Topics tagged with 'Energy'
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.
Torres Strait First Nations' Waratah Coal fight to be heard by Queensland Land Court
4 Apr 2022
Thousands of kilometres away from the pomp and formality of Queensland's major court precinct, an historic hearing is set to take place on a tiny, remote island in the Torres Strait.
China’s funding for overseas coal projects under construction to release 300 million tonnes of emissions a year
4 Apr 2022
China’s decision to stop funding new coal power projects overseas has been welcomed by climate experts, but they were equally disappointed by Beijing’s commitment for projects already under construction, pointing out that this could lead to 300 million tonnes of carbon emissions a year.
US battery storage soared in 2021
1 Apr 2022
Battery storage is quickly moving from the margins to near the center of the U.S. energy system.
New report calls for government action on methane reduction
1 Apr 2022
A new report has outlined the steps governments can take to cut emissions from three sectors – agriculture (producing 40% of emissions), energy (producing 35%) and waste (producing 20%) – and better deliver on the Global Methane Pledge.
Time for cryptocurrency regulations: academics
31 Mar 2022
Aotearoa needs a future-facing regulatory framework to limit the use of energy-hungry cryptocurrencies, academics Nathan Cooper and Michael Dizon write in The Conversation.
Global wind and solar growth on track to meet climate targets
31 Mar 2022
Solar and wind power can grow enough to limit global warming to 1.5C if the 10-year average compound growth rate of 20% can be maintained to 2030, independent climate think tank Ember said in a report on Wednesday.
What does China’s coal push mean for its climate goals?
30 Mar 2022
Late last year, following widespread power shortages, China’s leadership repeatedly emphasised the importance of ensuring energy security – a country’s ability to secure sufficient and affordable energy supplies without interruption.
Climate campaign pushes Bitcoin network to drop energy-hungry code
30 Mar 2022
Greenpeace and other environmental groups launched a new campaign today to push the Bitcoin network to slash its growing greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of the campaign, dubbed “Change the code, not the climate,” is to switch up the energy-hungry process of verifying transactions and mining new Bitcoins
Stanford transitions to 100% renewable electricity as second solar plant goes online
30 Mar 2022
Stanford’s second solar generating plant went online this month, completing the university’s years-long transition to 100% renewable electricity and marking a major milestone in its larger journey to reach net zero carbon emissions on campus.
Super Fund teams up with Danes to explore massive offshore wind project
29 Mar 2022
The NZ Super Fund and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners have formed a joint company to explore the feasibility of an offshore windfarm in Taranaki that could supply 11% of New Zealand's current electricity demand.
Windfarm upgrade on path to fast-tracked consent process
29 Mar 2022
Environment minister David Parker has accepted NZ Windfarms' application to refer the Te Rere Hau wind farm repowering project to an expert consenting panel for consideration under the COVID-19 Recovery Fast-track Consenting Act (FTCA).
Germany’s new government had big plans on climate, then Russia invaded Ukraine
28 Mar 2022
Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine has made Germany’s reliance on Russian oil and gas untenable, and led the center-left government of Chancellor Olav Scholz to accelerate the transition to clean energy.
Government slashes Tiwai smelter’s carbon allocation
25 Mar 2022
Cabinet has approved a decision to remove part of the New Zealand Aluminium Smelter’s free allocation of carbon credits – costing the owners at least $60 million a year.
Minister responds to PCE hydrogen letter
25 Mar 2022
Minister for the environment Megan Woods has thanked the parliamentary commissioner for the environment, Simon Upton, for his letter highlighting concerns about the development of a green hydrogen industry but says the government sees real potential for the gas in New Zealand's energy mix.
Germany lowers petrol and public transport prices
25 Mar 2022
Germany’s government coalition will introduce one-off bonuses, lower taxes on fuels and cheap public transport tickets as part of a wide-ranging relief package against rising energy costs.
Taihoa on hydrogen plans: Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment
24 Mar 2022
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, has warned the government that the opportunity costs of developing a green hydrogen industry are likely to outweigh the benefits.
