Topics tagged with 'Energy'
Oil and gas majors would create $78bn more value by stopping exploration
11 Dec 2025
Media release | Ten of the world’s largest oil and gas companies would create significantly more shareholder value by ending exploration and sharply curtailing upstream development, according to new analysis released today by ACCR.
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.
Trans-Tasman ministers push climate cooperation amid NZ retreat from climate commitments
8 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Last week's 2+2 Climate and Finance Ministers’ Dialogue in Auckland urged deeper trans-Tasman climate cooperation, despite New Zealand’s recent moves to weaken climate policies.
What Victoria auditor-general's report actually says about so-called 'transition chaos'
8 Dec 2025
Mainstream media loves a electricity blackout scare, but in the wake of this week’s report from the Victorian auditor-general on the state of the state’s transition to renewables, the headline hysteria hit new heights.
Market rewards firming over renewables in gentailer split
3 Dec 2025
A clearer valuation divide is emerging across the gentailer sector, with the market increasingly rewarding companies positioned for flexibility and firming rather than renewable build-out.
UK's 'largest' floating solar farm given go-ahead
3 Dec 2025
The 46,500-panel array will be installed at the Port of Barrow's Cavendish Dock in Cumbria and will be capable of producing enough energy to power 14,000 homes a year.
Tribunal warns govt geothermal strategy risks Treaty breach
2 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government's geothermal development strategy risks breaching the Treaty of Waitangi, according to a report from the Waitangi Tribunal released last week.
‘Highly uncertain’ ETS hampers Genesis biomass plans
28 Nov 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | “Highly uncertain” New Zealand carbon prices and market settings are identified as a commercial threat by Genesis Energy to its planned use of biomass to replace coal and gas at its Huntly power station by 2028.
Cheaper power and lower emissions for Chatham Islands funded by ETS revenue
26 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has hailed the success of a wind turbine project for the Chatham Islands paid for by Emissions Trading Scheme revenue from a fund the Coalition Government has since canned.
Councils call for action on sweltering new homes
26 Nov 2025
Media release | The New Zealand Green Building Council and Auckland Council are calling for Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk to take steps to address the problem of new homes overheating.
European Investment Bank pledges over 2 billion euros for African renewables projects
26 Nov 2025
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is pledging more than 2 billion euros ($2.3 billion) of financing for renewable energy projects on the African continent over the next two years.
NZ’s energy system at a crossroads – report
21 Nov 2025
A new report says New Zealand’s rapid shift toward a 95% renewable electricity system is at a critical turning point, urging faster consenting, stronger firming solutions and better grid planning.
New partnership to fast-track grid connections for major renewable and storage projects
21 Nov 2025
Powerco Transmission Services (PTS) has signed a new agreement with Kākāriki Renewables to streamline delivering large-scale wind, solar, and battery projects across New Zealand, in a move intended to accelerate the country’s transition to a low-emissions energy system.
Mounting emissions due to Government decisions
20 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Coalition Government’s climate policies have added a whopping 26 million tonnes of emissions out to 2030, according to new analysis of Government projections.
NZ and Iceland collaborate on geothermal energy
20 Nov 2025
Media release: New Zealand Government | New Zealand and Iceland today signed an agreement to deepen cooperation on geothermal energy development.
Fast-track rewrite triggers procedural clash in Parliament
19 Nov 2025
The Government has entangled itself in a procedural dispute as it tries to push amendments to its fast-track regime through Parliament before Christmas.
Southland windfarm plan moves through Fast Track process
19 Nov 2025
By Matthew Rosenberg, Local Democracy Reporter | A $1.1 billion Southland windfarm proposal has reared its head at a regional council after facing rejection earlier this year.
Act-NZ First split over future of the energy sector
14 Nov 2025
Act leader David Seymour has set out an energy policy platform that diverges sharply from coalition partner NZ First, arguing New Zealand must accept coal-fired backup generation, consider nuclear power, remove political interference from the electricity sector and sell down the government’s majority stakes in the gentailers.
