Topics tagged with 'Emissions trading'
Countries group to fight airlines action
24 Feb 2012
Officials from 29 countries have met in Moscow to try to put pressure on the European Union to abandon a law which requires international airlines to pay for carbon emissions.
Europe's airline rules stir controversy
24 Feb 2012
Carbon Market Solutions says that the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme has now included aviation in its emissions reduction sectors in a move fraught with controversy and disagreement.
Carbon prices sailing choppy seas
24 Feb 2012
This week has seen choppy trading in NZD carbon, Westpac reports.
EU action gives carbon prices a boost
17 Feb 2012
Carbon prices are rising on the back of European moves to limit supply.
New industrial allocation round under way
17 Feb 2012
The new application period for emitters making a provisional or final application for an industrial allocation of NZUs is under way.
Tasman ETS links will have impact here
17 Feb 2012
Australian’s Carbon Pricing Mechanism will enter its flexible pricing stage in 2015. Carbon Market Solutions looks at the likely impact on carbon prices in New Zealand.
Europe move could jump prices
17 Feb 2012
A committee of MPs in the European parliament has supported a motion to withdraw (set aside) carbon permits (EUAs) from the EU ETS for the 2013 to 2020 period.
Labour likes ETS ... if it works
10 Feb 2012
New Labour leader David Shearer says that he is committed to the Emissions Trading Scheme – if it works.
NZUs top of the pops with emitters
10 Feb 2012
NZUs were the unit of choice for New Zealand emitters in the first year of liability under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Deadline day for industrial gas CERs
10 Feb 2012
Today is the last day to register forward contracts for industrial gas CERs.
South Korean officials want carbon cap
10 Feb 2012
A South Korean Government committee has approved a bill that will charge polluters for their greenhouse gas emissions from 2015.
China orders airlines not to pay
10 Feb 2012
China has banned domestic airlines from participating in the European Union's emissions trading scheme and from using the scheme to increase fares or add other fees.
Why CERs are best bet in the long run
10 Feb 2012
The price of NZUs remains low – partly because of the effects of CERs on the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme, Carbon Market Solutions reports.
Govt might block overseas credits
3 Feb 2012
The number of international carbon credits coming into New Zealand could be cut.
Officials back slow-down of ETS
3 Feb 2012
Government officials are backing recommendations to slow down the impact the Emissions Trading Scheme is having on the economy.
Where Europe goes, we go ...
3 Feb 2012
The European Union is so critical to the outlook for carbon prices for the next year that we’re looking at the issue again this week, Carbon Market Solutions says.
Door to Europe could open for foresters
27 Jan 2012
Possible rule changes in Europe could open the way for New Zealand forest owners to sell credits into the European Emissions Trading Scheme.
Minister puts plans for environment
27 Jan 2012
New rules to protect New Zealand’s oceans and freshwater, streamlining the Resource Management Act, a new Environment Reporting Act and aligning the Emissions Trading Scheme with that of Australia are on the Government’s agenda.
Smart growers profit from low carbon prices
20 Jan 2012
Savvy forest owners who sold carbon credits at the peak of the market are buying credits back again at severely depressed prices.
Airlines look at buying into our ETS
20 Jan 2012
The implementation of a carbon tax on airlines flying into Europe is thought to be prompting some to consider opting in to the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme.
Business lobby says no to floor price
20 Jan 2012
Restricting prices at the lower end of the carbon market would be self-defeating, says BusinessNZ.
ETS safe, but where do we go from here?
20 Jan 2012
The results from the Durban conference on climate change have been hailed as a breakthrough for climate negotiations - and derided as a step back in Kyoto goals.
Poor prices will hurt government income
16 Dec 2011
Collapsing carbon prices could leave a hole in the Government’s books.
Carbon hits new low, but expect a fightback
9 Dec 2011
Carbon prices are expected to rally today after hitting an all-time low yesterday, trading at less than half their value of just seven months ago.
Groser looks for more ETS partners
9 Dec 2011
New Zealand is working towards a regional carbon market.
Fonterra forces farmers to fence
2 Dec 2011
The fencing of water ways is to become a condition of supply for Fonterra dairy farmers as the industry moves to clean up its environmental image.
China key to future of carbon trading
2 Dec 2011
This week the climate summit began in Durban to discuss the future of the Kyoto Protocol.
Carbon crashes as Europe sells out
25 Nov 2011
Carbon prices are in free-fall as cash-strapped European countries dump huge amounts of European Union Allowances – the European equivalent of New Zealand’s NZUs.
