Topics tagged with 'Energy'
Obama raises hopes for Copenhagen climate pact
3 Mar 2009
Until recently, the idea that the world’s most powerful nations might come together to tackle global warming seemed an environmentalist’s pipedream.
'Alive and well' AAUs surviving money crisis
3 Mar 2009
The market for government-level emissions rights under the Kyoto Protocol is alive and well, mostly unfazed by the global economic downturn, according to Reuters.
Planted forests critical to wood supplies, says UN
3 Mar 2009
Planted forests which provided wood that is renewable, energy efficient and environmentally friendly have become increasingly critical to future supplies, according to a new study by the United Nations.
Govt releases draft new rules for Electricity Commission
3 Mar 2009
Energy and Resources Minister Gerry Brownlee has released a revised policy direction for the Electricity Commission for public comment.
Don’t trade the environment for short term jobs - Eco
3 Mar 2009
The Government should reject proposals from the Job Summit to trade environmental quality for elusory short-term gains, the Environment and Conservation Organisations says.
Minister's omission worries wood fuel backers
27 Feb 2009
The bioenergy sector says it is aghast that wood fuel seems to be off the Government’s radar.
Business NZ stance may not give Government support it needs on ETS
27 Feb 2009
ANALYSIS: Policies proposed in a draft Business New Zealand submission to the select committee reviewing the ETS, obtained by Carbon News, would aim to “remove the carbon risk for business”.
Roundtable lines up Lomborg for second tour
27 Feb 2009
The New Zealand Business Roundtable appears to be planning a reprise tour of New Zealand by influential climate change academic Bjorn Lomborg.
Manapouri power problems worry Government
27 Feb 2009
The inflexibility of power from the Manapouri hydro station is causing headaches for the new government.
Carbon price floor not the way to go, say experts
27 Feb 2009
Falling carbon prices should not be supported through artificial price floors or direct government intervention, as this may deter new players and stunt the still-nascent market's growth, carbon market experts believe.
Green activists change minds over nuclear power
27 Feb 2009
Britain’s green lobby for the first time has come out in support of nuclear power technology after years of opposition.
There’s money to be made in climate change
27 Feb 2009
The number of lobbyists seeking to influence United States federal policy on climate change has grown more than 300 per cent in five years, according to a new Center for Public Integrity report.
Consumers keen for energy answers, says report
27 Feb 2009
Consumers around the globe are willing to become more involved with managing their energy use, says a new report by US-based Global Business Services.
Rocket carrying space carbon-spy crashes into sea
27 Feb 2009
A rocket carrying a satellite to track the chief culprit in global warming crashed into the ocean near Antarctica after launch, dealing a major setback to NASA's network for monitoring Earth and its environment from above.
Watch the carbon dioxide flow on Google Earth
27 Feb 2009
New interactive Google Earth maps, created by NASA, Purdue University and the Department of Energy, show the amount of carbon dioxide being dumped into the US atmosphere every hour.
Obama's commitment to ETS a signal to NZ
27 Feb 2009
A renewed strong commitment to introduce emissions trading by US President Barrack Obama sends New Zealand a signal to get on with implementing its own ETS scheme and securing the country’s trade and tourism, says the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development.
NZ firms chase slice of Obama's clean-energy billions
24 Feb 2009
New Zealand companies are in the United States in a bid to win a share of the $300 billion the US government is pouring into renewable energies.
Invasive jatropha might have dodged NZ security net
24 Feb 2009
The potentially invasive biofuel crop Jatropha curcas may have slipped through New Zealand’s biosecurity defences.
Costs slow action on fixing Cook Strait cables
24 Feb 2009
Increased borrowing is being blamed for political reticence for what many believe is the nation’s top infrastructure priority – replacing the Cook Strait power cables.
Electric car on trial, but price still a mystery
24 Feb 2009
New Zealanders won’t know how much they’ll have to pay for Mitsubishi’s iMiEV electric vehicle until at least June.
Stern warns of ‘extended world war' over climate
24 Feb 2009
If countries don't deal with climate change decisively, "we're talking about extended world war," eminent British economist Lord Nicholas Stern has warned.
Green billions fertilise Obama’s economic package
24 Feb 2009
The $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law by President Barack Obama will create green jobs, new Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lisa Jackson says.
Big US gold miner wins ‘prize of shame’
24 Feb 2009
Activists have awarded US gold miner Newmont anti-prizes for environmental and social violations.