Clean energy could become a huge political winner
12 Nov 2025
Rising power bills quietly shaped this year’s races – and gave Democrats a new attack line on climate.
Regulator signs off on deal to retain Huntly capacity
11 Nov 2025
The Commerce Commission has authorised the Huntly Firming Option (HFO), allowing Contact Energy, Meridian Energy and Mercury NZ to pay Genesis Energy to keep one of its ageing Rankine units available as backup generation until December 2035.
We have more renewable energy than ever before. Why are we switching it off?
11 Nov 2025
Experts say until more storage is installed to soak up the waves of renewable energy flooding the grid, much of that power will occasionally have to be curtailed.
Nation-building projects and the energy transition
10 Nov 2025
By Ian Mason | COMMENT: Last month, the Labour Party announced its first key election policy: to create a ‘New Zealand Future Fund’ to deliver “lasting national value, stronger communities, lower costs, more resilient industries, and opportunities that keep talent and ideas in New Zealand”.
Govt gas expansion 'climate vandalism' – Greens
7 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Green Party has labelled the Government’s move to broaden the scope of its $200 million fossil gas investment fund as vandalism, accusing Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of breaking trust with New Zealanders.
New Indigenous-led Climate Institute opens at Lincoln University
6 Nov 2025
Media release | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University proudly announces a pivotal new chapter in climate resilience with the establishment of the Kāika Institute of Climate Resilience.
“Dirty and expensive:” City of Sydney bans gas as it votes to electrify all new big buildings
6 Nov 2025
The City of Sydney has followed the example of the ACT and Victoria governments and voted unanimously to require all newly built residential buildings, medium to large commercial buildings, hotels, and serviced apartment buildings, to be all-electric.
Hutt City Council slashes gas emissions
3 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Hutt City Council is set to cut its gas emissions by 60% by 2026 as it speeds up phasing out fossil fuels from public facilities.
Scrutiny on energy security
3 Nov 2025
A special debate in Parliament put the Government’s energy security agenda under scrutiny, with parties splitting sharply over the role of gas, the place of an LNG import terminal, and how far to push market reform to ease pressure on power bills.
Lake Onslow battery project set for revival?
29 Oct 2025
A newly formed private consortium has emerged with plans to finance and build the massive Lake Onslow pumped-hydro project, despite the coalition government’s decision to abandon the scheme.
Celebrities slam mining plans
28 Oct 2025
Actor Sam Neill has slammed plans for a gold mine in Otago, while Denniston Rose author Jenny Pattrick is backing a petition that would stop a coalmine on the West Coast.
Bill to ban new coal mines fails at first reading
24 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A bid to outlaw new coal mines was defeated at its first hurdle in Parliament this week, after a heated debate pitting climate imperatives against energy security and affordability.
‘Plain old dull’: NZU market continues to limp sideways
24 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The NZU market has been “plain old dull” in recent months, with activity driven mainly by credit opportunities or a specific need to raise cash, according to Lizzie Chambers of trading platform Carbon Match.
Genesis doubles down on Huntly as renewables ramp up
24 Oct 2025
Genesis Energy is doubling down on Huntly’s role as New Zealand’s energy backstop while accelerating one of the country’s largest pipelines of new renewable generation.
Govt launches strategy backing wood-based heat sector
23 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Forestry biomass could replace as much as 40% of fossil fuel-generated process heat by 2050, but access to supply, regulatory settings and business cases for converting to wood-based heat sources are required, the Government says in a series of documents released yesterday.
Penk relaxes consenting for rooftop solar
23 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has introduced new consent exemptions designed to streamline the installation of rooftop solar panels across New Zealand.
Wet spring lifts gentailers into strongest start since 2021
22 Oct 2025
New Zealand’s main electricity generators head into summer with lake levels well above average and wholesale prices holding firm, setting up a strong start to the 2026 financial year and easing price pressure after two years of volatile supply.
