Topics tagged with 'Energy'
Green buildings need to seen outside the CBD
21 Mar 2014
Australia is allegedly in the midst of a green building revolution, powered by the awarding of ratings to developers who build sustainable buildings, writes JOREN van der HEIJDEN, Associate Professor of Environmental Governance at Australian National University.
Climate scientists 3, economists 0
21 Mar 2014
Hold up the trophy. Open the champagne. Climate scientists have easily won the game. According to a recent study, when it comes to the accuracy of forecasts and projections, the climate side is much better at the game than the economists’ team, says KIEREN COOKE.
Why business needs to know climate change laws
21 Mar 2014
The number of climate change laws on the statue books of the world’s leading economies grew from less than 40 in 1997 to almost 500 at the end of 2013 SAM FRANKHAUSER, co-director of the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics, reports:
Not all is well with India’s dam-building boom
21 Mar 2014
By KIERAN COOKE .- India is in the midst of a massive hydro electric dam building programme, necessary, it says, to fuel the energy needs of its fast growing economy.
Why Deutsche Bank built a jungle in Manhattan (complete with anaconda)
21 Mar 2014
By REBECCA ELLIOT.- Journalist McKenzie Funk opens his book, Windfall: The Booming Business of Global Warming, with a carnival-like scene at a Deutsche Bank road show in February 2008.
Our cities need attention, say planners
21 Mar 2014
More collaboration is needed to deal with the country’s burgeoning urban growth issues, says a new report by the New Zealand Planning Institute.
MP wants power deal for Stewart Island
14 Mar 2014
New Zealand First is calling for a new source of power for Stewart Island.
Norway pumps pension money into renewables
14 Mar 2014
Norway's decision to use its massive wealth fund to invest in renewable energy projects sends a powerful message to other international investors, says an organisation campaigning for large-scale investment in the sector.
It's going to get warmer, says NASA
14 Mar 2014
A new NASA study shows Earth's climate is likely to continue warming during this century on track with previous estimates - despite the recent slowdown in the rate of global warming.
Wood foam joins the list of insulations
14 Mar 2014
By PAUL BROWN.- Every energy expert and scientist would agree that one of the cheapest and quickest ways to cut fossil fuel use and stave off dangerous climate change is better insulation of homes, factories and offices.
Germany expects quick deal on climate goals
14 Mar 2014
Despite persistent opposition from some EU member states, German environment minister Barbara Hendricks said she expects an agreement over the EU's proposed climate and energy package for 2030, EurActiv reports.
Beehive stays silent on NZUs auctions
7 Mar 2014
The Government still won’t confirm that it will not auction NZUs.
What do we do with the byproducts of fracking?
7 Mar 2014
Technology isn’t ready to clean up fracking’s radioactive legacy. By ALAN HERBERT, senior lecturer in radioactive waste disposal and remediation at the University of Birmingham, and TREVOR JONES, visiting lecturer in nuclear decommissioning and radioactive waste management at the University of Birmingham.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
7 Mar 2014
* Europe’s banks in $1-tril risk from carbon bubble * Chinese premier declares war on pollution in economic overhaul * EU carbon trading fix goes into effect * Australia climate cuts ‘insulting sovereignty of other countries’
Defence housing wins green award
7 Mar 2014
A 98-hectare development in Townsville has won developer Defence Housing Australia an EnviroDevelopment green tick from the Urban Development Institute of Australia.
Sustainability graduates make their mark
7 Mar 2014
Now in its fourth year, Otago Polytechnic’s Graduate Programmes in Sustainable Practice is providing New Zealand companies, organisations and a variety of projects with graduates qualified in implementing sustainable practice.
Lawmakers get 'pragmatic' about off-shore drilling
28 Feb 2014
The Government has decided that exploratory oil and gas wells at sea should be non-notified activities, a move it calls “pragmatic”.
Why Australia needs to increase emissions targets
28 Feb 2014
The Climate Change Authority’s new report on emission reduction targets makes a compelling argument for Australia to go much further in cutting greenhouse gas emissions, writes CLIVE HAMILTON, Vice-Chancellor's Chair, Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, Charles Sturt University.
