Topics tagged with 'Energy'
Integrated wind and solar still cheapest, and green hydrogen costs falling fast: CSIRO
12 Jul 2022
Australia’s main scientific body and the country’s energy market operator have again underlined the fact that “integrated” wind and solar – including the cost of storage and transmission – is still by far the cheapest source of new electricity generation in Australia.
Government presses on with Lake Onslow project
11 Jul 2022
By Ian Llewellyn - Energy & Environment | Officials have been given the go-ahead to work on final feasibility studies for the Lake Onslow pumped hydro project.
China’s domination of solar a risk to zero-carbon future: IEA
11 Jul 2022
Countries must lessen their dependence on China’s production of solar panels and dramatically boost manufacturing capacity to reach net-zero emissions, the International Energy Agency has said.
Major Arctic drilling project seen as ultimate test for Biden's climate legacy
11 Jul 2022
Climate groups raised the alarm and put President Joe Biden on notice after the Bureau of Land Management opened the public comment period Friday for a proposed drilling project in the Alaskan Arctic that critics warn would unleash a dangerous "carbon bomb" and threaten pristine ecosystems if given approval by the federal government.
Best by the rest…
8 Jul 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in the local media: Offshore oil and gas exploration goes ahead despite bans; indigenous forests’ carbon sequestration superpowers; and is romanticising New Zealand’s colonial past hindering our climate response?
‘Insane’ lithium price bump threatens EV fix for climate change
8 Jul 2022
Lithium, the highly reactive silver-white metal that is a crucial ingredient in batteries used in electric vehicles (EVs), is becoming much more expensive – and fast.
EU decision on natural gas could threaten climate progress
8 Jul 2022
The European Union's plan to include natural gas in a list of activities considered sustainable could derail its progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions at a time when climate scientists are calling for dramatic reductions to planet-warming releases.
Industry calls on Aussie government to support household batteries
6 Jul 2022
Another emerging player in Australia’s energy market has called on energy regulators to ditch plans for a capacity mechanism, arguing that installing more energy storage capacity would be a better way to solve the current crisis facing electricity markets.
Coal mine out of business due to high environmental costs
4 Jul 2022
A recent regional council decision to refuse consents for Bathurst Coal’s Canterbury mining operation could signal that environmental regulations are increasing the cost of coal to the point where it’s no longer economic.
Is coal driving wholesale power prices?
4 Jul 2022
By Ian Llewellyn - Energy & Environment | It appears that international coal prices are one of the main drivers behind currently higher than average wholesale spot and futures power prices.
Energy demand rose by 5.8% and carbon emissions by 5.7% last year, BP reports
4 Jul 2022
Energy use rose by 5.8% last year while carbon emissions also increased, though fossil fuels continued to make up a smaller chunk of global energy use, according to BP's recently released "Statistical Review of World Energy."
Australia prioritizes reducing emissions and cheaper EVs
4 Jul 2022
Australia’s new government is putting climate change at the top of its legislative agenda when Parliament sits next month for the first time since the May 21 election, with bills to enshrine a cut in greenhouse gas emissions and make electric cars cheaper
Rooftop solar and household batteries to take centre stage in Australia's rapid energy transition
1 Jul 2022
The solar and storage resources of Australian households and businesses will have the capacity to meet nearly one-fifth of national electricity market demand by 2050, and rooftop solar alone could provide twice as much generation as coal in a decade.
The benefits of growing brocolli beneath solar panels
1 Jul 2022
Despite being “yucky” according to some picky eaters, broccoli is well-suited to grow alongside solar panels, according to a new study.
Australia reconsiders methane emissions cut pledge
30 Jun 2022
The Labor-led Australian federal government, which was elected last month, said it was looking at joining the global methane pledge that seeks a collective 30% cut in methane emissions by 2030 relative to 2020 levels. The previous conservative coalition government rejected the pledge when it was unveiled last year.
The UK could comfortably cut energy use in half to meet climate targets. Here’s how.
30 Jun 2022
Dramatic yet feasible changes to industry, technology, and society could enable people in the UK to cut their energy use in half by 2050, according to a new study. And rather than feeling deprived by the effort to save energy, people would likely be better off in many ways, researchers say.
Ex-fossil fuel workers convert old oil fields to solar farms
30 Jun 2022
A group of 15 trainees will be heading out into the field to begin converting two Alberta oilfield sites into solar farms, after graduating from a rapid upskilling program for fossil industry and Indigenous workers hosted by Iron & Earth and Medicine Hat College.