Electricity Authority proposes doubling solar export limits to 10 kW
20 Oct 2025
The Electricity Authority is proposing a default 10kW export limit for small-scale generation, saying new inverter standards and voltage settings allow homes and businesses to feed more power into local networks without compromising safety.
Unlocking the national potential of flexible energy use through residential appliances – EECA calling for submissions
16 Oct 2025
Media release | EECA is asking for feedback from the energy sector on a newly published green paper about unlocking the potential of demand flexibility through end-use products, such as appliances, used in New Zealand homes.
Lightyears secures funding for solar farm portfolio expansion
15 Oct 2025
Media release | Solar farm developer, Lightyears, has refinanced with Australian renewables lender, Infradebt, to take their portfolio of solar farms to 27MW, split across five farms. Three farms are already operational and two more are under construction.
Transpower tracks more than 100 new grid projects
14 Oct 2025
Transpower’s latest connection data show more than 100 generation, storage and load projects in its pipeline, reflecting the rapid pace of electrification across the country.
LNG and purchasing power
13 Oct 2025
Cabinet’s electricity reforms put two tools on the table to shore up energy security – leveraging the Crown’s purchasing power and advancing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import option, both aimed at tackling the dry-year shortfall when hydro lakes run low and prices spike.
US Energy Department to slash nearly $24 billion in green project funding
9 Oct 2025
The US Energy Department is slashing nearly $24 billion of funding for climate projects, as the Trump administration moves to further unwind Biden-era climate policies during the government shutdown.
Solar and wind power overtake coal as world’s biggest generator of electricity, report finds
8 Oct 2025
The authors say it's a sign that renewables can keep up the pace with the growing appetite for electricity worldwide.
UK Conservatives promise to ditch carbon pricing
8 Oct 2025
The UK’s opposition Conservative party (currently third in the polls) has pledged to cut energy prices by scrapping carbon pricing and wind subsidies.
The dry year problem
7 Oct 2025
One of the most pressing problems confronting New Zealand’s electricity system is the “dry-year challenge” – the risk that low hydro inflows coincide with falling domestic gas supply, leaving the system without enough firm capacity to keep prices stable.
Solar farm gets fast-track treatment
6 Oct 2025
Lodestone Energy’s proposed 220 MW solar farm at Haldon Station in the Mackenzie Basin has become the first solar project to be referred to an expert panel under the Fast-track Approvals Act 2024.
Will govt’s light touch approach lead to higher carbon prices?
3 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Carbon market watchers are hoping the government’s plan for the electricity sector will eventually lead to higher carbon prices, with the secondary market still trading sideways for the longest time in its history.
NZ quiet on climate target at UN meeting
2 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand didn't mention its recently minted – but widely criticised – climate target for 2035 at a major multilateral climate meeting in New York last week, at an event which was ostensibly billed as a platform for leaders to present their new targets.
‘Damp squib’ – Govt energy plan slammed for locking in fossil fuels
2 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Critics across business, climate groups and the opposition say the Government’s electricity reforms duck structural change, double down on LNG and gas, and offer little relief for soaring power prices – warning of an “expensive white elephant", deeper energy poverty and a missed chance to scale renewables.
Electricity to remain in ETS
1 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has rejected Frontier Economics' recommendation that electricity should be removed from the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Climate credibility gap widening for Aussie firms
1 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Australian public companies’ climate change commitments are in retreat, reflecting difficulty in achieving stated targets and increased fossil use, but not because of any pressure to make less effort, according to a study of major companies’ ESG reporting.
Climate adaptation plans welcomed, but funding remains the missing piece
Today 11:45am
By Oli Lewis | Experts are welcoming a proposal to make climate adaptation planning mandatory, but warn the plans may be ineffective without clarity around who will pay to implement them.
New legislation to bar climate torts proves polarising for submitters
Today 11:45am
By Liz Kivi | Opponents of legislation to block climate lawsuits say it could seriously damage investor confidence, while supporters of the same legislation argue that not passing it could be “devastating” for the New Zealand economy.
