Topics tagged with 'Energy'
Yealands to turn vine prunings into power
23 Jul 2010
Yealands Estate has received funding from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority for a project that will cut the winemaker's carbon emissions to zero.
Entries open for Concrete3 Sustainability Awards
23 Jul 2010
The Cement and Concrete Association's 2010 Concrete3 Sustainability Awards are open for entry, offering those involved in building New Zealand’s future a chance to have their achievements recognised and to draw inspiration from others.
Rain and recession cut our pollution figures
16 Jul 2010
New Zealand’s emissions of greenhouse gases have fallen, thanks to rain and the recession.
South Korean firms to invest $18b in green business
16 Jul 2010
South Korean companies plan to invest 22.4 trillion won ($18 billion) in eco-friendly technologies over the next three years, says a presidential committee.
UN to channel billions into coal-fired power plants
16 Jul 2010
The UN is set to channel billions of dollars of public money from rich countries to giant energy companies to build 20 heavily polluting coal-fired power plants on the basis that they will emit less carbon dioxide than older ones.
Japan's ETS plans hit electoral snag
16 Jul 2010
An upper-house election in Japan has cast doubt on the government’s plans to develop an emissions trading scheme to meet an ambitious carbon reduction target.
Electric car sales on rise, says report
16 Jul 2010
Global sales of electric vehicles are set to rise this year due to worries about security of oil supply, the environment and fuel costs .
Schools sign up to national solar programme
16 Jul 2010
Primary and secondary schools across Australia will have access to funding for solar panels and rainwater tanks under new funding.
Kenya pushes for first ETS in Africa
16 Jul 2010
Kenya is set to become a carbon trading hub in Africa if plans to establish a regional carbon emissions trading market prove successful.
UK firm plants 50,000ha in jatropha
16 Jul 2010
British company VEPower says it has secured 40,000 tonnes of crude biofuel through an exclusivity agreement to finance a 50,000ha jatropha plantation in Ghana.
Labour: National needs a plan, not just a recession and rain, to beat emissions
16 Jul 2010
The Government can claim no credit for today's official greenhouse gas emissions statistics, which show the first ever reduction in transport sector emissions and a decrease in electricity sector emissions due to less coal-fired generation, Labour's environment spokesperson Charles Chauvel says.
Greens: Govt relies on rain and recession to reduce emissions
16 Jul 2010
The Green Party says John Key’s Government is relying on heavy rain and recession to lower greenhouse emissions, while simultaneously building more motorways.
Foresters test carbon sales through Trade Me
9 Jul 2010
Foresters are trying Trade Me as a platform to sell carbon.
Climate bill would save US billions, Congress hears
9 Jul 2010
Congressional sponsors of the stalled US climate change bill received a boost this week from a finding by a nonpartisan office that the measure would reduce the federal deficit by $19 billion during the next decade.
EPA proposal cuts power plant pollution
9 Jul 2010
The US Environmental Protection Agency is proposing regulations to cut air pollution that impairs air quality and harms the health of people living downwind.
BMW has high hopes for Megacity carbon car
9 Jul 2010
German car maker BMW says it has broken new ground with its Megacity vehicle, due to come on to the market in 2013.
Sellers few and far between
9 Jul 2010
The New Zealand market remains firm as emitters continue to pick up units in the $18 range, reports OMFinancial.
Businesses could carve $2b off energy bills
2 Jul 2010
New Zealand businesses could shave $2 billion off the country’s $16 billion annual energy bill – and cut the country’s Kyoto bill - by adopting some simple, relatively inexpensive measures.
Money-making Goldman Sachs points way to mass solar
2 Jul 2010
By Nick Hodge.- For all the perceived evil, you have to give them credit.... Goldman Sachs knows how to make money — lots of it.
Obama optimistic on climate bill despite senate rifts
2 Jul 2010
US President Barack Obama spent 90 minutes trying to convince senators to move forward with climate change legislation yesterday … and came away optimistic that a climate bill can be passed in spite of rifts.
UK must take radical action, warns watchdog
2 Jul 2010
Britain needs to build twice as many wind farms every year, put more than a million electric cars on the road and insulate every home in the country in order to meet ambitious legally binding climate change targets, Government advisers have warned.
Bank puts its money where its lightbulbs are
2 Jul 2010
Deutsche Bank and Ecuador have entered into a pioneering transaction to finance household energy efficiency through the carbon market.
We're doing our fair share, says Smith
2 Jul 2010
The entry of transport fuels, electricity and industry into the emissions trading scheme this week marks an important step in New Zealand doing its fair share on climate change, Climate Change Minister Nick Smith says.
F1 racers give green light to carbon reduction scheme
2 Jul 2010
The Formula One racing industry has approved an ambitious programme to reduce its carbon footprint by 15 per cent over the next three years.
