Topics tagged with 'Energy'
NZ Battery Project Cabinet decision-point delayed
13 Dec 2022
Press release - The findings of the NZ Battery Project’s Phase 1 feasibility studies, expected to be considered by cabinet ministers this month, will now be considered early in the new year, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Energy Projects and Programmes Manager Dr David Darby say
New fossil investment far exceeds Paris Climate goals: Carbon Tracker
13 Dec 2022
The world’s biggest fossil companies, many of them operating in Canada, approved new oil and gas projects in 2021 and early 2022 that will blow through a 1.5°C limit on average global warming, according to new analysis released late last week by the Carbon Tracker Initiative.
Former British high commissioner to NZ slams UK government’s environmental “vandalism”
12 Dec 2022
Former British high commissioner to New Zealand Laura Clarke has condemned the UK government’s decision to approve a coal mine in Cumbria as “vandalism and self-harm.”
Renewable share of electricity generation at record high
12 Dec 2022
The renewable share of electricity generation for a September quarter is at its highest point since 1980, according to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) most recent data.
As EU finalises renewable energy plan, forest advocates condemn biomass
9 Dec 2022
As European Union policymakers move to finalise revisions to the Renewable Energy Directive in coming weeks, forest advocates continue calling for tougher regulations that would reduce the amount of woody biomass for energy used and slash the billions in EU subsidies that encourage the transformation of native forests into wood pellets for burning.
South Pacific’s largest solar project officially launched in Tonga
8 Dec 2022
The South Pacific’s largest solar project was officially launched in Tonga yesterday.
Transport drives household carbon footprint down in 2020
8 Dec 2022
Media release - The carbon footprint of households, which reflects the emissions embodied in households' consumption and lifestyle choices, decreased 6.3% (2,677 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) during 2020, Stats NZ says.
Lithium-ion battery pack prices rise for first time since 2010, hurting EVs and storage
8 Dec 2022
Cost pressures are finally being felt in lithium-ion battery prices, which have risen for the first time since 2010 and will set back the anticipated price falls of batteries for EVs and energy storage by two years.
Building Act changes target lower emissions and reducing waste
7 Dec 2022
The government’s announcement that mandatory energy performance ratings and waste reduction could be embedded in the Building Act is “a huge moment” for better, more sustainable buildings, according to New Zealand’s Green Building Council.
IEA: The energy crisis will accelerate renewable power growth
7 Dec 2022
The new drive for energy security prompted by the fossil fuel price crisis will accelerate the development of renewable energy, the International Energy Agency has said in a new report.
Meridian’s hydrogen plans move a step closer
6 Dec 2022
Meridian is moving closer to building an industrial scale hydrogen plant despite would-be partner Contact falling by the wayside.
Indonesia to build coal plants despite $20b deal on clean energy transition
5 Dec 2022
Indonesia will continue building new coal-fired power plants, despite a recent $20 billion deal with the G7 group of industrialized countries to help it transition to clean energy.
Parking lots are becoming as important as cars in climate change efforts
5 Dec 2022
It’s not just cars that will be going through energy transition in the years ahead. The parking lots where EVs recharge are a growing focus of construction efforts linked to climate change and carbon reduction.
Guyana sells $750 mn of carbon credit to US oil firm Hess
5 Dec 2022
U.S.-owned Hess Corporation, a consortium partner in Guyana’s offshore oil sector, has agreed to buy $750 million worth of carbon credits from the South American nation in the next decade as it works to ensure Guyana’s almost intact Amazonian rainforests remain standing for decades to come, officials said Saturday.
Best by the rest...
2 Dec 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Hapū and Greenpeace head back to court for stricter hydrogen rules; the moral problem with turning passenger rail into an exclusive luxury; and is cutting transport emissions by 64% still a priority for Auckland under the new mayor?
Europe's alpine villages producing their own power
1 Dec 2022
Small hydropower plants have long sustained remote communities in the Alps – but there is a growing debate over their environmental impact.
EU climate plan sacrifices carbon storage and biodiversity for bioenergy
30 Nov 2022
Incoming policies will cause the European Union to harvest more wood, shift one-fifth of cropland to bioenergy and outsource deforestation, analysis shows.
