Topics tagged with 'Energy'
Nuclear energy left behind, says report
11 Oct 2013
Nuclear power is the only mainstream energy technology that does not show significant growth, the Worldwatch Institute says.
Water key to sustainable development, says UN
11 Oct 2013
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stressed the vital role of water in sustainable development, highlighting in particular its importance with regard to food security, climate change and sanitation.
International update
11 Oct 2013
Westpac's carbon analysts cast their eyes across the international carbon markets.
Obama's strategy guru joins LanzaTech
4 Oct 2013
Digital communications strategist and Obama 2012 campaign manager Jim Messina is applying his talents to New Zealand-born LanzaTech.
IPCC report means no more excuses for NZ
4 Oct 2013
The latest IPCC report on climate change removes New Zealand’s excuses for not taking strong action on the problems.
We're thinking solar, say power people
4 Oct 2013
On and off-grid solar capacity in New Zealand has grown 370 per cent over the past two years, the Sustainable Electricity Association says.
Happiness is herbs for boom business
4 Oct 2013
A sustainable business started in a linen cupboard has turned into an $800,000-a-year company.
Animal emissions can be controlled , says report
4 Oct 2013
Wider use of available best practices and technologies could help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the livestock sector by as much as 30 per cent, according to a new study.
Home-energy firm wins UK accolade
4 Oct 2013
A Wellington-based home-energy efficient company has been recognised as part of the fastest-growing business in Britain.
What is NZ doing to help Pacific?
4 Oct 2013
CARBON MARKET SOLUTIONS continues its look at what New Zealand is doing to help its Pacific island neighbours adapt to climate change:
True carbon price bioenergy aid, says expert
27 Sep 2013
A realistic carbon price and support from large companies would help to propel bioenergy from a good idea to reality, says one of our leading experts.
100% Pure? We're ranked at a lowly 36
27 Sep 2013
“100% Pure” New Zealand ranks at just 36th in the world when it comes to environmental sustainability, according to a new international energy report.
Business better, gas emissions worse
27 Sep 2013
New Zealand’s strengthening economy is showing in our carbon emissions.
LanzaTech wins $4m US research grant
27 Sep 2013
LanzaTech has been awarded a $US4 million grant by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy of the US Department of Energy to work with partners on unlocking the energy in waste methane gases.
WEB WIRE ... news from the world of carbon
27 Sep 2013
Angela Merkel, Tony Abbott, airlines talk, IPCC leak, US trading, beating disease.
Small businesses star at green awards
27 Sep 2013
It was a big win this week for small Sydney businesses when the City of Sydney’s Green Business Program scooped the Local Government Sustainability Award at the annual Green Globe Awards.
Power rental market expects the best
20 Sep 2013
Emissions regulations could have an impact on the booming global power rental market, a new report says
Scientist gets $2m for dairy research
20 Sep 2013
University of Waikato Earth Scientist Professor Peter Kamp has been awarded $2.07 million funding to continue research into energy efficiency in the dairy sector.
Smart Sydney landlords save millions
20 Sep 2013
Sydney's major commercial office landlords are saving more than $25 million a year on their electricity bills, thanks to more energy-efficient buildings.
Big cities show how to tackle climate change
20 Sep 2013
Only two Southern Hemisphere cities are listed in a top 10 of urban areas effectively taking on the challenges of climate change.
Green builder aims estate at the oldies
20 Sep 2013
Halcyon has become the first developer in Australia focusing on the "over 50s" to achieve the coveted EnviroDevelopment certification from the Urban Development Institute of Australia for its Halcyon Landing community at Bli Bli on the Sunshine Coast.
Are we doing our bit? It seems not
20 Sep 2013
Our previous opinion piece considered the increasing impacts of climate change on small island countries, such as our Pacific neighbours, but which also apply to other small island countries such as those in the Caribbean, and also to low-lying coastal areas.
When small is best for NZ businesses
13 Sep 2013
Energy efficiency, generating energy from waste, and solar energy are three of the major opportunities for New Zealand businesses wanting to invest sustainability, says Grant Thorton national director Alastair Boult.
Why sustainable building speaks for itself
13 Sep 2013
Sustainable building no longer has to prove its economic worth – the business case more than stacks up in terms of lower operating and life cycle costs, and improved value for owners, according to a new report.
Waterfront building becomes a star
13 Sep 2013
One of New Zealand’s leading sustainable buildings has achieved a market-leading NABERSNZ rating for energy performance.
