Topics tagged with 'Emissions trading'
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.
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.
European Energy Exchange launches Global Carbon Index Family
7 Sep 2023
Media release | The European Energy Exchange (EEX) has launched its Global Carbon Index (GCI) Family, offering a comprehensive view into the rapidly evolving global carbon markets. The new index bundle will introduce the EEX GCI Core, and the EEX GCI Extended.
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.
Petition calls to end free carbon credits for big emitters
1 Sep 2023
A group of NGOs and activists have launched a petition calling for an end to free carbon credits for industry and for the system to be replaced by a carbon border mechanism.
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.
Consultation on exotic hardwoods and carbon tables in the ETS
30 Aug 2023
The Ministry for Primary Industries is consulting on recognising space-plantings and exotic hardwoods in the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme.
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.
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.
Best by the rest...
11 Aug 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: What does the hottest month in human history mean for Aotearoa? Planning for the worst from climate change; and the Lake Onslow Battery Project's uncertain future.
ETS needs to incentivise gross emissions reductions: Consultations close tomorrow
10 Aug 2023
By Ann Smith | Although New Zealand has updated its international commitment to reduce emissions, it is still ranked as “Highly Insufficient” by Climate Action Tracker.
What would it look like for the NZ ETS to be aligned with 1.5C?
9 Aug 2023
By Christina Hood | The government needs to prioritise gross reductions in long-lived gases much faster to be consistent with 1.5C of warming - with a 90% reduction in gross emissions needed by 2050.
Tender for forestry NZUs
9 Aug 2023
An unnamed buyer is in the market for a “significant volume” of forestry NZUs through a tender process.
Māori forestry lobby welcomes Nat’s commitment to leave ETS unchanged
7 Aug 2023
Māori forestry group Te Taumata has welcomed a National Party statement that they would not make major changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme if voted into government at the upcoming election.
Massive carbon offset deal with Dubai-based firm draws fire in Liberia
7 Aug 2023
Liberia may sign away the rights to nearly 10% of its total land mass to a United Arab Emirates-based firm for carbon offset development.
Best by the rest...
4 Aug 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Experts say the ETS emphasising indigenous forests would benefit public health; Is carbon capture an option for Huntly? And does National’s transport plan add up?
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.
Foresters welcome ETS reset
27 Jul 2023
Foresters have welcomed the government’s reset of Emissions Trading Scheme auction settings, saying it should incentivise forestry and wood processing investors for the embattled industry.
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.
Govt to include carbon sinks in Emissions Trading Scheme
12 Jul 2023
Cabinet agreed last week to reform the Emissions Trading Scheme to recognise all forms of carbon sinks rather than just forestry.
Forestry lobbying heats up over ETS review
11 Jul 2023
Forestry interests are continuing their campaign to ensure forestry retains value under a reviewed Emissions Trading Scheme, with another open letter to the government saying climate goals are at risk.
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.
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 credits: how do you know if you’re buying quality?
23 Jun 2023
By Ann Smith | COMMENT: It doesn’t matter whether carbon credits originate in New Zealand or from overseas, they can be credible or they can be questionable. So how do you tell the difference between high quality carbon credits and those of questionable origin?
Best by the rest...
23 Jun 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: major risks to NZ’s climate plan; experts argue that the ETS shouldn't be our only weapon against the climate crisis; and the Forever Project’s quarterly magazine looks at future farms.
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.
ETS review looks at reducing NZUs at auction
19 Jun 2023
The government has opened public consultation on the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme as well as consultation on redesigning its Permanent Forest Category.
Saudi firms bid for 2m tons of carbon credits in Kenya auction
16 Jun 2023
Saudia, formerly Saudi Airlines, is among the dozen firms bidding for 2 million tons of carbon credits at an auction in Nairobi this week, billed as the world’s largest sale of its kind.
Emerging biodiversity and carbon markets part of Gisborne plan for land-use change
Today 11:00am
Gisborne District Council has endorsed a plan to shift up to 100,000 hectares of the region’s most erosion-prone land into permanent vegetation cover and is calling on the Government to make urgent changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme to aid the transition.
Media round-up
Fri 3 Oct 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Leaving the Paris Agreement won’t fix NZ’s farming frustrations, what Pacific Island leaders told the UN General Assembly about climate, and Hawke's Bay Regional Council faces class action legal challenge over flooding.
NZ needs to be part of a regional SAF strategy: Z, Air NZ
9 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand needs to be part of a regional strategic approach to sourcing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with domestic production less the aim than ensuring access to the fuel from one of a number of strategically positioned bio-refineries around the world.
