Topics tagged with 'Energy'
Crest gathers support for Kaipara tidal project
20 Feb 2009
Crest Energy has until next Friday to submit expert witness evidence to the Environment Court in support of its plan to build a tidal power project on the Kaipara Harbour.
GNS sees big benefits in geothermal link with Japan
20 Feb 2009
New Zealand's GNS appears to be in the wings in a strategy by Japan to massively boost its geothermal generating capacity.
Mission sparks high-level interest in marine energy
20 Feb 2009
A recent UK mission on renewable energy has prompted the government take another look at New Zealand’s marine energy potential.
Rudd ditches inquiry and sticks with emissions plans
20 Feb 2009
Mounting criticism of Australia’s proposed carbon trading policy forced Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to end the confusion late yesterday by abandoning plans for a new inquiry and declaring the scheme would start as planned in mid-2010.
UK windmills flap helplessly as coal remains king
20 Feb 2009
If you flick a switch in Britain today, the light goes on because of coal.
Beijing Olympics raises bar on green sporting events
20 Feb 2009
Last year's Beijing Olympics set new records for eco-friendly mass spectator sporting events by raising the bar on many of the high environmental standards it set itself, according to a new UN report.
Meridian wins consent for Mill Creek wind farm
20 Feb 2009
Resource consents for a wind farm using Wellington’s most famous natural resource have been granted to Meridian Energy for its Mill Creek wind farm north west of the capital city, the company says.
Biochar pioneer recruits top Australian scientist
17 Feb 2009
Blenheim-based charcoal technology company Carbonscape has scored a coup by recruiting highly respected climate change campaigner Professor Tim Flannery on to its board of directors.
Capital fast-tracks tidal turbine trial
17 Feb 2009
The surge in objections to large-scale commercial wind farms has been a factor in the fast-tracking by Wellington Regional Council of a scheme to trial a tidal turbine near the capital.
Global warming worse than we thought, say scientists
17 Feb 2009
The pace of global warming is likely to be much faster than recent predictions, because industrial greenhouse gas emissions have increased more quickly than expected, according to scientists.
Biofuels might speed up global warming, says study
17 Feb 2009
The use of crop-based biofuels could speed up rather than slow down global warming by fueling the destruction of rainforests, scientists warn in a just-released report.
Clean energy at crossroads as firms cut plans and staff
17 Feb 2009
Green companies are in retreat, with a wave of staff layoffs and production cuts that could have dire consequences for government efforts to fight climate change by quickly bringing low-carbon power projects on stream.
Britain wants green makeover of all homes
17 Feb 2009
All UK households will have a green makeover by 2030 under government plans to reduce carbon emissions and cut energy bills.
Clinton tries to build climate change pact with China
17 Feb 2009
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hopes to recruit China as a partner in American efforts to reduce global warming on her first official tour through Asia this week.
DOC rejects secrecy claims over Project Hayes deal
17 Feb 2009
The Department of Conservation says it totally rejects claims that its silence was bought over Meridian Energy’s Project Hayes windfarm proposal.
Big emitters win more time to put ETS review case
13 Feb 2009
The closing date for submissions on the emissions trading scheme review has been extended because a group representing some of New Zealand’s largest companies realised it wasn’t going to be heard, Carbon News has learnt.
Scientist pioneers cheaper solar cells
13 Feb 2009
A research scientist with Industrial Research Limited has applied nano technology via quantum dots to produce more efficient solar cells that are designed become a composite part of the roofs of houses.
Get rid of our flimsy houses, says leading architect
13 Feb 2009
The Cement & Concrete Association has brought household-name architect Ian Athfield into the debate on domestic heat loss.
ASX to launch trading in thermal coal futures
13 Feb 2009
Australia's ASX , Asia-Pacific's second-largest listed stock exchange, plans to launch thermal coal futures contracts from April.
European cities (and Christchurch) sign climate pact
13 Feb 2009
Mayors from more than 350 cities across Europe signed an EU climate change agreement this week pledging to cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than 20 per cent by 2020.