Europe a turn-off for our forest owners
25 Nov 2011
New Zealand’s carbon trading future probably lies with Australia, Japan and parts of the United States and Canada, and not with Europe, says the chief executive of the Forest Owners' Association.
Trades difficult as price flops
25 Nov 2011
NZUs started the week at $13.05 and traded at $12.10 yesterday, OMFinancial reports.
Scrap lignite plan, says energy expert
18 Nov 2011
A New Zealand scientist at the heart of the IPCC says Solid Energy’s lignite development should not go ahead.
ETS here to stay, vows Groser
18 Nov 2011
New Zealand will push for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, but the Emissions Trading Scheme is here to say regardless of the outcome of international climate change negotiations in Durban this month.
Environment: Where the minor parties stand
18 Nov 2011
Both National and Labour are vowing that the Emissions Trading Scheme is here to say, but what do the smaller parties have to say about the environment?
Offsetting OK ... but there's a catch
11 Nov 2011
The owners of pre-1990 forests will be allowed to replant in another area without penalty under a National Government – but there could be be a price to pay.
Unhappy exporters voice ETS fears
11 Nov 2011
National's promise to slow down implementation of the Emissions Trading Scheme has failed to impress exporters.
Where Labour and Greens stand on carbon trading
11 Nov 2011
Carbon Market Solutions casts an eye over the carbon-trading policies of Labour and the Greens:
Global carbon hits new lows
11 Nov 2011
NZUs climbed back over the $13 level and continue to hold their premium over CERs.
Environment key poll issue, says Labour
4 Nov 2011
Labour is about to pitch its environment policy as an election-winner.
Chauvel lists flaws in ETS review
4 Nov 2011
The Emissions Trading Scheme would be up for review again under a Labour Government.
Some forest owners offered a break
4 Nov 2011
Owners of pre-1990 forests could be in line for an annual allocation of carbon credits under a Labour government.
Row brews over industrial gases
4 Nov 2011
Carbon producers and consumers have taken opposing stands on whether industrial gas CERs should be banned from the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme.
Key carbon tax vote next week
4 Nov 2011
The Australian government's carbon tax is likely to pass the parliament early next week after an agreement between Labor and the Greens.
Politicians to face ETS questions
28 Oct 2011
Politicians will face up to questions about the Emissions Trading Scheme on Monday.
Industrial gas submissions close soon
28 Oct 2011
Submissions on whether industrial gas CERs should be banned from the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme close on Monday.
Innocent forest owners will pay price
21 Oct 2011
Many forest owners are about to discover that they are in the Emissions Trading Scheme when they don’t have to be – an oversight which could cost them dearly.
Why we need to ban industrial CERs soon
21 Oct 2011
A proposed Government ban on industrial CERs should go ahead as soon as possible, says DANIEL WATSON, of Carbon Market Solutions.
Investors sniff out NZ forest fortunes
14 Oct 2011
New Zealand should expect intense interest in our carbon-sequestering forests from Australian investors, especially if the two countries’ emissions trading schemes are linked, says a company involved in carbon forestry on both sides of the Tasman.
Abbott will eat his words, says CMS
14 Oct 2011
The Australian emissions trading scheme legislation was passed through that country’s Federal Parliament this week, and is expected to begin being passed into law by the Senate next month.
Spooked Europe slashes carbon price
14 Oct 2011
European carbon prices hit all-time lows overnight, partly on the back of weak European financial markets, OM Financial reports.
New Zealanders losing ambition on climate change: Ipsos
Wed 20 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealanders’ belief that their government has a plan to combat climate change has taken another serious hit in the latest poll of 31 countries by global research firm Ipsos.
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.
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A $30 million government package to support regional air routes risks delivering poor value for money while increasing emissions, according to transport strategist Tim Adriaansen.
Europe has 'maybe six weeks of jet fuel left', energy boss warns
20 Apr 2026
Stocks would reach a tipping point in June if Europe was unable to replace at least half of its imports from the Middle East, the organisation said in a report this week.
Govt unveils long-awaited voluntary carbon market guidance
15 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has released long-awaited guidance for New Zealand’s voluntary carbon and nature markets, as questions continue for the sector despite ministers signalling support for its growth.
Biomass sector asks: where did the love go?
Mon 18 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand has sufficient biomass in its plantation forests to replace natural gas for industrial process heat at lower costs than electrification, but is failing to get the attention it deserves, sector leaders say.