Britons beat the petrol price thanks to fish and chips
24 Feb 2009
As he has done frequently over the past 18 months, a man drives his blue diesel Peugeot 205 on to a farm near Nuneaton, England, where signs pointed one way for “eggs” and another for “oil.”
China about to roll out new electric buses
24 Feb 2009
Battery-powered buses that can cover 188 miles on one charge and recharge in 20 minutes will hit the road in China in June.
Green light for New Zealand’s first Solar City Pilot
24 Feb 2009
Developers of Nelson Solar City have announced the next stage of their project with the launch of a pilot scheme involving 25 homes and businesses.
Smith: DOC needs to be more transparent
24 Feb 2009
The Department of Conservation needs to ensure a greater degree of transparency in agreements reached over resource consents, Acting Conservation Minister Nick Smith says.
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.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
Fri 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.
Media round-up
Fri 20 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: 'Every tonne matters': The climate scientist who wants to give you hope; Minister says managed retreat is an option; and climate change is here – is New Zealand ready?
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.
Singapore sets first ever sustainable aviation fuel levy, as Southeast Asia’s fuel industry grows
Tue 17 Feb 2026
Flying in and out of Singapore, home to Southeast Asia’s busiest airport, will get slightly more expensive this year as the city state begins imposing a levy of between 75 cents to $32 per ticket to fund sustainable aviation fuel.
Greens slam move to disband Environment Ministry
Fri 20 Feb 2026
The Green Party has joined climate and health advocates in condemning the Government's decision to disestablish the Ministry for the Environment as part of a multi-ministry merger.
Govt’s own modelling shows LNG leads to higher electricity prices than other solutions
Thu 19 Feb 2026
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: According to modelling conducted by Concept Consulting for MBIE, either developing the Tariki gas storage facility or managing electricity demand would deliver lower wholesale electricity prices than the Government’s preferred solution of an LNG import terminal.
New study looks to nature markets to accelerate climate response
Wed 18 Feb 2026
The Nature Conservancy is teaming up with local groups to study the most affordable and effective ways of restoring native habitats at the top of the South Island, including ways to fund the work using international voluntary carbon markets and biodiversity credits.
California, Connecticut preparing 'attack' against Trump's repeal of basis of US climate regulation
Fri 20 Feb 2026
California and Connecticut are working together on a multi-state "plan of attack" against President Donald Trump's repeal of the foundation of federal climate regulation of vehicles, the states' attorneys general told Reuters on Tuesday.
Carbon price drops as volatility continues
Tue 17 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market is still displaying extreme volatility, with prices dropping back to below $40 yesterday, after trading as high as $46.25 last week.
Flawed decision-making around taxing electricity to fund LNG import terminal
Mon 16 Feb 2026
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: The Government's decision to back an LNG import terminal exemplifies an egregious failure in public policy and energy sector governance.
LNG: a rational choice compared to unpalatable alternatives
10 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: By deciding to underwrite the private construction of a liquefied natural gas import facility in Taranaki, the Government has made a rational choice in favour of energy security and affordability.
Sustainable retail-office project breaks ground under new Green Star framework
Thu 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 market rallies but auction floor still out of reach
13 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market has rallied, with secondary market prices up more than 25% in the past two weeks, although current prices in the mid-$40s are still far below this year’s $71 auction floor, with the first auction of 2026 less than three weeks away.
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.
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.
Slash for cash turns storm debris into jobs and climate resilience
Thu 19 Feb 2026
A community-led initiative in Tairāwhiti is transforming storm-damaged forestry slash into jobs, soil regeneration and long-term climate resilience.
Calls for action to reduce emissions as extreme weather bites
Tue 17 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | Renewable energy advocates and environmental groups are calling for more action to reduce emissions and increase resilience as severe weather wreaks havoc across the country.
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.”
European Central Bank's green supervision grows teeth, but will banks avoid being bitten?
13 Feb 2026
After several years of issuing guidance and repeatedly calling on banks to take climate and environmental risk management seriously, the European Central Bank is moving from guidance and expectations to enforcement.
Green Member’s Bill aims to give whales legal ‘personhood’
9 Feb 2026
The Green Party wants to give whales legal rights, including the right to sue.
Claims that AI can help fix climate dismissed as greenwashing
Wed 18 Feb 2026
Tech companies are conflating traditional artificial intelligence with generative AI when claiming the energy-hungry technology could help avert climate breakdown, according to a report.
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.
