Topics tagged with 'Emissions trading'
Councils might have to consider emissions
7 Mar 2019
Councils considering proposals under the Resource Management Act might soon have to take greenhouse gas emissions into account.
Fertiliser firm wants balance in carbon credits
5 Mar 2019
A company given millions of dollars’ worth of free carbon credits says the system giving it the units should not be stopped until at least 70 per cent of its competitors also face a carbon price.
Farmers must pay for emissions, say foresters
4 Mar 2019
The Government’s latest attempts to make the Emissions Trading Scheme attractive for forestry won’t work if farmers don’t have to pay for their emissions, say foresters.
Report puts boardrooms on carbon liabilty notice
26 Feb 2019
The days of ignoring carbon prices and the risks associated with climate change are over, businesses are being told.
Nats make 'measured and reasonable' climate plan
25 Feb 2019
A National government might give fewer free carbon credits to trade-exposed industrial emitters but is unlikely to force a large-scale reduction in biological emissions from agriculture, according to a new paper.
Cullen report backs more environmental taxes
21 Feb 2019
Greater environmental taxes and strengthening of the Emissions Trading Scheme are on the way if the Government adopts recommendations from its Tax Working Group.
MONEY MYSTERY: How much will this cost us?
19 Feb 2019
Treasury expects most emitters to pay the Government a carbon fee this year instead of surrendering carbon credits – and that will cost the country money.
Farmers put climate worries on back burner
15 Feb 2019
Climate change and the Emissions Trading Scheme have fallen down the list of things worrying farmers.
Emissions need multi-pronged action, says EDS
14 Feb 2019
The Emissions Trading Scheme alone will not drive the level of land-use change New Zealand will need to cut its greenhouse gas emissions, a new report says.
Mâori want say in planting of marginal land
12 Feb 2019
PLANS TO TURN farms on steep country into forests could see the Government run foul of Mâori economic development plans.
Industrial power challenges ETS deal for farmers
7 Feb 2019
A Labour-New Zealand First coalition agreement clause that guarantees farmers they will not pay as much as other sectors for their greenhouse gas emissions – if anything at all - is being challenged by one of our biggest industrial companies.
China is the big fish, says European ETS expert
5 Feb 2019
Linkages between emissions trading scheme in Europe and New Zealand are on the agenda – but it’s China that Europe is really interested in.
Second iwi wants inclusion of older forests
1 Feb 2019
Another major iwi is pushing for tradable carbon credits for a much wider range of forests – and says dairy farmers should be liable for emissions from their businesses.
Hands off carbon price this year, says Contact
30 Jan 2019
Contact Energy is one of the companies which opposed the Government lifting the $25 carbon price cap this year.
Maori landowners back use of older forests
29 Jan 2019
Iwi involved in the Treelords settlement are backing calls for extra carbon stored in old and indigenous forests be recognised.
Don't ignore pre-1990 trees, foresters urge
25 Jan 2019
The Emissions Trading Scheme should be used to encourage more carbon storage in old forests, the forestry industry is telling the Government.
ETS proposals won't cut it, says carbon forester
24 Jan 2019
Proposed changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme alone will not trigger the forestry planting levels New Zealand needs to cut emissions – agriculture must be brought into the scheme, says one of the country’s largest forest companies.
OPINION: Climate action counts, not rhetoric
24 Jan 2019
By TODD MULLER | It was disappointing to see yesterday’s Carbon News claim that figures I had used in my recent article were “wide of the mark”.
Tiwai could lead way in new-deal aluminium
22 Jan 2019
The owner of New Zealand’s only aluminium smelter says the country could have a bright future producing low-emissions aluminium for a carbon-constrained world.
Govt explains why $25 cap should stay for now
21 Dec 2018
The Government says the current cap on the price of carbon needs to stay in place while the Emissions Trading Scheme is reviewed.
Government releases new forestry rules
20 Dec 2018
The Government has released further details of changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme’s forestry rules.
