Topics tagged with 'Energy'
NZ on right road with ETS, says negotiator
21 May 2010
Political developments in the United States and elsewhere back the New Zealand Government’s decision to press ahead with the Emissions Trading Scheme, says Climate Change Negotiations Minister Tim Groser.
Coal looks good again, says power chief
21 May 2010
The absence of a price on carbon means more coal-fired power stations will be built in Australia, says the head of one of the country’s leading power companies.
Senate climate bill seems stuck in limbo
21 May 2010
The compromise United States climate change proposal unveiled last week in the Senate is in legislative limbo, its fate apparently uncertain until at least next month.
Slump slashes Europe’s carbon emissions
21 May 2010
The recession last year slashed more than 11 per cent off climate-warming emissions from heavy industry, the European Union's executive said.
Minister's credit allocation powers remain on hold
14 May 2010
The Government says it has not considered using ministerial discretion on the allocation of free carbon credits to big emitters of greenhouse gases.
Big player Genesis turns carbon market builder
14 May 2010
Big-emitting Genesis Energy is using its size to help to build liquidity in the fledgling New Zealand carbon market.
Should we have tax cuts or extend emissions subsidies beyond 95%?
14 May 2010
ANALYSIS: Now the Government has shut the front door on delaying the ETS, the country’s largest emitters are knocking on the back one to get more free emission credits.
Kiwi companies eye $800m Canberra fund
14 May 2010
New Zealand companies might be eligible for a slice of an $800 million Australian pie.
150 billion reasons to be bullish about clean energy
14 May 2010
By Tim Watson.- There are more reasons than ever to be bullish on clean energy.
US: We’re back on top of the energy world
14 May 2010
The American Power Act, a bill proposing a cap and trade system for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, was introduced yesterday in the US Senate.
UK’s green coalition hits a nuclear snag
14 May 2010
Britain’s new governing coalition faces a major sticking point in its cobbled-together plans for a low carbon and eco-friendly economy.
Australia votes $652m for renewable energy
14 May 2010
Australia has announced a $A652 million fund for renewable energy, two weeks after it shelved its carbon trading legislation.
How Tokyo became first cap-and-trade city
14 May 2010
Seeking to shrink its Portugal-sized carbon footprint, Tokyo has become the first cap-and-trade city.
UN bans Bulgaria from carbon trading
14 May 2010
Bulgaria will be banned from carbon emission trading as of June 30 after a United Nations body opened a procedure to revoke its accreditation under the Kyoto Protocol.
China looks likely to levy carbon tax
14 May 2010
China is likely to levy a carbon tax, an environmental tax that is paid for carbon emissions, on its enterprises around 2012, in a bid to encourage the country's energy saving and environmentally friendly industries, the daily Economic Information says.
Philippines bank to sell carbon credits
14 May 2010
The Development Bank of the Philippines has agreed to sell carbon credits to a Singapore-based carbon emissions trading company, becoming the second Philippines bank to take advantage of a recovering carbon market.
Too soon to say if falling markets will hit carbon - trader
7 May 2010
Tumbling markets have not affected global carbon markets.
Forest owner pockets second round of millions
7 May 2010
A New Zealand forest owner has once again netted itself millions of dollars from the sale of New Zealand forestry Kyoto credits.
Government takes ETS hardline with farmers
7 May 2010
The Government is going on the offensive with farmers over the Emissions Trading Scheme, telling them that abandoning the scheme could lead to a trade backlash.
Why the Gulf oil spill doesn't matter
7 May 2010
By Jeff Siegel.- While environmentalists rally and politicians chase opinion polls, investors are now trying to gauge how BP’s Gulf oil incident will affect energy and climate change legislation.
No climate deal this year, says UN climate chief
7 May 2010
Outgoing United Nations climate chief Yvo de Boer believes there will be no comprehensive climate treaty this year, saying that a major UN conference in December would yield only a first answer on curbing greenhouse gases.
US whizkid sells Chicago Climate Exchange
7 May 2010
American financial entrepreneur Richard Sandor and the other shareholders of parent company Climate Exchange have cashed out of their big idea for about $600 million.
Scientists hit the skies to measure gas emissions
7 May 2010
The state of California is about to become a giant playground for more than 200 atmospheric scientists.
US carbon emissions down record 7 per cent
7 May 2010
US energy-related carbon dioxide emissions fell a record 7 per cent in 2009, officials said this week, citing the economic slump and other factors including increased energy efficiency.
Carbon market wide open to doubtful deals
30 Apr 2010
The Government might be moving to clean up the regulations around the financial markets, but investors in the emerging carbon market lack the same protections.
Business lobby gives up on ETS demands
30 Apr 2010
New Zealand’s biggest business lobby group appears to have conceded defeat in its campaign to delay provisions of the emissions trading scheme.