Energy-wise dairy farmers could save millions
28 Feb 2014
Dairy farmers could collectively save $42 million through electricity efficiency measures in the dairy shed, says the Government's energy efficiency agency.
Credibility key selling point for green economy
28 Feb 2014
The idea of the “green economy goes in and out of fashion, not least because it is rarely defined and frequently misunderstood, writes PAUL EKINS, Professor of Resource and Environmental Policy, University College, London.
Grass above, kids below mark country's 100th sustainable building
28 Feb 2014
A Northland childcare centre with a grass roof, a Christchurch medical centre and a Tauranga office building with an innovative ventilation system are marking a milestone in New Zealand’s sustainable buildings.
Climate laws cover nearly 90% of carbon pollution
28 Feb 2014
By ED KING .-More than 60 countries responsible for 88 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions now have legislation aimed at cutting carbon pollution and promoting green growth.
Livestock diet can cut emissions, says study
28 Feb 2014
By TIM RADFORD.- Here’s a way to make cattle emit lower volumes of methane through their digestive tracts: give the beasts a higher-quality diet.
Scientists crack code for duckweed ... and raise hopes for biofuel
28 Feb 2014
Geneticists have cracked the code for one of nature’s fastest-growing plants: Spirodela polyrhiza, or duckweed - and the pay-off could come with higher deliveries of biofuel at lower cost to cropland farmers.
Sydney emissions cuts plan hits the roof
28 Feb 2014
Sydney wants to put a trigeneration plant on the roof of its town hall as part of a drive to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 70 per cent by 2030.
F&P marks 20 years of recycling whiteware
28 Feb 2014
Plastics New Zealand president Simon Wilkinson explains how much whiteware manufacturer Fisher & Paykel has achieved in 20 years' of recycling:
Greens' solar policy breath of fresh air
28 Feb 2014
Econergy managing director DAVID SENN says that the Green Party's plans to subsidise solar energy for householders should go further:
Think green, builders urge Christchurch
21 Feb 2014
New commercial buildings in Christchurch must be designed for energy efficiency if they aren’t to become obsolete, says the Green Building Council.
UN presses for action on sustainability crises
21 Feb 2014
The water, sanitation and sustainable energy crises are the among the world’s pre-eminent development challenges, a senior United Nations official has warned.
China renewables target could be 2050
21 Feb 2014
Eighty per cent of China’s electricity production could be based on renewables by 2050, a new report says.
Costly, toxic and slow to charge? Busting electric car myths
21 Feb 2014
By THOMAS BRAUNL. Cars are the second most expensive investment after the family home, a status symbol and, in some cases — just visit a major motor show — a love affair.
Turmoil across the Tasman will be felt here
21 Feb 2014
By WAYNE KING. Australia’s media is drip-feeding news and commentary on the economic downturn in Australia - particularly in energy developments, the political turmoil revolving around the current Renewable Energy Target and the current policies related to a price on carbon, through the Carbon Price Mechanism and other initiatives.
Scientists find key methane micro-organism
21 Feb 2014
Scientists from The University of Queensland have discovered a microbe that is set to play a significant role in future global warming.
Maori ultimatum leaves Government unmoved
14 Feb 2014
The Government appears to be ignoring an ultimatum from Maori to fix carbon prices or face the consequences.
Solar plants bring fresh water to Vanuatu
14 Feb 2014
A solar energy plant designed by a New Zealand company is about to provide 11,000 Vanuatu residents with fresh water.
Trade deal ‘opens door to environmental lawsuits’
14 Feb 2014
Multinationals will have wide-ranging powers to sue EU states that enact health or environmental laws breaching their "legitimate expectations" of profit.
Nuclear waste disposal gets expensive
14 Feb 2014
When countries embrace nuclear power to combat climate change the problem of disposing of the radioactive waste seems far away, but the costs will be enormous. PAUL BROWN reports:
Angry Maori table $600,000 carbon ultimatum
7 Feb 2014
Maori say they will lodge a $600 million Treaty of Waitangi claim if the Government doesn’t move fast to shore up carbon prices.