National grid upgrade
13 Feb 2009
An accelerated work programme on the national electricity grid has been welcomed by the Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee.
Tasman Eco Village attracts international attention
13 Feb 2009
Mention "development" and you have the attention of every environmentalist in ear-shot. Such attention is not normally something developers relish, but not so a home-grown eco-village project in Motueka Valley within biking distance from the town.
First bio-oil plant offers boost for foresters
10 Feb 2009
New Zealand’s first wood-to-bio-oil plant will open next month – and backers say it has the potential to vastly increase forest profitability while saving the climate.
Kiwis a bit short on good ideas, UK expert says
10 Feb 2009
A British marine energy expert says New Zealand is lacking ideas and needs to do more to support the emergence of the marine energy industry.
NZ research finds new life in old concrete
10 Feb 2009
Research in New Zealand by Swiss-owned Holcim has identified a carbon dioxide re-uptake process in demolition concrete material.
Capital scraps over windfarms in parks
10 Feb 2009
Greater Wellington Regional Council’s commitment to sustainable energy is wavering in the face of protests from residents who see wind farms as environmental pollution.
Wellington to stage micro-turbines trials
10 Feb 2009
Energy distributor Vector Ltd has signed a joint venture with Scottish company Renewable Devices Swift Turbines, which manufactures micro-wind turbines.
Australian executives ahead of pack on climate change
10 Feb 2009
MORE than 50 per cent of Australia's business chiefs believe they have not received adequate information about the impact of climate change on business.
They all love lithium, but have we got enough?
10 Feb 2009
Lithium is a hot topic as the world searches for the perfect battery with which to power a new generation of electric vehicles.
US and China told to cooperate on climate change
10 Feb 2009
Cooperation between China and the United States is crucial to successfully addressing the climate change problem, says a report that was co-authored by Energy Secretary Steven Chu just before to his nomination.
Energy boss warns of end to California farming
10 Feb 2009
United States Energy Secretary Steven Chu has warned that, if climate change continues unabated, California’s agriculture could vanish by the end of the century.
Australian trader records biggest carbon sale
10 Feb 2009
Australia has recorded its largest carbon trade to date as trading in the over-the-counter carbon market gains momentum ahead of the introduction of a carbon pollution reduction scheme scheduled for mid-2010.
Reinstating Labour’s home-insulation plan first step
10 Feb 2009
If Prime Minister John Key is really serious about announcing infrastructure projects this week that preserve and create New Zealand jobs, then he must start by reinstating Labour’s home insulation programme, says Labour leader Phil Goff.
Business as usual for Green Homes Fund: Greens
10 Feb 2009
News that John Key is going to invest in upgrading and insulating state houses is puzzling, given that in the 2008 budget Parliament voted $53 million over five years to complete insulation and energy efficiency upgrades of all state houses, Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said.
Mitsubishi and Meridian launch electric car trial
10 Feb 2009
Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand and Meridian Energy today launched a trial of the first mass produced new generation electric vehicle to come to New Zealand - the Mitsubishi iMiEV.
Learn from us, says UK renewables expert
3 Feb 2009
New Zealand could take a leaf out of the British government’s book and provide incentives if it seriously wants to encourage the development of renewable energy technology, says a visiting expert.
BP accused of watering down EU green agenda
3 Feb 2009
Oil industry lobbying at the heart of the European Union has undermined efforts to tackle climate change, environmental groups are claiming.
Carbon trading may be new sub-prime, says energy boss
3 Feb 2009
The row over the working of the European Union’s emissions trading scheme has intensified with EDF Energy warning that speculators risked turning carbon into a new category of sub-prime investment.
There’s still some hope for the American car
3 Feb 2009
It’s not news that Detroit is in the ditch, battered by both a frightful economy and self-inflicted woes.
World can afford green economy, says new report
3 Feb 2009
Moving to a green global economy could not only protect the planet from the worst effects of climate change but is surprisingly affordable, new figures show.