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A $30 million government package to support regional air routes risks delivering poor value for money while increasing emissions, according to transport strategist Tim Adriaansen.
Media round-up
9 Jul 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The Government re-wrote fast-track law after mining companies pushed for change; costs from inland flooding are expected to rise by up to 53% by 2075; and is there such a thing as a sustainable tourist?
University launches worldwide search for nature-focused researchers
Wed 15 Jul 2026
Media release | As governments and businesses around the world grapple with climate change and biodiversity loss, Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland is launching an international search for ten PhD researchers to help shape a more nature positive economy.
Inaction on shipping decarbonisation could cost NZ up to $94b by 2050, report says
30 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | Failing to support and enable the decarbonisation of the shipping industry could result in losses of $17.5 billion to $94.4b to the New Zealand economy by 2050, according to a report from the Aotearoa Circle.
Emissions Trading Scheme ‘stockpile’ shrinking
9 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The “stockpile” of NZUs in private accounts continues to shrink, with the latest Environmental Protection Authority figures showing the number has dropped by 9.5 million since this time last year.
UK withdraws millions in funding from world’s second-largest rainforest in Congo
Today 11:45am
The UK has abandoned projects worth tens of millions of pounds that were meant to help protect Congo rainforests and support local people.
Climate law introduced requiring adaptation plans and reducing Commission's role
Wed 15 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The Government has introduced legislation to amend the Climate Change Response Act (CCRA), which includes stripping the Climate Change Commission of one of its core roles, adds a new requirement for councils to produce adaptation plans for higher-risk areas, and updates ETS settings.
Coal is back in Australian Super’s portfolio. What happened to that net zero pledge?
Mon 13 Jul 2026
In 2020 Australia’s biggest super fund dumped its Whitehaven shares. Fast forward to 2026 and it is now the coalminer’s single biggest investor.
Politicians need to lead on climate: Carr
30 Jun 2026
As the election campaign heats up, former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr has a list of actions he's hoping to see from our aspiring leaders, which includes confronting climate denial as well as refusing funds or policy advice from vested interests.
EMA pushes for steady hand on energy and regulation
Mon 13 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Employers and Manufacturers Association wants the next government to commit to a long-term energy plan and allow faster investment in renewable generation, at the same time as slowing the pace of policy change and providing businesses with greater certainty.
What Magyar’s defeat of Orbán in Hungary means for climate and energy
21 Apr 2026
Hungary has played a disproportionate role in EU climate and energy policy in recent years, by repeatedly vetoing climate action and by delaying the phaseout of Russian fossil-fuel imports.
Experts call on Govt to withdraw ‘repugnant’ legislation to block climate lawsuits
Mon 13 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers and climate policy experts are calling on the Government to withdraw legislation intended to block climate lawsuits, with an adaptation expert arguing that the legislation could worsen the insurance protection gap.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
20 Feb 2026
Several environmental organisations are calling on political parties to make climate and biodiversity central to the 2026 election campaign, with reforming the Emissions Trading Scheme seen as a key priority.
The heat waves are Andy Burnham’s problem now
Today 11:45am
Recent record-breaking hot weather in the U.K. has made a chunk of voters more worried about climate change and impatient for help from the government.
Tarakihi on verge of extinction: Stock collapse exposes major fisheries management failings
3 Jul 2026
Media release: Environmental Defence Society | Fisheries NZ is consulting on new sustainability measures for the country’s two tarakihi stocks.
Seymour ‘imploring’ council to go easy on foresters is abuse of authority: EDS
7 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Environmental Defence Society says that Regulation Minister David Seymour’s attempt to influence Gisborne District Council to ‘go easy’ on forestry companies in enforcing environmental laws is a clear abuse of ministerial authority.
Government running out of time to lock in LNG import terminal deal before election
Thu 16 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | Procurement for a floating LNG import terminal in Taranaki is well advanced, the Government says, but the clock is ticking to sign contracts before the election.