Scrap offshore oil rules, says watchdog group
7 Feb 2014
The Environmental Defence Society is calling for the Government's new rules on offshore oil and gas operations to be scrapped.
Dilmah founder bankrolls 'green' tea to save the planet
7 Feb 2014
The man who urges Kiwis to “do try it”, Dilmah Tea founder Merrill J. Fernando, has another message, and this one is about caring for the planet.
Why the big boys are serious about carbon pricing
7 Feb 2014
Several of the largest international oil companies, along with other major companies, are taking the prospect of international carbon pricing seriously, writes BARRY NAUGHTON.
Turbine tower installers eye windfall
7 Feb 2014
The wind turbine towers market is expected to be worth $US19.3 billion by 2020.
Hang on, isn't carbon-happy China just making stuff for us?
7 Feb 2014
Is it fair that China is blamed for the carbon dioxide emissions it generates to manufacture products destined for the West? asks Glen West, of the Center for International Climate and Environment Research.
Engineers claim solar cell breakthrough
7 Feb 2014
California engineers have invented a new process for manufacturing highly efficient photovoltaic materials that shows promise for low-cost industrial production.
Major powerco sets pace for fall in emissions
31 Jan 2014
New Zealand's greenhouse-gas emissions from energy have fallen on the back of a massive cut from our single largest emitter.
It's the forestry effect, explains Groser
31 Jan 2014
The Government is blaming a projected greenhouse gas emissions increase on forestry cycles.
Think or swim ... that's our climate change choice
31 Jan 2014
Making people think about the impact climate change could have on their homes makes them more likely to take action to prevent it, researchers say.
Time for a green revolution, says Norman
31 Jan 2014
The Green Party is invoking the legacies of Seddon, Savage and Kirk in a bid to pitch the green economy as the next big thing for New Zealand.
Investors question EU climate moves
31 Jan 2014
Investors say that Europe's latest climate package fails to send the sort of investment signal that will lead to jobs and innovation.
All power to Scottish tides, say engineers
31 Jan 2014
Renewable tidal energy sufficient to power about half of Scotland could be harnessed from a single stretch of water off the north coast of the country, engineers say.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
Fri 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.
Media round-up
Fri 20 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: 'Every tonne matters': The climate scientist who wants to give you hope; Minister says managed retreat is an option; and climate change is here – is New Zealand ready?
NZ’s government wants tourism to drive economic growth – but how will it deal with aviation emissions?
22 Oct 2025
By Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University | Following a brief dip during the COVID pandemic, aviation is back in a growth phase.
Singapore sets first ever sustainable aviation fuel levy, as Southeast Asia’s fuel industry grows
Tue 17 Feb 2026
Flying in and out of Singapore, home to Southeast Asia’s busiest airport, will get slightly more expensive this year as the city state begins imposing a levy of between 75 cents to $32 per ticket to fund sustainable aviation fuel.
Greens slam move to disband Environment Ministry
Fri 20 Feb 2026
The Green Party has joined climate and health advocates in condemning the Government's decision to disestablish the Ministry for the Environment as part of a multi-ministry merger.
Govt’s own modelling shows LNG leads to higher electricity prices than other solutions
Thu 19 Feb 2026
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: According to modelling conducted by Concept Consulting for MBIE, either developing the Tariki gas storage facility or managing electricity demand would deliver lower wholesale electricity prices than the Government’s preferred solution of an LNG import terminal.
New study looks to nature markets to accelerate climate response
Wed 18 Feb 2026
The Nature Conservancy is teaming up with local groups to study the most affordable and effective ways of restoring native habitats at the top of the South Island, including ways to fund the work using international voluntary carbon markets and biodiversity credits.
California, Connecticut preparing 'attack' against Trump's repeal of basis of US climate regulation
Fri 20 Feb 2026
California and Connecticut are working together on a multi-state "plan of attack" against President Donald Trump's repeal of the foundation of federal climate regulation of vehicles, the states' attorneys general told Reuters on Tuesday.
