Topics tagged with 'Emissions trading'
Market indifferent to commission’s advice
3 May 2023
By Jeremy Rose | Last Wednesday, journalists covering the release of the Climate Change Commission’s draft advice on the second emissions plan had to surrender their cellphones during a seven-and-a-half hour lock-up, and were under a strict embargo to coincide with the closing of the secondary carbon market.
Carbon auction clearing price well below confidential reserve
1 May 2023
The last carbon auction clearing price was 30% lower than the spot price at the failed March 15 auction.
NZ might face $24 billion pricetag for offshore carbon credits to 2030: Treasury
11 Apr 2023
New Zealand might be facing a $24 billion bill to meet its international obligations for carbon emission reductions to 2030, according to a new report.
Best by the rest...
6 Apr 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: The finance minister seeks advice on the ETS as carbon prices plummet; National’s climate policy is under scrutiny; and kaitiakitanga as climate action.
Minister warns Canadians may pay more in carbon tax than they receive in rebate
3 Apr 2023
Canada’s environment and climate change minister acknowledged that the average household may eventually pay more for the carbon price than it gets back in rebate payments, but says the Liberal government has other programs to help Canadians lower their energy costs overall.
Price of NZUs at 18-month low
29 Mar 2023
The price of NZUs has dropped to an 18-month low after a short-lived jump following the failed carbon auction on March 15.
EU plans early carbon market auctions from July
29 Mar 2023
The European Union plans to conduct early carbon market auctions, starting from July, to raise extra funds to help countries quit Russian gas and cut emissions, the European Commission said on Monday evening.
Failed ETS auction sees slight bump in price of NZUs on secondary market
16 Mar 2023
Yesterday’s failed ETS auction saw the price of NZUs jump by a few dollars on the secondary market.
Older Swiss women take government to court over climate
16 Mar 2023
Elisabeth Stern was born in rural northeastern Switzerland in the 1940s in the shadow of huge glaciers.
Washington raises $300M in its first auction for carbon pollution permits – here’s what it means
13 Mar 2023
The results are in for Washington State's first auction of carbon pollution permits. The cap-and-invest program brought in $300 million from many of state’s biggest emitters, including fossil fuel refineries and energy utilities.
Doubts about whether next week’s ETS auction will clear
8 Mar 2023
A week out from the first Emissions Trading Scheme auction of the year, the price of carbon on the secondary market continues its slide, closing at $65.75 yesterday, its lowest level since December 2021.
EU carbon hits record 100 euros as cost of polluting soars
22 Feb 2023
The price of permits on the European Union’s carbon market hit 100 euros (NZ$171) per tonne for the first time on Tuesday, a milestone that reflects the increased costs that factories and power plants must pay when they pollute.
Australian carbon market confusion as offsets take another hit
17 Feb 2023
The Australian Climate Council has called for the federal government to push to pause on new coal and gas projects as debate intensifies over Labor’s proposed safeguard mechanism reforms and as the credibility of carbon offset schemes is once again cast into doubt.
Nine global banks invest $45m in carbon credit platform
9 Feb 2023
Nine global banks have invested a total of $45 million in a new platform to help scale up transactions of voluntary carbon credits and make it easier for their customers to participate in the market.
Price of NZUs drifting slowly lower
30 Jan 2023
NZUs closed on the Commtrade platform at the end of trade on Friday at $72.50, down from a high of $88.50 on the secondary market towards the end of last year.
MfE sees no need to investigate NZU price drop prior to govt announcement
20 Dec 2022
The Ministry for the Environment won’t be investigating a significant drop in the price of NZUs on the secondary market and the first drop in price at an ETS auction since the auctions began.
Cabinet ETS decision a “hospital pass” for incoming government
19 Dec 2022
A former head of the International Energy Agency’s climate change unit has described the Cabinet’s rejection of the Climate Change Commission’s recommended changes to ETS settings as a “hospital pass” for the incoming government.
Price of carbon plummets in response to Cabinet rejection of Climate Change Commission recommendations
16 Dec 2022
By Jeremy Rose | Cabinet has ignored a Climate Change Commission recommendation to significantly increase the trigger price of the cost containment reserve and failed to reduce the number of credits available at auction by as much as the commission proposed.