South Africa turns to solar to help stop power cuts
30 Nov 2022
Young engineer Nolwazi Zulu says that when she was a teenager she decided that she would "go out and do something" about the regular power cuts that bedevil her community.
Should China be let off the hook for climate finance?
30 Nov 2022
The most important outcome of COP27, the climate summit in Egypt earlier this month, was the creation of a new UN-administered fund to compensate developing countries for the costs they incur from climate change-related disasters.
Decarbonising real estate: How to price the net zero transition to avoid a 'carbon bubble'
29 Nov 2022
Real estate is the largest asset class in the world and it’s also one of the most significant contributors to global carbon emissions.
Energy crunch dims Christmas holiday glimmer in Europe
29 Nov 2022
From Paris to London, officials in cities across Europe are limiting hours of holiday illumination, and many have switched to more energy-efficient LED lights or renewable energy sources as high energy prices bite consumers in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Parker stands up for Onslow
28 Nov 2022
There are few public defenders of the Government’s consideration of the Lake Onslow pumped hydro scheme, but minister David Parker remains a strong advocate.
Rural Aussie properties going off-grid with renewables
28 Nov 2022
When Roxanne and Luke Hinton started planning their finger lime farm on the idyllic Capricorn Coast several years ago, they had little idea it would double as a highly successful off-grid wedding venue in just a few years. The entire operation is operated by solar, with self-sufficient watering systems, sewerage and power.
Best by the rest...
25 Nov 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Why NZ can't lecture other countries on being "climate smart"; going fully electric for your car and appliances will be the cheapest option in four years; and concerns around the environmental impact of The Rings of Power.
Coal-driven climate change is becoming a big problem – for coal
25 Nov 2022
Wide-scale floods have plagued eastern Australia throughout 2022. As the climate continues to change – driven to a large extent by the burning of coal – such events can be expected to occur more frequently, significantly impacting unit costs for coal miners.
Changes to Crown Minerals Act welcomed by environmentalists; slammed by industry
24 Nov 2022
Environmental groups have welcomed changes the government is proposing to the Crown Minerals Act “to support more environmentally conscious management of resources.”
Canada’s oil-sands companies reap windfall profits while lobbying against real climate action
23 Nov 2022
COP27 exposed some realities about the oil and gas sector’s climate ambitions. A UN report released during the summit called out the sector’s greenwashing and weak net-zero commitments as the industry had a massive lobbying presence at COP that outnumbered almost all other nations and likely impaired the negotiations around phasing out fossil fuels.
How Japan is preparing for the global energy crisis
23 Nov 2022
The global energy crisis impacts everything from our daily lives to corporate activities. In Japan, there are growing fears that the supply and demand of electricity will be strained this winter.
National tells biofuels sector—invest at your own risk
21 Nov 2022
The Sustainable Biofuel Obligation Bill completed its first reading in Parliament with National making clear that any investors looking to build up a biofuels industry on the back of a mandate would be putting their money at risk.
NSW plans massive solar and battery virtual power plant across 2,200 public schools
21 Nov 2022
Plans to establish Australia’s largest school-based solar and battery virtual power plant in New South Wales are underway, with the launch of an expression of interest process by the state government.
US, Indonesia, other nations sign $20B deal to accelerate clean energy transition
17 Nov 2022
The United States, Indonesia and other allies signed a $20 billion deal on Tuesday at the Group of 20 (G-20) summit that will help Indonesia reduce its reliance on coal.
Who will pay for Indonesia's clean energy bill?
16 Nov 2022
Celukan Bawang power station is one of a growing network of coal-fired power plants in Indonesia that are now the subject of complex negotiations to reduce the country's emissions.
‘Just’ energy transitions need more transparency, less gas
16 Nov 2022
Soaring energy prices in Europe brought on by Russia’s war in Ukraine have given a renewed thrust to fossil fuel projects in Asia and Africa, particularly those involving gas.
