Topics tagged with 'Energy'
Revealed: the ‘carbon bombs’ set to trigger catastrophic climate breakdown
12 May 2022
The world’s biggest fossil fuel firms are quietly planning scores of “carbon bomb” oil and gas projects that would drive the climate past internationally agreed temperature limits with catastrophic global impacts, a Guardian investigation shows.
Who invented ther 'carbon footprint'? The shocking origins
12 May 2022
What do you do to decrease your carbon footprint? Believe it or not, that’s just the question the fossil fuel industry wants you to ask yourself.
Big Oil braces for shareholder revolt over climate plans in proxy voting season
12 May 2022
Some of the world’s largest corporate emitters face the prospect of a shareholder rebellion this month, with climate-related votes poised to spike throughout the proxy season.
Canterbury farm switches on solar
11 May 2022
Oakley’s Premium Fresh Vegetables has installed a 220 kW solar system to power their Southbridge operation to store, wash, pack and dispatch fresh vegetables across the country.
Swedish green steel firm racks up sales before plant is built
11 May 2022
Sweden’s H2 Green Steel has pre-sold more than half of its planned initial capacity and aims to close financing for a plant in the north by the end of the year, Chief Executive Officer Henrik Henriksson said in an interview.
German transport minister plans massive increase of e-car subsidies
10 May 2022
Germany’s transport ministry plans to almost double e-car subsidies to achieve climate targets, but experts and NGOs criticise the plans as hugely expensive and ineffective, reports business daily Handelsblatt
Norway wants people to park their EVs and ride the bus
10 May 2022
Norway has been incredibly successful at introducing electric vehicles. In 2021, nearly two-thirds of all new vehicle purchases there were EVs, and combustion sales there are set to end just three years from now in 2025. But there's a new problem for the Scandinavian nation: it needs people to stop driving their EVs so much and get on buses and trains.
Energy strategy needed for infrastructure plan
9 May 2022
By Ian Llewellyn - editor Energy and Environment | The first long-term infrastructure strategy points to the need for a modified energy strategy to back a massive build in new renewable electricity generation without pushing for it to be 100% renewable.
UK wind and solar boom will bring energy surplus
9 May 2022
Britain will have excess electricity supplies for more than half of the year by 2030 as a huge expansion of wind and solar power transforms the energy system, a new analysis suggests.
All coal boilers to be removed from schools
9 May 2022
Media Release - Thanks to a $10 million dollar investment, all remaining coal boilers in New Zealand schools will be replaced with renewable woody biomass or electric heating sources by 2025 reducing carbon emissions by around 35,400 tonnes over 10 years, Climate Change Minister James Shaw announced on Friday.
Still too many coal plants to keep warming below 1.5c
6 May 2022
Even after last year’s 13% decline in global coal capacity to a record low, steeper cuts are needed to keep global heating below 1.5°C, finds a new report by Global Energy Monitor. But the effort to cut coal consumption is being hampered by spiking electricity demand after the pandemic, coupled with supply shocks from Russia’s war in Ukraine.
California just shy of 100% powered by renewables for first time
5 May 2022
Renewable electricity provided just shy of 100% of California's electricity demand on Saturday, a record-breaker, officials said, much of it from large amounts of solar power now produced along Interstate 10, an hour east of the Coachella Valley.
DR Congo approves auction of oil blocks in one of the world’s largest carbon sinks
5 May 2022
Cabinet ministers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have approved the auction of 16 oil blocks, including in one of the world’s largest carbon sinks and most environmentally sensitive areas.
Bay of Plenty council aiming for zero corporate emissions
4 May 2022
Toi Moana Bay of Plenty Regional Council has reduced its corporate greenhouse gas emissions by 15% since 2019, but still has a long way to go to reach its aim of being carbon neutral by 2050.
Major Japan railway now powered only by renewable energy
4 May 2022
Tokyo’s Shibuya is famed for its Scramble Crossing, where crowds of people crisscross the intersection in a scene symbolizing urban Japan’s congestion and anonymity. It may have added another boasting right.
Interruption or incentive: Will the war in Ukraine thwart Europe’s green energy transition?
3 May 2022
By Gregor Thompson | Across Europe, the War in Ukraine is forcing states to reconsider how they source their energy. Some see a rare opportunity to affect meaningful progress on climate change.
Protest shuts down Southland coal mine
2 May 2022
Thirty protesters stopped operations this morning at the Takitimu coal mine in Nightcaps, Southland, which is run by Bathurst Resources.
