Topics tagged with 'Energy'
Transport mainly to blame as emissions rise
11 Apr 2019
New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions are growing again, following the global trend.
Harrison our new voice on world climate stage
10 Apr 2019
New Zealand has a new Climate Change Ambassador.
Govt sleuths crack carbon emissions case
9 Apr 2019
The car fleet used by New Zealand's fraud sleuths might be the smallest in the entire Government, but it's also the most climate-friendly.
Hydrogen has a place, says new Clark group
4 Apr 2019
Hydrogen fuel could replace the Huntly coal and gas-fired power station to give New Zealand a totally renewable electricity generation system, the Helen Clark Foundation says in its first foray into public policy.
All corporates should come clean, says Sanford
2 Apr 2019
New Zealand’s largest fishing company is calling for all companies to monitor and report on environmental issues.
Let ETS do its job, says English's economist
1 Apr 2019
New Zealand should stay clear of direct intervention to bring down emissions from the electricity sector and instead let the Emissions Trading Scheme do its job.
Mercury gives go-ahead for Turita wind farm
28 Mar 2019
Energy generator and retailer Mercury says it is going ahead with what will be the country’s third-largest wind farm.
Business lobby warns of huge disruption
27 Mar 2019
Banning every industry except agriculture from using forestry credits to offset greenhouse gas emissions would be a huge disruption to the economy, says Business NZ.
Shipowners want out of 'unfair' ETS
25 Mar 2019
Shipowners want out of the Emissions Trading Scheme, saying it won’t be fair if they have to pay twice for their emissions.
Treasury sees use for international credits
22 Mar 2019
Treasury wants to retain the ability to use international carbon credits to meet New Zealand’s 2050 emissions reduction target, confidential papers show.
Plant waste key in new aviation fuel
22 Mar 2019
Waste from plants and trees could soon be fueling jet planes.
Tiwai and dairying push up emissions from coal
21 Mar 2019
The firing up of an extra pot-line at the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter and a strong dairying season pushed up New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of coal.
Taranaki eyes future in hydrogen economy
19 Mar 2019
Taranaki is talking up the hydrogen economy to replace its petrochemical wealth.
New ultra-thin material seen as breakthrough
19 Mar 2019
A new ultra-thin film that absorbs solar energy could revolutionise the harvesting of solar thermal energy.
How emitters can't see the trees for the carbon
18 Mar 2019
Storing carbon in new native forests could help to bring down New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions and protect native species at the same time, researchers say.
Shaw now first stop for farm emissions action
15 Mar 2019
The Interim Climate Change Committee will now report directly to climate minister James Shaw on whether the agricultural sector should be liable for emissions under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Big emitters join hands to buy carbon forests
15 Mar 2019
Four of New Zealand’s largest emitters are joining forces to supply their own carbon credits to meet obligations under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
CLIMATE CHAMPION: My struggle with the future
13 Mar 2019
Atmospheric physicist Professor James Renwick is struggling with the idea that the world might really delay action on climate change to the point of disaster.
OPINION: Wise words for the schoolkids
13 Mar 2019
This Friday’s strike by school students calling for action on climate change has the support of some of our wisest citizens. Wise Response Society secretary DUGALD MACTAVISH explains why.
Coal-fired stations deliver danger dust
13 Mar 2019
Modern coal-fired power stations produce more ultrafine dust particles than road traffic and can even modify and redistribute rainfall patterns, a new 15-year international study shows.
Shaw about to reveal climate policy timetable
12 Mar 2019
The Government will release details of its climate change policy timetable on Friday.
Bioenergy body hails hospital move to wood
12 Mar 2019
A decision to replace two coal-fired boilers at Christchurch Hospital with boilers that burn wood will help to create confidence in the woody biomass market, the Bioenergy Association says.
Wind turbine pioneer slams NZ procrastination
11 Mar 2019
A wind turbine company set up to make New Zealand “the Denmark of the Southern Hemisphere” is barely surviving because New Zealand continues to prop up dying industries, its founder says.
Aussies polish off green (but not as clean) Kiwis
8 Mar 2019
It mightn’t be greener, but Australia is cleaner than New Zealand, a new report says.
Councils might have to consider emissions
7 Mar 2019
Councils considering proposals under the Resource Management Act might soon have to take greenhouse gas emissions into account.
Sizzling summer comes in at No3 on hot list
6 Mar 2019
New Zealand has experienced two of the three hottest summers on record over the past two years.