Carbon price drops as volatility continues
Tue 17 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market is still displaying extreme volatility, with prices dropping back to below $40 yesterday, after trading as high as $46.25 last week.
Flawed decision-making around taxing electricity to fund LNG import terminal
Mon 16 Feb 2026
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: The Government's decision to back an LNG import terminal exemplifies an egregious failure in public policy and energy sector governance.
LNG: a rational choice compared to unpalatable alternatives
10 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: By deciding to underwrite the private construction of a liquefied natural gas import facility in Taranaki, the Government has made a rational choice in favour of energy security and affordability.
Sustainable retail-office project breaks ground under new Green Star framework
Thu 19 Feb 2026
Construction is set to begin on a new retail-office development in central Auckland, which is targeting a 40% reduction in embodied carbon and 25% lower energy.
Opposition attacks Govt over fossil fuel phaseout backdown
2 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | Revelations that Resources Minister Shane Jones ruled out New Zealand signing up to a 'road map' away from fossil fuels at last year’s global climate summit show the National Party’s minor coalition partners’ undue influence over the Government, according to Labour leader Chris Hipkins.
Carbon market rallies but auction floor still out of reach
13 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market has rallied, with secondary market prices up more than 25% in the past two weeks, although current prices in the mid-$40s are still far below this year’s $71 auction floor, with the first auction of 2026 less than three weeks away.
DOC trims costs and winds down jobs for nature
10 Nov 2025
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is entering a new phase of tighter budgets and structural change as it winds down the pandemic-era Jobs for Nature programme and reshapes its operations to absorb long-term cost pressures.
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.
Slash for cash turns storm debris into jobs and climate resilience
Thu 19 Feb 2026
A community-led initiative in Tairāwhiti is transforming storm-damaged forestry slash into jobs, soil regeneration and long-term climate resilience.
Calls for action to reduce emissions as extreme weather bites
Tue 17 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | Renewable energy advocates and environmental groups are calling for more action to reduce emissions and increase resilience as severe weather wreaks havoc across the country.
RMA to speed up fossil fuel consents
18 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | An energy lobby group has welcomed a last-minute amendment to the RMA that puts fossil fuels on the same footing as renewables, however a sustainable energy expert says the move “beggars belief.”
European Central Bank's green supervision grows teeth, but will banks avoid being bitten?
13 Feb 2026
After several years of issuing guidance and repeatedly calling on banks to take climate and environmental risk management seriously, the European Central Bank is moving from guidance and expectations to enforcement.
Green Member’s Bill aims to give whales legal ‘personhood’
9 Feb 2026
The Green Party wants to give whales legal rights, including the right to sue.
Claims that AI can help fix climate dismissed as greenwashing
Wed 18 Feb 2026
Tech companies are conflating traditional artificial intelligence with generative AI when claiming the energy-hungry technology could help avert climate breakdown, according to a report.
Govt missing opportunity to slash electricity prices, says expert
11 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s fixation on eliminating the "dry-year risk margin" as a lever to reduce costs misses a much bigger opportunity to lower electricity prices, according to Christina Hood, head of Compass Climate.
Media round-up
13 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Senior UK ministers have asked their New Zealand counterparts to explain new climate policies, National’s LNG blunders are a warning ahead of election campaign, and what are the lessons New Zealand should take from another summer of weather disasters?
Wales council to buy and demolish homes prone to flooding
4 Feb 2026
A row of homes in a village in south Wales is to be bought by a local authority and demolished as they can no longer be protected from flooding caused by the climate crisis.
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.
Australian gas producer Santos wins court fight over net zero claims
Wed 18 Feb 2026
An Australian court on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit against gas producer Santos that alleged the company misled the public on its plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions.
Govt unveils plans for carbon storage regulations – and ETS rewards
18 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government has released plans to regulate carbon capture and storage in natural geological formations, which include Emissions Trading Scheme incentives, with the aim of introducing related legislation in 2026.
