Topics tagged with 'Energy'
It would take less than 3% of Big Oil’s profits to clean up methane emissions
24 Feb 2023
Oil companies and governments have pledged to slash methane emissions in recent years, but so far have little to show for it. Emissions of this potent greenhouse gas by the fossil fuel industry continued to climb in 2022, the International Energy Agency says.
Genesis biomass trial could lead to 90% reduction in Huntly’s emissions
23 Feb 2023
Genesis has completed a biomass burn trial as it looks at alternative fuels for Huntly Power Station, which could reduce emissions from the coal-fired plant by 90%.
South Australia: Grid with the most wind and solar has the smallest reliability gap
22 Feb 2023
South Australia is leading Australia – and the world – with the amount of wind and solar within its state grid. And not only is it defying the skeptics that insisted wind and solar can’t power a modern economy, it’s also the grid facing the smallest reliability gaps over the coming decade.
Heat from an Amazon data center is warming Dublin’s buildings
22 Feb 2023
Cities are capturing heat emitted by computer servers and using it to warm everything from government buildings to college dorms.
Scrapping the biofuels mandate is short-term thinking during climate crisis
21 Feb 2023
By Paul Bennett | OPINION: The Government’s decision to halt the biofuels mandate may ease concerns about looming price hikes at the petrol pump but it’s a political can that can’t be kicked down the road forever.
“Clean energy arms race:” NSW Labor promises state-owned body modelled on CEFC
21 Feb 2023
The New South Wales Coalition government and the state Labor opposition have upped the ante on their election campaign promises to accelerate the transition of the country’s biggest and most coal dependent grid to a global leader on wind, solar and storage.
Counting the cost in the wake of Gabrielle
20 Feb 2023
Energy & Environment | Part of the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle will be counting the cost and a long hard rethink about aspects of energy and environment policy.
Will this new carbon capture technology help solve the climate crisis?
20 Feb 2023
Researchers in the United States say they have developed a new system for capturing carbon dioxide that is the least expensive ever created. The process requires less energy and water than any technology produced before it.
Bioenergy Association says forestry slash could help drive our heavy transport fleet
17 Feb 2023
The Bioenergy Association says the forestry slash causing havoc on the East Coast could have been slashing the country’s carbon emissions.
Why are BP, Shell, and Exxon suddenly backing off their climate promises?
17 Feb 2023
It wasn’t long ago that oil giants were trying to outdo one another with promises to cut carbon emissions and take on climate change. In 2020, the price for a barrel of oil briefly plunged below zero, and the world’s largest oil and gas companies portrayed themselves as getting serious about renewables.
US announces $27 billion effort to curb emissions and stem environmental injustices
16 Feb 2023
Environmentalists and climate justice advocates cautiously welcomed $27 billion in federal clean energy investment grants announced by the Biden administration, stressing the need to ensure that the public funds reach deserving communities and also address systemic injustices baked into energy and financial systems
$2.5 million in government grants for decarbonising maritime industry
15 Feb 2023
EECA is offering $2.5 million, in the 8th round of its Low Emissions Transport Fund, for projects that can demonstrate emissions savings in the maritime industry.
World’s largest onshore wind turbine, and the first to reach 10MW, debuts in China
15 Feb 2023
Chinese wind energy company Envision Energy has reportedly debuted a new 10MW onshore wind turbine, the largest of its kind and boasting the world’s largest rotor diameter.
Home battery boom: Are Aussies being worried and annoyed into adding solar storage?
15 Feb 2023
Constant reminders of the precarious state of Australia’s transitioning electricity grid could be pushing more consumers into residential batteries – even when the cost-benefit equation isn’t going their way.
EC proposes additionality rules for renewable hydrogen
14 Feb 2023
The European Commission (EC) proposed on Monday detailed rules to define what constitutes renewable (green) hydrogen in the EU, underlining the necessity of connecting electrolysers to newly-added renewable power generation only.