Two smart grid companies with IPO implications
30 Apr 2010
By Nick Hodge. - By now, everyone knows of the smart grid. But few know about the smart grid.
Aussie states could run own ETS, says minister
30 Apr 2010
Australian states have been told they could run their own carbon trading scheme, now the Federal Government has postponed its proposed Emissions Trading Scheme.
Senate climate bill just keeps on rollin’ along
30 Apr 2010
The public progress of the United States Senate attempt to write a comprehensive climate change energy bill has ground to a halt, but an outline of the bill’s major provisions is moving forward.
UN pushes clean energy access to fight poverty
30 Apr 2010
Increasing access to clean energy and improving its efficiency will be vital to both enhancing global prosperity and combating climate change, according to a new report by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s advisory group on the nexus between energy and climate.
Morocco chalks up a first for the Arabs
30 Apr 2010
Morocco has announced an unprecedented charter for environment and sustainable development, the first commitment of its kind in Africa and the first in the Arab World.
… and even Romania wants a piece of the action
30 Apr 2010
Romania will set up a carbon trading scheme to cut greenhouse gas emissions, hoping to earn more than $3 billion until 2012.
Careful, warns Castro, we could kill ourselves
30 Apr 2010
Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro has warned of the aftermath of uncontrollable climate change and the side effects of scientific progress.
Aussies building largest tower of solar power
30 Apr 2010
Australia’s CSIRO is building the largest solar-power tower of its type in the world at the National Solar Energy Centre in Newcastle.
Delay ETS, say major electricity users
30 Apr 2010
“The announcement this week by the Australian Government of a significant delay to an ETS in Australia is a game-changing event that will impact every NZ householder and business” said Ralph Matthes, executive director of the Major Electricity Users’ Group.
Suspend the ETS until 2013, says farmers' lobby
30 Apr 2010
Federated Farmers is urging the National-led Government to match the Australian Government's decision to defer its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) until at least 2013.
Markit chief slams Kiwis' lack of carbon nous
23 Apr 2010
New Zealand risks missing the chance to reap the rewards of the emerging clean-tech economy because its leaders are fixated on the negatives, warns the head of the world's leading environmental exchange.
Gull might import ethanol to meet fuel demand
23 Apr 2010
Gull Energy says it is considering importing ethanol because of a lack of Government support to get the local industry moving.
We've got stamp costs licked, says NZ Post
23 Apr 2010
The cost of posting a letter – or sending a parcel by courier – is unlikely go up when the emissions trading scheme kicks in, New Zealand Post says.
We're putting $650b into renewable energy
23 Apr 2010
Global Investments in renewable energy are expected to reach $US653.35 billion by 2015, a new report says.
Senators miss Earth Day climate bill deadline
23 Apr 2010
Senators hoping to make a splash on Earth Day with the announcement of a long-awaited US climate bill proposal will now not move until next Tuesday.
Super Hornet carries biofuel sting in its tail
23 Apr 2010
The US Navy plans to test-fly its main attack aircraft, the Super Hornet, on a biofuel blend today, Earth Day, as part of an ambitious push by the Pentagon to increase US security by using less fossil fuel.
Giant solar power station for the Alice
23 Apr 2010
A solar power station – the largest technology of its type in Australia – will be built at Alice Springs airport.
EXCLUSIVE: Business lobby eyes big role in ETS review
16 Apr 2010
Business New Zealand is telling members that it has the chance to influence the make-up of the panel that will review the emissions trading scheme next year.
Drought and slump trim our gas emissions
16 Apr 2010
Drought and the economic recession together pushed New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions down in 2008.
Why farming chief is turning his back on $30,000
16 Apr 2010
Federated Farmers boss Don Nicolson says he’s not interested in claiming carbon credits for his forest.
Three green stocks that could double your money
16 Apr 2010
By Jeff Siegel.- Every year, as Earth Day noisily approaches, the traffic to our site increases dramatically. And with that traffic comes an avalanche of e-mails and questions.
Senators book Earth Day for new energy plan
16 Apr 2010
Senators working on an energy plan for the United States say they are on track to release their proposals on Earth Day, April 22.
Coal the fuel of the future, Congress told
16 Apr 2010
Executives from the world's largest coal companies told Congress yesterday their industry is providing the fuel of the future.
Europe eyes low-carbon energy without risks
16 Apr 2010
Europe can move to low-carbon energy sources without risking reliable supply or increasing bills for consumers, according to a new report.
Fifty years of observations, no reversal of glacier climate damage
31 Mar 2026
Media release: Earth Sciences New Zealand | Fifty years on from the first aerial survey of our Southern Alps glaciers, late snow and variable summer weather delivered a temporary reprieve from rapid ice loss, says Earth Sciences New Zealand.
Climate experts say spring is coming earlier. How will that affect agriculture and ecosystems?