Seabed miners quit South Taranaki fast-track bid
Fri 20 Feb 2026
By Craig Ashworth, Local Democracy Reporter | Would-be seabed miners have abandoned their fast-track bid to mine in South Taranaki waters, saying they can’t change the minds of the panel that rejected their application.
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.
Partnership to advance Pacific science and environmental leadership
Thu 19 Feb 2026
Media release | Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in Pacific-led science, research and capacity-building, with a strong focus on environmental sustainability and ocean stewardship.
Lawyers seek answers on climate impacts of LNG import facility
13 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action has written to Climate Change and Energy Minister Simon Watts warning that the Government's plan for an LNG import terminal could be in conflict with New Zealand’s climate obligations and emissions reduction targets.
Commentators slam Govt inaction in aftermath of climate change-fuelled storms
30 Jan 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate action - or inaction - is shaping up to be an election issue, with multiple commentators drawing a line between the Coalition Government’s backsliding on climate targets and the deadly extreme weather events of the past week.
Kiwi startup takes on global plastic pollution
12 Feb 2026
A New Zealand startup is launching what it says is the world’s first plastic-free effervescent drink tablet, with the ambitious aim of eliminating bottled beverages to reduce global plastic pollution.
78% of NZers want bottom trawling banned as Govt pushes to catch more coral in South Pacific
Tue 17 Feb 2026
Media release | New polling shows overwhelming support from New Zealanders for a ban on bottom trawling in the South Pacific high seas, says Greenpeace.
Critical minerals talks with US questioned in Waitangi Tribunal climate inquiry
9 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand and the United States' negotiations over critical minerals have raised questions for the Waitangi Tribunal’s long-running inquiry into climate change.
IEA Declaration strengthens international co-operation on critical minerals
Fri 20 Feb 2026
Media release – NZ Government | New Zealand has joined international leaders at the 2026 International Energy Agency Ministerial meeting in committing to strengthen global co-operation on critical minerals to strengthen long‑term energy security.
Antarctic sediment core reveals past ice sheet retreat during warmer climates
Wed 18 Feb 2026
A record-breaking sediment core drilled from beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is giving scientists new insight into how the ice sheet responded to warmer climates in the past — and what that could mean for future sea-level rise.
Solar households to get little-noticed tax break
23 Sep 2025
A provision in the government’s latest tax bill would exempt households from paying tax on income they earn by selling excess electricity back to the grid.
NZ-UAE partnership boosts advanced tech
9 Feb 2026
Media release | A new Antarctic science partnership with a leading UAE university will grow New Zealand’s advanced engineering and modelling capability, supporting high-value jobs, encouraging economic growth, and enabling smarter climate risk management, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti says.
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.
Infrastructure plan calls for ‘predictable approach’ to electrifying economy
Wed 18 Feb 2026
Aotearoa’s first National Infrastructure Plan, introduced to Parliament yesterday, calls for "a predictable approach to electrifying the economy" as one of ten priorities for the next decade.
Climate ambassador moves on
13 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government is on the hunt for a new top climate diplomat, with previous climate ambassador Stu Horne moving on to a posting in Honolulu as New Zealand’s Consul General to Hawai’i.
EU to ban destruction of unsold clothes and shoes
12 Feb 2026
The European Commission has adopted new measures that will require medium and large companies to stop discarding unsold clothing and footwear, in the bloc’s latest move to target textile waste.
New research on climate adaptation as severe weather hits
Mon 16 Feb 2026
As extreme weather batters the country yet again, researchers have published the first ever empirical study of climate adaptation justice in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Study finds warming world increases days when weather is prone to fires around the globe
Fri 20 Feb 2026
The number of days when the weather gets hot, dry and windy — ideal to spark extreme wildfires — has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, with the trend increasing even higher in the Americas, a new study shows.
Hydrogen plant to start construction
10 Feb 2026
Construction is set to start this month on Hiringa Energy’s long delayed green hydrogen project in South Taranaki, after years of consenting fights that culminated in the Court of Appeal rejecting Greenpeace’s challenge in late 2023.