Media round-up
13 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Senior UK ministers have asked their New Zealand counterparts to explain new climate policies, National’s LNG blunders are a warning ahead of election campaign, and what are the lessons New Zealand should take from another summer of weather disasters?
Wales council to buy and demolish homes prone to flooding
4 Feb 2026
A row of homes in a village in south Wales is to be bought by a local authority and demolished as they can no longer be protected from flooding caused by the climate crisis.
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.
Australian gas producer Santos wins court fight over net zero claims
Wed 18 Feb 2026
An Australian court on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit against gas producer Santos that alleged the company misled the public on its plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions.
Govt unveils plans for carbon storage regulations – and ETS rewards
18 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government has released plans to regulate carbon capture and storage in natural geological formations, which include Emissions Trading Scheme incentives, with the aim of introducing related legislation in 2026.
Seabed miners quit South Taranaki fast-track bid
Fri 20 Feb 2026
By Craig Ashworth, Local Democracy Reporter | Would-be seabed miners have abandoned their fast-track bid to mine in South Taranaki waters, saying they can’t change the minds of the panel that rejected their application.
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.
Partnership to advance Pacific science and environmental leadership
Thu 19 Feb 2026
Media release | Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in Pacific-led science, research and capacity-building, with a strong focus on environmental sustainability and ocean stewardship.
Lawyers seek answers on climate impacts of LNG import facility
13 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action has written to Climate Change and Energy Minister Simon Watts warning that the Government's plan for an LNG import terminal could be in conflict with New Zealand’s climate obligations and emissions reduction targets.
Commentators slam Govt inaction in aftermath of climate change-fuelled storms
30 Jan 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate action - or inaction - is shaping up to be an election issue, with multiple commentators drawing a line between the Coalition Government’s backsliding on climate targets and the deadly extreme weather events of the past week.
Kiwi startup takes on global plastic pollution
12 Feb 2026
A New Zealand startup is launching what it says is the world’s first plastic-free effervescent drink tablet, with the ambitious aim of eliminating bottled beverages to reduce global plastic pollution.
78% of NZers want bottom trawling banned as Govt pushes to catch more coral in South Pacific
Tue 17 Feb 2026
Media release | New polling shows overwhelming support from New Zealanders for a ban on bottom trawling in the South Pacific high seas, says Greenpeace.
Critical minerals talks with US questioned in Waitangi Tribunal climate inquiry
9 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand and the United States' negotiations over critical minerals have raised questions for the Waitangi Tribunal’s long-running inquiry into climate change.
IEA Declaration strengthens international co-operation on critical minerals
Fri 20 Feb 2026
Media release – NZ Government | New Zealand has joined international leaders at the 2026 International Energy Agency Ministerial meeting in committing to strengthen global co-operation on critical minerals to strengthen long‑term energy security.
Antarctic sediment core reveals past ice sheet retreat during warmer climates
Wed 18 Feb 2026
A record-breaking sediment core drilled from beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is giving scientists new insight into how the ice sheet responded to warmer climates in the past — and what that could mean for future sea-level rise.
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.
NZ-UAE partnership boosts advanced tech
9 Feb 2026
Media release | A new Antarctic science partnership with a leading UAE university will grow New Zealand’s advanced engineering and modelling capability, supporting high-value jobs, encouraging economic growth, and enabling smarter climate risk management, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti says.
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.
Infrastructure plan calls for ‘predictable approach’ to electrifying economy
Wed 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.
Climate ambassador moves on
13 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government is on the hunt for a new top climate diplomat, with previous climate ambassador Stu Horne moving on to a posting in Honolulu as New Zealand’s Consul General to Hawai’i.
EU to ban destruction of unsold clothes and shoes
12 Feb 2026
The European Commission has adopted new measures that will require medium and large companies to stop discarding unsold clothing and footwear, in the bloc’s latest move to target textile waste.
New research on climate adaptation as severe weather hits
Mon 16 Feb 2026
As extreme weather batters the country yet again, researchers have published the first ever empirical study of climate adaptation justice in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Study finds warming world increases days when weather is prone to fires around the globe
Fri 20 Feb 2026
The number of days when the weather gets hot, dry and windy — ideal to spark extreme wildfires — has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, with the trend increasing even higher in the Americas, a new study shows.
Hydrogen plant to start construction
10 Feb 2026
Construction is set to start this month on Hiringa Energy’s long delayed green hydrogen project in South Taranaki, after years of consenting fights that culminated in the Court of Appeal rejecting Greenpeace’s challenge in late 2023.