19 oil and gas producing countries must cut oil and gas 76% by 2030 to keep 1.5° alive
24 Mar 2022
Nineteen oil and gas-producing countries must reduce production by three-quarters this decade and phase it out completely by 2034 to keep a 1.5°C climate future within sight, according to a new analysis released this week by the United Kingdom’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.
No carless days on horizon
23 Mar 2022
Minister of energy Megan Woods has ruled out an International Energy Agency (IEA) proposal for car free Sundays.
New report a ‘stark indictment’ of rich nations’ climate failure
23 Mar 2022
Rich countries must end their oil and gas production by 2034 to cap global warming at 1.5 degrees Celsius and give poorer nations time to replace fossil fuel income, according to a new report.
Brazil unveils incentives to spur biomethane output
23 Mar 2022
Brazil's government has unveiled a series of incentives to spur the production and sustainable use of biomethane, a fuel that can be obtained from recycling urban and rural waste, and that can replace natural gas, diesel and gasoline.
A third of drivers eyeing up EVs and hybrids as fuel prices skyrocket
22 Mar 2022
One third of respondents to a Consumer poll said they were considering switching to a hybrid or EV in response to increasing fuel prices.
Free public transport for Simplicity Kiwisaver employees
21 Mar 2022
Simplicity Kiwisaver has given its staff free public transport in an effort to cut the company’s carbon footprint.
IEA 10-point plan to cut oil use
21 Mar 2022
In the face of the emerging global energy crisis triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, practical actions by governments and citizens in advanced economies and beyond can achieve significant reductions in oil demand in a matter of months, reducing the risk of a major supply crunch, according to new analysis released by the International Energy Agency.
High energy costs intensify debate over Europe's carbon plan
18 Mar 2022
A European Union plan to charge fuel suppliers for the CO2 emitted by cars and heating buildings is emerging as the most contentious element in a raft of climate change policies the bloc’s member states are negotiating this year.
Australian zero carbon exports could slash emissions across Asia and Pacific
18 Mar 2022
Australia has the potential to drive significant emissions reductions across the Asia Pacific region – by as much as four times its own emissions – by decarbonising Australia’s major export industries, new research has found.
What would increasing Saudi Arabian oil production mean for the climate?
18 Mar 2022
Explainer: Boris Johnson has asked Saudi Arabia to pump more oil; what implications would this have?
Methane-eating bacteria convert greenhouse gas to fuel
18 Mar 2022
Methanotrophic bacteria consume 30 million metric tons of methane per year and have captivated researchers for their natural ability to convert the potent greenhouse gas into usable fuel. Yet we know very little about how the complex reaction occurs, limiting our ability to use the double benefit to our advantage.
Coal Mines emit more methane than oil and gas wells
17 Mar 2022
Coal mines already emit more methane than venting and flaring at all the world’s oil and gas wells, and that impact could increase by more than 20% if all the new mines now on the drawing boards are built, warns a new report this week by Global Energy Monitor (GEM).
Some EU members turn back to coal to cut reliance on Russian gas
17 Mar 2022
Several EU countries have put their coal phase-out plans on hold as to continue would mean relying on natural gas imports from Russia. Instead of investments in gas infrastructure, renewables or other alternatives, the extension of coal mining is considered the quickest and most viable solution.
Could EV trucks be an alternative to Lake Onslow?
17 Mar 2022
Hydroelectric dams are the world’s largest source of renewable electricity. But they are not necessarily green. They can upend ecosystems, displace wildlife and people, cause local droughts, and even emit greenhouse gases. Besides, they are expensive to build and can only be built in locations with the right geology.
Climate group prepares legal action against Shell directors
16 Mar 2022
Shell’s board of directors bears personal responsibility for not preparing to cut emissions quickly enough, an environmental shareholder group has claimed in the first significant attempt to hold individual executives legally accountable for alleged failures to tackle climate change.
Australian billionaires put more money into $15 bln solar power export project
16 Mar 2022
Australia's two richest men joined a A$210 million ($152 million) capital raising for an ambitious project to supply Singapore with solar power via an undersea cable, the company said on Monday.