Travellers bothered by their flight’s pollution can pay to reduce it elsewhere. Do offsets work?
Thu 2 Oct 2025
So you’re booking your flight, and just when you’re about to check out, the airline asks if you’d like to pay a little something to offset your share of the flight’s pollution. Or, maybe you’re an environmentally minded person, and you’ve heard you can buy these things called carbon offsets.
Solar farm gets fast-track treatment
Today 11:00am
Lodestone Energy’s proposed 220 MW solar farm at Haldon Station in the Mackenzie Basin has become the first solar project to be referred to an expert panel under the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024.
Researchers say sealing old oil wells with bio-oil from crop waste is a dual carbon-removal solution
19 Sep 2025
A new analysis shows that oil made from corn husks, wood chips, and other waste could plug greenhouse gas-belching abandoned oil wells while sequestering carbon for about $152 per ton.
Will govt’s light touch approach lead to higher carbon prices?
Fri 3 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Carbon market watchers are hoping the government’s plan for the electricity sector will eventually lead to higher carbon prices, with the secondary market still trading sideways for the longest time in its history.
EAT-Lancet report: Three key takeaways on climate and diet change
Today 11:00am
A global shift towards “healthier” diets could cut non-CO2 greenhouse gas emissions, such as methane, from agriculture by 15% by 2050, according to a new report.
Climate credibility gap widening for Aussie firms
Wed 1 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Australian public companies’ climate change commitments are in retreat, reflecting difficulty in achieving stated targets and increased fossil use, but not because of any pressure to make less effort, according to a study of major companies’ ESG reporting.
Electricity to remain in ETS
Wed 1 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has rejected Frontier Economics' recommendation that electricity should be removed from the Emissions Trading Scheme.
The merchants of doubt are back
3 Sep 2025
OPINION: If you don’t follow climate policy closely, you might not know that the Trump administration is launching an effort to overturn one of the most fundamental pillars of American climate policy.
Milestone for NZ Steel electrification
10 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | NZ Steel has passed an installation milestone for its new electric arc furnace, which will reduce emissions from the Glenbrook steel mill site by as much as one megatonne (1Mt) a year.
UN limits staff at COP30 climate summit over accommodation concerns
19 Sep 2025
High hotel prices for Brazil's COP30 climate summit in November have prompted the United Nations to urge its staff to limit attendance, while government delegations are still scrambling to find rooms within their budgets.
NZ quiet on climate target at UN meeting
Thu 2 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand didn't mention its recently minted – but widely criticised – climate target for 2035 at a major multilateral climate meeting in New York last week, at an event which was ostensibly billed as a platform for leaders to present their new targets.
From nuisance to crisis: New report on pest wasps In Aotearoa
24 Sep 2025
Media release: Moths and Butterflies NZ Trust | Just published is the Final Report of the Pest Wasps Survey carried out by the Moths and Butterflies of NZ Trust (MBNZT) offering a comprehensive look at New Zealanders’ awareness, experiences, and attitudes toward wasps and the growing ecological, health, and social issues associated with them.
Declining sea-ice is altering Antarctic food webs
11 Sep 2025
A new study shows a significant change in Antarctic phytoplankton over time that could cascade through the marine food web and affect the ocean’s capacity as a carbon sink.
Consultation open on second draft of Sustainable Finance Taxonomy
29 Sep 2025
Public consultation has opened on the second draft of the Aotearoa New Zealand Sustainable Finance Taxonomy.
‘Damp squib’ – Govt energy plan slammed for locking in fossil fuels
Thu 2 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Critics across business, climate groups and the opposition say the Government’s electricity reforms duck structural change, double down on LNG and gas, and offer little relief for soaring power prices – warning of an “expensive white elephant", deeper energy poverty and a missed chance to scale renewables.
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.”
$1.5m for climate action
Today 11:00am
The Wilding Pine Network, Rewiring Aotearoa, Papawhakaritorito Charitable Trust, 800 Trust and 350 Aotearoa, have received grants from a total pool of more than $1.5m over two years from of Climate Action Aotearoa's Kaupapa of National Significance Climate Action Fund.
UC wins top international award for civics education
Today 11:00am
Media release | A University of Canterbury research group has received international recognition at the highest level of political science.
FMA consults on clearer ethical investment claims to curb greenwashing
29 Sep 2025
The Financial Markets Authority – Te Mana Tātai Hokohoko – has released updated draft guidance for financial products marketed with ethical or sustainability features.
