News world'
Von der Leyen slammed for ‘huge’ climate mistakes
14 May 2024
Teresa Ribera, a front-runner to become the EU’s next Green Deal commissioner, lashed out at her potential future boss in an interview.
Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory just captured ominous signals about the planet’s health
14 May 2024
Atmospheric levels of planet-warming carbon dioxide aren’t just on their way to yet another record high this year — they’re rising faster than ever, according to the latest in a 66-year-long series of observations.
'Getting smashed': World's avocado growing regions could shrink by 40 per cent by 2050
14 May 2024
A new report claims avocados are being "smashed" by the climate crisis, with areas deemed suitable for growing the superfood expected to contract by between 14 and 41 per cent by 2050.
I understand climate scientists’ despair – but stubborn optimism may be our only hope
13 May 2024
Opinion: Fighting spirit helped us achieve the Paris accords in 2015 – and we need it now the world is on course to overshoot 1.5C.
Wind and solar are ‘fastest-growing electricity sources in history’
13 May 2024
Wind and solar are growing faster than any other sources of electricity in history, according to new analysis from thinktank Ember.
Vermont could become first US state to make biggest emitters pay for climate-related damages
13 May 2024
Vermont’s House of Representatives has passed S.259, a state bill aimed at collecting recovery costs for climate-related damages from the biggest emitters, such as fossil fuel companies.
Despite drought, Amazon deforestation alerts hit five-year low
13 May 2024
The Brazilian Amazon experienced a 47% decrease in deforestation in April compared to last year, marking the lowest level in five years, and a 51% decrease over the past 12 months.
BP and Shell ‘shaped’ UK carbon tax proposals, private emails show
13 May 2024
Internal documents expose how oil and gas majors were given the chance to influence a report by the Policy Exchange think tank.
World’s top climate scientists expect global heating to blast past 1.5C target
10 May 2024
Planet is headed for at least 2.5C of heating with disastrous results for humanity, poll of hundreds of scientists finds.
Australia backs gas beyond 2050 despite climate fears
10 May 2024
Australia has announced it will ramp up its extraction and use of gas until "2050 and beyond", despite global calls to phase out fossil fuels.
What Trump promised oil CEOs as he asked them to steer $1 billion to his campaign
10 May 2024
Donald Trump has pledged to scrap President Biden’s policies on electric vehicles and wind energy, as well as other initiatives opposed by the fossil fuel industry.
Corporate climate watchdog document deems carbon offsets largely ineffective
10 May 2024
Staff at an influential corporate climate action group whose board announced a plan to allow companies to offset greenhouse gas emissions from their supply chain with carbon credits has now found such offsets are largely ineffective.
Europeans want governments to focus more on curbing migration than climate change
10 May 2024
Europeans focus more on curbing immigration than on climate change and less than 15% of those interviewed across the globe consider climate issues to be among the top three priorities for their government.
Inside the climate protests hell-bent on stopping Tesla
10 May 2024
Tesla’s gigafactory in Germany will temporarily pause production as a group of protesters encamped in the surrounding forest have ramped up their efforts to stop the company’s expansion.
Carbon pricing is seen as a ‘way out’ for the Malaysian steel industry to cut emissions
9 May 2024
Carbon pricing is seen as a ‘way out’ for the Malaysian steel industry to cut emissions.
Methane emissions from gas flaring being hidden from satellite monitors
9 May 2024
Use of enclosed combustors leaves regulators heavily reliant on oil and gas companies’ own flaring data.
It's all about the gas
9 May 2024
OPINION: Do we build out gas to replace coal for producing electricity, or do we go straight to sun, wind, and batteries? It’s the argument that will decide how much our earth overheats.
The ‘world’s largest’ vacuum to suck climate pollution out of the air just opened
9 May 2024
The “world’s largest” plant designed to suck planet-heating pollution out of the atmosphere like a giant vacuum has begun operating in Iceland.
2024 sees record start to year for UK's electric vehicle sales
9 May 2024
Sales of electric vehicles have got off to a record start this year, the latest sign that British consumers are shifting their preferences towards greener modes of transport.
Pakistan records its wettest April since 1961 with above average rainfall
9 May 2024
Pakistan has recorded its wettest April since 1961, with more than double the usual rainfall for the month, the national weather centre said.
BP was warned gas-driven climate change could cause ‘unprecedented famine’
8 May 2024
Yet the oil and gas major led a campaign to present gas as a climate solution, new ‘confidential’ documents released by a US Congressional investigation reveal.
Australian cattle industry suggests shift from net zero target to ‘climate neutral’ approach
8 May 2024
The US cattle industry adopted a ‘climate neutral’ goal in 2021 but scientists say that ‘misses the point’ in keeping global temperature rises below 1.5C.
Headed toward the finish line, plastics treaty delegates ‘work is far from over’
8 May 2024
Some environmental groups see the United States, the global leader in oil production, as an obstacle to a robust plastics agreement.
Landslides and massive flooding kills dozens in Brazil
8 May 2024
Massive flooding and landslides triggered by days of heavy rain in Brazil's southernmost state have killed 55 people, according to local authorities.