NZ and Europe to strengthen market cooperation
18 Dec 2018
New Zealand is to strengthen its carbon market ties with Europe.
Fewer animals is real answer, says forest group
14 Dec 2018
A group set up to advise the Government on the role of forestry in cutting greenhouse gas emissions says the real answer is reducing livestock numbers.
OPINION: When will the real action begin?
14 Dec 2018
The Government’s Emissions Trading Scheme announcement this week has left carbon forestry pioneer Dr MURRAY McCLINTOCK, of Nelson company Carbon Farm, underwhelmed and asking when the real action on combatting climate change will begin.
Government stalls as carbon price hits high
13 Dec 2018
Record carbon prices have failed to convince the Government that the price cap should be lifted immediately.
Permanent forests become permanent fixture
13 Dec 2018
Permanent forests are to come into the Emissions Trading Scheme, but there’s no decision yet on recognising the carbon stored in timber products and whether landowners will be able to average out carbon stored in their forests.
Carbon trading will mean fair trading
13 Dec 2018
Insider trading is to be banned from New Zealand’s carbon market.
Government announces wide ETS changes
12 Dec 2018
A cap on emissions, a system to manage carbon credits supply and prices, the inclusion of permanent forests, and the possibility of a price a price floor are the major changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme just announced by the Government.
ETS changes could see price cap lifted
12 Dec 2018
The next round of changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme to be announced later today could see the $25 price cap lifted.
Government eyes using ETS money to help farmers
12 Dec 2018
Using revenue from the Emissions Trading Scheme to fund carbon sequestration by farmers is one of the options the Government is considering as it opens discussion with other countries on ways of dealing with agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
Our climate efforts 'highly insufficient'
12 Dec 2018
New Zealand’s efforts on climate change remain “highly insufficient” and consistent with twice the level of warming that scientists say we should not go beyond.
JAMES SHAW: A year of living hopefully
10 Dec 2018
Climate minister James Shaw arrives in Poland today for international climate negotiations. This time last year he was a brand-new minister, just three weeks into the job and announcing on the world stage that New Zealand would be carbon-neutral by 2050.
What state farmer said about green taxes
10 Dec 2018
New Zealand’s largest farmer, State-owned Pamu, has triggered outrage in some circles by telling the Government’s Tax Working Group that it supports some environmental taxes.
We must cut animal numbers, says new report
7 Dec 2018
Another report has confirmed that New Zealand cannot meet its Paris Agreement commitments without reducing the number of farm animals – and says that carbon prices up to $80 a tonne are needed to do it.
NZ will take agriculture lead role at Katowice
4 Dec 2018
New Zealand will lead discussions at international climate talks in Poland on upping emissions reductions from farming.
ClimCom could make methane call, says Treasury
30 Nov 2018
Treasury has suggested the Government delay setting a 2050 emissions reduction target, saying giving the decision to the yet-to-be-established climate commission would allow more time to decide by how much methane emissions should be reduced.
Blockchain takes politics out of carbon play
15 Nov 2018
Businesses will soon be able to price and trade carbon without the help of governments by using blockchain technology, says a social enterprise about to launch a new carbon platform.
How we'll pay for National's mismanagement
12 Nov 2018
Climate mismanagement under the National government means New Zealand will have to use international carbon credits to meet its emissions reduction targets, says a leading carbon forestry executive.
New RMA will cover effects of climate change
9 Nov 2018
The Government’s overhaul of the Resource Management Act will include the way it deals with climate change.
Treasury likes bonds to reward tree-planting
7 Nov 2018
Environmental impact bonds encouraging the planting of native forests could help to cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions, Treasury says.
Buying credits last resort, say energy managers
1 Nov 2018
Buying international carbon credits to meet New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction commitments will be expensive and should be a last resort, the Government has been told.