The Government’s gas conundrum
27 Jun 2022
By Ian Llewellyn - Energy & Environment | The problem of how to phase out natural gas use and not cause energy security problems and inflict billions of dollars in costs is highlighted in a Cabinet paper starting work on a Gas Transition Plan.
Best by the rest...
23 Jun 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in the local media: New Zealand’s offshore energy revolution; climate policy’s winners and losers; and how climate change is putting marae at risk.
What 18 independent studies all concluded about the use of hydrogen for heating
22 Jun 2022
A total of 18 independent studies produced since 2019 — including by the IPCC, IEA and McKinsey — have ruled out hydrogen playing a major role in the heating of buildings, according to a list compiled by renowned energy expert Jan Rosenow.
Methane-spewing coal mines are climate test for Australia's new leader: report
21 Jun 2022
Australia's coal mines cause more planetary warming in a typical year than emissions from all of the country's cars.
Methane emissions throughout supply chain underestimated: study
21 Jun 2022
Researchers at the Imperial College London have discovered that biogas and biomethane leak up to twice as much methane as previously thought, despite being more climate-friendly.
Cabinet reshuffle and the conservation challenge
20 Jun 2022
By Ian Llewellyn - Energy & Environment | The major change for the energy and environment sector in Jacinda Ardern’s Cabinet reshuffle was the ‘demotion’ of Poto Williams from the police portfolio to conservation.
South Korea to use nuclear energy to reach carbon goals: PM
20 Jun 2022
Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has said that South Korea will actively use nuclear energy to meet its target of carbon neutrality and as a tool for the nation's energy security.
Heavy industries in Australia’s regions could cut emissions by 80% and create a jobs bonanza: report
20 Jun 2022
The regional powerhouses of Australia’s industrial economy could slash their greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80% and become centres for multibillion-dollar investments in renewable energy, according to a report backed by some of the country’s biggest companies.
NZ agrees to help finance Samoa's climate goals
16 Jun 2022
New Zealand has agreed to help Samoa finance its climate goals, including its Nationally Determined Contribution, national climate adaptation plan, and a goal of 100% renewable energy generation by 2025.
BP takes major position in one of world’s biggest green hydrogen hubs in Pilbara
16 Jun 2022
Oil giant BP has taken a 40.5% stake in the $30 billion Australian Renewable Energy Hub in the Pilbara, one of the biggest renewable and green hydrogen projects in the world.
Green energy 'stagnates' as fossil fuels dominate
16 Jun 2022
A new study says that the world is using more fossil fuels than ever as the transition to green energy stalls.
South Taranaki offshore wind a step closer
15 Jun 2022
Offshore wind power is a step closer for South Taranaki, with the NZ Super Fund and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) preparing to take wind measurements.
How much can e-bikes reduce carbon emissions?
15 Jun 2022
E-bikes could take the place of enough car trips to cut transportation emissions in England by as much as 24.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, according to a new study. What’s more, the greatest per capita benefits of e-bikes—with the potential to shave more than 750 kilograms of carbon dioxide off a person’s annual carbon footprint—are seen in rural and exburban areas.
Infra Com hot on renewables, cool on Onslow
13 Jun 2022
By Ian Llewellyn - Energy & Environment | The Infrastructure Commission believes that New Zealand has more than enough natural renewable energy resources to power the country’s zero carbon emissions goals.
Phasing out coal could generate ‘social benefits’ worth $78 trillion
13 Jun 2022
Replacing coal with renewable energy would greatly benefit society, according to a new working paper from Imperial College Business School.
In Turkey, study recommends investments in olive farms instead of coal mines
13 Jun 2022
In the wake of the recent regulation in Turkey opening olive groves to coal mining activities, a new report focused on the country’s Milas district found that the expansion of the olive oil sector represents a better alternative to mining for the local economy.
Renewable generation up from last year
10 Jun 2022
Increasing hydro and wind generation pushed renewables to 83% of generation in the first three months of 2022, 4.5% higher than the same period last year.
Gas industry regulator sued by Tiwi Islands traditional owners over Barossa gas project approvals
9 Jun 2022
First Nations traditional owners have launched a Federal Court challenge to Santos’ plans to drill for gas off the coast of the Northern Territory, arguing approvals granted to the Barossa project are invalid because the oil and gas giant never consulted with the group.