Smart meters give households power to choose lower prices
3 Feb 2009
The introduction of smart metering will give households a chance to benefit from the electricity market reforms of nearly 20 years ago - and use cheaper power when it is available, says the Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Ngawha power station officially opens
3 Feb 2009
Top Energy's Ngawha power station was opened on Saturday by Northland MP John Carter.
Drop in consents builds case for housing and green-home fund
3 Feb 2009
A dramatic drop in building consents and fears about the long-term health of the building industry is more evidence that social housing and the Green Homes Fund have a critical role in the Government's stimulus plan, says Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons.
Greens support new hydro scheme in Buller
3 Feb 2009
The Green Party's West Coast-based MP, Kevin Hague, has lodged a submission in support of a proposed hydro scheme on the Stockton Plateau.
Meridian says its programme will boost employment and economy
3 Feb 2009
State-owned power company Meridian Energy is set to provide a major boost to economic activity and local employment as its billion dollar-plus development programme gathers pace.
JATROPHA: Toxic seeds could fool children
30 Jan 2009
The toxic seed of the jatropha plant – used to make biofuel - might be attractive to children, warns a New Zealand scientist.
Holcim readies for court hearing on plant shift
30 Jan 2009
Holcim still wants to shift its New Zealand cement production from Westport to Oamaru, with an Environment Court appeal hearing for the company's proposed new North Otago plant scheduled for March.
Big UK polluters abusing EU carbon trading scheme
30 Jan 2009
Britain’s biggest polluting companies are abusing a European emissions trading scheme designed to tackle global warming by cashing in their carbon credits in order to bolster ailing balance sheets.
Gore urges action on US green agenda
30 Jan 2009
Former US vice-president Al Gore yesterday, laid out a road map for President Barack Obama to push through his ambitious green agenda and re-assert American leadership on global climate change negotiations.
Stockton long-term investments confirmed, production cut in response to steel downturn
30 Jan 2009
Solid Energy has confirmed it will invest $100 million in a new coal processing plant at Stockton Opencast Mine in the Buller, the next major step in a substantial long-term investment programme designed to secure a further 20-year life for the mine.
Govt unveils National Adaptation Framework
Thu 16 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Minister of Climate Change Simon Watts has revealed the first actions under New Zealand’s National Adaptation Framework, which sets out the Government's approach to the rising risks from natural hazards such as floods and storms.
All carrot, no stick for farmers on methane
Fri 17 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: The abandonment of methane emissions pricing and the adoption of a weaker target is effectively the last nail in the coffin of the historic cross-parliamentary consensus embedded in the Zero Carbon Act 2019.
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.
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.
NZ not 'holding the line' on wilding pine management – experts
Wed 15 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand is no longer “holding the line” against invasive threats, with the country’s scale, remoteness and rugged terrain making control costly and complex, one expert has said ahead of this week's Wilding Pines Conference.
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.
Broker predicts all this year’s carbon auctions will fail
10 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Marex New Zealand is forecasting that the government will sell no ‘pollution permits’ at the NZU auctions this year, with a significant gap continuing between secondary market prices and this year’s $68 auction floor price.
UN agency says CO2 levels hit record high last year, causing more extreme weather
Fri 17 Oct 2025
Heat-trapping carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere jumped by the highest amount on record last year, soaring to a level not seen in human civilisation and “turbo-charging” the Earth’s climate and causing more extreme weather.
Will govt’s light touch approach lead to higher carbon prices?
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.
Electricity to remain in ETS
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.
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.
Difficult trade-offs ahead for climate adaptation
Fri 17 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | While climate impacts are already here, bringing the urgent need to accelerate effective adaptation now, the Government's newly minted adaptation framework still leaves important questions unanswered about who will pay.
NZ marine heatwaves could double in intensity under high-emissions pathway
Thu 16 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New projections show marine heatwaves will grow more intense around the North Island and more frequent around the South Island as the climate warms – raising risks for fisheries, aquaculture, coastal ecosystems and tourism.