Emissions failure will hurt farmers, says Fonterra
31 Oct 2018
A global failure to cut greenhouse gas emissions will see New Zealand farmers face demands for major production cuts, the world’s largest milk-producer is warning.
Don't do a Rogernomics, warns enviro chief
30 Oct 2018
Decarbonising the New Zealand economy cannot be a repeat of Rogernomics, says Environment Secretary Vicky Robertson.
Group wants climate action to save native species
25 Oct 2018
Tougher resource management rules and incentives to store carbon in native forests are among just-released recommendations to protect New Zealand’s native species from climate change.
Pioneering carbon investment fund opens doors
24 Oct 2018
A carbon investment fund six years in the making is open for business.
We're about to get funds trading in carbon
16 Oct 2018
New Zealand is about to get a managed funds service based on carbon.
Why our monetary system suits Zero Carbon Act
15 Oct 2018
New Zealand’s monetary policy system is a good model for the Zero Carbon Act, says the country’s stock exchange.
ETS farming delay could be costly, says EY
2 Oct 2018
Postponing bringing agriculture into the Emissions Trading Scheme risks exposing New Zealand’s economy to a shock, says one of the world’s largest accounting firms.
Ministry likes look of targeted green taxes
26 Sep 2018
The Ministry for the Environment says it likes environmental taxes – especially for dealing with climate change and water problems.
Getting rid of free credits worth $2b, says TWG
21 Sep 2018
Ditching free carbon credits for trade-exposed heavy emitters could generate $2.1 billion a year in revenue, the Tax Working Group says.
NZ urged to grab a slice of burgeoning $35 billion market for nature credits
Fri 13 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand could unlock strong domestic and international demand for high-integrity nature-based credits, if government, investors and restoration groups work together to scale supply, a new report says.
Rod Carr is ‘over’ climate change defeatism
Fri 13 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | If there’s one thing former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr is “over”, it’s people saying there’s nothing they can personally do to address climate change.
Auckland Airport switches on giant heat pump system to cut gas use
6 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | While Auckland Airport’s switch from gas to heat pumps is welcome, the emissions savings are dwarfed by ongoing aircraft emissions, which are set to rise, according to a sustainable transport expert.
Air NZ joins Marsden Point SAF project
3 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand has quietly added its name to a consortium exploring the viability of green hydrogen production for sustainable aviation fuel at Channel Infrastructure’s Marsden Point energy hub.
Carbon markets risk penalising Indigenous stewardship, researchers warn
5 Mar 2026
Carbon markets designed to reward environmental restoration may be unintentionally disadvantaging Indigenous communities who have long protected intact ecosystems, according to new research.
Govt’s own modelling shows LNG leads to higher electricity prices than other solutions
19 Feb 2026
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: According to modelling conducted by Concept Consulting for MBIE, either developing the Tariki gas storage facility or managing electricity demand would deliver lower wholesale electricity prices than the Government’s preferred solution of an LNG import terminal.
Kenya’s latest carbon credit crackdown reveals questionable practices
Wed 11 Mar 2026
Some players use sophisticated tactics to inflate the value of credits that may not represent genuine, permanent emissions reductions.
Countries agree to record release of emergency oil reserves as prices surge
Fri 13 Mar 2026
Dozens of countries have agreed to release a record amount of oil from their emergency reserves to try to tackle supply shortages and soaring prices.
Bidders no-show at carbon auction – again
3 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | As predicted, today’s carbon auction yet again failed to attract any bidders, with NZUs currently trading hands on the secondary market at a 35% discount on this year’s auction floor price.
3,600 times faster: China is shaking up the steel industry
25 Feb 2026
For over a century, making steel meant coal, heat, and hours of waiting. A Chinese research team now reports collapsing that process into just three to six seconds; no coal, near zero emissions, and a vortex lance already moving toward commercial production. The technology is called flash ironmaking, and in February 2026, its implications are still unfolding.