Floating solar power could help fight climate change
8 Jun 2022
Solar panels need to be deployed over vast areas worldwide to decarbonize electricity. By 2050, the United States might need up to 61,000 square kilometres of solar panels — an area larger than the Netherlands1. Land-scarce nations such as Japan and South Korea might have to devote 5% of their land to solar farms.
Global cities becoming cycle friendly after "seismic shift" during pandemic
8 Jun 2022
With the coronavirus pandemic forcing a rethink of our urban centres, Dezeen spoke to experts about how municipalities around the world are striving to become "magical" cycling cities.
Waiheke Island leading the charge with EV uptake
7 Jun 2022
By Liz Kivi | Tiny Waiheke Island, with its resident population of 9500 people, is speeding ahead with the transition to electric vehicles (EVs).
Gas pipeline decision leaves their future open ended
7 Jun 2022
By Ian Llewellyn - Energy and Environment | The Commerce Commission’s decision to tone down its approach to the future of gas pipeline businesses reflects that Government policy in the area is still developing and the possibility the infrastructure may have a use beyond the demise of natural gas.
Bonn climate conference: World is "cooked" if we carry on with coal: US
7 Jun 2022
The US envoy on climate change John Kerry has warned that the war in Ukraine must not be used as an excuse to prolong global reliance on coal.
$1m community battery unveiled in Melbourne in move towards more renewable energy
7 Jun 2022
A battery the size of four fridges installed in Melbourne's inner north is expected to provide solar power to about 200 homes in a push to get more renewable energy into the network.
Can Africa grow without fossil fuels
7 Jun 2022
As the developed world demands emissions cuts, the continent’s leaders are asking whether it is possible to industrialize on green energy alone.
“Golden age of renewables” hailed at official launch of Australia’s biggest wind project
3 Jun 2022
Spanish energy giant Acciona Energía has hailed a “golden age of renewables” at the official launch event for the start of construction at Australia’s biggest wind farm to date – the 1.026GW MacIntyre project in Queensland.
L.A. is banning most gas appliances in new homes
3 Jun 2022
Citing the climate crisis, the Los Angeles City Council voted Friday to ban most gas appliances in new construction, a policy that’s expected to result in new homes and businesses coming equipped with electric stoves, clothes dryers, water heaters and furnaces.
China’s CO2 emissions see longest sustained drop in a decade
31 May 2022
China’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fell by an estimated 1.4% in the first three months of 2022, making it the third quarter in a row of falling emissions.
G7 ministers declare 2035 clean grid target, postpone decisions on climate finance
31 May 2022
The Group of Seven western industrialized countries set a 2035 deadline to decarbonize electricity generation, promised to end international public financing of fossil fuels this year, cited Russia’s war in Ukraine as a catalyst for a faster fossil phaseout, but left themselves a long list of agenda items on climate finance as they tied up a marathon series of ministerial meetings in Germany last week.
Departing consultant contrasts shell’s safety commitment with ‘complete greenwash’ on climate
30 May 2022
The senior safety consultant whose high-profile resignation from Shell spotlighted the company’s “extreme harms” to the environment is drawing a sharp contrast between the colossal fossil’s enduring interest in safer work processes and its failure to deliver on its highly-touted emissions reduction plan
U.S. proposal could change the way oil companies report their carbon footprint
30 May 2022
The officially disclosed carbon footprints of Canada's largest oil companies could balloon in size if tough new climate rules proposed earlier this year by a U.S. regulator come into effect.
Taranaki protest against seismic survey to be held tomorrow
27 May 2022
A rally is being held at Waitara Marine Park to protest the resumption of seismic testing for oil and gas tomorrow afternoon.
Vanguard refuses to end new fossil fuel investments
27 May 2022
The world’s second-largest asset manager Vanguard has refused to stop new investments in fossil fuel projects and end its support for coal, oil and gas production.
Govt consulting on Pacific Resilience Facility
Fri 12 Dec 2025
The Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Committee is calling for submissions on its international treaty examination of the Agreement to Establish the Pacific Resilience Facility.
Govt overhaul leaves the door open for coal mining on conservation land
Fri 12 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government’s sweeping reclassification of thousands of hectares of publicly-owned conservation land has met with sharp criticism, with environmental groups saying the decision leaves vulnerable ecosystems exposed to mining and development.
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.