Clock ticks on Gas Security Fund as Tariki developer reports ongoing losses
Wed 15 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | A Canadian company advancing a major gas storage project in New Zealand continues to report ongoing losses.
$3m Govt boost for Tauranga geothermal energy
Tue 14 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Resources Minister Shane Jones has announced a $3 million grant for the Gas to Geoheat Tauranga Geothermal System Project as part of the Government's plan to double geothermal energy by 2040.
The arms race to climate calamity
Today 11:45am
COMMENT: Both Australia and New Zealand are justifying spending millions of dollars on high-end killing machines by hyping the so-called China threat, while downplaying the very real threat of climate change to the Pacific region, writes Jeremy Rose.
Conservation bill risks climate goals, lawyers say
1 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action NZ says the Government's plan to change the law to encourage economic development on conservation land could undermine New Zealand's climate goals by weakening the land's ability to store carbon, as well as allowing new sources of emissions such as mining.
Govt climate claims don't match reality, lawyers say
17 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action has accused the Government of presenting an overly positive picture of New Zealand's climate progress at the United Nations climate summit in Bonn, arguing key claims on emissions reductions and support for the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal are not reflected in domestic policy.
Lake Onslow pumped hydro consortium secures funding for consent push
26 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | The consortium behind Lake Onslow pumped hydro has secured funding to finalise its resource consent application, aiming to lodge it under the fast-track process before 2027.
Ballance secures gas for 2026 as it progresses energy transition plan
16 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | One of the largest industrial gas users in New Zealand is working on an energy transition plan to futureproof domestic fertiliser manufacturing, while continuing to secure ongoing gas supply contracts.
Climate change is here and we’re all paying for it
Wed 15 Jul 2026
By Raewyn Peart | COMMENT: Another week, another storm. Just days ago, Kaikōura saw two months of rain fall within 48 hours, the most recent in a long line of adverse weather events.
Climate law change spanner in the works for Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry
19 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s controversial changes to New Zealand’s legal framework for climate policy have thrown a spanner in the works for a long-running Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry into climate change.
Sustainable Business Council listed on submission supporting climate torts bar
Today 11:45am
By Liz Kivi | Business New Zealand’s submission supporting legislation to block climate lawsuits raised eyebrows this week for listing the Sustainable Business Council as seemingly in support of the controversial law change.
Planetary Facts dashboard aims to make environmental costs visible
Wed 15 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Consumers can now compare the environmental impacts of everyday products with a new online dashboard designed to do for sustainability what nutrition labels have long done for food.
Climate risks could reshape business finances, new guidance warns
15 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New guidance warns climate change is set to fundamentally reshape financial outcomes for businesses, including difficult-to-model climate “tipping points” – irreversible changes such as ice sheet collapse or ocean circulation shifts – which threaten severe and sudden financial impacts.
UN chief says fossil fuel industry must cut methane for warming “relief”
25 Jun 2026
UN chief António Guterres called for stronger action to cut emissions of planet-heating methane, taking aim at the fossil fuel industry’s practices and profits, and pointing to coal, oil and gas as the root of today’s climate and energy crises.
What’s next for Sams Creek after failed mining bid?
Wed 15 Jul 2026
Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | A controversial gold mining application at Sams Creek has been declined, leaving question marks hanging over the future of the land.
Pacific coral reefs face mounting climate threat – experts
Thu 16 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Coral reef scientists are warning that climate change is accelerating the decline of reef ecosystems across the Pacific, with rising ocean temperatures, marine heatwaves and sea-level rise threatening both biodiversity and the communities that depend on them.
Ugandan farmers launch UK court case against East African oil pipeline
9 Jul 2026
Four Ugandan farmers filed a case with London’s High Court aiming to stop the East African Crude Oil Pipeline from starting to operate by asking the court to apply Uganda’s laws against the project’s UK-registered company.
Carbon markets and biochar: a golden opportunity for NZ?