Hormuz crisis critical to New Zealand
Tue 10 Mar 2026
By Nathan Surendran | COMMENT: Why the Hormuz crisis is a symptom, not the disease – and what it means for New Zealand.
Sustainable retail-office project breaks ground under new Green Star framework
19 Feb 2026
Construction is set to begin on a new retail-office development in central Auckland, which is targeting a 40% reduction in embodied carbon and 25% lower energy.
Opposition attacks Govt over fossil fuel phaseout backdown
2 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | Revelations that Resources Minister Shane Jones ruled out New Zealand signing up to a 'road map' away from fossil fuels at last year’s global climate summit show the National Party’s minor coalition partners’ undue influence over the Government, according to Labour leader Chris Hipkins.
Renewables surge cuts power emissions, but oil dominates fossil fuel use
Fri 13 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand’s fossil fuel emissions fell in 2025 as strong renewable electricity generation reduced the need for gas-fired power, but oil consumption is rising and now accounts for a record share of fossil emissions.
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.
Climate Commission called to Waitangi inquiry over alleged breaches
Tue 10 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Climate Change Commission is being called to front up to the Waitangi Tribunal and give evidence over alleged legal breaches of its obligations to Māori.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
10 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Transport pollution was the biggest contributor to an increase in New Zealand’s consumption-based emissions in 2023, with emissions from household travel up 12%, and consumption-based emissions totalling 58.3 million tonnes – up 1.6% from the previous year.
From forest to flatpack, IKEA faces timber traceability test
Wed 11 Mar 2026
As the EU’s Deforestation Regulation nears implementation this year, furniture giant IKEA may need stronger traceability systems to prove its timber isn’t linked to post-2020 deforestation.
Greenpeace slams Govt climate policies amid rising petrol prices
Thu 12 Mar 2026
As petrol prices climb to $3 a litre, Greenpeace is blaming Government decisions for leaving Kiwis harder hit by the oil price spike.
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.”
Gaps in adaptation taxonomies hinder climate finance in Asia: report
5 Mar 2026
Without clearer criteria and metrics in adaptation taxonomies, Asia risks widening its climate financing gap, warns a new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
Russia gets export boost from Iran war as price of oil to India surges
Tue 10 Mar 2026
The war in Iran has fuelled a significant bump in demand for Russian oil and gas, the Kremlin said on Friday, boosting exports which have been battered by sanctions linked to Russia's war in Ukraine.
Five trees can’t offset a car: Lawyers accuse Mazda of greenwashing
Mon 9 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action NZ is taking Mazda to the Advertising Standards Authority over its claims that a tree-planting programme will offset vehicle emissions.
Govt missing opportunity to slash electricity prices, says expert
11 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s fixation on eliminating the "dry-year risk margin" as a lever to reduce costs misses a much bigger opportunity to lower electricity prices, according to Christina Hood, head of Compass Climate.
Japan eyes New Zealand as green hydrogen export hub
Thu 12 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A new partnership between major Japanese companies aims to explore exporting green hydrogen from New Zealand – but the economics of producing the energy-hungry fuel remain the biggest hurdle.
Wales council to buy and demolish homes prone to flooding
4 Feb 2026
A row of homes in a village in south Wales is to be bought by a local authority and demolished as they can no longer be protected from flooding caused by the climate crisis.
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.
EDS puts environmental lawmaking under the spotlight
26 Feb 2026
Media Release |The Environmental Defence Society has launched the first in a series of investigative pieces into how environmental laws are being made in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Climate 'dream team' launches foundation targeting 100 million tonnes in emissions cuts
25 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The New Zealand Climate Foundation, which has the ambitious aim of cutting 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, had its official launch on Monday.
Expert Panel invites EDS to comment on Bendigo goldmine
Fri 13 Mar 2026
Media release | The Environmental Defence Society has been invited to provide comment on the Bendigo-Ophir gold mine by the expert Panel tasked with deciding the fast-track project.