Japanese told to go to bed early to cut emissions
2 Jul 2010
The Japanese government has launched a campaign encouraging people to go to bed and get up extra early in order to reduce household carbon dioxide emissions.
Event: Energy Roundtable
2 Jul 2010
An event which promises to bring people from the energy sector together to share ideas on smart new technologies will take place in Wellington in September.
Govt fails to provide climate-friendly choices, say Greens
2 Jul 2010
The John Key Government has failed to provide climate-friendly choices to help households avoid the higher costs that could result from their Emissions Trading Scheme, says the Green Party.
Climate change key issue for new Australian leader
25 Jun 2010
Climate change will be the defining issue of the Australian election and could lead to a change of leadership in the Liberals as well, predicts New Zealand Labour's climate change spokesman.
China deal opens huge market to NZ company
25 Jun 2010
A New Zealand company has signed a deal with China which it says opens the door to the world’s biggest steel manufacturing market.
Carbon trading heads off oil in Europe
25 Jun 2010
Carbon emissions early this year overtook Brent crude oil to become the largest commodity type traded in Europe.
All Australia's power could be renewable, says report
25 Jun 2010
Renewable sources could provide all of Australia's energy by 2020, says a new report.
Canada promises to show coal the door
25 Jun 2010
Canada’s Conservative government has vowed to scrub Canada clean of dirty coal-powered electricity generation.
APEC ministers set out energy targets
25 Jun 2010
APEC energy ministers have set down directions to advance energy security, improve energy efficiency and increase the clean energy supply in the Asia-Pacific region.
De Boer departs … delighted, determined
25 Jun 2010
The UN’s outgoing chief climate negotiator, Yvo de Boer, is confident that the world is making progress on global warming.
Summer time clocks could cut carbon emissions
25 Jun 2010
Putting the clocks forward one hour would prevent about 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere each year, UK green campaigners claim.
NZ forest credits sell to Danish Government
18 Jun 2010
The sale of a bundle of New Zealand forestry credits to the Danish Government proves there is a premium market for PFSI credits, says the man who brokered the deal.
Compost makers put case for carbon credits
18 Jun 2010
Compost operators want credits for the greenhouse gases they prevent entering the atmosphere.
Seven days that will forever change the energy game (and your portfolio)
18 Jun 2010
By Nick Hodge. - The fossil fuel industry has shown us its even uglier side this year.
UK minister vows to ease path for nuclear power
18 Jun 2010
Britain’s new coalition government will remove regulatory barriers and encourage nuclear power by establishing a minimum price for carbon.
New PM aims to slash Govt emissions
18 Jun 2010
Carbon emissions from the UK central government will be cut by 10 per cent in the next 12 months, new Prime Minister David Cameron says.
UK farmers show how to cut carbon
18 Jun 2010
While many New Zealand farmers protest against cutting carbon emissions, or paying the price, UK farmers are showing how it can be done.
Entries open in EECA Awards
18 Jun 2010
Organisations with successful energy efficiency or renewable energy projects are being invited to enter the 2010 EECA Awards.
Renewable generation remains high
18 Jun 2010
Renewable electricity generation remained high at 73 per cent of total electricity generation in the March 2010 quarter, Minister of Energy and Resources Gerry Brownlee says.
Green business tool transferred to business community
18 Jun 2010
Commerce Minister Simon Power has transferred the Government’s Envirostep scheme to the environmental certification company Telarc SAI Ltd.
NZUs continue to be well bid
18 Jun 2010
With less than two weeks until July 1, when emitters start coming into the Emissions Trading Scheme, interest in the New Zealand market continues to grow, says broker OMFinancial.
LanzaTech eyes oil and coal waste gases
11 Jun 2010
Emissions-to-ethanol pioneer LanzaTech is turning its sights on the oil and coal industries.
Zero carbon low on green goals for Asian firms
11 Jun 2010
Zero carbon footprint targets are "unusual" and have their challenges, according to a consultant who points out that green goals are for now still secondary to attaining growth in Asia, particularly China.
Wal-Mart went green for the money, says former boss
11 Jun 2010
Wal-Mart Stores‘rationale for going green was purely economic, according to former CEO Lee Scott.
Americans begin to worry again
11 Jun 2010
Public concern about global warming is again on the rise in the United States, according to a survey just released by researchers at Yale and George Mason universities.
Changes needed to air quality standard, says Smith
11 Jun 2010
Hundreds of businesses and thousands of jobs will be put at risk if changes are not made to the unrealistic and unfair air quality standard adopted by the previous Government, Environment Minister Nick Smith says.
FMA urges sharper focus on climate risk disclosures
Tue 26 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand companies are making steady progress in climate-related financial disclosures, but the Financial Markets Authority says many organisations still need to provide clearer and more robust reporting on physical climate risks and their potential business impacts.
Climate Leaders Coalition on PM meetings: 'it wasn’t us'
Mon 25 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The 81-member Climate Leaders Coalition is distancing itself from the actions of members who lobbied the Prime Minister’s Office to intervene and stop a landmark climate change court case.
