Topics tagged with 'Emissions trading'
NZU stockpile grows to 169 million in last quarter
3 May 2024
The NZU stockpile is up about 9 million tonnes, according to the latest quarterly update from the Environmental Protection Authority.
Carbon market ‘rational’: Shaw
30 Apr 2024
Former climate change minister James Shaw says the low carbon price is the market acting rationally to current policy settings and what is likely to come in the future.
NZ to cooperate with Philippines on international climate target, pledges $41 million climate finance to Southeast Asia
23 Apr 2024
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand has made its first tentative step towards forging an international agreement to meet its United Nations climate target by buying offshore offsetting.
NZ agrees to cooperate on carbon markets with Singapore and Thailand
18 Apr 2024
New Zealand has signed separate partnership agreements with Singapore and Thailand, saying the countries will work together on carbon markets as one of several green economy measures.
Commission’s advice ‘not gospel’ - Willis
12 Apr 2024
The finance minister and associate Climate Change minister told a business gathering that the Climate Change Commission is not “a deity” and its Emissions Trading Scheme advice was “not gospel”.
Lack of policy direction to blame for low carbon price?
11 Apr 2024
The carbon price continued its post-auction slump, with weak demand seeing the secondary market trading well below the auction floor.
New forestry fees unfairly impact Māori
4 Apr 2024
By Liz Kivi | Recently implemented fees for forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme are having a disproportionate impact on Māori, and the government didn’t consult adequately on the changes, according to the National Māori Forestry Association.
New govt plan falls short on climate action
3 Apr 2024
The Green Party has slammed the government’s new 36-point action plan for ignoring the climate crisis.
Half of Tairāwhiti at risk of erosion - new data
28 Mar 2024
An estimated 182 million tonnes of eroded soil entered New Zealand's rivers in 2022, according to new research.
Global carbon market expert to speak at Christchurch conference
28 Mar 2024
The chair of the Integrity Council for Voluntary Carbon Markets (ICVCM), Annette Nazareth, will give a keynote speech at the Carbon and Energy Professionals Conference in Christchurch in May.
Carbon price makes partial recovery
25 Mar 2024
The carbon price has increased slightly from an eight-month low on Wednesday, following the government’s Emissions Trading Scheme auction, but is still trading well below the auction floor.
Carbon price nosedives following auction
21 Mar 2024
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price has dropped to its lowest since July last year, following yesterday’s partial auction clearance.
First ETS auction of the year partially clears
20 Mar 2024
Today’s Emissions Trading Scheme auction has partially cleared.
Carbon price scraping the auction floor just ahead of Wednesday's auction
18 Mar 2024
The carbon price is at its lowest in nearly six months, with poor investor sentiment just ahead of the first auction of the year on Wednesday.
Tepid market response to Commission’s advice - auction less than a week away
14 Mar 2024
By Liz Kivi | The Climate Change Commission’s call to drastically reduce Emissions Trading Scheme auction volumes has barely caused a blip on the secondary market - suggesting participants don’t think the government will follow the advice.
Reduce the ETS ‘stockpile’ - Climate Commission sends strong message to govt
12 Mar 2024
The Climate Change Commission is recommending that the government significantly reduces the amount of ‘pollution permits’ it auctions under the Emissions Trading Scheme, and is warning that policy settings are undermining the ETS.
Govt changes ETS reserve price methodology ahead of auction
11 Mar 2024
The government has announced it has changed the methodology used to calculate the confidential reserve price for Emissions Trading Scheme auctions, as the NZU price gains ground in recent days.
Govt still committed to 'no significant changes' to ETS
7 Mar 2024
Despite warnings from the Climate Change Commission, Climate Change minister Simon Watts says the government remains committed to no significant changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Fonterra launches new carbon tool
6 Mar 2024
In a move it says is an industry first, Fonterra has launched a tool to help customers access the emissions profile of individual products.
Foresters welcome ETS costs review
1 Mar 2024
The New Zealand Forest Owners Association says the review of Emissions Trading Scheme fees is a relief for foresters facing excessive costs, but experts say forestry still faces an uncertain future under the scheme.
Government announces review of forestry ETS costs
29 Feb 2024
Forestry minister Todd McClay has announced an independent review into the forestry component of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) register.