Air NZ inks deal for its first internationally verified carbon credits
9 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Air New Zealand has committed to buying 8000 tonnes of carbon removals by 2030, in partnership with local native forest investment platform My Native Forest.
Second fire tears through Tongariro National Park
Tue 9 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Fire crews have returned to Tongariro National Park this morning as a fast-moving fire that started yesterday threatens unburnt vegetation and nearby communities, just a month after a major blaze scorched 3000 hectares in the same area.
Govt launches strategy backing wood-based heat sector
23 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Forestry biomass could replace as much as 40% of fossil fuel-generated process heat by 2050, but access to supply, regulatory settings and business cases for converting to wood-based heat sources are required, the Government says in a series of documents released yesterday.
Minister not concerned about potential economic impacts of ruling out offshore mitigation
Thu 11 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts isn’t worried that ruling out using offshore mitigation is effectively reneging from the Paris Agreement with potential to damage New Zealand’s economy and access to export markets.
What are the causes of recent record-high global temperatures?
Fri 12 Dec 2025
The past three years have been exceptionally warm globally.
Is Govt rushing through changes to climate framework to avoid litigation?
Thu 11 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says the Government’s motivation for proposed changes to the country’s climate framework law are unclear: “The only reason I can think of is one grounded in potential litigation risk.”
KiwiRail pauses coal trains amid rising climate protests
Tue 9 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate activists are ramping up actions this week, with a Christchurch protest leading to KiwiRail pausing some coal train operations on Saturday, and another protest against the Fast-Track Amendment Bill planned for parliament today.
Investors must support positive climate-tech
28 Nov 2025
OPINION: We need better leadership than the current ‘climate opportunism’ that is rife in the Beehive, and we need to back a marketplace that will make it happen, writes Rob Campbell.
$235 billion worth of NZ buildings exposed to flooding
30 Oct 2025
More than 750,000 New Zealanders live in locations exposed to one-in-100-year floods, according to a nationwide study which shows escalating flood risk.
India at COP30: A mismatch between grandstanding and climate action
Thu 11 Dec 2025
Despite India’s attempt to anoint itself as the leader of the developing world, at the COP30 summit, New Delhi’s track record remains contradictory.
Govt warned that scrapping ag emission pricing comes with risks
Thu 11 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s move to halt plans for agricultural emissions pricing without replacing it with any other action will leave New Zealand facing a bigger gap to meet its third emissions budget, Environment ministry officials have warned.
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.
NZ ‘clearly’ breaching international law on climate – Vanuatu Climate Change Minister
Fri 12 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Vanuatu’s Climate Change Minister, Ralph Regenvanu, says New Zealand restarting fossil fuel exploration and subsidies is an obvious breach of international law, exposing the country to international and domestic litigation.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
Wed 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.
Australia has new laws to protect nature. Do they signal an end to native forest logging?
Thu 11 Dec 2025
Reforms to Australia’s nature laws have passed federal parliament. A longstanding exemption that meant federal environment laws did not apply to native logging has finally been removed from the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act.
Oil and gas majors would create $78bn more value by stopping exploration
Thu 11 Dec 2025
Media release | Ten of the world’s largest oil and gas companies would create significantly more shareholder value by ending exploration and sharply curtailing upstream development, according to new analysis released today by ACCR.
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.”
Analysis: Why COP30’s ‘tripling adaptation finance’ target is less ambitious than it seems
5 Dec 2025
One of the headline outcomes to emerge from COP30 was a new target to “at least triple” finance for climate adaptation in developing countries by 2035.
Ticking time-bomb in Govt’s failure of leadership on climate – Carr
Tue 9 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The coalition Government’s failure to slash emissions is like pulling the pin on a grenade, handing it to a kid, and saying “hold on tight, she’ll be right”, says former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr.
TotalEnergies loses in Paris court, marking a turning point for fossil fuel truth-in-advertising
5 Nov 2025
TotalEnergies was found to have misled consumers about its role in the energy transition.
Tribunal warns govt geothermal strategy risks Treaty breach
2 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government's geothermal development strategy risks breaching the Treaty of Waitangi, according to a report from the Waitangi Tribunal released last week.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
29 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Green hydrogen pioneer Hiringa Energy is deep in planning to develop an “eight-to-nine figure” methanol plant near Whanganui, using a combination of biomass and hydrogen produced using renewable energy.