ETS auction clears at $79.00
7 Dec 2022
The final ETS auction of the year cleared at $79.00 this morning.
Price of carbon down 6.8% over past fortnight
2 Dec 2022
With the final ETS auction of the year set to take place next Wednesday, the price of carbon on the secondary market has dropped by 6.8% since hitting an all-time high of $88.50 on November 14.
Govt announces changes to on-farm sequestration strategy
1 Dec 2022
The government has announced it will work with the primary sector to develop an on-farm carbon sequestration strategy.
Hong Kong exchange carries out first carbon credit trades
25 Nov 2022
The Hong Kong stock exchange has carried out the first batch of carbon credit trades on its new voluntary carbon market, joining a handful of Asian exchanges in tapping opportunities resulting from governments' push to achieve climate goals.
EU’s carbon removal certification could be global trend setter after COP delay: expert
24 Nov 2022
If done well, the EU’s new certification for carbon removals, due on 30 November, could provide vital clarity for international discussions following a failure to agree on a key text for removals at the COP27 climate conference, according to Kathy Fallon, director of land and climate at the Clean Air Task Force.
NZUs likely to be classified as financial instruments
23 Nov 2022
The Ministry for the Environment is consulting on whether NZUs should be treated as a financial instrument with agents, advisors and consultants subject to the Financial Markets Conduct regime.
NZ’s international offsets likely to come from “bespoke” Asia Pacific deals: Shaw
18 Nov 2022
The approximately 100 million offshore carbon credit offsets required to meet New Zealand’s Nationally Determined Contribution are likely to come from “bespoke” bilateral arrangements with countries in the Asia Pacific, climate change minister James Shaw has told an international climate change publication.
Belize to sell carbon credits worth millions
17 Nov 2022
Belize is one of the world’s most culturally diverse countries, comprised of Creoles, Mayans, and Mennonites. Tourism is the primary economic driver, with people coming to snorkel in its clear ocean waters and enjoy its unblemished coral reefs. They also want to see the world’s largest population of jaguars and 800 species of birds. Agriculture is a money maker too, with the country selling bananas, citrus fruits, and sugar to world markets.
Carbon price hits all time high
15 Nov 2022
The price of carbon has hit new heights on the secondary market this week.
Govt considering setting up its own secondary carbon market
14 Nov 2022
By Ian Llewellyn - Energy & Environment | The government has asked for thoughts on it running a centrally-cleared secondary carbon market as another option to existing markets.
Global securities regulators plan closer scrutiny of carbon trading
11 Nov 2022
Global securities regulators proposed closer scrutiny of carbon trading on Wednesday to deepen liquidity and prevent greenwashing in markets used by companies to offset their emissions to drive the transition to a net-zero economy.
Kerry announces proposal for public-private carbon market for developing countries
10 Nov 2022
U.S. climate envoy John Kerry on Wednesday formally announced the Energy Transition Accelerator, a public-private partnership aimed at developing carbon markets to transition developing nations off fossil fuels with private funds.
Blue carbon will be the next frontier of carbon crediting
10 Nov 2022
Carbon credits created by offset projects such as reforestation, soil sequestration by regenerative agriculture practice, avoided deforestation and direct air capture have become relatively well known, but a new carbon crediting method still in its infancy is quickly gaining popularity and attention — blue carbon.
Indonesia weighs blockchain-powered carbon trading scheme
2 Nov 2022
Indonesia wants to direct the blockchain craze toward greener use. The Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) has signed a memorandum of understanding with Metaverse Green Exchange (MVGX), a Singaporean startup that specializes in digital exchange technology.
Environment Committee calls for submissions on Climate Change Response Amendment Bill
20 Oct 2022
The Environment Committee is calling for submissions on the Climate Change Response (Extension of Penalty Transition for Forestry Activities with Low Volume Emissions Liabilities) Amendment Bill.
ETS carbon stockpile grows by nearly 8 million tonnes over past year
19 Oct 2022
The stockpile of carbon units in the ETS grew by close to 8 million NZUs from September 2021 to September 2022.