Carbon News updates forward curve
13 May 2026
Carbon News has updated its ten-year NZU forward curve, following a recent rise in spot market prices, with NZUs rallying from about $34 in January to nearly $54 in early May.
UN members reinforce nations' climate change obligations
Thu 21 May 2026
The United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday adopted a resolution reinforcing states' obligations to combat climate change, a long-awaited move toned down under pressure from major greenhouse gas emitters.
Drop in ETS forestry registrations
5 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | ETS forestry registrations have dropped off this year, with the new mandatory emissions return period, new land-use rules, and carbon price volatility all meaning participants aren’t rushing to register forestry in the emissions trading scheme.
Hipkins pans LNG plan as ‘massive step backwards’
Tue 19 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Labour leader Chris Hipkins has told a Queenstown audience that a Government he leads would not proceed with a planned LNG import terminal, if elected at November’s election.
Tairāwhiti deserves better than weakened forestry rules
5 May 2026
OPINION: The government's proposed amendments to forestry standards, released yesterday, ignore the hard lessons learned in our region and ignore the voices that have fought hardest to protect it, writes Manu Caddie.
Green building council calls for clean energy policies
Mon 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.
New solar farm to boost West Coast energy security
Thu 21 May 2026
Construction has begun on a new 13.5MW solar farm in Reefton, with developer Lightyears saying the project will help strengthen electricity security on the West Coast and support future regional growth.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
20 Feb 2026
Several environmental organisations are calling on political parties to make climate and biodiversity central to the 2026 election campaign, with reforming the Emissions Trading Scheme seen as a key priority.
Are hailstones getting bigger due to climate change?
Thu 21 May 2026
Scientific studies suggest that a warmer climate does not necessarily lead to more frequent hail, but rather to more severe hailstorms with larger hailstones.
EDS urges MPs to scrap the Fisheries Amendment Bill
5 May 2026
Media release | The Environmental Defence Society today lodged a substantive submission on the Fisheries Amendment Bill.
Govt presses ahead with forestry rule changes despite opposition
14 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is pushing ahead with changes to commercial forestry rules despite most submitters opposing the proposals, with critics warning the reforms will weaken councils’ ability to manage erosion and forestry slash risks in vulnerable regions such as Tairāwhiti.
Iran war pushes Portugal to halve fossil fuel use over next 10 years
Wed 20 May 2026
Lisbon fast-tracks plans after the Iran war caused oil and gas costs to soar, Energy Minister Maria da Graça Carvalho tells POLITICO.
RMA to speed up fossil fuel consents
18 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | An energy lobby group has welcomed a last-minute amendment to the RMA that puts fossil fuels on the same footing as renewables, however a sustainable energy expert says the move “beggars belief.”
New funding for low methane farming uptake
29 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government will co-fund projects under an Early Adoption Accelerator scheme announced today to accelerate the uptake of low emissions farming technologies emerging from the AgriZero public-private partnership.
NZ Govt’s move to halt climate litigation under international scrutiny
Tue 19 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Local and international NGOs have signed an open letter calling on the Government to reconsider its decision to shield major emitters from legal liability for climate-related harm.
Why ‘greenhushing’ signals deeper issues with NZ’s climate risk reporting regime
15 May 2026
By Hang Pham, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington | Most of us are familiar with the concept of greenwashing: organisations exaggerating or overstating their environmental credentials. But in New Zealand, there are signs the country’s climate disclosure regime may inadvertently be driving a very different trend: not saying much at all.
‘Formidable’ El Niño expected this winter
29 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Meteorologists are anticipating a significant El Niño influence on weather patterns across the country from winter onwards, with predicted lower rainfall for some areas and heavier rain for others likely to impact multiple sectors of the economy as well as the carbon market.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
Media round-up
24 Apr 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: What is the real cost of storm-hit infrastructure? Urgency is needed over climate adaptation funding; and a community conservation group has won a legal victory against multinational mining company OceanaGold.
Climate law change spanner in the works for Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry
19 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s controversial changes to New Zealand’s legal framework for climate policy have thrown a spanner in the works for a long-running Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry into climate change.
Labour condemns Govt plan to stop climate litigation
15 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Labour Party has slammed the Government’s move to block climate lawsuits against big emitters but won’t say if they would repeal the legislation if elected in November.
GIDI-style help cheaper than LNG: MBIE
11 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Officials advised ministers last July that the lowest-cost way to free up gas for use during dry winters was to assist industrial gas users to switch to electricity.
