Topics tagged with 'Energy'
Expert group to promote electric vehicles and biofuels
4 Apr 2008
A group of experts on transport fuels, renewable electricity and vehicle technologies will help New Zealand take a step closer towards becoming a sustainable nation, says Energy Minister David Parker.
‘Green’ car conference a sham – expert
4 Apr 2008
New Zealanders shouldn’t be fooled by quick fixes to the current energy crisis, says the car buyers’ Dog & Lemon Guide.
Parliamentary Commissioner: Biofuel Bill should not proceed
4 Apr 2008
The Biofuel Bill currently before Parliament should not proceed in its current form, says Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright.
Smith: End the mad rush on the bio fuels bill
4 Apr 2008
The Government must heed the message of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment that its biofuels bill is flawed and a risk to New Zealand’s clean, green brand, says National’s Environment spokesman, Dr Nick Smith.
Greens insist on biofuel sustainability standard
4 Apr 2008
The Green Party agrees with the Parliamentary Commissioner's advice that biofuels should not proceed in New Zealand unless they are sustainable, Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says.
Dunne: slam the brakes on biofuels
4 Apr 2008
UnitedFuture leader Peter Dunne has joined the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment in urging the Government and all parties to slow down and consider the real effects of the Biofuel Bill currently before Parliament.
Climate change "motorway" to higher value production
4 Apr 2008
The effects of climate change are one of the greatest threats we face, Agriculture Minister Jim Adnerton has told the Large Herds Association conference at New Plymouth. If we handle it the right way, it will also be our motorway to higher value production.
Mallard speech: Sustainable development at a sustainable price
4 Apr 2008
Here is the full keynote speech of Environment Minister Trevor Mallard, presented yesteray to Planning Institute members conferencing in Greymouth.
18 states due EPA to force vehicle emission regulation
4 Apr 2008
Eighteen states are suing the EPA in an attempt to force it to comply with a Supreme Court ruling in April that found the EPA has authority to regulate vehicle emissions, AP reports.
BILL HEARINGS - NZ ETS "toughest and potentially most expensive" in the world:
3 Apr 2008
New Zealand’s proposed emissions trading scheme is the toughest and potentially most expensive in the world, according to the Greenhouse Policy Coalition.
A slippery sort of "come out of the closet day" of climate change politics
3 Apr 2008
While the select committee opened up its hearings on the climate change bill at Parliament yesterday, senior Ministers launched a fusillade of statements questioning National’s position on climate change, including trying to get some “slippery” mud to stick to John Key.
Carbon scams and wild west standards ‘put commodity markets at risk’
3 Apr 2008
The fast-growing carbon emissions market is posing risks to other global commodity markets, especially electricity and gas, according to the United Kingdom’s Financial Services Authority.
Major CO2 storage project launches, brightens future for coal use
3 Apr 2008
The first carbon dioxide storage project in the Southern Hemisphere, in which Solid Energy is a major investor and founding member, was launched yesterday in south west Victoria, Australia.
Report: Carbon tariffs on China could drive industry back to US
3 Apr 2008
Imposing carbon tariffs on China could drive some manufacturers back to North America, according to a new CIBC Coming Home.
GHGPC: Emissions Trading - at what cost?
3 Apr 2008
In a presentation to the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee hearing submissions on the Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill, the Greenhouse Policy coalition, representing the energy intensive sector, had the following to say.
Greens won't back off ban on new thermal baseload power
2 Apr 2008
Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons has told Carbon News she will not back off a proposed 10 year ban on new baseload thermal power generation.
No timeframe on exploiting southern lignite fields
2 Apr 2008
Solid Energy (SE) is going to use its huge Otago-Southland lignite coal resource eventually – it’s just not sure when, according to the state-owned collier’s chairman, John Palmer.
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: ‘Conflicts? What conflicts?’ – John Palmer
1 Apr 2008
No conflicts or contradictions over the pending emissions trading scheme (ETS) arise from John Palmer’s chairmanship of both state-owned collier Solid Energy (SE) and mostly-state-owned airline Air New Zealand, he told Carbon News yesterday.