An estimated 40 people are dying each day in Myanmar as heat lingers in region
8 May 2024
Animals are at risk from a lack of water in a Cambodian wildlife sanctuary as soaring temperatures linger over most of Southeast Asia.
EU proposes first sanctions on Russia’s LNG sector
8 May 2024
Until now, the EU hasn’t targeted Moscow’s lucrative gas sector, newly proposed sanctions would hit about a quarter of Russia’s LNG revenues.
Plastic manufacturing and processing are still increasing, study finds
7 May 2024
Plastic is now a scourge polluting our waterways, exposing us to PFAS “forever chemicals” and making its way into our bloodstreams in the form of microplastics.
Airlines lobby against EU plan to monitor non-CO₂ emissions
7 May 2024
Global carriers ask Brussels to weaken landmark plans to require monitoring and disclosure of all emissions.
India reported over 75,000 forest fires in April
7 May 2024
A senior official said a warmer than usual April and a drier winter this year are the reasons for sudden surge in forest fires.
Shell’s £6.1bn profits fuel fresh climate change row
7 May 2024
Oil giant says it will reward shareholders with US$3.5bn - as big investors threaten revolt over 'climate-wrecking' policies.
Corporate climate disclosure has passed a tipping point. Companies need to catch up.
7 May 2024
Until recently, companies could decide whether to share information about their greenhouse gas emissions and how climate change might affect their business models.
Climate change is making hurricanes more destructive
7 May 2024
Climate misinformers spend a lot of effort muddying the waters on whether climate change is making hurricanes more damaging.
UN approves complaint process for carbon credit projects
6 May 2024
The United Nations has introduced new rules to allow people harmed by projects under the global carbon credit market it is designing to file a formal appeal.
UK's new climate action plan unlawful due to delivery risk
6 May 2024
Britain's latest climate action plan is unlawful because ministers were not told of the risk that key policies could not be delivered, London's High Court ruled.
Coal’s future dims as new regulations pile on and former defenders retreat
6 May 2024
The industry’s most influential bipartisan backers are leaving, but others will take their place — at least among the GOP.
Big Oil misled public for decades about climate change
6 May 2024
A new report released details how oil companies knew the consequences of their emissions since at least the 1960s.
Climate risks ignored in National Defence Strategy, Australian former defence chief says
6 May 2024
A former chief of Australia's defence force says the federal government has failed to understand the risk climate change poses to the nation's security.
Kenya’s devastating floods expose decades of bad land management
6 May 2024
Floods in Kenya killed at least 169 people between March and April 2024, a result of decades of poor urban planning.
Top human rights court urged to tackle corporate climate crimes
3 May 2024
Historic hearing of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights asked judges to clarify the role of business in preventing human rights harms from climate change.
Drought behind Panama Canal’s 2023 shipping disruption ‘unlikely’ without El Niño
3 May 2024
Panama’s low rainfall last year caused water levels in Gatún Lake to drop to record-low levels.
Indian Ocean is heating up much faster than we think, at a rate of 1.7-3.8°C per century
3 May 2024
Future increase in heat content equivalent to adding energy of one Hiroshima atomic bomb detonation every second, all day, every day, for a decade.
Charge Big Oil with conspiracy, former tobacco prosecutor says
3 May 2024
Following the release of new internal documents, Sharon Eubanks told the Senate Budget Committee that there is evidence for a DOJ climate case against Big Oil.
Tensions grow as China ramps up global mining for green tech
3 May 2024
Earlier this year, Ai Qing was woken up in the middle of the night by angry chants outside her dormitory in northern Argentina.
Cows are just an environmental disaster
3 May 2024
OPINION: A decade ago, I was feeling pretty pessimistic about climate change. The politics of mitigating global warming just seemed impossible: asking people to make sacrifices, or countries to slow their development, and delay dreams of better, more prosperous lives.
EU investigates ‘greenwashing’ at 20 airlines
2 May 2024
Environmental claims come under scrutiny, including the benefits of offsetting emissions from flying.
Indonesian government revokes Rimba Raya REDD project’s license
2 May 2024
The Indonesian government has revoked the license of the Rimba Raya Biodiversity Reserve Project, which has issued more than 33.6 million carbon credits since 2013, for violating local regulations.
China climate chief says he’ll visit US to bolster key ties
2 May 2024
China’s new climate chief plans to visit the US in May for formal talks with his American counterpart.
Southern Africa drought flags dilemma for loss and damage fund
2 May 2024
Scientists blame the current drought on El Niño – which could exclude those affected from receiving aid for climate-change damage.
The end of coral reefs as we know them
2 May 2024
Years ago, scientists made a devastating prediction about the ocean. Now it’s unfolding.
Conservation efforts are succeeding overall at slowing biodiversity loss, global study confirms
2 May 2024
A first-of-its-kind study that analysed hundreds of conservation actions around the world has confirmed that efforts toward preserving wildlife are resulting in measurable achievements.
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
Fri 1 Aug 2025
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
Fri 1 Aug 2025
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?
Fri 1 Aug 2025
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
Fri 1 Aug 2025
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
Fri 1 Aug 2025
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.
