Topics tagged with 'Carbon prices'
Massive native reforestation project proposed
29 Nov 2023
By Jeremy Rose | New Zealand could go from being a buyer of offshore carbon credits to an exporter of offsets, according to the promoters of an ambitious plan to reforest and restore 2.1 million hectares of indigenous forests over the next 10 years.
Incoming govt might face $24 billion climate bill
28 Nov 2023
By Liz Kivi | The new government has a major task ahead to deliver on the country’s international obligations for emissions reductions, with implications for international trade if targets aren’t met.
New govt cans ETS review, climate and environment ministers outside cabinet
27 Nov 2023
By Liz Kivi | The new National-led coalition government has dumped the current review of the Emissions Trading Scheme, and appointed climate and environment ministers outside cabinet.
Carbon price steady amidst political uncertainty
16 Nov 2023
The carbon price has pushed through the $70 mark over the last past two months, from a low of $64 in late September to a high last week of $71.25.
ETS participants relying on banked NZUs
16 Nov 2023
NZ ETS participants stockpiling NZUs for future liabilities, uncertainty concerning changes to the regulatory framework, and the looming general election all contributed to ETS auctions failing to clear this year, according to Ministry for the Environment briefing papers released under the OIA.
Aotearoa could make a real impact on cutting greenhouse gas emissions internationally: Thomas Pogge
7 Nov 2023
By Jeremy Rose | The director of Yale University’s Global Justice Program, Thomas Pogge, says for a relatively small investment of, say, US$100 million, New Zealand could make a significant impact on cutting the greenhouse gas emissions of the developing world.
Proposal to include non-forestry land in NDC calculation
25 Oct 2023
By Jeremy Rose | A Cabinet minute from July of this year agreed in principle to include non-forest land in New Zealand’s nationally determined contribution.
Australian carbon price set to double
17 Oct 2023
Analysts say Australia’s carbon price is set to double, with reforms underway affecting industrial greenhouse gas emitters who are responsible for about 28% of the country’s emissions.
Salt CO2 fund continues to acquire its own units
16 Oct 2023
The Salt CO2 fund is continuing to purchase its own units but is undecided how it will dispose of its growing stockpile of treasury stock.
Likely ETS auction failure will eat into stockpile
29 Sep 2023
The likely failure of the final ETS auction of the year in December would result in a significant chunk of the current stockpile evaporating.
CO2 fund gobbling up its own product
28 Sep 2023
Salt Management's Carbon Fund spent more than $1.2 million buying units in its own fund over the last month.
Carbon price hovers around $73
13 Sep 2023
The NZU price is up $2 since early last week, with a price bump both before and after last week’s auction.
Third consecutive ETS auction fails
6 Sep 2023
Today’s ETS auction has been declined because the clearing price did not meet the minimum price settings, with no winning bids as a result - and an increasing likelihood that the December auction will also fail.
Carbon price up ahead of Wednesday auction
4 Sep 2023
The carbon price pushed through the $70 mark at the end of last week, last fixing at $71 on Commtrade on Friday. It has climbed $6 in the past two weeks to its highest point since February - more than double the price just two months ago.
Concerns around NZU reporting
1 Sep 2023
Emissions Trading Scheme participants are calling for better accuracy and transparency in NZU movement reporting, after two reporting glitches have led to serious questions.
National’s climate “dividend” isn’t really a dividend - and could increase emissions
31 Aug 2023
By Liz Kivi | Yesterday the National Party announced a “climate dividend” amid much fanfare as part of its $14.6 billion package of tax cuts.
IMF warns NZ at risk of failing international emissions obligations
29 Aug 2023
The International Monetary Fund says New Zealand must do more to meet its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2030, and is off track to meet its international obligations.
Analysts predict carbon price will hit $140 by 2050
25 Aug 2023
Analysts are predicting the spot price of NZUs will rise to $150 by 2050 - a level they say will negatively affect some of New Zealand’s big energy gentailers and encourage behavioural change from carbon polluters.
Will tightening voluntary carbon market regulations combat corporate greenwashing?
24 Aug 2023
Carbon credits are made to be interchangeable, but while some have impressive effects, others have been found to be worthless.
Secondary carbon market “pops” to 5-month high, ETS announcement later today
22 Aug 2023
The NZU price hit a 5-month high late last week, trading as high as $66.50 on Friday - up 10% for the week.
Carbon price fluctuates with potential for more volatility
2 Aug 2023
It’s been a big week for NZUs on the secondary market, with the price rising almost $18 to $65 on Wednesday last week, hovering around $60 for several days, but then dipping below the $60 mark.
Govt U-turn adopting Commission’s advice on ETS auction settings
26 Jul 2023
The government has adopted the Climate Change Commission’s advice on ETS auction settings from December, with a significantly higher floor price, lower auction volumes, and two-tiers of much higher prices for the cost containment reserve.
Carbon price bounces but how high will it go?