Is the government sacrificing planetary gain to ease pump pain?
15 Mar 2022
If there’s a positive side to the skyrocketing price of fuel it’s that it will speed up the transition to a decarbonised transport sector, right? One of the country’s leading experts isn’t convinced petrol at $3 a litre was ever going to make much difference.
Germany plans new energy price relief for consumers
15 Mar 2022
The German government plans a new relief package to help consumers cope with rising energy prices. The price increases overburden many people, Green economy and climate minister Robert Habeck told newswire dpa.
Renewable gas - cooking with scraps
15 Mar 2022
Media Release - Gas NZ and the Bioenergy Associations applauds Government’s Transforming Recycling Consultation announcement and encourages New Zealanders to have a say.
Renewable electricity generation hits 26-year high
11 Mar 2022
The share of electricity generated from renewable sources hit a 26-year high in the final quarter of 2021 after sizeable increases hydro and wind generation, according to data published today by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Global CO2 emissions rebounded to their highest level in history in 2021
9 Mar 2022
Global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions rose by 6% in 2021 to 36.3 billion tonnes, their highest ever level, as the world economy rebounded strongly from the Covid-19 crisis and relied heavily on coal to power that growth, according to new IEA analysis released today.
EU unveils plan to end reliance on Russian gas
9 Mar 2022
As countries scramble to reduce their reliance on Russia's oil and gas in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine, few places are as exposed as the European Union.
Tesla is a complete climate embarrassment: report
9 Mar 2022
A new report grades companies on their efforts to meet the Paris Agreement goals. Microsoft leads the pack while Tesla is bringing up the rear.
Apparel makers greening their factories in developing world
9 Mar 2022
Sometime in the coming month, a South Korean clothing manufacturer plans to flip the switch on a pair of solar power projects on the rooftops of two of its factories in southern Vietnam. The $5.6 million project won’t cost Hansoll Textile, the manufacturer, a penny.
A radical, carbon negative project in Turkey is turning algae into bio-jet fuel
8 Mar 2022
The first carbon-negative biorefinery in Europe opened in Istanbul and is utilising algae to make a variety of products for multiple sectors in Turkey.
Number of cars de-registered almost doubled in 2021
7 Mar 2022
A total of 424,328 vehicles weren’t re-registered in 2021 up from 217,610 in 2020.
A reprieve for coal? Xi Jinping urges ‘realism’ on China’s road to carbon goals
7 Mar 2022
China’s declining coal industry got a boost on the weekend when Chinese President Xi Jinping called for a “realistic” approach to achieving the country’s carbon neutrality goals.
Southern Hemisphere's first electric ferry cuts emissions by 80+%
2 Mar 2022
The Ika Rere, the Southern Hemisphere's only electric ferry, carried its first paying customers yesterday and initial indications are it will cut carbon emissions by up to 85%.
100% green power by 2035 – high hopes for Germany's next renewables reform
2 Mar 2022
Germany’s government has initiated the first steps of a wide-ranging renewables reform that should make the country’s power supply almost 100 percent renewable by 2035.
These solar panels pull in water vapor to grow crops in the desert
2 Mar 2022
Using a unique hydrogel, scientists in Saudi Arabia created a solar-driven system that successfully grows spinach by using water drawn from the air while producing electricity.
As petrol prices rise, will carbon emissions come down?
2 Mar 2022
No one likes paying A$1.80 per litre for petrol. But amid forecasts of prices climbing to $2.10 as Russian’s invasion of Ukraine drags on, it’s possible some good could come of that pain – including greater energy independence and a faster path to net-zero emissions.
Energy sector methane emissions 70% above national estimates: IEA
1 Mar 2022
Global methane emissions from the energy sector are about 70% greater than the amount national governments have officially reported, according to new IEA analysis released today, underlining the urgent need for enhanced monitoring efforts and stronger policy action to drive down emissions of the potent greenhouse gas.
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.