Australia's unlimited use of carbon offsets could lead to rise in emissions, report says
13 Feb 2023
An Australian government proposal to allow big polluters to use unlimited carbon offsets as an alternative to cutting their own greenhouse gases would likely greenlight new coal and gas developments and lead to a rise in emissions, a new analysis says.
BMW's plans to offset EV emissions with cow dung could be bullshit
13 Feb 2023
In the last ten years, biogas energy derived from animal waste has served as an additional income for dairy farmers. Methane digesters have become popular with automakers like BMW that use those offsets to charge their electric vehicles with more eco-friendly options.
Invisible solar panels "finally allow cultural heritage to access solar energy"
13 Feb 2023
Italian company Dyaqua, which has developed a way to produce solar panels so that they resemble the barrel clay tiles common on the roofs of buildings in Italy, has said the technology is important for the sustainable redevelopment of historical sites.
Shell lawsuit: Institutional investors back legal challenge over climate risk
13 Feb 2023
A group of European institutional investors is backing a novel London lawsuit against energy giant Shell’s board over alleged climate mismanagement in a case that could have far-reaching implications for how companies tackle emissions.
Solar and sheep: “The future of regional Australia” and the key to better quality wool
10 Feb 2023
Last month, the solar arm of global oil giant BP revealed its newest utility-scale PV project in Australia – a 550MW array with a 260MW/520MWh big battery – will install the panels up around two metres* above ground level to make room for sheep.
EVs ‘are not enough’: Polestar and Rivian urge more drastic climate action
10 Feb 2023
The two EV manufacturers collaborated on a report that says the auto industry is way behind on its climate goals. The entire automotive supply chain needs to be decarbonized in order to meet the goals set out in the Paris agreement.
US climate legislation could create 9 million jobs
10 Feb 2023
In Tuesday’s State of the Union address, President Joe Biden touted the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as “ the most significant investment ever in climate change. Ever. Lowering utility bills, creating American jobs, leading the world to a clean energy future.”
Environmental groups say govt decision to drop biofuels mandate "enormous relief"
9 Feb 2023
Environmental groups, motoring and fossil fuel lobbyists, and opposition parties have all welcomed the government's decision to drop the biofuels mandate.
Australian solar giants win “Nobel for engineering” for efficiency breakthroughs
9 Feb 2023
A husband and wife duo are half of a four-strong Australian team, including the globally renowned “father of PV,” to win the ‘Nobel for engineering’ for their work in accelerating the global shift to renewable solar power.
Fighting climate change was costly. Now it’s profitable
9 Feb 2023
It is a good time to be in the decarbonization business in the United States. The Inflation Reduction Act—with its $374 billion cornucopia of green incentives, subsidies, and grants—was designed to entice private companies to invest in the transition away from fossil fuels
Genesis announces NZ’s biggest solar farm
8 Feb 2023
Genesis Energy has announced plans for New Zealand’s biggest solar farm - with power from the Canterbury site expected to start flowing from next year.
Climate change saved Europe from Putin this winter
8 Feb 2023
Climate change has kept Europe warm enough this winter to save it from Russian President Vladimir Putin’s energy crisis, but the respite may prove fleeting if—perhaps when—those same climate changes cause a crisis this summer.
Asia oil giant snaps up big Australian solar portfolio at top of the market
7 Feb 2023
Petronas is the latest big oil company to lean into Australian renewables, with the Malaysia giant reportedly set to buy the local assets of German solar and storage developer Wirsol.
Greens not on board with fossil fuel subsidy
2 Feb 2023
Media release - The Green Party is calling on the Government to provide direct support to low-income households and to stop subsidising fossil fuels during a climate crisis.
MIT study finds huge carbon cost to self-driving cars
2 Feb 2023
The widespread adoption of self-driving cars will create a major bump in carbon emissions without changes to their design, a study from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has found.
Power storage for a renewable-based electric grid could be parked next door
2 Feb 2023
Electric vehicle batteries could be harnessed to provide all the battery storage capacity necessary to stabilize renewable-based electricity grids worldwide in the coming decades, according to a new study.
DR Congo delays rainforest oil auctions
2 Feb 2023
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has postponed its plans to allow oil companies to drill in its rainforests and peatlands.