Aquaflow makes crucial algae biofuel breakthroughs
1 Apr 2008
Two further major breakthroughs have been achieved by Blenheim-based Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation which has been working on world-leading technology to convert wild algae to biofuel.
Mighty River Power committed to new geothermal development
1 Apr 2008
Mighty River Power Chair Carole Durbin has announced her board's commitment to support a new $450 million geothermal development proposed at Rotokawa, north of Taupo, with the final decision subject to completion of procurement contracts.
No need for NZ to drag feet on biofuels
1 Apr 2008
New Zealand shouldn’t delay bringing in biofuel sales obligations and miss out on cutting greenhouse gas emissions by reducing the use of fossil fuels says a major potential investor.
Solar industries welcome National subsidy boost
1 Apr 2008
The Solar Industries Association welcomes the possibility of increased support for solar water heating as announced by the Hon Dr Nick Smith MP, National Party Climate Change Spokesman.
Skids under government’s bio-fuels mandate
31 Mar 2008
It looks increasingly likely that the Labour-led Government’s mandate for petrol and diesel to contain 3.4% of bio-ingredients from July 1 will be shelved – possibly for as long as it takes to develop second-generation bio-fuels.
Air miles, buy-local campaigns “insidious, sinister”
31 Mar 2008
Air miles and buy-local campaigns are “insidious, even sinister” trade protectionist barriers set up under cover of the battle against climate change, former World Trade Organisation (WTO) director-general Mike Moore told Carbon News.
Bio-fuels threaten food catastrophe
31 Mar 2008
The world is now just two years away from a food catastrophe caused in part by diversion of land-use to feed cars rather than people, according to a leading Indian academic.
Australia leads way in sea-bed carbon storage
31 Mar 2008
Australia, a new convert to climate change environmentalism, hopes to lead the world in establishing a regulated carbon capture and storage regime, with the sea-bed being the key storage site.
International biofuels and electric vehicles experts speaking at Wellington
31 Mar 2008
Six international speakers will join local experts to discuss the future of biofuels and electric vehicles in New Zealand at a conference in Wellington on Wednesday (April 2).
Wind farmers tilt at gas power for pushing up prices
31 Mar 2008
To say the 90% renewable energy target will be directly responsible for increased electricity prices ignores current electricity price trends, say Fraser Clark, CEO of the New Zealand Wind Energy Association.
Solar water heating grant to double under National
31 Mar 2008
A future National Government would introduce a $1,000 per household solar water heating grant and simplify the complex building consent rules for solar water heating in order to double the number of systems, says National's Climate Change spokesman, Nick Smith.
Forum explores low-carbon futures for local government
31 Mar 2008
“Innovative and forward-thinking councils committed to working on climate change will come together to discuss low-carbon futures for local government at the Communities for Climate Protection®- New Zealand 2008 Forum,” said Diana Shand, National Programme Manager for ICLEI’s Communities for Climate Protection - New Zealand (CCP-NZ) Programme.
Wraps off sequestration prototype
28 Mar 2008
The wraps are at last about to come off state-owned collier Solid Energy’s much-vaunted investment in carbon dioxide underground sequestration research.
Posnett defends bio-fuels' New Zealand role
28 Mar 2008
“A piece of legislation” is all that’s required to give bio-fuels a sustainable role in the New Zealand transport fuel mix, according to Dickon Posnett, the chairman of the newly-formed New Zealand Bio-fuels Manufacturers’ Association (BMA).
Thermal ban to send power bills soaring
28 Mar 2008
Power shortages, and energy bills soaring 50%, will be the outcome of the Government’s 10-year ban on new fossil fuel electricity generation plants, the Petroleum Exporting and Production Association of New Zealand (PEPANZ) said yesterday.
Thermal ban "will cost consumers $750m"
28 Mar 2008
The government’s moratorium on new thermal power generation will add $750m a year to power bills, the executive director of the Major Electricity Users Group, Ralph Mathes, said yesterday.