US postal service sued over purchase of gas guzzling delivery trucks
2 May 2022
The US Postal Service is facing lawsuits from 16 states and several environmental groups challenging its decision to buy tens of thousands of gasoline-powered delivery vehicles instead of electric vehicles.
German carmakers have an uphill struggle to go green
2 May 2022
As Germany speeds up investment in renewables, the energy consumption of its automakers reveals just how reliant the country's most important industry is on fossil fuels, a Reuters analysis of environmental data shows.
Germany makes push to quit Russian oil by late summer
2 May 2022
Germany says it’s making progress on weaning itself off Russian fossil fuels and expects to be fully independent of Russian crude oil imports by late.
U.S. scraps incandescent bulbs, cuts 222 megatonnes of emissions over 30 years
28 Apr 2022
The Biden administration is scrapping old-fashioned incandescent light bulbs, speeding an ongoing trend toward more efficient lighting that officials say will save households, schools, and businesses billions of dollars a year.
Too many new coal-fired plants planned for 1.5C climate goal: report
27 Apr 2022
The number of coal-fired power plants under development around the world fell last year, but far too much coal is still being burned and too many new coal-fired power plants are planned for the world to stay within safe temperature limits.
Canada overestimating hydrogen's potential cut carbon emissions: Auditor General
27 Apr 2022
Canada has overestimated how much using hydrogen could reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade, potentially jeopardizing Ottawa's ability to meet climate targets, a report from the Auditor General's office said on Tuesday
New wood fuel partnership for biomass market
26 Apr 2022
Pioneer Energy and Niagara Sawmilling are combining forces to meet growing demand for biomass with a new partnership, Wood Energy New Zealand (WENZ), due to open for business on May 1.
Soaring fuel prices test Biden on climate change
26 Apr 2022
President Joe Biden’s ambitions to finally put the U.S. on the path to confront climate change are crashing into an election-year scramble to lower gas prices and demonstrate tangible economic progress to voters.
Hydrogen cars nothing but greenwash: expert
22 Apr 2022
By Jeremy Rose | For Professor Susan Krumdieck it’s a case of déjà vu: Japanese car giant Toyota, with much fanfare, showcases its latest hydrogen cars. Cars that in the expert opinion of Krumdieck make neither economic nor environmental sense.
GNS Science and Geo40 open new office in Japan
22 Apr 2022
Media Release - GNS Science and Geo40 have today announced a geothermal coalition which will see them establish a physical presence in Tokyo. The move to open an office in Japan demonstrates the strength of New Zealand’s expertise in the geothermal space, and builds on GNS Science’s long-standing partnerships in Japan.
Giant global asset managers have $82 billion in coal projects, $468 billion in oil and gas
22 Apr 2022
Giant global asset managers are still dumping tens of billions of dollars into new coal projects and hundreds of billions of dollars into major oil and gas companies.
Damage to Ukraine’s renewable energy sector could surpass $1 billion
22 Apr 2022
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine has leveled schools, businesses, hospitals, and homes, causing up to $63 billion in damages to Ukraine’s infrastructure by the end of March, according to estimates by the Kyiv School of Economics
To fight climate change, and now Russia, too, Zurich turns off natural gas
21 Apr 2022
European officials are debating whether they can stop buying natural gas imports from Russia. Many say it can't be done. But the biggest city in Switzerland — Zurich — is already taking ambitious steps to wean itself off gas. It's shutting down the flow of gas to whole parts of the city.
New energy company planning grid-scale solar
20 Apr 2022
A collaboration of renewable energy developers from the United States and New Zealand have founded a new company promising grid-scale solar developments to lower energy prices and cut carbon emissions.
The surprising climate cost of the humblest battery material
20 Apr 2022
Graphite is made in blazing-hot furnaces powered by dirty energy. Until recently, there has been no good tally of the carbon emissions.
Geotech investigations to get underway for pumped hydro at Lake Onslow
19 Apr 2022
Media Relsease - Drilling is about to get underway for one of the key options of the NZ Battery Project geotechnical feasibility investigations, in what has the potential to be the largest hydro project in New Zealand, energy minister Megan Woods has announced.
US EV tax credits might increase emissions
19 Apr 2022
The US approach to incentivising electric vehicle adoption may actually increase emissions in the long run, a new study finds — because the wealthy people who are among the only ones able to take advantage of EV tax credits don’t drive their green cars enough to make up for the heavy emissions impact of manufacturing them in the first place.