Carbon price dips closer to auction floor
23 Feb 2024
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price has dipped closer to the auction floor, with an increase in selling blamed on an overall weakness in the market.
Carbon price drops below $70 with March auction just a month away
21 Feb 2024
NZUs sank into the sixties on the secondary market at the end of last week, with speculation surrounding whether the government will adjust the confidential reserve price to raise revenue at next month’s auction.
Researchers looking to develop ‘resilience credit’
20 Feb 2024
Researchers are hoping to develop the world’s first 'resilience credit' as the ultimate goal of a project looking at how salt marshes and mangroves could protect the Bay of Plenty’s coastline from climate change.
Govt finances should recognise climate liability: experts
16 Feb 2024
The government’s books need to recognise a liability for buying carbon units offshore to meet international obligations, according to accounting experts, with billions of dollars of spending needed to meet the 2030 commitment.
NZ lagging in forging agreements to meet climate obligations
16 Feb 2024
New Zealand is lagging behind other countries in sealing bilateral deals to meet climate targets - a delay which could lead to higher costs, according to a climate policy consultant.
EPA says financial situation now critical
12 Feb 2024
The Environmental Protection Authority has warned that its financial situation is now critical.
Climate leadership top issue in 2024: Institute of Directors
9 Feb 2024
Climate leadership is top of the list of major issues for directors in 2024, with carbon pricing set to take on new importance, according to the Institute of Directors.
EU free trade agreement with “ambitious” climate commitments a step closer
2 Feb 2024
New Zealand’s Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, which carries sanctions if one of the parties doesn’t meet climate commitments, is a step closer. However the country’s climate targets seem to be moving further out of reach.
Carbon price trending upwards
1 Feb 2024
The carbon price is up more than $5 on the secondary market since the start of last week, making a jump of nearly 9%.
ACT’s proposed climate bill ‘concerning’ - expert
25 Jan 2024
A private member's bill from the ACT Party could delay gross emissions reductions and ultimately threaten New Zealand’s climate targets, according to an expert.
Govt releases submissions on canned ETS review
22 Dec 2023
The government has released submissions on the controversial review of the Emissions Trading Scheme, started by the previous government but canned by new Climate Change minister Simon Watts.
Govt must address climate crisis: Lawyers
14 Dec 2023
Activist lawyers have put the new government on notice that they could be facing legal repercussions if they fail to take adequate action to meet the country’s climate targets.
Climate Change Commission doubles down on ETS criticism
13 Dec 2023
The Climate Change Commission has doubled-down on its long held view that the ETS is not fit for purpose when it comes to driving down emissions, in its latest advice to government.
Environmental Defence Society calls on climate minister to revisit ETS review
12 Dec 2023
The Environmental Defence Society is calling on the government to revisit its decision to stop the Emissions Trading Scheme review.
Kiwi nature-based solution at COP28
11 Dec 2023
A nature-based climate solution to strategically restore and enhance 2.1 million hectares of Indigenous forest across Aotearoa over the next decade took the stage at the UN’s global climate summit yesterday.
Carbon price down following declined auction
7 Dec 2023
The carbon price is down following yesterday’s failed auction, which sent 15 million NZUs out of the ETS for good.
Fourth consecutive carbon auction failure sends 15 million carbon units up in smoke
6 Dec 2023
The final ETS carbon auction of the year has failed, taking 15 million tonnes worth of carbon “pollution permits” out of the market - and a potential $1 billion out of the government’s coffers.
Carbon price up ahead of auction next week
1 Dec 2023
The carbon price is up to just under $75 ahead of the Emissions Trade Scheme auction on Wednesday next week.
Scrutiny on global voluntary carbon market and changes to ETS led to Toitū dropping NZUs
1 Dec 2023
By Ann Smith | OPINION: Toitū’s decision last week to transition away from accepting New Zealand carbon credits brought the global voluntary carbon market, and debates about its integrity, into sharp focus.
Toitū to stop accepting NZUs
23 Nov 2023
Toitū Envirocare, the government’s carbon certification service, announced today that it will transition away from accepting New Zealand carbon credits in its carbon certification programmes.
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.
Carbon price predicted to go close to $100 in 2024
8 Nov 2023
An expert is picking a bump in the carbon price if the December auction doesn’t clear, predicting it will to go up to between $80 and $100 next year - with an expectation it will be closer to $100.