Minister of Energy rejects gas lobby claims
28 Mar 2008
Energy Minister David Parker says the oil and gas industry claim that renewable electricity will be more expensive than the gas fired electricity future the gas industry prefers is wrong.
Right-Wing Council's Agenda is to Deny Climate Change
28 Mar 2008
City Vision-Labour Councillors are dismayed but unsurprised that Auckland's right-wing Citizens and Ratepayers (C&R) Council has done a U-turn on climate change by systematically removing progressive actions and programmes initiated by the last Council from Dick Hubbard's Mayoral Taskforce on Sustainability.
Unreliable renewable generation contributes to high spot prices
28 Mar 2008
“The flaws in the policy to ban new thermal power stations are being graphically illustrated by current high electricity spot prices,” said Ralph Matthes, Executive Director of the Major Electricity Users’ Group (MEUG).
Solid Energy records further improvement in environmental performance
28 Mar 2008
Solid Energy has published its 2007 Environmental Report reporting that for the second year in a row, the company has met its overall policy objective of having a net positive effect on the New Zealand environment. The overall improvement for the year to 30 June 2007 was 6.6% [1].
Cuba: Energy Program Saves One Million Tons of Oil in One Year
28 Mar 2008
Ciego de Avila, Cuba, March 25 (acn) -- Cuba saved nearly one million tons of oil in the period between 2006 and 2007, which translated into 400 million dollars, as a result of the ongoing nationwide energy program, known here as Energy Revolution.
CARBON NEWS SERIES: Avoiding the major quality gap in emission certification
27 Mar 2008
Carbon News has revealed some companies run the risk of paying well for emissions measurement and certification – and falling short of developing world standards. They could also get stung in ETS emission audits.
Top business speakers appearing at carbon market workshop
27 Mar 2008
Experienced carbon market taders will feature at a Ministry for the Environment and Emissions Trading Group Carbon Markets Workshop in Wellington on April 4.
NSW weighs flogging the family silver
27 Mar 2008
A furore over whether New South Wales (NSW) should privatise its mostly coal-fired electricity generation capacity has erupted in the wake of Kevin Rudd’s federal Labor government announcing it will introduce an emissions trading scheme (ETS) in 2010.
Greenpeace turns spotlight on farmers
27 Mar 2008
Greenpeace is demanding New Zealand farmers be brought into the pending New Zealand emissions trading scheme earlier than the scheduled 2013.
Now it's spot the cars with stars
27 Mar 2008
Car buyers wanting to save money on their fuel bills will find it easier to choose a vehicle that goes further on a full tank, as a result of new fuel efficiency labels.
NZ emissions trading regulations - what's in store
27 Mar 2008
Officials are working on a range of regulations to implement New Zealand's emissions trading system.
Environmental protests knock millions off Solid Energy's bottom line
26 Mar 2008
In a prescient remark, given Greenpeace’s blockage of the bulk coal carrier Hellenic Sea in Lyttelton a few hours later, Solid Energy chairman John Palmer has warned that customer uncertainty over the ETS is “raising the risk profile for the long-term security of Solid Energy’s domestic coal supply business.”
Government needs to define clean coal future
26 Mar 2008
The Greenpeace action at Lyttelton last night will put further pressure on the Government to define the role of coal within the ETS and the wider battle against climate change. By far New Zealand’s biggest known energy resource is the 11 billion tonnes of low-grade lignite coal scattered through a dozen easily-accessible fields in Otago and Southland.
Lockwood Launches EcoSmart Home
26 Mar 2008
New Zealand building company Lockwood has launched a new range of EcoSmart homes, saying it wants to address increasing concerns about climate change and the impact building and construction has on the environment.
Transpower announces half-year result - operating surplus down $23.6m
26 Mar 2008
Transpower, the owner and operator of the national electricity grid, made good progress on planning and implementing necessary investment in the grid during the six months ending 31 December 2007.
Meridian half-year profit $94 million - $175 million special dividend
26 Mar 2008
Meridian has reported a half-year after-tax result of $93.7 million for the six months ended 31 December 2007, compared with a restated profit of $116.6 million for the same period a year earlier.
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.