Big guns at Frankfurt show future of e-motoring
13 Sep 2013
BMW, Aston Martin, Volvo, Toyota and Mercedes will reveal their visions of the future of electric and hybrid motoring at this weekend’s Frankfurt Motor Show.
Office energy in race to the top
13 Sep 2013
Virtual athletes will sprint inside a Sydney skyscraper in a real-time visualisation of office energy use, as part of the city’s annual Art & About Sydney public art festival.
Renewables yes, but thermal power will win
13 Sep 2013
Thermal power will continue to be the dominant source of power for the foreseeable future, despite growth in renewables, a new report says.
Warehouse switches off energy-hungry bulbs
13 Sep 2013
The Warehouse will no longer sell energy-hungry incandescent light bulbs.
Our businesses must lead, says green champion
6 Sep 2013
The Global Sustainability Leader of the Year says New Zealand businesses need to step up to the responsibilities – and opportunities – of environmental issues like climate change.
Businessmen join the stars in oil protest
6 Sep 2013
Business leaders Phillip Mills and Nick Gerritsen are among a list of A-list New Zealanders opposing the Government’s plans for deep-sea oil drilling and its crackdown on protesting at sea.
Labour thermal power bid fails
6 Sep 2013
A bid by Labour MP Moana Mackey to bring back the ban on new thermal electricity generation has fallen at the first hurdle.
La Nina effect cause of warming pause
6 Sep 2013
New findings that show a slowing of global surface temperature warming are no cause for complacency, scientists warn.
Green architect unveils ‘Coral City’ housing
6 Sep 2013
A Filipino-Italian company advocating green architecture has proposed the construction of houses and buildings that can quickly adapt and withstand typhoons, floods and other calamities due to climate change.
AUT in line for major green award
6 Sep 2013
AUT University has been named as a finalist in the carbon reduction category for the Green Gown Awards Australasia, the only university in New Zealand to be recognised in this category.
Solar installation rates trend down
6 Sep 2013
Solar module installations enjoyed a significant increase from approximately 1.4 GW in 2006 to 29 GW in 2011, but the industry has started to move away from the initial spur, according to research and consulting firm GlobalData.
Environment first, vows Labour contender
30 Aug 2013
A government led by Labour leadership contender Grant Robertson would make all legislation subject to an environmental impact assessment.
ANALYSIS: Australians' vote will affect carbon market
30 Aug 2013
The 2013 Federal Election in Australia will have a significant impact on Australian carbon markets, regardless of who wins, Westpac says.
Production of biodiesel falls
30 Aug 2013
Production of biodiesel fell after the Government scrapped the Biodiesel Grant Scheme last year.
Renewable energy generation drops
30 Aug 2013
The percentage of electricity generated in New Zealand from renewable sources fell last year.
We're switching on to energy-saving bulbs
30 Aug 2013
New Zealanders are buying more energy-efficient light bulbs.
Geothermal projects win new funding
30 Aug 2013
GNS Science has won government funding for two geothermal energy projects that will help to make geothermal energy developments more efficient and more attractive to investors.
Australian carbon market value tops $6b
30 Aug 2013
The Australian carbon market was worth $A6.58 billion ($NZ7.53)) in its first year of operation, according to a Carbon Market Institute report.
China’s power sector set for cleaner future
30 Aug 2013
China’s power sector is expected to go through significant changes through to 2030, according to a new report.
Meet the Armadillo … Honey, I shrunk the car
30 Aug 2013
Meet the Armadillo … the car that when you’ve finished with it you can fold up and pack away.
Why the Pacific problem will not go away
30 Aug 2013
While we here in New Zealand are worried about our pay checks and the next iphone due to emerge shortly, some thought needs to go out to our Pacific neighbours, says Carbon Market Solutions.
Experts slam 5% emissions target
23 Aug 2013
Leading climate policy and science experts say the Government’s emissions reduction target is “markedly inadequate and disappointing”.
Contact decision disappoints wind energy body
23 Aug 2013
The New Zealand Wind Energy Association is disappointed that Contact Energy has decided to exit the Hauâuru mâ raki wind generation development on the Waikato coast.
Carbon permits in China better EU price
23 Aug 2013
Carbon permits rose on the Shenzhen Emissions Exchange, the first of seven trial markets in China, to a price exceeding those in Europe, according to Bloomberg New Energy Finance
Pacific women to see how the US does it
23 Aug 2013
Women climate leaders from across the Pacific will visit the United States to learn how America is combating 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.