Govt missing tricks to save fuel in crisis
30 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is being urged to shift its response to the fuel crisis away from short-term relief and towards measures that reduce demand, with public health experts warning it is missing an opportunity to boost energy security and lower household costs.
Climate risks could reshape business finances, new guidance warns
15 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New guidance warns climate change is set to fundamentally reshape financial outcomes for businesses, including difficult-to-model climate “tipping points” – irreversible changes such as ice sheet collapse or ocean circulation shifts – which threaten severe and sudden financial impacts.
Move to block lawsuits could strengthen climate case against Govt
14 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s plan to block climate lawsuits – while potentially fatal for one groundbreaking climate case – could actually bolster claims in another live climate case underway against the Government.
‘Utterly elated’ – controversial Sams Creek gold mine application declined
Thu 21 May 2026
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | Campaigners are elated after the controversial gold mining application for Sams Creek in Golden Bay was declined.
Conservation land open for voluntary carbon market schemes
12 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government is to open up the Crown-owned conservation estate to private investment in voluntary carbon market projects.
NZ'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.
Pacific voice on climate at the UN
Wed 20 May 2026
A New Zealand-based researcher has told a United Nations forum that rising sea levels are already reshaping life across the Pacific and climate change is causing irreversible impacts on water supplies, food security and cultural identity.
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.
Opposition slams environment ministry merger
13 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Opposition MPs accused the Government of downgrading climate and environmental protections as legislation to abolish the Ministry for the Environment and merge it into a new mega-ministry passed its second reading in Parliament.
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.
NZTA rejects covering $145m of Wellington public transport projects
Wed 20 May 2026
By Justin Wong, Local Democracy Reporter | More than $145 million of Wellington public transport projects - including new bus spines along the harbour quays and the redevelopment of ageing Waterloo station - never made it into the Government’s $32.9 billion national land transport plan.
Thousands protest in Germany urging faster shift to renewable energy, amid Iran war
20 Apr 2026
Thousands of people demonstrated across Germany on April 18, urging a faster shift to renewable energy and accusing conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition of putting the brakes on the transition.
Green Party calls for national electrification plan
20 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is calling for a national plan to electrify homes, transport and industry using renewable energy, to reduce fossil fuel dependence in response to the Middle East crisis.
China widens its clean energy lead
Mon 18 May 2026
Chinese companies account for more than half of global investments in clean energy manufacturing since 2019, while new U.S. investments declined last year.
‘Landmark’ conservation reform bill – boost or bust for nature?
8 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government has announced an overhaul of the country’s conservation system, which environmental organisation Forest & Bird says will undo the work of many generations of Kiwis to protect public conservation land.
Combined climate extremes may prompt carbon budget rethink
14 May 2026
Media release: Springer Nature | Combined extreme climate events are likely to become more common in the future if carbon emissions continue to rise, a paper in Nature suggests.
Media round-up
15 May 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The government's move to change climate law removes a key protection for NZ citizens, farmers should be paid to use methane-busting tools, and it's one step forward, three steps back on environment policy.
Carbon trading schemes cut more emissions than carbon taxes, according to global study
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Carbon trading schemes are more effective than carbon taxes at reducing emissions, cutting fossil fuel use, and accelerating the shift to renewable energy, a global study has found.
Why both trees and technology are important in the race to mitigate carbon emissions
4 May 2026
Different carbon‑removal approaches solve different problems, and pitting these technologies against each other could slow progress.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
UN members prepare for pivotal vote on landmark ICJ climate justice ruling
15 May 2026
If the resolution is passed, governments will recognise their legal responsibility to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
NZ First moves to revive container return scheme
4 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | NZ First is aiming to launch a national container return scheme, which could recycle over a billion wasted containers each year, reviving a policy shelved by the previous Labour-led Government in 2023.
Commission urges Govt action on climate risks
7 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate change currently poses major risks to our water infrastructure with “significant gaps” in readiness to manage risks and increasing hazards, according to the Climate Change Commission.
Why is Northern Ireland facing a growing threat from wildfires?
7 May 2026
Figures show that spring drought events are happening more often while there has been a sharp rise in "fire weather" - a mix of warmth, dryness, and wind that allows fires to ignite and spread rapidly. Experts warn this combination, along with climate change, is creating a longer and more volatile wildfire season.
Human health appears unaffected by living near wind turbines
Thu 21 May 2026
Media release: PNAS | High-resolution data collected across the United States show negligible evidence of adverse health outcomes tied to wind turbine exposure, a study finds.