Indonesia turns focus to floating solar with new 100MW tender
2 Feb 2023
Indonesian power company PLN Nusantara Power has launched a tender to develop a 100MW floating solar project in central East Java.
Parliamentary Commissioner for Environment gives govt a hurry up
1 Feb 2023
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, has told the government it needs to speed up plans for a whole-of-system energy strategy.
Solar farms put cow comfort and crop yield ahead of harvesting electrons
1 Feb 2023
Solar arrays that promise to generate happier, healthier cows and crops, while producing cheap electrons on the side, are being put into practice in France, following a series of government-led energy tenders with a difference.
Government looks to regulate offshore wind, defers decision on oil and gas exploration
31 Jan 2023
Some of the government’s last announcements of the political year in 2022 honed in on wind, oil and gas exploration, and critical minerals.
Hydrogen symposium to explore latest research
31 Jan 2023
The inaugural New Zealand Hydrogen Symposium, which starts tomorrow in Dunedin, will host international experts from Germany, the US, Chile, and Australia, as well as local hydrogen experts.
China fast-tracking renewable energy
31 Jan 2023
China’s solar and wind power generating capacities are the largest in the world, accounting for more than 35% of the global total. As demand continues to grow to meet its climate goals, the need for storage facilities has also become critical to ensure a ready and consistent supply.
“World first” solar methanol plant to feed off Port Augusta solar thermal project
31 Jan 2023
A “world-first” solar methanol production facility – providing green fuels for the shipping and aviation industry – to be built in Port Augusta, taking heat and electricity from what is hoped to be the country’ first large scale solar thermal project.
Clean energy sets $1.1 trillion record that’s bound to be broken
30 Jan 2023
Last year was a double milestone for decarbonizing the world’s energy system. It was the first year when investment in the energy transition equaled global investment in fossil fuels, according to the latest data release from clean energy research group BloombergNEF.
How California’s ambitious new climate plan could help speed energy transformation around the world
27 Jan 2023
California is embarking on an audacious new climate plan that aims to eliminate the state’s greenhouse gas footprint by 2045, and in the process, slash emissions far beyond its borders.
Scientists develop cheapest carbon capture system to date
25 Jan 2023
US researchers have developed a cost-efficient method that successfully captures CO2 and converts it into one of the world’s most widely used chemicals: methanol.
‘World first’ carbon capture plant for smelters opens in Norway
24 Jan 2023
A carbon capture pilot for smelters – billed as a ‘world first’ – has been officially inaugurated in Rana, Norway.
Govt gives $2.8 million for boiler conversion to multinational committed to phasing out coal by 2025
23 Dec 2022
By Jeremy Rose | The government has given $2.8 million to a multinational company to convert its coal boiler to woodchips, despite the company already committing to phase out coal use internationally by 2025.
Facing an energy crisis, Germans stock up on candles
22 Dec 2022
The candle boom began during the pandemic, after the government imposed lockdowns and Germans began spending a lot more time at home. The industry expected the boom to end once the nation opened back up, Thomann says. "But then the war (in Ukraine) started."
Minnesota's solar boom 10 years later
21 Dec 2022
It sounded absurd, the idea of spending a large sum of money to install solar panels in a Minnesota farm field that is covered in snow for much of the year.
Big oil hit with new climate activist campaign
20 Dec 2022
A prominent activist group has filed shareholder resolutions calling on four of the biggest Western energy companies to cut emissions more aggressively this decade in an effort to revive investor pressure on big oil over climate goals.
Most EU countries sceptical about 45% renewable energy goal: document
20 Dec 2022
France, the Netherlands, Ireland, and several other EU countries are reluctant to back a European Commission proposal to boost the EU’s renewable energy objective for 2030 in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine, EURACTIV can confirm.
Facing headwinds at home, Europe and Japan are pushing waste-to-energy technology across South East Asia
20 Dec 2022
For decades, waste-to-energy has been a key waste management tool in developed countries. Now, they are looking to developing markets. There are dozens of waste-to-energy incineration plants planned or under construction across South East Asia using Japanese and European technology and framed as clean or renewable.
