Topics tagged with 'Energy'
Australia could phase out coal in a decade
10 Sep 2021
With coal prices reaching all time highs, professor economics John Quiggan argues its time for the lucky country to commit to phasing out coal within the next decade.
Norway’s oil and money up for grabs in the coming election
10 Sep 2021
Norway’s electorate has an existential choice to face about its Oil Fund, associated with domestic prosperity but looming climate catastrophe.
Fossil fuels must remain in ground to avoid missing Paris target
9 Sep 2021
A new study in Nature reports that oil, gas and coal production must begin falling immediately to have even a 50 percent chance of keeping global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Digital twins key to creating net-zero cities
9 Sep 2021
Digital twins of buildings and cities could become an essential tool in the battle against climate change, according to technology experts.
Not seeing the wood for the trees—the EU’s environmental blunder
8 Sep 2021
The European Union is leading the world in adopting limits on greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions, notably via hefty carbon taxes. New policies always experience teething problems but an EU environmental regulation adopted in 2009 has become an embarrassing own goal.
Investment in public transport is not enough: Greens
8 Sep 2021
Media Release - The Green Party welcomes the $6 billion being invested in public transport, walking and cycling through the National Land Transport Programme, as announced by the Minister of Transport today, however says it is nowhere near enough.
Weaponising carbon dioxide in the 21st century
6 Sep 2021
In the 20th century, oil became a major geopolitical weapon, most notably during OPEC’s 1973 oil embargo which caused a cataclysm shift in global power relations. OPEC continues to utilize this weapon to influence policy in the 21st century. Today, however, we are witnessing the development of another energy-related weapon that OPEC does not control: CO2
Europe could miss its 2030 greenhouse gas targets by 21 years
6 Sep 2021
Europe might be making progress on reducing emissions, but its largest utility company doesn't think officials are moving quickly enough. Reuters reports Enel has issued a study warning Europe could be late on reducing greenhouse gas emissions if it continues at its "current pace.
Solar ‘boom’ times as Lebanon’s fossil fuels run dry
3 Sep 2021
With electricity becoming a scarce commodity, thousands of well-off Lebanese are rushing to alternative energy.
A faster, fairer way to retire carbon-emitting assets
2 Sep 2021
New financial instruments are being designed and brought into the fight against climate change. One such potential instrument is the 'carbon retirement portfolio' (CRP).
Zimbabwe opens new coal mines
31 Aug 2021
Zimbabwe's government says more coal mining will create jobs and give the country's power supply a much-needed boost, but critics warn the environmental cost is too high.
China has carbon neutral goals, but at local level old habits die hard
30 Aug 2021
China is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2060, and for its carbon emissions to peak by 2030. But its initial efforts have been undermined regionally, partly by provinces continuing to launch high-energy and high-emissions projects.
Renewable energy and coal use both up
27 Aug 2021
The good news is that New Zealand’s use of renewable energy hit an all-time high of 40% last year, the not so good news is that coal accounted for 5% of electricity production– its highest share since 2013.
Carbon emissions from power sector soar
26 Aug 2021
Global carbon dioxide emissions from the power sector have surged past pre-pandemic levels to reach new highs, a new report examining trends during the first half of 2021 finds.
KiwiSaver funds slowly divesting from fossil fuels
24 Aug 2021
KiwiSaver funds’ investments in fossil fuel companies fell by $331 million in the six months to March, according to data released by ethical investment charity Mindful Money.
Judge overturns U.S. approval of Alaska oil project
20 Aug 2021
A federal judge has reversed the U.S. government's approval of ConocoPhillips' planned $6 billion Willow oil development in Alaska, citing problems with its environmental analysis, according to court documents.
Greenland halts new oil exploration
19 Aug 2021
Greenland has suspended all new oil and gas exploration, the country's government announced Thursday. Government officials said they believe the "price of oil extraction is too high," citing both economic considerations and the fight against climate change.