Filters could capture CO2 in the air
6 Mar 2019
Billions of tonnes of carbon dioxide could be removed from the air with special filters, scientists say.
Fertiliser firm wants balance in carbon credits
5 Mar 2019
A company given millions of dollars’ worth of free carbon credits says the system giving it the units should not be stopped until at least 70 per cent of its competitors also face a carbon price.
Farmers must pay for emissions, say foresters
4 Mar 2019
The Government’s latest attempts to make the Emissions Trading Scheme attractive for forestry won’t work if farmers don’t have to pay for their emissions, say foresters.
Biomass energy could punch hole in emissions
28 Feb 2019
New Zealand could slash five million tonnes off its annual greenhouse gas emissions through the use of biomass energy in factories and for heavy transport, new figures show.
FLY FEAR: Fruit pest will enjoy warming climate
27 Feb 2019
The risk of Queensland fruit flies establishing in New Zealand is expecting to increase as the climate warms, threatening the country’s horticultural industry.
Look it up, minister tells West Coast council
27 Feb 2019
Climate minister James Shaw says he doesn’t intend explaining climate change to the West Coast Regional Council, which has expressed doubt about whether it is being caused by human activity.
Insurers warn of slump in property prices
26 Feb 2019
Insurers say there is a risk of a climate change-related slump in property prices leading to financial turmoil.
Nats make 'measured and reasonable' climate plan
25 Feb 2019
A National government might give fewer free carbon credits to trade-exposed industrial emitters but is unlikely to force a large-scale reduction in biological emissions from agriculture, according to a new paper.
Industrial plants see low carbon price as barrier
22 Feb 2019
Low carbon prices are stopping many large plants switching to low-emissions fuels, a report says.
Cullen report backs more environmental taxes
21 Feb 2019
Greater environmental taxes and strengthening of the Emissions Trading Scheme are on the way if the Government adopts recommendations from its Tax Working Group.
Bank opens for e-projects money
21 Feb 2019
Applications for the latest round of Government funding for low-carbon transport projects are open.
MONEY MYSTERY: How much will this cost us?
19 Feb 2019
Treasury expects most emitters to pay the Government a carbon fee this year instead of surrendering carbon credits – and that will cost the country money.
Plastic waste our prime worry, survey shows
13 Feb 2019
New Zealanders are capable of making the society-wide changes needed to tackle climate change – but at the moment they’re more focused on getting rid of plastic waste.
Mâori want say in planting of marginal land
12 Feb 2019
PLANS TO TURN farms on steep country into forests could see the Government run foul of Mâori economic development plans.
Methane should be carbon neutral, says Niwa
11 Feb 2019
The Government’s top climate research organisation says New Zealand’s methane emissions from agriculture should be carbon-neutral.
Why solar generation will be a big player
11 Feb 2019
Solar electricity generation has a big part to play in New Zealand’s low-carbon energy future, says the operator of the national grid.
NZ tumbles down climate-action rankings
8 Feb 2019
New Zealand has fallen down the international rankings for action on climate change.
Ardern will go all out for low-carbon economy
8 Feb 2019
Transitioning to a low-carbon economy is at the top of the Government’s budget priorities this year.
Industrial power challenges ETS deal for farmers
7 Feb 2019
A Labour-New Zealand First coalition agreement clause that guarantees farmers they will not pay as much as other sectors for their greenhouse gas emissions – if anything at all - is being challenged by one of our biggest industrial companies.
How NZ could offer a home to hydrogen
4 Feb 2019
Carbon prices of $300 to $400 a tonne could make hydrogen viable in New Zealand for electricity generation, a new report says.
Scientists find Scuba system can contain coal gases
1 Feb 2019
The chemical process used by Scuba divers can efficiently strip carbon dioxide out of the residue of coal-fired electricity generation, scientists say.
Coastal councils face billions in sea damage
31 Jan 2019
Billions of dollars worth of council-owned infrastructure is at risk from rising seas, says a new Local Government New Zealand report.
Why we must have climate-smart farming
31 Jan 2019
Food shocks are becoming more frequent as the climate changes, prompting calls for “climate-smart” farming systems and the building up of global food reserves.
Govt must show the way, says planning chief
30 Jan 2019
The head of the Planning Institute says the Government needs to step up and show the way for communities to plan for the impacts of climate change.
