Topics tagged with 'Energy'
Forget that new laptop …upgrade the old one
12 Oct 2012
Upgrading old laptops is more energy-efficient than purchasing newer, greener models, according to German scientists.
Philips to light up energy house
12 Oct 2012
Philips is to supply the LED lighting Auckland's Zero Energy house project.
Fundamentals 'too nauseating to contemplate'
12 Oct 2012
The European carbon market appears quite directionless at present like a boxer hit too many times in the head, says OMFinancial.
Industry angry as Solid Energy acts to drop biodesiel
5 Oct 2012
Solid Energy says it is in negotiations to sell its biodiesel business, but the industry remains angry over the Government’s retreat from the sector.
Why businesses should get water-wise
5 Oct 2012
Water foot-printing is going to be as big as carbon foot-printing – and smart businesses are recognising that now, says Water New Zealand chief executive Murray Gibb.
Dick Smith’s recipe for a fantastic future without perpetual economic growth
5 Oct 2012
Australian entrepreneur DICK SMITH spoke to New Zealand business leaders in Queenstown recently about an alternative to the current economic model.
Rail closure wrong-headed, say Greens
5 Oct 2012
KiwiRail’s decision to close the Gisborne-Napier rail line is a huge disappointment for the Gisborne community and a result of the National Government’s wrong-headed transport policy, the Green Party says.
Brussels to monitor shipping emissions
5 Oct 2012
The European Commission will introduce an emissions monitoring system in early 2013, in a bid to curb the environmental footprint left by the shipping industry.
Plan B perhaps, but there’s no Planet B …
5 Oct 2012
A top United Nations official has emphasized the impact that climate change has on food security, peace and stability, and has called on countries to cooperate to address the phenomenon.
Market weakens on news of February vote in EU ETS
5 Oct 2012
European carbon prices started the week in a consolidation mode, before getting hit pretty hard overnight on Tuesday, Westpac says.
Government lying to us, says forester
28 Sep 2012
The Government is being accused of lying to New Zealanders over plans to encourage afforesation as a means of reducing greenhouse gas levels.
EDITORIAL: The problem called John Banks
28 Sep 2012
The Government may be weakening in its opposition to restricting the number of international carbon units allowed into New Zealand.
Emissions cut, but still at high level
28 Sep 2012
New Zealand’s emissions of greenhouse gases from the energy sector fell slightly last year, but overall, our growth remains high compared to other countries, jusat-out figures show.
Think carrot ... not stick
28 Sep 2012
Carbon Match founder LIZZIE CHAMBERS says we need to think about how the carbon market can drive innovation - and artifically low carbon prices are not the answer.
Super fund drops nuclear investment
28 Sep 2012
The New Zealand Superannuation Fund will no longer invest in the company that owns the Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Why Romney in the White House scares Europe
28 Sep 2012
European Union officials are privately alarmed at the chilling effect that a Mitt Romney win in the US presidential election could have on global climate talks, says the EurActiv agency.
Prices stage a rally ... of sorts
28 Sep 2012
Despite carbon prices remaining at extreme low levels, the overall market has seen a rally of sorts, Westpac reports.
Maori leaders want cheap credits blocked
21 Sep 2012
The influential Climate Change Iwi Leaders Group is pressuring the Government to cut the flow of cheap international carbon credits into New Zealand.
Is ETS a scheme or a scam, ask Greens
21 Sep 2012
New Zealand's emissions trading scheme could be renamed the emissions trading scam, Parliament has heard.
Minister takes seat in the powerhouse
21 Sep 2012
Climate Change Minister Tim Groser will discuss climate change with the world’s economic powerhouses next week.
CarbonScape tracks big prize
21 Sep 2012
New Zealand carbon-refining company CarbonScape has made the final three in a one of the world's largest competitions for sustainable innovation.
Green firms an inspiration, says judge
21 Sep 2012
The top sustainability performers in the central and southern regions were recognised at a ceremony in Wellington this week.
Coal plans devastating, says protest group
21 Sep 2012
Australian industry leaders have been quick to question the accuracy of a claim that a coal basin near the Great Barrier Reef will rank among the world's worst producers of carbon pollution if fully mined.
Australia goes looking for geothermal energy
21 Sep 2012
A grant of more than $1 million will help Australia to get a better fix on its geothermal energy potential.
There's two sides to the green car story, say critics
21 Sep 2012
Critics of electric cars have pointed out that the vehicles are only as green as the electricity they use.
Spaniards to build Canberra solar farm
21 Sep 2012
Australia’s largest photovoltaic solar farm will be built in Canberra by Spanish renewable energy company Fotowatio Renewable Ventures.
Scientists urge new way of thinking
21 Sep 2012
A landmark study has found that climate change is likely to have a major impact on Australia’s plants, animals and ecosystems that will present significant challenges to the conservation of the country’s biodiversity.
Hobsonville green homes sell well
21 Sep 2012
New homes with Homestar green building ratings are proving popular with buyers, if the experience at Hobsonville Point is anything to go by.
Put that in writing, minister, says council head
14 Sep 2012
Sustainability Council chief Simon Terry is challenging Climate Change Minister Tim Groser to deny in writing that New Zealand faces a carbon deficit.
ETS submission: Get real on power line trees
14 Sep 2012
Clearing trees to put up power lines should not invoke a carbon liability, the Electricity Networks Association says.