Decision on future petroleum block bumped till after the election
16 Dec 2022
The government is putting off any decision on future petroleum block offers until the next Parliamentary term.
Climate adaptation plans welcomed, but funding remains the missing piece
Fri 17 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | Experts are welcoming a proposal to make climate adaptation planning mandatory, but warn the plans may be ineffective without clarity around who will pay to implement them.
New legislation to bar climate torts proves polarising for submitters
Fri 17 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Opponents of legislation to block climate lawsuits say it could seriously damage investor confidence, while supporters of the same legislation argue that not passing it could be “devastating” for the New Zealand economy.
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A $30 million government package to support regional air routes risks delivering poor value for money while increasing emissions, according to transport strategist Tim Adriaansen.
Media round-up
9 Jul 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The Government re-wrote fast-track law after mining companies pushed for change; costs from inland flooding are expected to rise by up to 53% by 2075; and is there such a thing as a sustainable tourist?
University launches worldwide search for nature-focused researchers
Wed 15 Jul 2026
Media release | As governments and businesses around the world grapple with climate change and biodiversity loss, Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland is launching an international search for ten PhD researchers to help shape a more nature positive economy.
Inaction on shipping decarbonisation could cost NZ up to $94b by 2050, report says
30 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | Failing to support and enable the decarbonisation of the shipping industry could result in losses of $17.5 billion to $94.4b to the New Zealand economy by 2050, according to a report from the Aotearoa Circle.
Emissions Trading Scheme ‘stockpile’ shrinking
9 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The “stockpile” of NZUs in private accounts continues to shrink, with the latest Environmental Protection Authority figures showing the number has dropped by 9.5 million since this time last year.
UK withdraws millions in funding from world’s second-largest rainforest in Congo
Fri 17 Jul 2026
The UK has abandoned projects worth tens of millions of pounds that were meant to help protect Congo rainforests and support local people.
Climate law introduced requiring adaptation plans and reducing Commission's role
Wed 15 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The Government has introduced legislation to amend the Climate Change Response Act (CCRA), which includes stripping the Climate Change Commission of one of its core roles, adds a new requirement for councils to produce adaptation plans for higher-risk areas, and updates ETS settings.
Coal is back in Australian Super’s portfolio. What happened to that net zero pledge?
13 Jul 2026
In 2020 Australia’s biggest super fund dumped its Whitehaven shares. Fast forward to 2026 and it is now the coalminer’s single biggest investor.
Politicians need to lead on climate: Carr
30 Jun 2026
As the election campaign heats up, former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr has a list of actions he's hoping to see from our aspiring leaders, which includes confronting climate denial as well as refusing funds or policy advice from vested interests.
EMA pushes for steady hand on energy and regulation
13 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Employers and Manufacturers Association wants the next government to commit to a long-term energy plan and allow faster investment in renewable generation, at the same time as slowing the pace of policy change and providing businesses with greater certainty.
What Magyar’s defeat of Orbán in Hungary means for climate and energy
21 Apr 2026
Hungary has played a disproportionate role in EU climate and energy policy in recent years, by repeatedly vetoing climate action and by delaying the phaseout of Russian fossil-fuel imports.
Experts call on Govt to withdraw ‘repugnant’ legislation to block climate lawsuits
13 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers and climate policy experts are calling on the Government to withdraw legislation intended to block climate lawsuits, with an adaptation expert arguing that the legislation could worsen the insurance protection gap.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
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.
The heat waves are Andy Burnham’s problem now
Fri 17 Jul 2026
Recent record-breaking hot weather in the U.K. has made a chunk of voters more worried about climate change and impatient for help from the government.
Tarakihi on verge of extinction: Stock collapse exposes major fisheries management failings
3 Jul 2026
Media release: Environmental Defence Society | Fisheries NZ is consulting on new sustainability measures for the country’s two tarakihi stocks.
