Topics tagged with 'Energy'
Six things companies need to know about climate change
24 Jun 2011
Most businesses in a global survey have described responding to climate risks or investing in adaptation as a business opportunity.
Why cities are at the business end of climate challenge
24 Jun 2011
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on United States mayors to help in the worldwide fight against climate change and other energy challenges.
At these levels, you have to start buying
24 Jun 2011
The local carbon market continues to fall in sympathy with European carbon prices, though the majority of NZU owners are baulking at selling at these levels, OMFinancial reports.
Try incentives for farmers, says broker
17 Jun 2011
A scheme similar to the United Nations Joint Implementation programme should be used to encourage farmers to cut greenhouse gas emissions, says a New Zealand carbon consultant.
WWF calls for countries to act on carbon
17 Jun 2011
Fast and scaled-up support for innovative approaches to developing a low-carbon economy is both possible and essential, says a new WWF report.
The Carbon Traders: Lizzie Chambers, Carbon Match
17 Jun 2011
The newcomer to the New Zealand carbon trading scene believes it is a market destined to grow.
Emissions trading is best, says Shell chief
17 Jun 2011
Emissions trading schemes are a better way of tackling carbon pollution than government subsidies of renewable energy projects, says a senior Shell executive.
Hydro footprint light on environment
17 Jun 2011
New Zealand's hydroelectricity has a better environmental footprint than that of many other countries, Plant & Food Research says.
How the majors deal with sustainability
17 Jun 2011
Canadian business analyst and Investing For The Soul founder Ron Robins explains why so many top international firms are incorporating sustainability into their business plans:
New standard measures energy efficiency
17 Jun 2011
A new international standard has been launched to help companies to measure their energy efficiency.
Wind generation needs a helping hand
17 Jun 2011
New Zealand this week celebrated Global Wind Day for the first time.
BNZ intends to join carbon market
10 Jun 2011
The BNZ bank says it will enter the New Zealand carbon market later this year.
Climate fighter has a big job for NZ
10 Jun 2011
Scientist and climate change campaigner Dr James Hansen says that New Zealand could be the country he has been looking for to "stand up and tell the truth" - that our addiction to fossil fuels can be cured only by an honest, rising price on carbon.
What James Hansen told the Prime Minister ...
10 Jun 2011
Prime Minister John Key, who has been singing the praises of Solid Energy's lignite plans in Southland, has been told by top scientist James Hansen that New Zealand should not go down this path.
Wind energy now in the mainstream
10 Jun 2011
Global wind day on June 15 is a chance to acknowledge the contribution wind energy is making to New Zealand, the government energy efficiency agency says.
Ten things they want you know about wind energy ...
10 Jun 2011
New Zealand has one of the best wind resources in the world, and EECA is out to bust some myths about generating energy from it.
Act now on Cancun pact, urges climate chief
10 Jun 2011
Amid new warnings about the rise in greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, the top UN climate change official has called on governments to make progress in the fight against global warming.
Parties battle over carbon farming plans
10 Jun 2011
The Gillard Government has called on the Opposition to stop political game-playing which could delay Australian farmers and rural communities from securing significant benefits under the Carbon Farming Initiative.
Food waste firm wins green award
10 Jun 2011
Auckland food waste firm Eco Stock Supplies yesterday was named Supreme Winner of the annual Green Ribbon Awards.
FORUM: Britain can't do it alone
3 Jun 2011
Climate change is a huge threat to prosperity and security, and the United Kingdom can't tackle it alone, writes British High Commission to New Zealand first secetary Tony Clemson.
NZ attitudes concern climate cameraman
3 Jun 2011
New Zealand businesses are not interested in climate change, despite the concern of some individual business people, says an expatriate photographer whose work is dedicated to portraying the impact of climate change.
Progress on Kyoto forestry rules, says industry
3 Jun 2011
The international forestry and wood products industry is working on the detail of a proposal to have the carbon in wood products recognised in international carbon accounting rules.
Charcoal company gets special mention
3 Jun 2011
New Zealand charcoal technology company CarbonScape has been singled out on the world scientific stage.
Cargo carbon calculations just a click away
3 Jun 2011
The carbon implications of shipping cargo with a New Zealand shipping company can now be calculated with a couple of mouse-clicks.
Carbon emissions reach record high
3 Jun 2011
Energy-related carbon-dioxide emissions in 2010 were the highest in history, according to the latest estimates by the International Energy Agency.