Concerns ETS changes could rapidly accelerate carbon price and risk ‘carbon leakage’
10 Oct 2022
The BusinessNZ Energy Council (BEC) says the Emissions Reduction Scheme should be left to do its job.
NZUs down more than 10% on last month’s record high
4 Oct 2022
The price of NZUs on the secondary market have fallen more than 10% since hitting a high of $87.30 on the CommTrade platform in the lead up to last month’s ETS auction.
Countries try to dodge EU's carbon market fundraising plan
27 Sep 2022
European Union countries are hunting for alternatives to an EU plan to use a carbon market reserve to help finance their exit from Russian gas, as some fear the proposal would undermine the bloc’s main climate change policy.
Christchurch City Council registers for ETS credits
22 Sep 2022
Christchurch City Council has made its first application for carbon credits under the Emissions Trading Scheme, voting last week to register about 300 hectares of regenerating native forest in Te Oka Reserve on Banks Peninsula.
Salesforce will launch carbon credit marketplace
22 Sep 2022
Business software provider Salesforce is bringing a new platform to the carbon market, where businesses will be able to buy carbon credits from a trusted partner with a third-party verification.
EU governments carving out €20 bn in carbon market exemptions for shipping
22 Sep 2022
Government ministers are in the process of carving out €20 billion worth of exemptions for the shipping industry in the new maritime carbon market (ETS), according to a new analysis.
Price of NZUs at bottom end of what’s required to keep global warming below 2 degrees: World Bank
21 Sep 2022
NZUs are trading at the bottom end of what’s required by 2030 if the world is to keep global warming below 2 degrees, according to the World Bank’s State and Trends of Carbon Pricing 2022 report.
Forestry could crash the ETS
20 Sep 2022
Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr says, if left alone, the planting of pine trees purely for carbon credits will prevent the ETS from playing the part it should in reducing carbon emissions.
Norway buys carbon credits from Indonesia’s rainforest
14 Sep 2022
Indonesia and Norway have agreed to start a new partnership to reduce carbon emissions from deforestation in the Southeast Asian country.
Consultation on proposals to update ETS unit settings
13 Sep 2022
The government is consulting on proposals to update the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) unit settings for the period 2023 to 2027.
New UN global carbon market must involve civil society to serve the climate and local communities
12 Sep 2022
The new body tasked with designing and supervising the global carbon market under the Paris Agreement must put in place environmental safeguards and protect the interests of local and indigenous communities.
Forests make a comeback as African governments look to grow their carbon market
12 Sep 2022
In villages dotted across the African continent, locals living in once-heavily forested regions are starting to find their land in high demand.
Consultations open on ETS forestry cost recovery settings
9 Sep 2022
The Ministry for Primary Industries has opened consultations on proposed changes to the cost recovery settings for forestry in the emission trading scheme.
Netherlands warns against EU carbon market fundraising plan
8 Sep 2022
The Netherlands has warned other European Union countries that an EU plan to use a carbon market reserve to finance their exit from Russian gas would undermine the bloc's climate change policy, and put forward alternative plans.
ETS auction clears at $85.40
7 Sep 2022
Today's ETS auction cleared at $85.40 - a couple of dollars below the spot price being achieved at the close of trade yesterday.
Govt consulting on Pacific Resilience Facility
Fri 12 Dec 2025
The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee is calling for submissions on its international treaty examination of the Agreement to Establish the Pacific Resilience Facility.
Govt overhaul leaves the door open for coal mining on conservation land
Fri 12 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government’s sweeping reclassification of thousands of hectares of publicly-owned conservation land has met with sharp criticism, with environmental groups saying the decision leaves vulnerable ecosystems exposed to mining and development.
NZ’s government wants tourism to drive economic growth – but how will it deal with aviation emissions?
22 Oct 2025
By Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University | Following a brief dip during the COVID pandemic, aviation is back in a growth phase.
Air NZ inks deal for its first internationally verified carbon credits
9 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Air New Zealand has committed to buying 8000 tonnes of carbon removals by 2030, in partnership with local native forest investment platform My Native Forest.
Second fire tears through Tongariro National Park
Tue 9 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Fire crews have returned to Tongariro National Park this morning as a fast-moving fire that started yesterday threatens unburnt vegetation and nearby communities, just a month after a major blaze scorched 3000 hectares in the same area.