GHB move shows global market has turned on fossil fuels
19 Aug 2021
The Conversation: The announcement by BHP, the world’s second-largest mining company, that it will shift its oil and gas assets into a joint venture with Australian outfit Woodside is a clear indication the “Big Australian” is getting out of the carbon-based fuel industry
Corporate polluters reaping gains from carbon capture
18 Aug 2021
Over the last year, energy companies, electrical utilities and other industrial sectors have been quietly pushing through a suite of policies to support a technology that stands to yield tens of billions of dollars for corporate polluters, but may do little to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“Blue” hydrogen is worse for the climate than coal
16 Aug 2021
Gas companies and utilities are in a pickle. Their entire business model relies on the extraction, transport, and combustion of methane, one of the most potent greenhouse gases known to humankind. With many countries aiming to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, these companies face an uncertain future.
Hutt City to switch to LED lights
12 Aug 2021
The Hutt City Council will replace its 14,200 streetlights with LEDs, introduce EVs for its rubbish and recycling service, and phase out natural gas at all its facilities under a just released Carbon Reduction Plan
How to sell 'carbon neutral' fossil fuel that doesn't exist
12 Aug 2021
The junior traders at TotalEnergies SE were essentially winging it last September by orchestrating the French energy giant’s first shipment of “carbon-neutral” natural gas. It’s the greenest-possible designation for fossil fuel and an important step in making the company’s core product more palatable in a warming world. Nailing down the deal involved googling and guesswork.
UN experts call for more nuclear power stations
12 Aug 2021
The urgent need to reduce emissions and slow global heating, should involve the roll-out of more nuclear power stations, regional UN energy experts argued in a new briefing on Wednesday.
Contact and Genesis announce long-term renewable electricity agreement
12 Aug 2021
Media Release - Contact Energy is set to supply Genesis Energy with renewable electricity for 15 years from 2025, as part of a new, long-term power purchase agreement after key terms were signed yesterday.
Calls for greater solar uptake following power outage
11 Aug 2021
The Sustainable Energy Association and Greenpeace are both calling for more investment in solar energy following Monday night’s power outages.
Could winter tomatoes and capsicums be facing carbon extinction?
9 Aug 2021
The production director of one of New Zealand’s largest capsicum producers says the hike in the cost of carbon is a contributing factor in the decision by an increasing number of growers to quit the industry.
Auckland Council sued over lack of emission reductions
9 Aug 2021
A coalition of climate and transport advocacy groups has filed Court proceedings against Auckland Transport and Auckland Council in relation to its recently adopted land transport plan.
Half US cars to be zero-emission by 2030 - Biden
6 Aug 2021
President Biden wants half of cars sold in the US by 2030 to be zero-emission vehicles, the White House says.
New study into household energy use
5 Aug 2021
A collaboration between BRANZ and Stats NZ will see hundreds of homes assessed as part of a BRANZ study on energy use in New Zealand households.
Costa Rica eyes ban on fossil fuel exploration
5 Aug 2021
Costa Rican lawmakers this week will discuss a bill to permanently ban fossil fuel exploration and extraction, a move that would prevent future governments from pivoting on the issue as the popular eco-tourism destination country aims to decarbonize by 2050.
Surplus renewable energy powers Orkney's hydrogen economy
4 Aug 2021
Perched atop the United Kingdom, ten miles north of mainland Scotland, the Orkney Islands are a wild place. Encircled by roiling waters — the North Sea on one side, the Atlantic Ocean on the other — and battered by winds year round, the weather-lashed archipelago is bracing, beautiful and has in abundance that which others are scrambling to produce: renewable power.
Promising battery technology revealed
3 Aug 2021
Startup Form Energy has finally made public the battery chemistry behind a technology that the company claims could make challenges of integrating renewable energy a thing of the past and outcompete fossil fuels.
Genesis tilts towards renewables as it takes carbon hit
2 Aug 2021
Genesis Energy has announced a partnership with Tilt Renewables for a new wind farm in Northland on the same day as news breaks of the electricity and gas company taking a $53 million one-off hit on its earnings as a result of a dispute over liability for carbon emissions.
