Topics tagged with 'Energy'
Greening the world's largest energy grid
20 May 2021
One of the most pressing challenges for China to meet its pledge to cap carbon emissions this decade and pivot toward renewables is overhauling its electricity grid, the world’s largest, officials and analysts say.
Has climate change's Christmas arrived?
19 May 2021
Last week, the Paekakariki-based former head of the IEA's climate change unit, Dr Christina Hood, asked on Twitter whether anyone else had that waiting for Christmas feeling in anticipation of the release of the International Energy Agency's Net Zero by 2050 report.
Taranaki engineering firm goes solar
19 May 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - Sunergise New Zealand Limited and Energyworks Limited, today announce the launch of a 150kW solar power system as part of efficiency and sustainability drive.
Boris tells Scott to step up his climate change game
17 May 2021
Boris Johnson urged Scott Morrison to sign up to net zero emissions by 2050 during a phone call held on the same day the British Prime Minister’s climate chief said it was time to “consign coal power to history”.
Solar panel industry uses forced Uyghur labour
17 May 2021
China's Xinjiang region has evolved over the past two decades into a major production hub for many of the companies that supply the world with parts needed to build solar panels.
Capital a step closer to fossil-fuel free CBD
14 May 2021
The Wellington City Council yesterday voted to direct staff to investigate the Wellington Fossil-Fuel Free Central City 2025 proposal put forward by councillor Tamatha Paul.
Best by the rest...
14 May 2021
Our weekly roundup of notable climate change stories featured in local media incudes: a compelling case for meatless meat, a survey showing times up for gas guzzlers, and the tipping point looming for business.
Climate change takes centre stage in infrastructure proposals
13 May 2021
Cheaper public transport, congestion charges, centralising the waste and recycling sectors, off-shore wind farms and up to a 10-fold increase in the price of carbon used to calculate the cost-benefit ratio of new projects are some of the ideas put forward in the infrastructure Commission’s 30 year draft strategy released yesterday.
High carbon price hits coal
13 May 2021
Europe's record-high carbon prices are driving down coal use,
Five new solar farms announced
12 May 2021
Auckland-based Lodestone Energy today announced plans to construct five solar power farms across the top of the North Island generating enough electricity to power a city the size of Hamilton.
Dutch banning fossil fuel advertising
7 May 2021
How do you wean the Dutch off fossil fuels? Well, you could always start by banning advertisements that promote them.
Blue economy crucial in transition to a green one
7 May 2021
The transition to a greener, more sustainable economy will be impossible without the support of industries based around the ocean and coasts – known as the blue economy – according to the European Commission.
Certification system for renewable gas proposed
4 May 2021
Certified Energy an issuer of certificates for 100 per cent renewable or zero-carbon electricity is proposing a similar system for renewable gas.
Expert calls for drastic cut to size of houses
4 May 2021
Energy efficient building renovation is not enough to lessen the climate impact of residential buildings, according to one sustainability expert who is calling for a limit on the living space allocated per person in residential homes.
Cool homes and hot water are there on the cheap
30 Apr 2021
Would you like cool homes and hot water without paying to power them? They’re already working in the laboratory - reports Tim Radford of the Climate News Network.
Covering Climate Now Journalism Awards
30 Apr 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - Covering Climate Now andColumbia Journalism Review are proud to launch an annual award to celebrate exemplary journalism about the defining story of our time.
The beer diaries: the greening of your lager
29 Apr 2021
A couple of months back, Lion declared, in an advert wrapped around the NZ Herald, that it had gone zero carbon. Last week, its major rival, DB, announced “an array of bold new sustainability targets” including transitioning to 100 per cent renewable energy.
Nuclear industry’s unfounded claims let it survive
29 Apr 2021
It is the global nuclear industry’s unfounded claims – not least that it is part of the solution to climate change because it is a low-carbon source of electricity – that allow it to survive, says environmentalist Jonathan Porritt
Climate Change photo competition winners announced
29 Apr 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - 1854 & British Journal of Photography announce the winners of the inaugural Decade of Change award
Lest we forget: the carbon footprint of war
27 Apr 2021
With global spending on the military just shy of US$2 trillion in 2020, it’s hardly a surprise that the world’s armies are a major contributor to climate change.
Blanket bans on fossil-fuel will entrench poverty
23 Apr 2021
Africa needs reliable energy infrastructure, not rich-world hypocrisy, argues Vijaya Ramachandran in Nature.
EU carbon prices hit all-time high
23 Apr 2021
EU carbon allowance prices hit an all-time high of over Eur47/mt April 22 as bullish mood continued in the market in the wake of the EU's informal agreement on a revamped 2030 emissions reduction goal.
Best by the rest...
22 Apr 2021
In our weekly round up of the best climate coverage in the local media, we include items by Jim Salinger on over fishing's mammoth threat to the climate, former PM Helen Clark on her vision of a green NZ, and talk of a night train between Auckland and Wellington.
Governments not consulting workers on climate change
22 Apr 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - An analysis by the International Trade Union Confederation has found that most new climate plans submitted by governments under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change lack sufficient ambition, Just Transition plans and social dialogue.