Govt launches strategy backing wood-based heat sector
23 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Forestry biomass could replace as much as 40% of fossil fuel-generated process heat by 2050, but access to supply, regulatory settings and business cases for converting to wood-based heat sources are required, the Government says in a series of documents released yesterday.
Minister not concerned about potential economic impacts of ruling out offshore mitigation
Thu 11 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts isn’t worried that ruling out using offshore mitigation is effectively reneging from the Paris Agreement with potential to damage New Zealand’s economy and access to export markets.
What are the causes of recent record-high global temperatures?
Fri 12 Dec 2025
The past three years have been exceptionally warm globally.
Is Govt rushing through changes to climate framework to avoid litigation?
Thu 11 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says the Government’s motivation for proposed changes to the country’s climate framework law are unclear: “The only reason I can think of is one grounded in potential litigation risk.”
KiwiRail pauses coal trains amid rising climate protests
Tue 9 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate activists are ramping up actions this week, with a Christchurch protest leading to KiwiRail pausing some coal train operations on Saturday, and another protest against the Fast-Track Amendment Bill planned for parliament today.
Investors must support positive climate-tech
28 Nov 2025
OPINION: We need better leadership than the current ‘climate opportunism’ that is rife in the Beehive, and we need to back a marketplace that will make it happen, writes Rob Campbell.
$235 billion worth of NZ buildings exposed to flooding
30 Oct 2025
More than 750,000 New Zealanders live in locations exposed to one-in-100-year floods, according to a nationwide study which shows escalating flood risk.
India at COP30: A mismatch between grandstanding and climate action
Thu 11 Dec 2025
Despite India’s attempt to anoint itself as the leader of the developing world, at the COP30 summit, New Delhi’s track record remains contradictory.
NZ ‘clearly’ breaching international law on climate – Vanuatu Climate Change Minister
Fri 12 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Vanuatu’s Climate Change Minister, Ralph Regenvanu, says New Zealand restarting fossil fuel exploration and subsidies is an obvious breach of international law, exposing the country to international and domestic litigation.
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.
Media round-up
Fri 12 Dec 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Another offshore wind firm exits New Zealand over a clash with seabed mining; Fonterra falls behind on its climate goals as farm emissions remain flat; and the businesses trapped by the gas 'death spiral'.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
Wed 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.
Australia has new laws to protect nature. Do they signal an end to native forest logging?
Thu 11 Dec 2025
Reforms to Australia’s nature laws have passed federal parliament. A longstanding exemption that meant federal environment laws did not apply to native logging has finally been removed from the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
Oil and gas majors would create $78bn more value by stopping exploration
Thu 11 Dec 2025
Media release | Ten of the world’s largest oil and gas companies would create significantly more shareholder value by ending exploration and sharply curtailing upstream development, according to new analysis released today by ACCR.
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.”
Analysis: Why COP30’s ‘tripling adaptation finance’ target is less ambitious than it seems
5 Dec 2025
One of the headline outcomes to emerge from COP30 was a new target to “at least triple” finance for climate adaptation in developing countries by 2035.
Ticking time-bomb in Govt’s failure of leadership on climate – Carr
Tue 9 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The coalition Government’s failure to slash emissions is like pulling the pin on a grenade, handing it to a kid, and saying “hold on tight, she’ll be right”, says former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr.
TotalEnergies loses in Paris court, marking a turning point for fossil fuel truth-in-advertising
5 Nov 2025
TotalEnergies was found to have misled consumers about its role in the energy transition.
Tribunal warns govt geothermal strategy risks Treaty breach
2 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government's geothermal development strategy risks breaching the Treaty of Waitangi, according to a report from the Waitangi Tribunal released last week.
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.
Insurers welcome govt decision to keep NHC levy unchanged
21 Nov 2025
Media release |The Insurance Council of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa (ICNZ) has welcomed the Government’s decision to leave the Natural Hazards Commission levy unchanged, amid ongoing concerns around the cost-of-living.