1 Jul 2026
By John O’Brien | COMMENT: New Zealand’s abundant and increasing forestry waste could become a multi-billion dollar opportunity for biochar carbon sequestration – as long as the right policies, programmes, and incentives are in place.
A real ‘intergenerational equity’ budget would address Australia’s unceasing environmental decline
15 May 2026
Labor has unveiled a budget designed to tackle intergenerational equity in Australia through bold tax reform.
UN plastics pact talks restart amid fears production curbs will be left out
2 Jul 2026
Diplomats reconvene a year after negotiations collapsed, but campaigners fear the agenda risks burying tricky discussions on key elements.
Conservation bill could put development ahead of protection, commissioner warns
Today 11:45am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton says the proposed law changes could give economic development greater weight than conservation, undermining the purpose of the Conservation Act.
Northern Thai residents march for action on polluted rivers. ‘This is an emergency’
9 Jun 2026
More than 600 residents of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces embarked May 31 on a roughly 68-kilometer, six-day ‘peace walk’ to demand the Thai government take action on the river pollution crisis that has seen Thai rivers polluted with heavy metals.
Swarbrick slams $50m critical minerals funding as 'Trump's war machine' subsidy
7 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Green Party has criticised the Government's investment into two West Coast critical minerals projects, claiming the funding could ultimately support the United States defence industry rather than New Zealand's clean energy transition, while Shane Jones dismissed opponents as "flat earth idiots".
NZ lagging in energy storage investment – report
Tue 14 Jul 2026
Investment in energy storage is maturing globally, with the need for resilient and flexible power driving demand for storage, but New Zealand has some catching up to do, according to a new report.
Fast-track panel backs proposed Haldon Solar Farm
6 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The proposed Haldon Solar Farm in the Mackenzie Basin has moved to the final stages of the Fast-track Approvals Act process after the Fast-track Panel proposed granting approval for the project.
Shining a light on Trans-Tasman solar reforms
Tue 14 Jul 2026
OPINION: The real test of solar reforms is how fast retailers can turn new rules into working tariffs, writes Mark Humphreys.
Carbon trading schemes cut more emissions than carbon taxes, according to global study
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Carbon trading schemes are more effective than carbon taxes at reducing emissions, cutting fossil fuel use, and accelerating the shift to renewable energy, a global study has found.
Microsoft emissions surge 27% as AI buildout crimps climate goals
Mon 13 Jul 2026
Microsoft's greenhouse gas emissions jumped 27 percent in its latest fiscal year, the tech giant disclosed Thursday, adding to a wave of worsening environmental reports from an industry racing to build AI infrastructure.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
Govt backs hydrogen with national industry summit
9 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The Government is convening a major hydrogen conference to promote awareness and uptake of the alternative fuel.
‘Those blocking climate science are not our friends': Pacific leaders warn at Bonn talks
23 Jun 2026
Pacific nations and civil society groups have united at UN climate talks, pushing back against efforts to weaken agreed language on global temperature limits as negotiations continue behind closed doors.
Next Govt must restart action on plastic pollution
1 Jul 2026
Media release - Zero Waste Aotearoa | Plastic Free July begins with an urgent call to put plastic pollution back on the political agenda. Plastic Free July is a worldwide campaign to reduce plastic waste and eliminate single use plastics.
Greens announce water policy, including nitrogen fertiliser phase-out
7 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party announced its water policy yesterday, promising to phase out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, as well as destructive fishing methods, if the party is elected in November.
Canadian wildfire smoke chokes Toronto, threatens US cities
Today 11:45am
Toronto's air quality ranked the worst among major cities globally on Wednesday as wildfire smoke from northwestern Ontario blackened skies and spread into the northeastern United States, prompting health warnings and calls for residents to limit outdoor activities.
Faster consenting, harder trade-offs
7 Jul 2026
Faster consenting is starting to produce results, but this week's decisions show speed has not removed the harder trade-offs around electricity security, conservation, ecology and climate liability.