Coal imports up 650%
12 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams and Liz Kivi | Coal imports are up 650% as generators stockpile the most polluting fossil fuel ahead of next winter.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
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.
Study warns climate leadership falling short in NZ
Wed 1 Oct 2025
Media release - Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland | Research suggests New Zealand’s climate leadership is falling short, with current adaptation efforts focused on property and cost-cutting rather than protecting communities.
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.
Can the courtroom save the climate?
Thu 2 Oct 2025
It was in early 2017 when it seemed like nearly every person I knew from home was asking me the same question: Should they be worried about what was about to happen in Washington, D.C.?
'Non-negotiable' – EU carbon pricing to hit Kiwi exporters, expert warns
11 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | High carbon exports will inevitably face a high carbon tax at the EU border, possibly in the next five years, and high methane agricultural products might not be exempt, an international expert told a local audience yesterday.
Deep sea mining threatens sharks, rays and ghost sharks
Today 11:00am
Mining the world’s deep seas for metals will likely threaten many species of sharks, rays and chimaeras (ghost sharks), according to researchers.
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.
Warming oceans prompt major overhaul of how scientists monitor El Niño and La Niña
Wed 1 Oct 2025
Global warming is interfering with how Earth Sciences New Zealand monitors one of the world’s biggest climate drivers.
China calls EU hypocritical over criticism of climate goal
Wed 1 Oct 2025
The EU climate chief's criticism of China's new climate pledges shows "double standards and selective blindness," China's foreign ministry said on Friday, accusing the bloc of being slow to act on its own climate targets.
Lobby group launches ‘blueprint’ for ocean management reform
18 Sep 2025
The Environmental Defence Society yesterday released its plan to tackle widespread ecological decline in our oceans.
Fast-track changes coming before end of year
Fri 3 Oct 2025
The Government is already preparing to amend its fast-track approvals law, even as the first projects consented under the regime begin construction.
Students repeat request for Victoria University to divest from fossil fuel investments
24 Sep 2025
Media release | A group of students campaigning for climate action at Victoria University of Wellington have dropped a banner protesting against the university’s lack of action on its 2014 commitment to divest from fossil fuels.
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.
Countering the Trump administration’s attack on climate science
Fri 3 Oct 2025
The Trump Administration is attempting to remove the legal basis for U.S. action on greenhouse gas emissions by attacking the climate science that underpins it.
Solar households to get little-noticed tax break
23 Sep 2025
A provision in the government’s latest tax bill would exempt households from paying tax on income they earn by selling excess electricity back to the grid.
Auckland Transport and Kinetic charging ahead for sustainability
Tue 30 Sep 2025
Media release | Auckland Transport (AT) and bus operator Kinetic and have taken another step in their decarbonisation journeys with major upgrades completed at Kinetic’s Glenfield bus depot to support a growing zero emissions fleet.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
31 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government is expected to repeal the oil and gas ban today, with a last-minute amendment handing discretionary power to two ministers over the controversial issue of decommissioning.
End of EV tax subsidy sparks worries of collapse in US electric car sales
Today 11:00am
Automotive executives are bracing for a freefall in U.S. electric-vehicle sales following the disappearance of a critical $7,500 tax break for buyers.
‘Beyond embarrassing’ – Peters’ Paris remarks draw fire for talking down Pacific climate diplomacy
26 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Foreign Minister and NZ first leader Winston Peters says he wants to revisit the Paris Agreement with Pacific leaders because some may be unaware of how it’s structured.
Day of action against incinerators
29 Sep 2025
Media release | Zero Waste Aotearoa will call on the Ministry for the Environment to embrace real solutions to waste and climate change, not toxic pollution from incineration as part of an international day of action on Tuesday 30 September.
Environment Minister abusing role to put freshwater at risk – Greens
Fri 3 Oct 2025
Media release – Green Party | Documents obtained under the Official Information Act have revealed the Minister for the Environment is pressuring local councils to allow ‘water take’ consents for a group of farmers that includes her party colleague, in a catchment already showing signs of serious decline.
‘Con,’ ‘scam,’ ‘hoax’: Trump’s UN speech on climate
24 Sep 2025
The president used a large chunk of his hour-long speech to world leaders to condemn climate science and clean energy policies.
Trump administration moves to revoke permit for Massachusetts offshore wind project
24 Sep 2025
The Trump administration has moved to block a Massachusetts offshore wind farm, its latest effort to hobble an industry and technology that President Donald Trump has attacked as “ugly” and unreliable compared to fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas.