Global energy inequality deeper than bitcoin
21 Apr 2021
Californians alone use more power playing games and heating their pools than entire countries in Africa
China slams European border levy proposal
20 Apr 2021
Chinese President Xi Jinping slammed the European Union’s plan for a carbon border levy in a call with the leaders of France and Germany on Friday (16 April), according to state media.
The campaign against the climate
20 Apr 2021
A 30-year-long project by some in the oil industry, who have spent millions of dollars manipulating public opinion and perceptions of climate change, is revealed in a new Al Jazeera documentary by Danish filmmaker Mads Ellesoe.
350 Aotearoa welcomes govt's stance
20 Apr 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - Climate justice organisation 350 Aotearoa is celebrating the direction from the government for the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) to accelerate its moves to divest from investments in fossil fuels.
Shell offsets emissions with efficient stoves in Africa
19 Apr 2021
Sustainable energy services provider C-Quest Capital has signed a deal with Shell Eastern Trading to fund the generation of more than 60 million carbon credits using clean cookstoves in Africa.
Indian government country's biggest investor in coal-fired generators
19 Apr 2021
Government support and public money investment into coal is the only factor keeping India away from shrinking its coal capacity. The latest data shows that private sector has taken a step back and almost all coal-fired power plants which are under construction belong to the public sector.
UN chief calls for revolution in city planning
19 Apr 2021
Media release - The United Nations Secretary-General, on Friday, called for a “revolution” in urban planning and urban transport to beat back impacts of climate change and build a green and sustainable future for all.
Best by the rest...
16 Apr 2021
The New Zealand Herald has published a series of articles in recent days as its contribution to Covering Climate Now's "Living Through the Climate Emergency" week of coverage in the lead up to Earth Day.
10 YEARS AGO...
16 Apr 2021
Ten years ago, Solid Energy said the Government was wrong to listen to Pike River Coal's advice on methane gas emissions from coal mines.
Europe risks €87 billion in stranded fossil gas assets
15 Apr 2021
Europe is building or planning to build €87 billion worth of fossil gas infrastructure in a continued expansion of pipelines and LNG terminals, despite the need to halve emissions by 2030.
Aboriginals fight new coal mine
13 Apr 2021
With support from the Australian government, the Adani corporation is pushing ahead with an environmentally destructive coal mine in Queensland. But the traditional Aboriginal owners of the land, the Wangan and Jagalingou nation, are waging a determined fight to stop them.
Unions call for a just transition
12 Apr 2021
Unions are calling for large-scale public investment as part of a “just transition” to a carbon-zero future in their submissions to the Climate Commission’s draft report.
Emissions and economy decoupling
12 Apr 2021
A new study has found that economic growth and total greenhouse gas emission have been decoupled in 32 developed nations - including New Zealand... just.
NZ emissions down, household emissions up
9 Apr 2021
The good news is that New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions were down in the year to December 2020, the not so good news is that that same month saw household emissions reach their highest ever level.
The week in review
9 Apr 2021
The week that was: The PM accepts invite to virtual climate summit; slow burn on coal boiler shutdown; renewable energy stocks tumble, and the kids hit the streets.
The decline of coal in China
9 Apr 2021
When President Xi Jinping committed China to achieving carbon neutrality by 2060 at the UN General Assembly, this was good news for many, including electric vehicle manufacturers and the renewable energies industries. One sector that stands to lose is the coal industry.
NSW's big ugly coal problem
9 Apr 2021
On Wednesday this week, the New South Wales Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW, Industry and Trade John Barilaro stood next to a train packed with coal, hurtling past metres away as he espoused the benefits of coal mining (sadly, he failed to literally salute it, as he had promised in the tweet).
Government bans new coal boilers
8 Apr 2021
New coal boilers used in manufacturing and production are to be banned by the end of the year, the government announced today.
Where £100 can make you a solar entrepreneur
8 Apr 2021
In Bath, England, even the smallest investors can support – and profit from – the city’s green energy boom.
Renewable LPG the answer
7 Apr 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - Renewable LPG can supply New Zealand’s LPG needs and achieve the emissions reductions proposed by the Climate Commission without the need to ban new connections, a new study shows.
MBIE seeking feeback on insulation
7 Apr 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - MBIE is asking for feedback on whether New Zealanders think the Building Code should be updated to require more insulation in new homes and buildings. The proposals also suggest adopting new climate zones to better reflect the New Zealand environment.
Zimbabwean teen leads fight for climate
7 Apr 2021
Zimbabwean teenager Nkosilathi Nyathi has introduced solar power to his school and his now campaigning globally to fight climate change.
10 YEARS AGO...
7 Apr 2021
Ten years ago British electricity generators were facing a minimum carbon price of 16 quid a tonne - more than twice being paid by those in NZ at the time.
NZ Initiative: leave it to the ETS
6 Apr 2021
An NZU price of $50 is all that’s needed to deliver net-zero emissions by 2050, according to the NZ Initiative.
Climate strikers are back
6 Apr 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - The Youth of NZ will once again be standing up for climate action on April 9th of 2021. From Auckland to Dunedin and everywhere in between we will demand fast and effective climate action.
Biden says plan will 'finally' address climate change
1 Apr 2021
United States President Joe Biden says his new infrastructure plan will allow “transformational progress in our ability to tackle climate change” by bolstering investments in clean energy, electric vehicles and building homes resilient to threats posed by the climate crisis.
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.