Tue 7 Apr 2026
An earlier spring affects when migratory birds arrive, leaves emerge, and fruit ripens — among plants and animals that determine ecosystem health.
$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.
Signs of jet fuel hoarding emerge in Asia on Iran oil shock
26 Mar 2026
Signs are growing that Asian countries are hoarding jet fuel after the Iran war sent oil prices surging, reflecting growing strain on the aviation industry.
Environmental groups launch legal action over Govt's 'tick-box approach' to conservation land
Wed 8 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Forest & Bird and the Environmental Defence Society are taking the Government to court over decisions about the future of publicly-owned land on Te Tai Poutini/the West Coast.
New alliance wants renewable-led energy – and Govt to press pause on LNG
Thu 9 Apr 2026
A newly formed coalition of business, consumer and energy organisations has unveiled a renewable-led strategy it says will strengthen the country’s energy security, and it’s calling on the Government to pause its plan for an LNG import terminal.
Supply-side pressures and political uncertainty ahead for carbon market
Tue 7 Apr 2026
By Kristen Green | ANALYSIS: With failed auctions, a surge of new forestry registrations, and an election a few months away, the NZ ETS in 2026 will be subject to a mix of supply-side pressures and political uncertainty.
Solar energy, cheap battery storage can meet 90% of India’s power demand at affordable costs: Ember report
Thu 9 Apr 2026
Battery storage is now cheap enough in India that solar power can meet 90% of the country’s power demand at lower lifetime costs than current average purchase rates in most states, a new study has found, a finding that could potentially point to a future buffer against global energy shocks.
Economic contraction will impact carbon market
1 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | While higher fossil fuel prices strengthen the long-run economics of decarbonisation, the current fuel crisis won’t inspire near-term confidence in the carbon market, according to Lizzie Chambers of Carbon Match.
Genesis fires up pellet study with Nature’s Flame
Wed 8 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Genesis Energy is extending its quest for locally produced torrefied wood pellets to supplement coal and gas to fuel its Huntly power station, announcing it is investigating plant construction with established local solid fuels player Nature’s Flame.
Death toll in Afghanistan flooding increases to 28, authorities say
1 Apr 2026
Afghan authorities said Monday that the death toll from severe weather that has struck swathes of the country over the past four days has increased to 28, with 49 people injured. Dozens of people have died from extreme weather in the country so far this year.
Sustainable retail-office project breaks ground under new Green Star framework
19 Feb 2026
Construction is set to begin on a new retail-office development in central Auckland, which is targeting a 40% reduction in embodied carbon and 25% lower energy.
Opposition attacks Govt over fossil fuel phaseout backdown
2 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | Revelations that Resources Minister Shane Jones ruled out New Zealand signing up to a 'road map' away from fossil fuels at last year’s global climate summit show the National Party’s minor coalition partners’ undue influence over the Government, according to Labour leader Chris Hipkins.
Carbon price: Ups and downs amid geopolitical uncertainty
26 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | After ups and downs in recent weeks, the carbon market again broke above the $40 mark this week, with questions around how the Middle East conflict will play out weighing on market confidence.
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.
Severe tropical cyclones Maila And Vaianu threaten communities in Solomon Islands, PNG and Fiji
Wed 8 Apr 2026
Media release: 350.org |Two Category 3 Tropical Cyclones are currently moving through the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, while experts watch a third system potentially developing in the North Pacific.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
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.
Wellington planting nears one million trees
30 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Greater Wellington’s parks restoration programme will hit one million native trees this year, with the first dams to rewet peat wetlands in Queen Elizabeth Park now completed after a years-long effort to bring these ecosystems – and their carbon sequestering superpowers – back to life.
Renewable build-out runs into grid and firming limits
Wed 8 Apr 2026
New Zealand's electricity market entered 2026 with renewable generation at record levels and a substantial build pipeline finally moving from paper to construction. The harder question is whether the wider system can absorb and firm that capacity fast enough.
A matter of strategy
Tue 7 Apr 2026
COMMENT: Even on the brink of a global commodities crisis, the possibilities for climate action aren't hopelessly foreclosed. Strategy can turn our fortunes around, writes David Hall.
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.”
FMA to ease conditions for green bond issues
31 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Green, social and sustainability-linked bonds will face lower disclosure requirements and regulatory costs under a class exemption newly granted by the Financial Markets Authority.
New protections for NZ migratory species under UN convention
2 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New international protections for migratory species, including several found in New Zealand, are a positive step – but global protections won’t halt the decline of migratory species on their own, experts say.
Fonterra admits ‘100% grass-fed’ claim breached law in greenwashing row
2 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Fonterra has admitted its “100% New Zealand grass-fed” claims on Anchor butter were misleading and breached the law, settling a case brought by Greenpeace Aotearoa over packaging used between December 2023 and April 2025.