World falling far behind deforestation goals with farms and fires driving loss, report says
Wed 15 Oct 2025
The report said the world permanently lost 8.1 million hectares (20 million acres) of forest, an area about the size of England, in 2024 alone.
‘Damp squib’ – Govt energy plan slammed for locking in fossil fuels
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.”
Climate investment is only growth opportunity of 21st century, says leading economist
Wed 15 Oct 2025
Investment in climate action is the economic growth story of the 21st century, while growth fuelled by fossil fuels is futile because the damage it causes ends in self-destruction, the economist Nicholas Stern has said.
Where’s Watts? Climate Minister no-show at climate conference
Thu 16 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Opposition parties have slammed the Climate Change Minister’s failure to front up to a major international conference in Christchurch, saying it shows that climate adaptation is a low priority for the National Party.
Climate credibility gap widening for Aussie firms
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.
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
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.
Judge dismisses suit by young climate activists against Trump’s pro-fossil fuel policies
Fri 17 Oct 2025
Plaintiffs had ‘overwhelming evidence’ of climate crisis but a court injunction would be ‘unworkable’, ruling says.
'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
6 Oct 2025
Mining the world’s deep seas for metals will likely threaten many species of sharks, rays and chimaeras (ghost sharks), according to researchers.
Govt promises ‘earlier action’ in response to Commission’s warning climate targets at risk
Fri 17 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government says it will “explore opportunities for earlier action” ahead of the third Emissions Reduction Plan, and has committed to looking at ways to stop the system of free carbon credits for industrial polluters from disincentivising industrial decarbonisation.
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.
‘Weird and sad’ – Tuvalu Climate Minister condemns NZ halving methane target
Wed 15 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Dr Maina Talia, Tuvalu’s Minister for Home Affairs, Climate Change, and Environment, says he’s surprised at New Zealand’s decision to weaken its target for reducing methane emissions – and is planning to take up the issue with his counterpart Climate Minister Simon Watts this week.
NZ’s biggest ever climate meeting kicks off
Tue 14 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The world's largest climate adaptation conference kicked off in Christchurch yesterday, with nearly 2000 attendees expected, making it potentially the biggest international climate meeting Aotearoa New Zealand will ever host.
Bottom trawling a triple threat to marine environments - new report
9 Oct 2025
Media release | Greenpeace is calling for urgent action to restrict bottom trawling after a new government report highlights the compounding effects this destructive fishing method has on climate change, habitat degradation and biodiversity loss.
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.
Councils need funding tools to address climate challenges – LGNZ
Fri 17 Oct 2025
Media release | Local Government New Zealand is welcoming the Government’s new National Adaptation Framework, while cautioning that councils will struggle to meet its new expectations without additional funding tools.
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.
Record global renewable energy growth remains short of climate target, report says
Thu 16 Oct 2025
A new report finds that a record amount of global renewable energy capacity was added last year, but that still leaves countries “short of targets towards meeting a UN climate goal to triple capacity by 2030”.
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.
Climate scientists and republican lawyers are taking aim at Big Tech’s emissions
Fri 17 Oct 2025
Technology companies have long been one of the biggest investors in clean energy, but new accounting rules could upend that.
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.
For Australia to get moving on electric vehicles, we must ban petrol and diesel cars by 2035
Fri 17 Oct 2025
COMMENT: If nothing is done, transport is projected to be Australia’s largest emissions source by 2030.
Fix it, don't ditch it: University of Auckland hosts first Repair Cafe
9 Oct 2025
Media release - Auckland University | The University's first-ever Repair Cafe is bringing students and staff together to give broken items a new lease on life, while promoting a culture of repair and reuse.
Farmers face heightened solvency risks as climate changes: research
10 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Increasingly volatile weather patterns, higher insurance costs driven by climate change risk and global financial volatility represent risks to New Zealand farmers’ capacity to service debt and remain solvent, according to new research by Christchurch-based research firm Kōmanawa Solutions.
‘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.