More countries hike climate pledges
2 Aug 2021
A group of mostly smaller countries submitted new, more ambitious climate pledges to the United Nations this week, raising pressure on big emitters including China to do the same ahead of a major U.N. climate summit in November.
Hydrogen makes business but not environmental sense: Krumdieck
29 Jul 2021
Shareholder profit rather than environmental sustainability is behind talk of using electricity currently powering the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter to produce hydrogen, professor of mechanical engineering Susan Krumdieck says.
EU's electricity demand jumps but emissions steady
29 Jul 2021
Electricity demand in the European Union has returned to pre-pandemic levels without a corresponding rise in emissions.
China avoids coal projects in Belt and Road for first time
28 Jul 2021
China didn't finance any coal projects via its Belt and Road Initiative in the first half, the first time that's happened since the plan was launched in 2013, the International Institute of Green Finance said in a report.
Convert Marsden Point to produce bio-crude: Bioenergy Assoc
26 Jul 2021
The government is asleep at the wheel and should be pushing for the Marsden Point Refinery to be repurposed to produce bio-crude, the executive officer of the Bioenergy Association, Brian Cox, says.
Coal imports hit historical high; methane targets require 'scientific Hail Mary': RNZ
26 Jul 2021
Climate change is making a splash on RNZ this morning. The public broadcaster has published an in-depth report on methane, a report on coal imports hitting and all time high, and a story on a new on-line emissions tracking tool.
The future of energy is a symbiotic grid
26 Jul 2021
In a decade-long building boom of renewable energy, we’ve reached a milestone. There are now one billion watts of wind and solar installed across the world. That’s about half the capacity of all coal and three times that of all nuclear.
Firstgas ordered to withdraw misleading advert
23 Jul 2021
Firstgas has been ordered by the Advertising Complaints Authority to withdraw an advert that suggested customers could continue to use gas without contributing carbon to the atmosphere.
Rich nations 'must consign coal to history': COP26 president
23 Jul 2021
Climate change talks this year aimed at keeping global warming in check need to consign coal power to history, the British president of the upcoming United Nations' conference says..
Coal not the way forward for Southland: NGOs
23 Jul 2021
Media Release - Environmental NGOs wrote to Southland District Council yesterday expressing deep concern over the Council’s decision to grant an access arrangement to New Brighton Collieries Limited (NBCL), an overseas owned company, for coal exploration in the Ohai forestry area.
Offshore wind turbines could make Australia an energy superpower
23 Jul 2021
New research confirms Australia’s offshore wind resources offer vast potential both for electricity generation and new jobs
Fully renewable energy feasible for Samoa: Otago study
23 Jul 2021
Media Release - The future of Samoa’s electricity system could go green, a University of Otago study has shown.
Energy companies announce ambitious hydrogen plans
22 Jul 2021
Contact Energy and Meridian Energy have announced plans for what they claim will be the world’s first large-scale producer of green hydrogen.
CO2 emissions set to hit record levels in 2023: IEA
21 Jul 2021
Only a small chunk of governments’ recovery spending in response to the Covid-19 pandemic has been allocated to clean energy measures, according to the International Energy Agency, with the Paris-based organization forecasting that carbon dioxide emissions will hit record levels in 2023.
Hydrogen agreement signed with Singapore
16 Jul 2021
Media Release - The signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation on low-carbon hydrogen with Singapore signals the start of greater collaboration between the two countries as they transition towards low carbon economies, says Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods.
Contact converts NZD$305m to Sustainability Linked Loans
13 Jul 2021
Media Release - Contact Energy (Contact) now has New Zealand’s largest group of Sustainability Linked Loans (SLLs) after converting its remaining NZD$305m of bank facilities to SLLs.
Further onshore gas exploration possible
12 Jul 2021
Iwi Maori will be consulted before a decision is made on whether any new onshore, gas exploration permits are issued, the Minister of Energy and Resources, Megan Woods, told Parliament last week.
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.