Insurers welcome govt decision to keep NHC levy unchanged
21 Nov 2025
Media release |The Insurance Council of New Zealand | Te Kāhui Inihua o Aotearoa (ICNZ) has welcomed the Government’s decision to leave the Natural Hazards Commission levy unchanged, amid ongoing concerns around the cost-of-living.
Why I’m not outraged at the Govt’s latest climate backsliding
7 Nov 2025
COMMENT: The Government’s latest climate rollbacks underline New Zealand’s long history of a lack of genuine desire to cut emissions, writes Geoff Bertram.
Shell facing first UK legal claim over climate impacts of fossil fuels
Fri 12 Dec 2025
Victims of a deadly typhoon in the Philippines have filed a legal claim against oil and gas company Shell in the UK courts, seeking compensation for what they say is the company's role in making the storm more severe.
NZ fails to back ‘roadmap’ to phase out fossil fuels at COP
24 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Eighty-six countries including Australia, the UK, Germany, and Ireland backed a proposal at COP30 for national plans on how to quit oil, gas and coal – but New Zealand wasn’t one of them.
Media round-up
Fri 12 Dec 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Another offshore wind firm exits New Zealand over a clash with seabed mining; Fonterra falls behind on its climate goals as farm emissions remain flat; and the businesses trapped by the gas 'death spiral'.
Govt rushes to pass climate law changes under urgency
Wed 10 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Legislation to amend the Climate Change Response Act was introduced to Parliament on Monday, and the government intends to rush the changes through under urgency in the next two weeks, avoiding the usual public consultation.
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.
High risk of economic losses from Cook Islands nodule extraction and sales – new study
Fri 12 Dec 2025
Media release: Greenpeace | The economic potential of seabed polymetallic nodules in the Cook Islands has been overstated, according to a new independent study commissioned by Greenpeace International.
Heatwaves, downpours and droughts – Auckland on track for more extreme weather
1 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New projections show Auckland will face more heatwaves, heavier downpours, worsening droughts and growing coastal threats as climate extremes intensify, according to a new report from Earth Sciences New Zealand.
Govt green lights rural recycling scheme
4 Dec 2025
The Government has approved new regulations to bring rural waste schemes under one unified framework.
Shipping movements disrupted as climate change protesters block coal ships
2 Dec 2025
NSW police have arrested 141 people who attempted to block the shipping channel in Newcastle Harbour during Rising Tide protests, which began on Thursday.
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.
Neighbours fume over plans to axe trees for solar farm
Thu 11 Dec 2025
Diane McCarthy, Local Democracy Reporter | Whakatāne District Council has thrown its support behind residents of a country lane distressed about Genesis Energy’s plans to axe their trees.
NZ and US studying "huge unknown" in Antarctic climate science
Thu 11 Dec 2025
Media release: Earth Sciences New Zealand | Scientists are measuring a huge unknown in climate science: how much heat Antarctica emits into space.
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.
More than $2m up for grabs for low-emissions farming innovation
Wed 10 Dec 2025
The Ag Emissions Centre and AgriZeroNZ yesterday opened their 2026 innovation investment round.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
31 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government is expected to repeal the oil and gas ban today, with a last-minute amendment handing discretionary power to two ministers over the controversial issue of decommissioning.
Seven EU countries pressure European Commission to rethink 2035 diesel and petrol car ban
Tue 9 Dec 2025
Pressure from EU countries, lawmakers and the automotive industry is likely pushing the European Commission to delay the revision of the bloc's ban on diesel and petrol cars by 2035.
Kaicycle celebrates ten years of collective climate action in Pōneke
14 Nov 2025
Media release: Kaicycle | Since 2015, Kaicycle has grown from a humble pilot project growing kai and collecting compost on bicycles into the thriving urban farm and composting hub that Wellingtonians know and love.
Study provides a step-change in understanding NZ’s groundwater
28 Nov 2025
Media release | Earth Sciences New Zealand has developed a world-first National Groundwater Age Map and a powerful suite of tools to support the sustainable management of our hidden groundwater resources, from national through to local scales.
NZ just had its hottest spring in at least 116 years
Wed 10 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | This year New Zealand had its hottest spring since records began, with widespread heat, rainfall extremes and destructive wind driven by sudden stratospheric warming.
Australian market operator slashes wind farm predictions amid falling costs for solar and batteries
Thu 11 Dec 2025
The body that runs Australia's biggest power market has scaled back its plans for high-voltage power lines and wind farms to meet the country's green energy targets.