The quest to build a tiny Bolivian EV
19 Apr 2022
Bolivian startup Quantum Motors makes tiny EVs aimed at the Latin American masses. Will they buy it?
Native Americans embrace renewable energy
14 Apr 2022
The job market in Indian Country is tough. Edmond Salt knows that as well as anybody.
Biomass industry pushes back against Europe's plans to protect forests
14 Apr 2022
A powerful US biomass lobby group is pushing for a raft of changes that would weaken European renewable energy rules geared to better protect biodiversity and tackle climate change, DeSmog can reveal.
Seven new oil and gas projects approved since IPCC report called for an end to fossil fuels
14 Apr 2022
It’s “now or never,” said the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It called on governments to start staving off emissions to save the planet from irreversible climate disaster.
New aussie gas projects a risky bet: IGCC
14 Apr 2022
Media Release - New research by the Investor Group on Climate Change (IGCC), whose members hold more than AU$33 trillion in global AUM, highlights tough questions for new Australian gas projects.
NASA's upcoming battery tech could recharge EV in 15 minutes
14 Apr 2022
NASA is reportedly building a groundbreaking electric car battery that is able to charge in just 15 minutes. For the development of this game-changing tech, NASA has teamed up with Japan's Nissan.
Hydrogen 11 times worse than CO2 for climate: new report
12 Apr 2022
Hydrogen will be one of humanity's key weapons in the war against carbon dioxide emissions, but it must be treated with care. New reports show how fugitive hydrogen emissions can indirectly produce warming effects 11 times worse than those of CO2.
China’s emissions expected to peak in 2027: state think tank
8 Apr 2022
China’s carbon emissions could peak three years ahead of the 2030 government target, according to a report published on 31 March by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), a state-affiliated think tank.
Climate claims and greenwashing - what's to be done?
8 Apr 2022
A new report supports arguments that oil and gas majors’ actions do not match promises when it comes to decarbonisation. But what is being done about greenwashing?
Solar panels, made from food waste, produce energy without sunlight
8 Apr 2022
Solar panels are a cornerstone of the clean energy revolution. And yet, they have one great flaw: when the clouds roll in their productivity dives.
EU Commission lays out plan to become climate neutral by 2030
7 Apr 2022
The European Commission unveiled plans to cut its own greenhouse gas emissions by 60% before the end of the decade, saying the remainder will be compensated with carbon removals
Germany boosts renewables with “biggest energy policy reform in decades”
7 Apr 2022
Germany wants to fight the climate crisis and its heavy dependence on fossil fuel imports by speeding up the rollout of renewables with a massive overhaul of key energy legislation.
Indonesia delays carbon tax till July to help economic recovery
6 Apr 2022
Indonesia is delaying the roll-out of its carbon tax to July from April, a move that analysts say will help its economic recovery amid surging energy prices and support businesses.
The climate case for seizing superyachts, Russian and otherwise
6 Apr 2022
Oligarchs' superyachts emit more carbon than some Pacific Island nations.
Australia plans to be a big green hydrogen exporter
5 Apr 2022
In its latest budget, the federal government has promised hundreds of millions of dollars to expand Australia’s green hydrogen capabilities.
Greenpeace slams government over new oil exploration
5 Apr 2022
Media Release - Greenpeace has slammed the Government over news that the crown minerals regulator has allowed Greymouth Petroleum to piggyback off an existing mining permit to commence seismic blasting in an adjacent area of more than 260 square kilometres.
Governments must vote in favour of moratorium on deep sea mining
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Media release - Greenpeace | The 30th session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has ended with Greenpeace saying governments are continuing to fall short in protecting the deep sea.
Does NZ need a national incentive scheme for wetlands?
25 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | An expert is calling for a national incentive programme to restore New Zealand’s wetlands and wants to stop schemes to drain these vital carbon-sequestering ecosystems.
NZ Post drops science-based climate target
8 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | NZ Post has dropped its science-based emissions reduction target of 42% by 2030 with no plans to replace it.
Airlines risk legal challenges by advertising jet fuel as “sustainable”, NGO warns
18 Jul 2025
Amid suspected fraud in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a new report says the airline industry should stop calling all alternatives to kerosene “sustainable”.
Challenges persist in bid to mine the deep sea, even after boost from Trump
Tue 29 Jul 2025
After years of delay, the deep-sea mining plans of Canadian firm The Metals Company (TMC) now appear to be progressing as it pursues a controversial new path to securing a license to mine in international waters under U.S. jurisdiction.
