Topics tagged with 'Energy'
How Australia deals with carbon and electricity
22 Nov 2013
Westpac's head of electricity trading, CONNELL BURKE, explains the links between carbon and electricity in the Australian market:
Europe wants to see some action out of Warsaw
22 Nov 2013
The European Union says it is seeking a balanced package of decisions out of Warsaw to advance international climate action.
Brownlee talking brainy transport systems
22 Nov 2013
New Zealand is moving to intelligent transport.
EDITORIAL: The message is clear ... we have a government of climate deniers
15 Nov 2013
By editor ADELIA HALLETT. The reason for the Government’s failure to take decisive action on the biggest issue facing us became clear this week; it still doubts the science behind anthropogenic climate change.
Biggest field yet chases green business awards
15 Nov 2013
This year’s Sustainable Business Network awards have attracted unprecedented interest.
CCS will be big, say energy leaders
15 Nov 2013
Carbon capture and storage will be a major part of plans to combat climate change, say the world’s energy and environment ministers.
Smartrafts ... smart way to treat waterways
15 Nov 2013
A local company turned to nature to develop a water-treatment system that costs nothing to run, uses no energy and works continuously with minimal maintenance.
Well done, Mr Abbott, says Canada
15 Nov 2013
Canada has officially applauded the decision by Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott to repeal the country’s carbon tax.
WANTED: Projects that are changing our lives
15 Nov 2013
The hunt is on for projects that are changing for the better the way New Zealanders use energy.
Why it's important that we do our bit
15 Nov 2013
With COP19 under way in Warsaw, CARBON MARKET SOLUTIONS looks at the background to international climate change agreements:
Poland will be stepping stone, says Groser
8 Nov 2013
Climate Change Minister Tim Groser says that next week's COP19 conference in Poland will lay the groundwork for a new international agreement on tackling climate change.
Meet Kennedy Graham, green sheep of the family ... and a man business would be wise to watch
8 Nov 2013
By editor ADELIA HALLETT. The irony of an ancestor owning a coal mine is not lost on Dr Kennedy Graham.
Young man in a hurry ... all the way to Warsaw
8 Nov 2013
A young man with a commerce degree and an interest in alternate energy will represent New Zealand at COP19 in Warsaw next week.
LanzaTech wins praise for China operation
8 Nov 2013
LanzaTech’s steelmill-waste-to-bioenergy plant in Beijing has earned recognition from international sustainability certifier RSB.
New carbon capture projects get go-ahead
8 Nov 2013
Five new carbon capture and storage projects have been approved.
NZ gas fireplace wins accolades
8 Nov 2013
A New Zealand-designed gas fireplace has been recognised as the most efficient in Europe.
Dunedin takes serious look at carbon footprint
8 Nov 2013
Dunedin City Council is one of the first local authorities in the country to measure its carbon footprint against the global greenhouse gas standard, ISO 14064-1:2006.
Business must play major role, says minister
1 Nov 2013
The Government wants business to take a leading role as New Zealand moves to a low-carbon economy.
Energy leaders to talk carbon capture
1 Nov 2013
Advances in carbon capture and storage technologies will be on the agenda at a high-powered meeting of the world's energy ministers and business leaders next week.
California finds friends to fight climate change
1 Nov 2013
British Columbia, California, Oregon and Washington have signed the Pacific Coast Action Plan on Climate and Energy, committing their governments to a comprehensive alignment to combat climate change and promote clean energy.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
1 Nov 2013
* 31% of global economic output forecast to face ‘high’ or ‘extreme’ climate change risks. * EU presidency proposes new weakening of car emissions rules. * How Greenland can turn climate change into cash. * Climate change destroyed the Bible's ancient kingdoms, study finds. * Climate change blamed for high muttonbird death toll. * Pacific Ocean may be ‘hiding’ global warming – scientists.
Abbott wants ideas for emissions scheme
25 Oct 2013
Australia’s new Government is calling for submissions on how to design a scheme to replace the carbon tax and emissions trading scheme.
Climate-fight funds falling short of mark
25 Oct 2013
The most comprehensive inventory of climate finance to date shows investment is far short of the need, and falling further behind each year
China shows way to wind power expansion
25 Oct 2013
Wind power could generate up to 18 per cent of world’s electricity by 2050, compared with 2.6% today, says a new report.
Toyota finds green is good for business
25 Oct 2013
Toyota dealers throughout New Zealand say business has increased since they went green and cut electricity consumption by more than a million kilowatts.
Australia sees $580 boost to petroleum exploration
25 Oct 2013
More than $580 million will be invested in new offshore petroleum exploration over the next three years, the Australian Government says.
UN launches energy hub … with a plea
25 Oct 2013
The world is at a “tipping point,” and how it produces, distributes and uses energy will determine if sustainable development succeeds, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon believes.
WEB WIRE ... news from the world of carbon
25 Oct 2013
US cuts emissions, India fights air charge, EU conservation threat, California joins Chinese, wine worries, ocean gliders.
Greens quiz minister on emissions reduction
25 Oct 2013
News that New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions are expected to grow by more than a third by 2040 prompted questions in Parliament this week, as Green Party climate change spokesman Dr Kennedy Graham sought to pin the Government down on just how it planned to reach its emissions reduction targets.
Solar revolution carries huge financial pain
18 Oct 2013
An imminent revolution in the use of solar energy poses a huge financial risk to the Government and energy companies, an industry pioneer says.
Big users keen on cutting energy costs
18 Oct 2013
Big energy users are looking for ways to reduce energy use and costs, Statistics New Zealand says.
Major food firms sign up to substainability
18 Oct 2013
New Zealand sustainable reporting company Rata Sustainable Certification Programme has moved into the food sector.
Why Branson believes businesses must act on climate change
18 Oct 2013
The key to tackling climate change is to see it as an opportunity rather than an obstacle, says billionaire Virgin group founder Sir Richard Branson.
Lightbulbs get the recycling treatment ... but not here
18 Oct 2013
Sydney has launched a city-wide lightbulb recycling system – but there are no plans to do the same for the millions of bulbs that come into New Zealand each year.
Hydro power heads for growth period
18 Oct 2013
The world's hydropower installed capacity is expected to rise by 3.5 per cent by 2020, a new report says.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
18 Oct 2013
Polluters eye $4b, airlines emissions charges, China carbon pricing, climate all at sea, worms are heroes, bye-bye Oracle, Quakers talk tough.
UN wants to see greater financial effort
18 Oct 2013
The international community must step up its financial investment in technologies, policies and practices that can help to combat climate change, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said this week.
Oil engineer joins environment board
18 Oct 2013
The Government has appointed an engineer with a background in electricity generation and the oil and gas industry to the board of the Environmental Protection Authority.
Where's the Kiwi vision, asks IPCC author
11 Oct 2013
New Zealand could substantially cut greenhouse emissions from transport but lacks the vision to do so.
Expert dismisses Wellington rail plan
11 Oct 2013
Wellington’s Public Transport Spine Study is not backed by science and should be dismissed, says an international expert in sustainability.
Obama's coal power call tougher than ours
11 Oct 2013
Emissions controls on new thermal power plants in the United States would not be met by most New Zealand plants.
Carbon pricing the cornerstone, says OECD
11 Oct 2013
Credible and consistent carbon pricing must be the cornerstone of government actions to tackle climate change, according to a new OECD report.
Greens vow to bring power to the people
11 Oct 2013
The Green Party says it would implement policies promoting small-scale distributed energy generation, such making it more affordable for families to install solar panels on roofs.
Building green now cost effective, says report
11 Oct 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, says a new report.
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.
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.