Govt missing opportunity to slash electricity prices, says expert
11 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s fixation on eliminating the "dry-year risk margin" as a lever to reduce costs misses a much bigger opportunity to lower electricity prices, according to Christina Hood, head of Compass Climate.
NZ prepares to join ‘gold rush’ for white hydrogen
25 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand may be close to commercialising the capture and use of naturally occurring ‘white’ hydrogen, with investment plans for developments in the Wairarapa region picking up pace in response to spiralling oil prices.
Media round-up
20 Mar 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Crown lawyers agree High Court could quash emissions plan if found unlawful; NZ is locked in 'disaster inertia'; and climate change is notably absent from new development laws.
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.
Lawyers complain to ombudsman over Govt failure to release LNG modelling
1 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers for Climate Action has made a formal complaint to the Ombudsman over the Government’s failure to release information about its controversial decision to build a LNG import terminal.
EA entrenches 10kW export limit for residential solar
Wed 8 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The Electricity Authority intends to require all electricity networks to offer at least a 10 kilowatt (kW) export capacity for residential rooftop and other small-scale distributed generation.
NZ First targets regional share of mining royalties
30 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand First has proposed returning 50% of mining royalties to regional communities, saying that too much of the value from resource extraction is currently flowing to Wellington.
Tuvalu prioritises climate change in agreement with NZ
27 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand has pledged an additional $20 million to climate resilience work in Tuvalu, more than doubling Aotearoa's aid to the tiny island nation in the current financial year.
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.
Worst in a generation: Environmentalists slam fisheries reform bill
25 Mar 2026
Media release: Greenpeace | The Fisheries Amendment Bill, which will likely have its first reading in parliament this week, is being labelled the worst fisheries policy in a generation by environmental groups who are calling for it to be rejected to protect ocean health.
Free fares call as fuel crisis impacts school attendance
Wed 8 Apr 2026
An open letter is urging the Government to make public transport free for all school children and subsidised for students under 25, as rising fuel costs begin to impact attendance and access to education across the country.
Kiwis overly optimistic about state of environment
27 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New research suggests many New Zealanders believe the environment is in better shape than it really is, with public perceptions often out of step with scientific evidence.
‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics
24 Feb 2026
Plastic production has doubled over the last 20 years – and will likely double again. For author Beth Gardiner, metal water bottles and canvas tote bags are not the solution. So what is?
Activists occupy controversial gold drilling site
25 Mar 2026
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | Opposition in Golden Bay to a controversial gold mine at Sams Creek has flared up over the weekend after several activists briefly occupied a drilling site.
China has a new competitor? Kazakhstan reveals huge rare Earth deposit that could power the next tech boom
25 Feb 2026
China’s grip on rare earths might finally see some competition, and the world is already taking notice.
Sci-tech prioritisation report is a joke that could cost NZ dearly, says NZ Association of Scientists
2 Apr 2026
Media release: New Zealand Association of Scientists | The Prioritisation Report released yesterday by the Prime Minister’s Science Innovation and Technology Council makes a poor case for further cuts and changes to our research system.
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.
AI’s arrival complicates Big Tech climate goals, and some worry it’s locking in more fossil fuels
2 Apr 2026
Six years ago, Google was confident that by 2030 it would power all operations with electricity generated from clean sources, including wind and solar power, and remove as much pollution as it produced. Today it calls those goals a “moonshot.” Microsoft says it’s still aiming to remove more carbon than it creates by 2030 but now describes the effort as “a marathon, not a sprint.”
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.
Fuel crisis powers surge in EV interest in Asia-Pacific region
Tue 7 Apr 2026
Motorists across the Asia-Pacific region are switching to electric vehicles at a rapid pace, as rising fuel costs due to the Middle East war force consumers and companies to reconsider their reliance on petrol and diesel vehicles.
Infrastructure plan calls for ‘predictable approach’ to electrifying economy
18 Feb 2026
Aotearoa’s first National Infrastructure Plan, introduced to Parliament yesterday, calls for "a predictable approach to electrifying the economy" as one of ten priorities for the next decade.
Dairy farmers' lack of climate action 'even bleaker' than water inaction – Upton
1 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Government projections for cutting agricultural emissions are being undermined by low farmer uptake, with the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment warning the country is relying on “heroic” assumptions to meet its methane targets.
AI tool predicts wildfire danger faster than current systems
26 Mar 2026
Media release | A wildfire forecasting system powered by artificial intelligence could help detect dangerous fire conditions earlier and reduce the cost of wildfire response, according to new research from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury.
Fast-track approved project could deliver NZ’s largest wind farm
Tue 7 Apr 2026
Media release: New Zealand Government |Fast-track approval has been granted for New Zealand’s largest wind farm project.