If the government is set on an LNG terminal, gas users, not electricity users, should pay
Wed 11 Mar 2026
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: It's increasingly clear that the government's narrative of LNG as ‘dry year electricity insurance’ really doesn't stack up.
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.
Tiny, lost and constipated: what a baby turtle told Australian scientists about warming seas
6 Mar 2026
The arrival of loggerheads in New South Wales shows these ‘sentinels of climate change’ are being forced into unknown territory.
The world’s largest climate finance deal was built to flounder: why funding fails to reach the front‑line
6 Mar 2026
Adopted in December 2015, the Paris Agreement commits countries to keeping global temperature rise below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
Kiwis overly optimistic about state of environment
27 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New research suggests many New Zealanders believe the environment is in better shape than it really is, with public perceptions often out of step with scientific evidence.
‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics
24 Feb 2026
Plastic production has doubled over the last 20 years – and will likely double again. For author Beth Gardiner, metal water bottles and canvas tote bags are not the solution. So what is?
Todd gets nod to drill first super-critical geothermal well
Thu 12 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Todd Energy is to make its sole oil drilling rig available to drill the first exploration well under the government’s $60 million super-critical geothermal resource exploration programme under a ‘preferred supplier’ agreement announced yesterday.
Media round-up
20 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: 'Every tonne matters': The climate scientist who wants to give you hope; Minister says managed retreat is an option; and climate change is here – is New Zealand ready?
China has a new competitor? Kazakhstan reveals huge rare Earth deposit that could power the next tech boom
25 Feb 2026
China’s grip on rare earths might finally see some competition, and the world is already taking notice.
How falling battery costs are igniting race for round-the-clock solar power
Fri 13 Mar 2026
By combining the solar array with a massive amount of battery capacity, the aim is to store enough power generated during daylight hours so that a minimum of 1 GW of electricity – enough to power between 500,000 and one million homes – is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Native plant shows promise for tackling `forever chemicals’
Wed 11 Mar 2026
Media release: University of Auckland | One of Aotearoa New Zealand’s taonga plants, harakeke, shows promise as a treatment for removing “forever chemicals” from drinking water.
DOC trims costs and winds down jobs for nature
10 Nov 2025
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is entering a new phase of tighter budgets and structural change as it winds down the pandemic-era Jobs for Nature programme and reshapes its operations to absorb long-term cost pressures.
Claims that AI can help fix climate dismissed as greenwashing
18 Feb 2026
Tech companies are conflating traditional artificial intelligence with generative AI when claiming the energy-hungry technology could help avert climate breakdown, according to a report.
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.
NZ EV owners sticking with electric – survey
Wed 11 Mar 2026
Nearly all New Zealand EV owners say they would buy another electric vehicle, according to new research from Consumer NZ.
Summit aims to revive stalled UN talks on phasing out fossil fuels
Wed 11 Mar 2026
Colombia and the Netherlands have set out three priorities for a conference on phasing out fossil fuels they will co-host in Colombia in April.
Infrastructure plan calls for ‘predictable approach’ to electrifying economy
18 Feb 2026
Aotearoa’s first National Infrastructure Plan, introduced to Parliament yesterday, calls for "a predictable approach to electrifying the economy" as one of ten priorities for the next decade.
Global coastal sea-level risks may be underestimated, say scientists
5 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Coastal communities across the Pacific and Southeast Asia could be facing greater sea-level rise risks than previously estimated, researchers say.
Study finds warming world increases days when weather is prone to fires around the globe
20 Feb 2026
The number of days when the weather gets hot, dry and windy — ideal to spark extreme wildfires — has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, with the trend increasing even higher in the Americas, a new study shows.
Western Australian communities want mandatory payments from new renewable developments
6 Mar 2026
The West Australian government wants to make new wind and solar farms pay into community funds, but host towns say more work needs to be done to make sure the payments actually happen.