$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 ramps up war on wilding pines with $79m boost
Mon 25 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is ramping up efforts to contain the spread of wilding pines with a $79 million funding boost aimed at protecting farmland, biodiversity hotspots, tourism landscapes and water catchments across New Zealand.
Thumbs up for Govt help for businesses transitioning from gas
Tue 26 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Businesses and climate advocates alike have welcomed the Government’s pre-budget announcement that it will help secure cheap lending for businesses transitioning from gas, as New Zealand’s domestic supply dwindles.
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.
Trump officials, billionaires and the quiet reshaping of America’s public lands
Tue 26 May 2026
A controversial land swap orchestrated by the megarich could be “a harbinger of what’s to come” for public lands under Trump.
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.
New coal plants hit ‘10-year’ global high in 2025 – but power output still fell
Fri 22 May 2026
The number of new coal-fired power plants built around the world hit a “10-year high” in 2025, even as the global coal fleet generated less electricity, amid a “widening disconnect” in the sector.
Mike Smith’s asymmetric victory
Mon 25 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: The New Zealand Government’s recent move, undercutting citizens’ rights and the rule of law to cancel the country’s most important climate case is a massive win for Mike Smith, the climate change activist who brought it.
Green building council calls for clean energy policies
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.
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.
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.
How do hurricanes and typhoons form and is climate change making them stronger?
Mon 25 May 2026
Rising temperatures mean that hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones have the potential to bring stronger winds and heavier rain – and scientists warn it only takes one strong storm to bring major impacts.
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.
Biomass sector asks: where did the love go?
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.
Govt’s LNG plan puts trade deals at risk, lawyers warn
Tue 26 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers for Climate Action are warning that the government’s plans for an LNG import terminal and to subsidise gas fields are in breach of New Zealand’s free trade agreements with the UK and the EU.
Hipkins pans LNG plan as ‘massive step backwards’
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.
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
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.
Climate resolution conundrum for NZ
Tue 26 May 2026
By Vernon Rive | COMMENT: While the United Nations resolution endorsing a landmark climate ruling is significant – politically, diplomatically and legally – its impact on international climate negotiations and domestic action is likely to be indirect and incremental.
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.
Colombia’s climate crossroads: Trumpism casts shadow over presidential battle
Tue 26 May 2026
Colombia is a global leader in climate activism. Could US influence drag country to a future of mining and fracking?
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.
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.
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.
Govt had ‘little choice’ in signing key UN climate resolution – expert
Fri 22 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate policy expert Bronwyn Hayward said it was “shameful’ New Zealand didn’t throw more active support behind a pivotal climate resolution ratified by the United Nations this week.
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.
Greens bill to ban mining on conservation land drawn from ballot
Tue 26 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A Greens member’s bill seeking to ban new mining, prospecting and exploration on conservation land has been drawn from Parliament’s ballot, with the party saying the proposed law would close a loophole allowing mining on land set aside for environmental protection.
Media round-up
Fri 22 May 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Shane Jone is urging mining bosses to apply for fast-track before the election, climate risk is changing where investors put their money, and Hiringa gets more hydrogen-fuelled trucks on the road.
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.
NZ at risk of falling behind on EV transition
Fri 22 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | An EV lobby group is warning that New Zealand is at a crossroads on transport electrification, with inconsistent policy settings and lagging charging infrastructure slowing uptake, while global adoption accelerates and fuel price shocks renew interest in electric vehicles.
‘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.
Climate scientists accuse livestock industry of fuzzy math to downplay climate warming emissions
Fri 22 May 2026
A group of the world’s leading climate scientists are warning governments and the livestock industry against adopting an “accounting trick” that will imperil the all-out global effort required to control heat-trapping emissions.
Marae solar project boosts sustainability and mana motuhake
Mon 25 May 2026
By Moana Ellis, Local Democracy Reporter | Five marae from Whanganui to Taumarunui are running on solar power and many more could join a major green energy initiative aimed at cutting electricity costs and strengthening community resilience.
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.
Rotorua extends diesel bus contract after NZTA declines extra funding
Mon 25 May 2026
By Mathew Nash, Local Democracy Reporter | Rotorua is stuck with its diesel-powered public buses after a funding snag played a part in setting back plans for zero-emission buses by years.
NZ votes in favour of key UN climate resolution
Thu 21 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | A pivotal United Nations resolution to recognise a landmark International Court of Justice climate ruling has passed with nations voting overwhelmingly in its favour, with New Zealand voting on the same side as Pacific allies who spearheaded the vote.
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.
Global wind and solar power outpace gas for first time in April, report shows
Fri 22 May 2026
Wind and solar combined generated more electricity than gas globally in April for the first month ever, data analysed by UK-based think tank Ember showed on Thursday.