French get ready to market green coal
3 Jun 2011
A French engineering company says it has started construction of three industrial plants producing biocoal - also known as green coal.
Australia signs energy pact with Germany
3 Jun 2011
Australia and Germany have committed to increased cooperation in the resource and energy sectors from greater investment through to closer collaboration in research and development.
Hopes dim for safe emissions levels
3 Jun 2011
Greenhouse gas emissions increased by a record amount last year, to the highest carbon output in history, putting hopes of holding global warming to safe levels all but out of reach, according to unpublished estimates from the International Energy Agency, says Carbon Market Solutions.
Unitec launches sustainability strategy
3 Jun 2011
Unitec will launch its environmental sustainability strategy and a $100,000 sustainability fund for staff and students.
Estimates pinpoint cost of ETS to farmers
27 May 2011
Bringing biological greenhouse gas emissions from farms into the Emissions Trading Scheme will cost dairy farmers about 2.8 cents per litre of milk solids, government estimates show.
Metal recycling ‘discouragingly low,’ says UN
27 May 2011
Metal recycling rates worldwide are discouragingly low, according to a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme.
Europe keeps emissions under control
27 May 2011
Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions grew last year on the back of an economic recovery, but were still below cap.
No danger of Australia leading the world
27 May 2011
A common argument used by people in NZ and in other countries to avoid becoming involved in climate change mitigation and carbon pricing is the”why should we lead the world on this issue” argument.
UK carbon budget sets course for cuts
20 May 2011
While the New Zealand Government is grappling with its 2011 financial budget, the British Government is setting its fourth carbon budget.
Biodiesel maker to set up Nelson plant
20 May 2011
Solid Energy subsidiary Biodiesel New Zealand is setting up a bulk distribution facility in Nelson.
Why world economies must go green
20 May 2011
The world must radically alter the way it produces and consumes materials if genuinely sustainable development is going to take root, the head of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation said yesterday.
NZUs slip further
20 May 2011
A far cry from the flurry of NZU buying that was anticipated heading into the May 31 surrender date, the NZU market has slipped further this week on light volumes, Westpac reports.
Business on right track, says Hansen
13 May 2011
New Zealand’s business community has received a bouquet from the scientist James Hansen, the American dubbed the father of global warming.
Public has no say in southern lignite plant
13 May 2011
The public will not have a chance to object to Solid Energy's plan to build a lignite processing plant near Gore.
LanzaTech makes mark in Silicon Valley
13 May 2011
New Zealand Clean energy technology company LanzaTech has won another global award – a TiE50 for energy and cleantech.
Budget lines up carbon price programmes
13 May 2011
The Gillard Government says this week’s budget alters some climate change programmes to better align with its carbon price objective as Australia moves to a clean energy future.
Biofuels project wins $5m funding
13 May 2011
A government grant of $5 million is a further step toward establishing a Biofuels Research Institute in Australia.
Renewable energy can do the job, say experts
13 May 2011
Renewable energy sources such as solar power, wind, biomass and hydropower could meet nearly 80 per cent of the world’s energy supplies by 2050, a United Nations-backed report says.
They are the Champions … of the Earth
13 May 2011
Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon, singer Angélique Kidjo and adventurer Louis Palmer are among this year’s five winners of a United Nations award that honours contributions to the global effort to protect the environment.
UN energy report falls short, says WFC
13 May 2011
The new IPCC report on renewable energy provides a litmus test for all policy makers, proving renewable energy is the world's number-one energy source in the future, but it falls short on concrete policy recommendations, the World Future Council says.
Market eyes Japan's nuclear plans
13 May 2011
Will Japan’s nuclear policy announcement keep NZU prices up? asks Carbon Market Solutions.
Greens hail success of Warm Up NZ
13 May 2011
The success of the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart home insulation scheme is an example of smart, green economics at work, the Green Party says.
Who says homes can't be stylish ... and energy efficient?
6 May 2011
Warm dry homes needn’t be a luxury, says Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority chief executive Mike Underhill.
How high-tech can steer cars in right direction
29 Apr 2011
Technology that measures and penalises or rewards us for how we use our cars could be used to cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions, says Business Council for Sustainable Development chief Peter Neilson.
Clark urges businesses to go low carbon
29 Apr 2011
Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark has made an international appeal for businesses to transform their enterprises into low-carbon operations that are environmentally sound and benefit communities.