RMA not all hot air, says wind chief
14 Sep 2012
The wind energy industry says that environmental groups should not lose sight of the good parts of proposed changes to the Resource Management Act.
Experts urge action to save carbon market
14 Sep 2012
A high-level panel established to take stock of the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism has released its recommendations by urging nations to intervene forcefully to address the crisis in the carbon market.
Europe eyes limit on crop biofuels
14 Sep 2012
The European Union plans to impose a limit on the use of crop-based biofuels over fears they are less climate-friendly than initially thought and compete with food production, according to draft legislation.
Australian units likely to sit at $15
14 Sep 2012
Australia’s carbon units are likely to trade at $A15, an international energy and environmental agency predicts.
NZUs down in line with European prices
14 Sep 2012
European carbon offsets have continued to fall, down around 30 per cent now since the beginning of the month, Westpac reports.
Europe bulbs ban leaves NZ unmoved
7 Sep 2012
Europe’s decision to cut power use by banning the sale of energy-hungry incandescent light bulbs has failed to impress the New Zealand Government.
Water-wise Maori now look to the wind
7 Sep 2012
As the Government prepares to negotiate with Maori over ownership of rivers, a Waitangi Tribunal claim is being finalised for Maori to earn a dividend for the use of wind for commercial electricity generation.
Blenheim innovator makes world final
7 Sep 2012
Carbon-refining company Carbonscape is a finalist in the international Postcode Lottery Green Challenge.
NZ emissions-cutter wins recognition
7 Sep 2012
A concerted effort to measure and cut greenhouse gas emissions has earnt GE New Zealand the international Cemars certification.
Europe throws switch on incandescent bulbs
7 Sep 2012
The European Union has banned the sale of 40W and 25W incandescent bulbs.
Industry slams Govt biofuel backdown
31 Aug 2012
The Government’s decision to stop subsidising biofuel development and to allow Solid Energy to retreat from the alternative fuels is damaging, the industry says.
Coconut compound does the trick
31 Aug 2012
A New Zealand scientist has come up with a product that he hopes will allow farmers to earn carbon credits while cutting greenhouse gas emissions and boosting production.
Mining cuts won't ease gases liability
31 Aug 2012
Solid Energy’s decision to cut coal production in the face of depressed prices might result in fewer climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions, but it will do little for New Zealand’s GHG liability.
Dick Smith: How to keep ahead of the curve
31 Aug 2012
For a man who should be retiring, Aussie entrepreneur Dick Smith is a very busy man.
NZ to host EU energy conference
31 Aug 2012
An international conference to bring Pacific Islands governments together with potential investors in renewable energy development will be held in New Zealand next April.
Cool idea could cut coal gas emissions
31 Aug 2012
Refrigerating coal-plant emissions could reduce levels of dangerous chemicals that pour into the air, American scientists believe.
Volt gives jolt to crash protection
31 Aug 2012
Holden’s new electric car has been judged one of the safest cars on the market.
Lakes eco home wins galaxy of stars
31 Aug 2012
Queenstown company Rilean Construction has achieved Queenstown Lakes’ first six-star Homestar rating for an eco-friendly evolution series home.
Green building guru for Auckland meet
31 Aug 2012
The author of the Living Building Challenge, the world's most stringent green building programme and a key influencer in the international green building movement, is coming to Auckland.
Foresters put faith in new technology
24 Aug 2012
The forestry sector is pressing ahead with plans to transform itself by adopting new technologies to get the most out of its harvest.
'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.
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”.
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.
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.
Nordic countries hit by ‘truly unprecedented’ heatwave
Tue 5 Aug 2025
Scientists have recorded the longest streak of temperatures higher than 30C in the region in records going back to 1961.
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.
'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.
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.
Wilding pines threaten Molesworth Station
28 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Without increased support, the unchecked spread of wilding pines will continue to creep across Marlborough’s high country – putting iconic landscapes and one of New Zealand’s top five biodiversity hotspots at serious risk, according to an expert.
OPEC+ countries to boost oil production by 547,000 barrels per day
Tue 5 Aug 2025
Some believe the boost in production could lower oil and gasoline prices.
A modest geothermal strategy
Thu 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.
‘Ideological sludge’: How NZ is quiet quitting climate action
17 Jul 2025
New Zealand once stood out as a world leader on climate change. In June it became the first country in the world to abandon a commitment to phase out oil, gas and coal.
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
Thu 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.
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.
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
Thu 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.
Multi-day protest continues at coal mine
30 Jul 2025
Bathurst Resources has been forced to truck coal from its Stockton mine as climate activists occupy coal buckets at the mine for a third day.
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.
Vatican strikes solar farm deal to become the world’s first carbon-neutral state
Tue 5 Aug 2025
Italy has agreed to a Vatican plan to turn a 430-hectare field north of Rome into a vast solar farm that the Holy See hopes will generate enough electricity to meet its needs and turn Vatican City into the world’s first carbon-neutral state.
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.
Governments must vote in favour of moratorium on deep sea mining
29 Jul 2025
Media release - Greenpeace | The 30th session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has ended with Greenpeace saying governments are continuing to fall short in protecting the deep sea.
Waste Levy risks becoming ‘slush fund’ under proposed changes – Commissioner
5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Proposed changes to New Zealand's waste legislation risk undermining public trust in the waste levy scheme, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton.
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.