Sustainability claims questioned as renewable diesel surges
14 May 2025
Critics are sceptical about industry claims of renewable diesel life-cycle greenhouse gas emission cuts and warn renewable diesel carbon releases will surge if sourcing is scaled up, triggering tropical deforestation as producers convert forests to energy crops, such as oil palm and soy.
Carbon prices slide as market awaits ETS decision
Fri 1 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | Volatility has returned to the secondary carbon market, with prices sliding again after plateauing in recent weeks, as the market waits for government decisions on Emissions Trading Scheme settings.
The US is sitting out the most consequential climate summit in a decade. It may offer a victory to China
Fri 1 Aug 2025
The Trump administration fired the last of the US climate negotiators earlier this month, helping cement America’s withdrawal from international climate diplomacy. It may also have handed a huge victory to China.
Bearish sentiment lingers for carbon market
11 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The compliance carbon market could be set for a gradual upward trajectory, however unsold volume from the quarterly Emissions Trading Scheme auctions continues to act as ‘a price ceiling,’ according to an expert.
Coal use drove recent emissions increase
Fri 1 Aug 2025
Increased use of coal for electricity generation was a large driver for an increase in New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions in the last quarter.
Is extending Huntly power station to 2035 in consumers’ best interest?
22 Jul 2025
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: Genesis Energy is proposing a cartel to keep high-emitting Huntly Power Station in business to 2035. If extending Huntly has economic benefits, is a cartel necessary?
What does 'drier' really mean in 'green' homes?
Fri 1 Aug 2025
Media release - Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland | Researchers say green-rating systems could improve clarity and effectiveness by explicitly defining ‘drier’ and using two measures of humidity.
Cuts to climate finance put exports in jeopardy: Lawyers
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has halved international climate finance, a move aid organisations describe as “devastating,” and which lawyers say could put our Paris Agreement commitments and export market access at risk.
NZ voluntary carbon market’s sad state
14 Jul 2025
By John O’Brien | OPINION: A combination of scandals, challenging economic times, and cheaper offshore carbon credits, mean that the domestic voluntary carbon market in New Zealand remains absolutely tiny.
Key orange roughy population on verge of collapse, govt considers closure
9 Jul 2025
Media release - Deep Sea Conservation Coalition | New data reveals that New Zealand’s main orange roughy fishery, accounting for half of the country’s total catch, is on the brink of collapse, with one model showing it may have reached that point already, and the government’s considering closing it.
Warmer than usual weather ahead, wetter in north and east, as La Niña signals strengthen
Fri 1 Aug 2025
Media release – Earth Sciences New Zealand | Seasonal Outlook Climate August to October 2025 suggests warm, damp weather, with La Niña’s possible return.
Latest trawl bycatch numbers 'a grim wake-up call'
24 Jun 2025
Media release – Greenpeace | The latest fisheries bycatch data paints a grim picture, with trawlers hauling up thousands of kilograms of coral and killing hundreds of fur seals and seabirds over a 12 month period.
Wilding pines threaten Molesworth Station
Mon 28 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Without increased support, the unchecked spread of wilding pines will continue to creep across Marlborough’s high country – putting iconic landscapes and one of New Zealand’s top five biodiversity hotspots at serious risk, according to an expert.
Bill to restart oil and gas exploration clears final hurdle
Fri 1 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government’s Crown Minerals Amendment Bill is set to become law after passing its third reading in parliament last night, with critics calling it humiliating for the climate minister and an embarrassment to New Zealand's international reputation.
A modest geothermal strategy
Thu 31 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has unveiled a far more modest geothermal energy strategy than its primary backer, Resources Minister Shane Jones, had sought.
European Central Bank to consider 'climate factor' when lending to banks
Thu 31 Jul 2025
The European Central Bank will add climate change considerations to its lending operations from late 2026, raising pressure on banks to channel financing towards greener sectors as the euro zone seeks to reduce its carbon footprint.
NZ part of hidden global deep-sea network beneath the waves
25 Jul 2025
Media release - Earth Sciences New Zealand | A world-first study of marine life, including sea creatures found in New Zealand's dark, cold, pressurised ocean depths, has revealed that deep-sea life is surprisingly more connected than previously thought.
‘Ideological sludge’: How NZ is quiet quitting climate action
17 Jul 2025
New Zealand once stood out as a world leader on climate change. In June it became the first country in the world to abandon a commitment to phase out oil, gas and coal.