Fifty years of observations, no reversal of glacier climate damage
31 Mar 2026
Media release: Earth Sciences New Zealand | Fifty years on from the first aerial survey of our Southern Alps glaciers, late snow and variable summer weather delivered a temporary reprieve from rapid ice loss, says Earth Sciences New Zealand.
Climate experts say spring is coming earlier. How will that affect agriculture and ecosystems?
Tue 7 Apr 2026
An earlier spring affects when migratory birds arrive, leaves emerge, and fruit ripens — among plants and animals that determine ecosystem health.
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A $30 million government package to support regional air routes risks delivering poor value for money while increasing emissions, according to transport strategist Tim Adriaansen.
Signs of jet fuel hoarding emerge in Asia on Iran oil shock
26 Mar 2026
Signs are growing that Asian countries are hoarding jet fuel after the Iran war sent oil prices surging, reflecting growing strain on the aviation industry.
Environmental groups launch legal action over Govt's 'tick-box approach' to conservation land
Wed 8 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Forest & Bird and the Environmental Defence Society are taking the Government to court over decisions about the future of publicly-owned land on Te Tai Poutini/the West Coast.
New alliance wants renewable-led energy – and Govt to press pause on LNG
Thu 9 Apr 2026
A newly formed coalition of business, consumer and energy organisations has unveiled a renewable-led strategy it says will strengthen the country’s energy security, and it’s calling on the Government to pause its plan for an LNG import terminal.
Supply-side pressures and political uncertainty ahead for carbon market
Tue 7 Apr 2026
By Kristen Green | ANALYSIS: With failed auctions, a surge of new forestry registrations, and an election a few months away, the NZ ETS in 2026 will be subject to a mix of supply-side pressures and political uncertainty.
Solar energy, cheap battery storage can meet 90% of India’s power demand at affordable costs: Ember report
Thu 9 Apr 2026
Battery storage is now cheap enough in India that solar power can meet 90% of the country’s power demand at lower lifetime costs than current average purchase rates in most states, a new study has found, a finding that could potentially point to a future buffer against global energy shocks.
Economic contraction will impact carbon market
1 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | While higher fossil fuel prices strengthen the long-run economics of decarbonisation, the current fuel crisis won’t inspire near-term confidence in the carbon market, according to Lizzie Chambers of Carbon Match.
Genesis fires up pellet study with Nature’s Flame
Wed 8 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Genesis Energy is extending its quest for locally produced torrefied wood pellets to supplement coal and gas to fuel its Huntly power station, announcing it is investigating plant construction with established local solid fuels player Nature’s Flame.
Death toll in Afghanistan flooding increases to 28, authorities say
1 Apr 2026
Afghan authorities said Monday that the death toll from severe weather that has struck swathes of the country over the past four days has increased to 28, with 49 people injured. Dozens of people have died from extreme weather in the country so far this year.
Sustainable retail-office project breaks ground under new Green Star framework
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 price: Ups and downs amid geopolitical uncertainty
26 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | After ups and downs in recent weeks, the carbon market again broke above the $40 mark this week, with questions around how the Middle East conflict will play out weighing on market confidence.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
20 Feb 2026
Several environmental organisations are calling on political parties to make climate and biodiversity central to the 2026 election campaign, with reforming the Emissions Trading Scheme seen as a key priority.
Severe tropical cyclones Maila And Vaianu threaten communities in Solomon Islands, PNG and Fiji
Wed 8 Apr 2026
Media release: 350.org |Two Category 3 Tropical Cyclones are currently moving through the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, while experts watch a third system potentially developing in the North Pacific.
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.
Wellington planting nears one million trees
30 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Greater Wellington’s parks restoration programme will hit one million native trees this year, with the first dams to rewet peat wetlands in Queen Elizabeth Park now completed after a years-long effort to bring these ecosystems – and their carbon sequestering superpowers – back to life.
Renewable build-out runs into grid and firming limits
Wed 8 Apr 2026
New Zealand's electricity market entered 2026 with renewable generation at record levels and a substantial build pipeline finally moving from paper to construction. The harder question is whether the wider system can absorb and firm that capacity fast enough.
A matter of strategy
Tue 7 Apr 2026
COMMENT: Even on the brink of a global commodities crisis, the possibilities for climate action aren't hopelessly foreclosed. Strategy can turn our fortunes around, writes David Hall.
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.”
FMA to ease conditions for green bond issues
31 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Green, social and sustainability-linked bonds will face lower disclosure requirements and regulatory costs under a class exemption newly granted by the Financial Markets Authority.