Environmental groups call to scrap biofuels obligation
15 Nov 2022
Environmental groups are calling on the government to scrap its proposed biofuels mandate, saying it will damage the environment and displace indigenous people and animals, as well as increasing carbon emissions and the cost of fuel and food.
Japan’s changing nuclear energy policy
15 Nov 2022
On August 24, 2022, at the newly established GX (Green Transformation) Implementation Council chaired by Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, the Japanese government announced a new nuclear energy policy.
Best by the rest...
11 Nov 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: The National Party say they will repeal the offshore oil and gas exploration ban if elected next year; concerns raised on environmental impacts of international productions filmed in New Zealand; and should Australia be hosting UN climate talks with Pacific Nations in 2026?
In Mongolia, a quest to democratise carbon credits
11 Nov 2022
For several years, The Asia Foundation’s Mongolia office in Ulaanbaatar has been working to reduce their carbon footprint.
Government announces delay to biofuels mandate
9 Nov 2022
The government is delaying the sustainable biofuels mandate by a year, as well as planning to give the Commerce Commission powers to intervene if fuel prices are high, in changes announced today.
Aussie pumped hydro project over budget and behind schedule
9 Nov 2022
Snowy Hydro has finally confirmed that the budget for the massive pumped hydro Snowy 2.0 project has blown out to just under $6 billion and is running around 12 months behind schedule.
Why an old train could point to a clean energy future
9 Nov 2022
An old diesel freight train in British Columbia, Canada is about to get a new lease of life. Local firm Hydrogen in Motion (H2M) is currently converting the Green Goat locomotive to run on a mix of hydrogen and battery power.
Climate mitigation expert pessimistic about COP27
8 Nov 2022
A leading New Zealand sustainable energy and climate mitigation expert is pessimistic about COP27, fearing that delegates will not make enough progress on crucial issues where urgent action is already long overdue.
New research to look at NZ’s poor uptake of solar
8 Nov 2022
NIWA scientist Yvonne Matthews has been awarded a Marsden Fund grant, worth $360,000 over three years, to research what drives people and communities to adopt solar cell technologies.
Strong global interest in New Zealand decarbonisation challenge
8 Nov 2022
Media release -Aotearoa New Zealand’s future energy centre, Ara Ake, has welcomed the strong international interest in its Electricity Distribution Business (EDB) Decarbonisation Challenge, with five of the six finalists being from offshore.
Australian solar nears 60% of grid generation for first time
8 Nov 2022
The combination of large scale and rooftop solar set new Australian generation records on a sunny and mild spring day on Sunday, at the same time as sending grid demand – and the demand for coal – down to new lows
Is Ukraine war speeding Europe’s transition to renewable energy?
8 Nov 2022
Renewable energy production in Europe reached record levels following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leading some energy analysts to predict that Europe is poised to surge forward in creating clean energy. Other analysts, however, forecast a cut in European emissions through a widely expected recession, energy austerity and de-industrialisation next year.
Kiwi banks fuelling climate crisis
4 Nov 2022
New Zealand’s banks are financing the climate crisis, with billions of dollars of Kiwis’ savings invested in coal, oil, and gas, according to climate activists 350 Aotearoa, who are calling on customers to pressure their banks to go fossil fuel free.
$4 billion offshore windfarm for Taranaki
3 Nov 2022
A $4 billion offshore windfarm, 22 kilometres off the coast of Taranaki, will be up and operating by the end of the decade, a consortium led by Spain’s renewable developer BlueFloat Energy has announced.
More Kiwis working from home could save 400,000 tonnes of emissions a year: new report
3 Nov 2022
More people opting to work from home could result in 400,000 tonnes of carbon emission savings annually, a new study commissioned by Spark has revealed.
Aussie rooftop solar trumps all fossil fuels as renewables smash more records on main grid
1 Nov 2022
The share of renewable energy in Australia's main grid soared to a new record of 68.7% on Friday, easily beating the previous record of 64.1% set on September 18.
Hungary closing public facilities due to soaring cost of energy
1 Nov 2022
Dozens of cities are closing venues across Hungary due to soaring energy costs. The most common public facilities affected are theatres, spas, pools, libraries, museums and sports venues.
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.