Seymour ‘imploring’ council to go easy on foresters is abuse of authority: EDS
7 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Environmental Defence Society says that Regulation Minister David Seymour’s attempt to influence Gisborne District Council to ‘go easy’ on forestry companies in enforcing environmental laws is a clear abuse of ministerial authority.
Government running out of time to lock in LNG import terminal deal before election
Thu 16 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | Procurement for a floating LNG import terminal in Taranaki is well advanced, the Government says, but the clock is ticking to sign contracts before the election.
Clock ticks on Gas Security Fund as Tariki developer reports ongoing losses
Wed 15 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | A Canadian company advancing a major gas storage project in New Zealand continues to report ongoing losses.
$3m Govt boost for Tauranga geothermal energy
Tue 14 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Resources Minister Shane Jones has announced a $3 million grant for the Gas to Geoheat Tauranga Geothermal System Project as part of the Government's plan to double geothermal energy by 2040.
The arms race to climate calamity
Fri 17 Jul 2026
COMMENT: Both Australia and New Zealand are justifying spending millions of dollars on high-end killing machines by hyping the so-called China threat, while downplaying the very real threat of climate change to the Pacific region, writes Jeremy Rose.
Conservation bill risks climate goals, lawyers say
1 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action NZ says the Government's plan to change the law to encourage economic development on conservation land could undermine New Zealand's climate goals by weakening the land's ability to store carbon, as well as allowing new sources of emissions such as mining.
Govt climate claims don't match reality, lawyers say
17 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action has accused the Government of presenting an overly positive picture of New Zealand's climate progress at the United Nations climate summit in Bonn, arguing key claims on emissions reductions and support for the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal are not reflected in domestic policy.
Lake Onslow pumped hydro consortium secures funding for consent push
26 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | The consortium behind Lake Onslow pumped hydro has secured funding to finalise its resource consent application, aiming to lodge it under the fast-track process before 2027.
Ballance secures gas for 2026 as it progresses energy transition plan
16 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | One of the largest industrial gas users in New Zealand is working on an energy transition plan to futureproof domestic fertiliser manufacturing, while continuing to secure ongoing gas supply contracts.
Climate change is here and we’re all paying for it
Wed 15 Jul 2026
By Raewyn Peart | COMMENT: Another week, another storm. Just days ago, Kaikōura saw two months of rain fall within 48 hours, the most recent in a long line of adverse weather events.
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.
Sustainable Business Council listed on submission supporting climate torts bar
Fri 17 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Business New Zealand’s submission supporting legislation to block climate lawsuits raised eyebrows this week for listing the Sustainable Business Council as seemingly in support of the controversial law change.
Planetary Facts dashboard aims to make environmental costs visible
Wed 15 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Consumers can now compare the environmental impacts of everyday products with a new online dashboard designed to do for sustainability what nutrition labels have long done for food.
Climate risks could reshape business finances, new guidance warns
15 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New guidance warns climate change is set to fundamentally reshape financial outcomes for businesses, including difficult-to-model climate “tipping points” – irreversible changes such as ice sheet collapse or ocean circulation shifts – which threaten severe and sudden financial impacts.
UN chief says fossil fuel industry must cut methane for warming “relief”
25 Jun 2026
UN chief António Guterres called for stronger action to cut emissions of planet-heating methane, taking aim at the fossil fuel industry’s practices and profits, and pointing to coal, oil and gas as the root of today’s climate and energy crises.
What’s next for Sams Creek after failed mining bid?
Wed 15 Jul 2026
Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | A controversial gold mining application at Sams Creek has been declined, leaving question marks hanging over the future of the land.
Pacific coral reefs face mounting climate threat – experts
Thu 16 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Coral reef scientists are warning that climate change is accelerating the decline of reef ecosystems across the Pacific, with rising ocean temperatures, marine heatwaves and sea-level rise threatening both biodiversity and the communities that depend on them.
Ugandan farmers launch UK court case against East African oil pipeline
9 Jul 2026
Four Ugandan farmers filed a case with London’s High Court aiming to stop the East African Crude Oil Pipeline from starting to operate by asking the court to apply Uganda’s laws against the project’s UK-registered company.