'A sneeze in the night': Peters questions NZ's climate culpability
Mon 4 Aug 2025
New Zealand First seems to be vying with ACT and farming lobby group Groundswell to claim credit for being the first to call for New Zealand to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.
Climate change policy growing concern for farming sector
Mon 4 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | While farmer confidence has hit an eight-year high, concerns about climate change policy and the Emissions Trading Scheme are growing in New Zealand’s rural sector, according to Federated Farmers.
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.
Why plane turbulence is becoming more frequent - and more severe
Wed 6 Aug 2025
As climate change shifts atmospheric conditions, experts warn that air travel could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are expected to increase the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.
Taking NZ biodiversity to the world
Wed 6 Aug 2025
Media release | Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari and Ekos are making history by launching New Zealand biodiversity and conservation into the global marketplace.
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.
Divided nations start 'final' talks on UN plastics treaty
Wed 6 Aug 2025
The key divide is whether the new treaty includes a target to limit plastic production or just focuses on recycling and waste management.
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.
Gentailers to stockpile coal under new deal
Tue 5 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | An agreement between New Zealand’s four major electricity generators to establish a 10-year fuel reserve is being labelled a 'climate change stockpile', and could undermine momentum for renewable energy investment.
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.
Insurers need to get ready for the next climate-fuelled disaster: FMA
Wed 6 Aug 2025
Insurers need to do more to improve their claims processes and services as climate-driven disasters increase in frequency and severity, according to the Financial Markets Authority.
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.
Can the US timber industry and forest carbon credit programs coexist?
Wed 6 Aug 2025
The climate crisis is forcing society to rethink existing technological and ecological systems. At the nexus of this challenge is how the U.S. values and manages forests.
Labour vows to reinstate oil and gas ban
Wed 6 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Labour Party is promising to reinstate a ban on new oil and gas exploration permits, but won’t say if they will go even further and commit to revoking permits if elected.
A modest geothermal strategy
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.
Barclays exits net zero banking alliance
Tue 5 Aug 2025
Barclays will exit the Net-Zero Banking Alliance, marking the second UK-based bank to withdraw from the UN-backed coalition dedicated to advancing global net zero goals through their financing activities, after the departure last month of HSBC.
EU climate goals at risk as ailing forests absorb less CO2, scientists say
Tue 5 Aug 2025
Damage to European forests from increased logging, wildfires, drought and pests is reducing their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, putting European Union emissions targets at risk, scientists warn.
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”.
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
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.
BlackRock, other fund managers lose bid to dismiss Texas climate collusion lawsuit
Tue 5 Aug 2025
A U.S. judge on Friday largely rejected a request by top asset managers including BlackRock, to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Texas and 12 other Republican-led states that said the companies violated antitrust law through climate activism that reduced coal production and boosted energy prices.
Fund for low emissions transport winds up
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.
Backlash over govt conservation changes
Mon 4 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government’s proposed changes to the Conservation Act are the most significant roll back in conservation protections in a generation, according to the Green Party.
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.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
31 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government is expected to repeal the oil and gas ban today, with a last-minute amendment handing discretionary power to two ministers over the controversial issue of decommissioning.
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.
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.
‘Total infiltration’: How plastics industry swamped vital global treaty talks
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.
Why I’m in a coal bucket
Mon 4 Aug 2025
By Rach Andrews | OPINION: People might wonder why a 53-year-old grandmother would choose to climb into a 80 metre high stinky coal bucket on the rainy West Coast and settle in for the long haul.
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.
Kōwhai Park solar farm reaches ‘golden row’ milestone, marking major step in delivery
Wed 6 Aug 2025
Media release – Christchurch Airport | Construction of one of New Zealand’s largest solar projects has reached a major milestone, with the installation of the first row of solar panels – known in the industry as the ‘Golden Row’ – now complete at Kōwhai Park solar farm.
Warmer end to winter but dry spell expected over southern lakes
Tue 5 Aug 2025
As hydro lake levels hover just below average levels, climate forecasts indicate that warmer than usual weather conditions will reduce demand, but there will likely be less rain over the southern hydro lakes as New Zealand moves towards spring and summer.
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
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.
'Yet another rate': Franz Josef ratepayers balk at $2.8m stopbank extension
Mon 4 Aug 2025
By Lois Williams, Local Democracy Reporter | Franz Josef ratepayers have given the thumbs down to plans for a $2.8 million stopbank extension to protect the town’s sewerage plant from the Waiho River.
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.