26 Jul 2023
Pundits are picking the government’s decision to adopt most of the Climate Change Commission’s ETS recommendations, rejected by Cabinet last year, will result in a sustained increase in the price of carbon. But few expect it to return to the $88.50 high of last November anytime soon.
Govt signals ETS announcement, market “drifting”
25 Jul 2023
The Ministry for the Environment has signalled it will make an announcement about the Emissions Trading Scheme tonight, after the market closes.
Carbon price jumps 30%
19 Jul 2023
The price of NZUs on the secondary market has rebounded since last week’s unexpected revelation that the government would be forced to change Emissions Trading Scheme settings.
Carbon price crashes, “split market” developing
7 Jul 2023
The carbon price dropped to a two-year low this week, and insiders say a split market is developing, with lower prices for forestry-derived NZUs.
Forestry investment at risk, along with climate targets
4 Jul 2023
By Liz Kivi | Foresters may lose their businesses if the carbon price stays low, with contractors already losing their jobs.
NZU spot price drops further
29 Jun 2023
The price of NZUs on the secondary market is in freefall following the government’s consultation announcement on ETS settings and restrictions on permanent forestry.
Carbon price plummets: what does ETS review mean for future prices?
22 Jun 2023
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price on the secondary market has slumped to its lowest point since 2021 in the wake of the government’s ETS announcement, after rallying briefly following last week’s failed Emissions Trading Scheme auction.
What counts as a carbon credit?
20 Jun 2023
A new UN draft report threatens to sideline billions of tons of future carbon removal.
Institutions warm to carbon trading even as questions linger
16 Jun 2023
Singapore's bid to become a carbon trading hub raises questions about the verification and pricing methods involved.
What the EU’s new border tax could mean for carbon markets
16 Jun 2023
The European Union’s new Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism should incentivize more countries to put a price on carbon, but not the U.S.
ETS auction fails to clear
14 Jun 2023
Today’s ETS auction has been declined because the clearing price did not meet the minimum price settings. As a result, there are no winning bids.
The Transatlantic carbon-pricing clash
14 Jun 2023
Economists have long argued that regulation alone cannot bring about the reduction in global greenhouse-gas emissions that is needed to curb climate change; a carbon price is also essential.
Failure is not an auction
9 Jun 2023
By Nigel Brunel | COMMENT: All eyes will be on the second auction on Wednesday, 14th June, when almost nine million tonnes are up for grabs, including eight million NZUs in the Cost Containment Reserve (CCR). The CCR can only be triggered at $80.64 if all the auction volume is exhausted.
Best by the rest...
9 Jun 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Climate scientist James Renwick says, on a finite planet, never-ending growth of anything is unsustainable; National says He Waka Eke Noa is “dead”; and Taranaki council wants seabed mining banned.
What if all auctions fail this year? Does the Registry oversupply problem disappear?
8 Jun 2023
By Nigel Brunel | COMMENT: All 2023's ETS carbon auctions failing is one of many scenarios for NZU prices in the next 12 months. But it could go a long way to solving the registry oversupply if it happens.
Price collapse causes 20% loss for carbon fund
29 May 2023
Carbon prices collapsed at the end of 2022, causing more than 20% loss to Salt Management’s carbon fund in the 12 months to March.
Govt, NZ Steel to take action towards a low emissions economy
22 May 2023
The government will invest up to $140 million to subsidise one of the country’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, making it New Zealand’s biggest decarbonisation plan to date.
NZ ETS consultation launched
22 May 2023
The NZ government announced a four week consultation on proposals to update “unit limits and price control settings for the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)”.
Government in the dock over ETS decisions
10 May 2023
Lawyers for Climate Action New Zealand (LCANZI) has filed high court proceedings challenging Cabinet’s rejection of the Climate Change Commission’s advice on the emissions trading scheme settings.
Market indifferent to commission’s advice
3 May 2023
By Jeremy Rose | Last Wednesday, journalists covering the release of the Climate Change Commission’s draft advice on the second emissions plan had to surrender their cellphones during a seven-and-a-half hour lock-up, and were under a strict embargo to coincide with the closing of the secondary carbon market.
Carbon auction clearing price well below confidential reserve
1 May 2023
The last carbon auction clearing price was 30% lower than the spot price at the failed March 15 auction.
Europe's ETS sets tougher target
27 Apr 2023
EU countries have given the green light to the biggest overhaul to date of the bloc’s carbon market, raising costs for polluting industries and increasing its emissions reduction target from 43% to 62% by 2030.
NZ might face $24 billion pricetag for offshore carbon credits to 2030: Treasury
11 Apr 2023
New Zealand might be facing a $24 billion bill to meet its international obligations for carbon emission reductions to 2030, according to a new report.
Best by the rest...
6 Apr 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: The finance minister seeks advice on the ETS as carbon prices plummet; National’s climate policy is under scrutiny; and kaitiakitanga as climate action.
Voluntary carbon markets give a pittance of the proceeds to global south
4 Apr 2023
The voluntary carbon market is under scrutiny once again. Follow the Money has written an expose on South Pole, the globe’s largest seller of carbon credits.