NZX updates ETS auction calendars
13 Oct 2023
NZX has updated the Emissions Trading Scheme auction calendars, with new settings in line with Climate Change Commission recommendations.
Recloaking Papatūānuku: proposal for massive planting of native forests
9 Oct 2023
By Jeremy Rose | By one measure New Zealand has emitted more CO2 per capita since the beginning of the industrial revolution than any other country.
Govt releases Cabinet papers on ETS forestry charges
5 Oct 2023
The government has proactively released cabinet papers on controversial new charges for forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Labour announces “climate manifesto”
26 Sep 2023
The Labour Party has released a “climate manifesto” promising to set separate targets for gross emissions and carbon removals, develop a voluntary carbon market framework, and limit exotic afforestation, if it wins the election next month.
Foresters say new ETS charges will discourage planting
22 Sep 2023
Foresters say that new charges for forestry in the ETS will penalise sustainable forestry and disincentivise planting when it is most needed.
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?
Fri 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.
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?
At least 30 killed and several missing as heavy rains and floods lash northern China
Wed 30 Jul 2025
Thousands of people were evacuated as the region, including the capital Beijing, braced for more rainfall overnight.
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.
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.
Forestry can be a big plus for sheep and beef farmers – but there are caveats
22 Jul 2025
By Keith Woodford | OPINION: These are good times for sheep and beef farmers with record product prices for meat, which is precisely why now is the time for sheep and beef farmers to be looking again at farm forestry.
Common low-grade clay strengthens low-carbon concrete
5 Jun 2025
Media release | Engineers at RMIT University have converted low-grade clay into a high-performance cement supplement, opening a potential new market in sustainable construction materials.
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.
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.
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.
A third of ‘slum residents’ in global south are exposed to disastrous flood risks
Wed 30 Jul 2025
One in three people in informal settlements in the global south live in floodplains and are at risk of a “disastrous flood”.
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.
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.
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.
SBTi releases Net Zero Standard for banks, investors
24 Jul 2025
The Science Based Targets initiative announced the release of its finalised Financial Institutions Net-Zero Standard, aimed at enabling banks and investors to set net zero-aligned targets for their lending, investing, insurance and capital markets activities.
NZ part of hidden global deep-sea network beneath the waves
Fri 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.
Methanex closure comes early this year
14 May 2025
The almost-now-annual closure of Methanex has come earlier this year, giving more confidence that the electricity system will get through the winter without a fuel shortfall.
Taranaki mayors want hydrogen kick-start from Wellington
Mon 28 Jul 2025
By Craig Ashworth, Local Democracy Reporter Taranaki mayors want central government to partner up with their councils to kick-start a hydrogen industry. This despite ongoing questions about the gas’s effectiveness in reducing carbon emissions.
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.
The ICJ’s ruling means Australia and other major polluters face a new era of climate reparations
Fri 25 Jul 2025
By Harj Narulla | OPINION: Australia has found itself on the wrong side of history.
All aboard for passenger rail in the golden triangle
Mon 28 Jul 2025
Media release – The Future Is Rail | New Zealand’s national passenger rail advocacy group, The Future is Rail, has announced its strong support for the Green Party’s proposal to establish a new passenger rail service connecting Auckland and Tauranga.
Urgent action needed to get on track for climate goals - commission
Fri 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.
Media round-up
Fri 25 Jul 2025
In our round-up of the climate coverage in local media: Dairy conversions surge; Gore is hit with a drinking water crisis; meanwhile farming lobby groups Groundswell and Federated Farmers are up in arms about a plan to classify environmental impacts in the agriculture and forestry sector.
As US climate data-gathering is gutted, Australian forecasting is now at real risk
Wed 30 Jul 2025
As damage from climate change intensifies, political change overseas is threatening Australia’s ability to track what’s happening now, and predict what will happen next.
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.
China's carbon emissions may have peaked thanks to renewables push
Mon 28 Jul 2025
Climate experts say China's carbon emissions may have peaked, which could affect global climate targets, the fight against global warming – and the Australian coal industry.
Ocean heatwaves may signal climate tipping point
Fri 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.
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.
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.
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.