Watts talks big on energy reform, but barriers persist
29 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Energy and Climate Change minister Simon Watts says the government is doubling down on efforts to boost renewable energy generation, streamline regulation, and drive private sector investment as New Zealand faces mounting energy security and affordability challenges.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
Tue 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.
Climate catastrophes are creating a ‘new market reality’ for insurance carriers
23 Jul 2025
Raging wildfires and severe storms contributed to record-high global insurance losses — totalling an estimated US$84 billion — for the first six months of the year.
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.
Multi-day protest continues at coal mine
Wed 30 Jul 2025
Bathurst Resources has been forced to truck coal from its Stockton mine as climate activists occupy coal buckets at the mine for a third day.
Fund for low emissions transport winds up
Thu 31 Jul 2025
New Zealand’s Low Emission Transport Fund has officially wrapped up, ending a nine-year programme that put hundreds of millions of dollars towards accelerating the country’s shift to cleaner transport.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
Thu 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.
Urgent action needed to get on track for climate goals - commission
25 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand is making progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but more work is needed – urgently – to set up for future reductions, according to the latest report from the Climate Change Commission.
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.
Toxic algae are turning South Australia’s coral reefs into underwater graveyards
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Since March, a harmful algal bloom, fueled by a marine heat wave, has been choking South Australia’s coastline.
NZ govt’s fossil fuel plans could break international law
24 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government could be breaching international law with its plans to subsidise and expand fossil fuel extraction, following a ruling overnight from the world’s highest court.
Tipping points: Window to avoid irreversible climate impacts is ‘rapidly closing’
11 Jul 2025
In the midst of a record-breaking heatwave in Europe, the UK city of Exeter recently played host to the second international conference on “tipping points”.
‘Total infiltration’: How plastics industry swamped vital global treaty talks
Mon 28 Jul 2025
Petrostates and well-funded lobbyists at UN-hosted talks are derailing a deal to cut plastic production and protect people and the planet.
Activists sue US development bank over $4.6bn loan to massive Mozambique gas project
18 Jul 2025
Environmental groups claim loan is ‘unlawful’ in legal filing.
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.
Tilting at windmills? Trump’s claims about turbines fact-checked
Thu 31 Jul 2025
The US president has taken a swipe at wind power as the blades visible from his Turnberry golf course turn.
Ocean heatwaves may signal climate tipping point
25 Jul 2025
A recent study that tapped into satellite data has revealed that 2023 marked an unprecedented year for marine heatwaves, with record-breaking levels of duration, reach and intensity across the world's oceans.
Climate groups want UK wealth tax to make super-rich fund sustainable economy
17 Jul 2025
Growing number of campaigners urge government to ensure green investment is not done ‘on backs of the poor’.
Can robot taxis solve NZ's transport woes?
23 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Ministry of Transport has tested the idea of driverless taxis as a futuristic fix. But while new modelling explores how "robotaxis" could ease congestion and reduce car ownership, critics say it misses a crucial point – the country’s worsening transport emissions.
United Nations carbon market rules agreed but concerns remain
25 Nov 2024
New carbon market rules agreed at the fractious UN climate summit will be a relief to New Zealand and Singapore, who were leading the negotiations, but concerns about greenwashing and disadvantaging nature-based solutions remain.
EV sales fall, but it’s complicated
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Imports of fully electric vehicles fell over 50% in value during the 12 months to June 2025, compared with the year ended June 2024, according to Stats NZ.
The ICJ’s ruling means Australia and other major polluters face a new era of climate reparations
25 Jul 2025
By Harj Narulla | OPINION: Australia has found itself on the wrong side of history.
Waste Levy risks becoming ‘slush fund’ under proposed changes – Commissioner
5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Proposed changes to New Zealand's waste legislation risk undermining public trust in the waste levy scheme, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton.
The struggle for control of the Arctic is accelerating - and it's riskier than ever
11 Jul 2025
As the battle for one of the world’s coldest places heats up, an increasingly fragile security balance may be breaking down, leading to an escalating arms race.
UN University report warns against carbon credits from REDD, tree planting, and improved forest management
13 Jun 2025
But the report stops short of recommending banning the trade in carbon temporarily stored in trees.
For the first time, China invests more in wind and solar than coal overseas
29 May 2025
China’s Belt and Road Initiative, long derided for its heavy carbon footprint, was dominated by wind and solar power projects for the first time from 2022 to 2023, according to a new analysis. But coal plants financed in earlier years are still coming online.