Minister warns Canadians may pay more in carbon tax than they receive in rebate
3 Apr 2023
Canada’s environment and climate change minister acknowledged that the average household may eventually pay more for the carbon price than it gets back in rebate payments, but says the Liberal government has other programs to help Canadians lower their energy costs overall.
Price of NZUs at 18-month low
29 Mar 2023
The price of NZUs has dropped to an 18-month low after a short-lived jump following the failed carbon auction on March 15.
FMA urges sharper focus on climate risk disclosures
Tue 26 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand companies are making steady progress in climate-related financial disclosures, but the Financial Markets Authority says many organisations still need to provide clearer and more robust reporting on physical climate risks and their potential business impacts.
Officials told Govt not to stop climate court case
Today 12:45pm
By Liz Kivi | Government officials advised ministers not to intervene in a groundbreaking climate court case, according to newly released documents.
$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 ramps up war on wilding pines with $79m boost
Mon 25 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is ramping up efforts to contain the spread of wilding pines with a $79 million funding boost aimed at protecting farmland, biodiversity hotspots, tourism landscapes and water catchments across New Zealand.
Thumbs up for Govt help for businesses transitioning from gas
Tue 26 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Businesses and climate advocates alike have welcomed the Government’s pre-budget announcement that it will help secure cheap lending for businesses transitioning from gas, as New Zealand’s domestic supply dwindles.
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.
China’s new carbon metric leaves Germany-sized gap in its emissions
Today 12:45pm
A major change in the way that China measures its core climate goal has effectively halved the growth in the country’s carbon dioxide emissions over the past five years.
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.
Mike Smith’s asymmetric victory
Mon 25 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: The New Zealand Government’s recent move, undercutting citizens’ rights and the rule of law to cancel the country’s most important climate case is a massive win for Mike Smith, the climate change activist who brought it.
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.
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.
LNG vital to prevent economic damage as gas leaves NZ economy
Today 12:45pm
By Pattrick Smellie | Importing natural gas will make the difference between an “orderly” or “chaotic and unnecessarily costly" decline as domestically produced gas runs out, the chief executive of the Gas Industry Company, David Prentice, said yesterday.
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.
Why temperature records are being not only broken but smashed
Today 12:45pm
Scientists have little doubt that human-caused climate change – largely the result of the burning of coal, oil and gas – has supercharged the heat.
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.
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.
Govt’s LNG plan puts trade deals at risk, lawyers warn
Tue 26 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers for Climate Action are warning that the government’s plans for an LNG import terminal and to subsidise gas fields are in breach of New Zealand’s free trade agreements with the UK and the EU.
Hipkins pans LNG plan as ‘massive step backwards’
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
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.
Climate resolution conundrum for NZ
Tue 26 May 2026
By Vernon Rive | COMMENT: While the United Nations resolution endorsing a landmark climate ruling is significant – politically, diplomatically and legally – its impact on international climate negotiations and domestic action is likely to be indirect and incremental.
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.
Colombia’s climate crossroads: Trumpism casts shadow over presidential battle
Tue 26 May 2026
Colombia is a global leader in climate activism. Could US influence drag country to a future of mining and fracking?
Geo-heat search explores exhausted oil and gas fields
Today 12:45pm
By Pattrick Smellie | Underground heat from exhausted oil and gas fields are a new target for government-backed efforts to tap geothermal resources for electricity production and industrial use.
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.
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.
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.
ETS auction failures created $1.4b fiscal hole – Greens
Today 12:45pm
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Finance Minister Nicola Willis has hit back at the Green Party's claim that the repeated failure of New Zealand’s carbon auctions has added a $1.4 billion 'fiscal hole', with Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick blaming the Government for undermining the ETS.
New breed of political prisoner arises in Britain as anti-protest sentences rise
Today 12:45pm
More people are being jailed in England and Wales as a result of acting to prevent climate breakdown and the war in Gaza, research reveals.
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.
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.
‘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.
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.
Marae solar project boosts sustainability and mana motuhake
Mon 25 May 2026
By Moana Ellis, Local Democracy Reporter | Five marae from Whanganui to Taumarunui are running on solar power and many more could join a major green energy initiative aimed at cutting electricity costs and strengthening community resilience.
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.
VR tool helps communities plan for a safer, resilient future
Today 12:45pm
Media release: University of Canterbury | A newly developed virtual reality (VR) tool could help communities understand flood risks, raise public awareness and give decision-makers clearer information for planning.
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.
Rotorua extends diesel bus contract after NZTA declines extra funding
Mon 25 May 2026
By Mathew Nash, Local Democracy Reporter | Rotorua is stuck with its diesel-powered public buses after a funding snag played a part in setting back plans for zero-emission buses by years.
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.
Project linking food waste to cutting methane emissions gets underway
Today 12:45pm
Media release | Kai Commitment is leading a New Zealand-first project to help understand the connection between food waste and methane emissions and identify effective interventions.
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.
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.