Why I’m not outraged at the Govt’s latest climate backsliding
7 Nov 2025
COMMENT: The Government’s latest climate rollbacks underline New Zealand’s long history of a lack of genuine desire to cut emissions, writes Geoff Bertram.
Shell facing first UK legal claim over climate impacts of fossil fuels
Fri 12 Dec 2025
Victims of a deadly typhoon in the Philippines have filed a legal claim against oil and gas company Shell in the UK courts, seeking compensation for what they say is the company's role in making the storm more severe.
NZ fails to back ‘roadmap’ to phase out fossil fuels at COP
24 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Eighty-six countries including Australia, the UK, Germany, and Ireland backed a proposal at COP30 for national plans on how to quit oil, gas and coal – but New Zealand wasn’t one of them.
High risk of economic losses from Cook Islands nodule extraction and sales – new study
Fri 12 Dec 2025
Media release: Greenpeace | The economic potential of seabed polymetallic nodules in the Cook Islands has been overstated, according to a new independent study commissioned by Greenpeace International.
Govt rushes to pass climate law changes under urgency
Wed 10 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Legislation to amend the Climate Change Response Act was introduced to Parliament on Monday, and the government intends to rush the changes through under urgency in the next two weeks, avoiding the usual public consultation.
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.
Storms in the Southern Ocean are producing more rain – and the consequences could be global
Mon 8 Dec 2025
Storms in the Southern Ocean influence weather patterns across Australia, New Zealand and the globe.
Govt warned that scrapping ag emission pricing comes with risks
Thu 11 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s move to halt plans for agricultural emissions pricing without replacing it with any other action will leave New Zealand facing a bigger gap to meet its third emissions budget, Environment ministry officials have warned.
Heatwaves, downpours and droughts – Auckland on track for more extreme weather
1 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New projections show Auckland will face more heatwaves, heavier downpours, worsening droughts and growing coastal threats as climate extremes intensify, according to a new report from Earth Sciences New Zealand.
Govt green lights rural recycling scheme
4 Dec 2025
The Government has approved new regulations to bring rural waste schemes under one unified framework.
Shipping movements disrupted as climate change protesters block coal ships
2 Dec 2025
NSW police have arrested 141 people who attempted to block the shipping channel in Newcastle Harbour during Rising Tide protests, which began on Thursday.
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.
Neighbours fume over plans to axe trees for solar farm
Thu 11 Dec 2025
Diane McCarthy, Local Democracy Reporter | Whakatāne District Council has thrown its support behind residents of a country lane distressed about Genesis Energy’s plans to axe their trees.
NZ and US studying "huge unknown" in Antarctic climate science
Thu 11 Dec 2025
Media release: Earth Sciences New Zealand | Scientists are measuring a huge unknown in climate science: how much heat Antarctica emits into space.
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.
More than $2m up for grabs for low-emissions farming innovation
Wed 10 Dec 2025
The Ag Emissions Centre and AgriZeroNZ yesterday opened their 2026 innovation investment round.
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.
Seven EU countries pressure European Commission to rethink 2035 diesel and petrol car ban
Tue 9 Dec 2025
Pressure from EU countries, lawmakers and the automotive industry is likely pushing the European Commission to delay the revision of the bloc's ban on diesel and petrol cars by 2035.
Kaicycle celebrates ten years of collective climate action in Pōneke
14 Nov 2025
Media release: Kaicycle | Since 2015, Kaicycle has grown from a humble pilot project growing kai and collecting compost on bicycles into the thriving urban farm and composting hub that Wellingtonians know and love.
Study provides a step-change in understanding NZ’s groundwater
28 Nov 2025
Media release | Earth Sciences New Zealand has developed a world-first National Groundwater Age Map and a powerful suite of tools to support the sustainable management of our hidden groundwater resources, from national through to local scales.
NZ just had its hottest spring in at least 116 years
Wed 10 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | This year New Zealand had its hottest spring since records began, with widespread heat, rainfall extremes and destructive wind driven by sudden stratospheric warming.
Australian market operator slashes wind farm predictions amid falling costs for solar and batteries
Thu 11 Dec 2025
The body that runs Australia's biggest power market has scaled back its plans for high-voltage power lines and wind farms to meet the country's green energy targets.