Carbon markets and biochar: a golden opportunity for NZ?
1 Jul 2026
By John O’Brien | COMMENT: New Zealand’s abundant and increasing forestry waste could become a multi-billion dollar opportunity for biochar carbon sequestration – as long as the right policies, programmes, and incentives are in place.
A real ‘intergenerational equity’ budget would address Australia’s unceasing environmental decline
15 May 2026
Labor has unveiled a budget designed to tackle intergenerational equity in Australia through bold tax reform.
UN plastics pact talks restart amid fears production curbs will be left out
2 Jul 2026
Diplomats reconvene a year after negotiations collapsed, but campaigners fear the agenda risks burying tricky discussions on key elements.
Conservation bill could put development ahead of protection, commissioner warns
Fri 17 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton says the proposed law changes could give economic development greater weight than conservation, undermining the purpose of the Conservation Act.
Northern Thai residents march for action on polluted rivers. ‘This is an emergency’
9 Jun 2026
More than 600 residents of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces embarked May 31 on a roughly 68-kilometer, six-day ‘peace walk’ to demand the Thai government take action on the river pollution crisis that has seen Thai rivers polluted with heavy metals.
Swarbrick slams $50m critical minerals funding as 'Trump's war machine' subsidy
7 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Green Party has criticised the Government's investment into two West Coast critical minerals projects, claiming the funding could ultimately support the United States defence industry rather than New Zealand's clean energy transition, while Shane Jones dismissed opponents as "flat earth idiots".
NZ lagging in energy storage investment – report
Tue 14 Jul 2026
Investment in energy storage is maturing globally, with the need for resilient and flexible power driving demand for storage, but New Zealand has some catching up to do, according to a new report.
Fast-track panel backs proposed Haldon Solar Farm
6 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The proposed Haldon Solar Farm in the Mackenzie Basin has moved to the final stages of the Fast-track Approvals Act process after the Fast-track Panel proposed granting approval for the project.
Shining a light on Trans-Tasman solar reforms
Tue 14 Jul 2026
OPINION: The real test of solar reforms is how fast retailers can turn new rules into working tariffs, writes Mark Humphreys.
Carbon trading schemes cut more emissions than carbon taxes, according to global study
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Carbon trading schemes are more effective than carbon taxes at reducing emissions, cutting fossil fuel use, and accelerating the shift to renewable energy, a global study has found.
Microsoft emissions surge 27% as AI buildout crimps climate goals
13 Jul 2026
Microsoft's greenhouse gas emissions jumped 27 percent in its latest fiscal year, the tech giant disclosed Thursday, adding to a wave of worsening environmental reports from an industry racing to build AI infrastructure.
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.
Govt backs hydrogen with national industry summit
9 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The Government is convening a major hydrogen conference to promote awareness and uptake of the alternative fuel.
‘Those blocking climate science are not our friends': Pacific leaders warn at Bonn talks
23 Jun 2026
Pacific nations and civil society groups have united at UN climate talks, pushing back against efforts to weaken agreed language on global temperature limits as negotiations continue behind closed doors.
Next Govt must restart action on plastic pollution
1 Jul 2026
Media release - Zero Waste Aotearoa | Plastic Free July begins with an urgent call to put plastic pollution back on the political agenda. Plastic Free July is a worldwide campaign to reduce plastic waste and eliminate single use plastics.
Greens announce water policy, including nitrogen fertiliser phase-out
7 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party announced its water policy yesterday, promising to phase out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, as well as destructive fishing methods, if the party is elected in November.
Canadian wildfire smoke chokes Toronto, threatens US cities
Fri 17 Jul 2026
Toronto's air quality ranked the worst among major cities globally on Wednesday as wildfire smoke from northwestern Ontario blackened skies and spread into the northeastern United States, prompting health warnings and calls for residents to limit outdoor activities.
Faster consenting, harder trade-offs
7 Jul 2026
Faster consenting is starting to produce results, but this week's decisions show speed has not removed the harder trade-offs around electricity security, conservation, ecology and climate liability.