New protections for NZ migratory species under UN convention
2 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New international protections for migratory species, including several found in New Zealand, are a positive step – but global protections won’t halt the decline of migratory species on their own, experts say.
Fonterra admits ‘100% grass-fed’ claim breached law in greenwashing row
2 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Fonterra has admitted its “100% New Zealand grass-fed” claims on Anchor butter were misleading and breached the law, settling a case brought by Greenpeace Aotearoa over packaging used between December 2023 and April 2025.
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.
NZ prepares to join ‘gold rush’ for white hydrogen
25 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand may be close to commercialising the capture and use of naturally occurring ‘white’ hydrogen, with investment plans for developments in the Wairarapa region picking up pace in response to spiralling oil prices.
Media round-up
20 Mar 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Crown lawyers agree High Court could quash emissions plan if found unlawful; NZ is locked in 'disaster inertia'; and climate change is notably absent from new development laws.
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.
Lawyers complain to ombudsman over Govt failure to release LNG modelling
1 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers for Climate Action has made a formal complaint to the Ombudsman over the Government’s failure to release information about its controversial decision to build a LNG import terminal.
EA entrenches 10kW export limit for residential solar
Wed 8 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The Electricity Authority intends to require all electricity networks to offer at least a 10 kilowatt (kW) export capacity for residential rooftop and other small-scale distributed generation.
NZ First targets regional share of mining royalties
30 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand First has proposed returning 50% of mining royalties to regional communities, saying that too much of the value from resource extraction is currently flowing to Wellington.
Tuvalu prioritises climate change in agreement with NZ
27 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand has pledged an additional $20 million to climate resilience work in Tuvalu, more than doubling Aotearoa's aid to the tiny island nation in the current financial year.
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.
Worst in a generation: Environmentalists slam fisheries reform bill
25 Mar 2026
Media release: Greenpeace | The Fisheries Amendment Bill, which will likely have its first reading in parliament this week, is being labelled the worst fisheries policy in a generation by environmental groups who are calling for it to be rejected to protect ocean health.
Free fares call as fuel crisis impacts school attendance
Wed 8 Apr 2026
An open letter is urging the Government to make public transport free for all school children and subsidised for students under 25, as rising fuel costs begin to impact attendance and access to education across the country.
Kiwis overly optimistic about state of environment
27 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New research suggests many New Zealanders believe the environment is in better shape than it really is, with public perceptions often out of step with scientific evidence.
‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics
24 Feb 2026
Plastic production has doubled over the last 20 years – and will likely double again. For author Beth Gardiner, metal water bottles and canvas tote bags are not the solution. So what is?
Activists occupy controversial gold drilling site
25 Mar 2026
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | Opposition in Golden Bay to a controversial gold mine at Sams Creek has flared up over the weekend after several activists briefly occupied a drilling site.
China has a new competitor? Kazakhstan reveals huge rare Earth deposit that could power the next tech boom
25 Feb 2026
China’s grip on rare earths might finally see some competition, and the world is already taking notice.
Sci-tech prioritisation report is a joke that could cost NZ dearly, says NZ Association of Scientists
2 Apr 2026
Media release: New Zealand Association of Scientists | The Prioritisation Report released yesterday by the Prime Minister’s Science Innovation and Technology Council makes a poor case for further cuts and changes to our research system.
Carbon trading schemes cut more emissions than carbon taxes, according to global study
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Carbon trading schemes are more effective than carbon taxes at reducing emissions, cutting fossil fuel use, and accelerating the shift to renewable energy, a global study has found.
AI’s arrival complicates Big Tech climate goals, and some worry it’s locking in more fossil fuels
2 Apr 2026
Six years ago, Google was confident that by 2030 it would power all operations with electricity generated from clean sources, including wind and solar power, and remove as much pollution as it produced. Today it calls those goals a “moonshot.” Microsoft says it’s still aiming to remove more carbon than it creates by 2030 but now describes the effort as “a marathon, not a sprint.”
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.
Fuel crisis powers surge in EV interest in Asia-Pacific region
Tue 7 Apr 2026
Motorists across the Asia-Pacific region are switching to electric vehicles at a rapid pace, as rising fuel costs due to the Middle East war force consumers and companies to reconsider their reliance on petrol and diesel vehicles.
Infrastructure plan calls for ‘predictable approach’ to electrifying economy
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.
Dairy farmers' lack of climate action 'even bleaker' than water inaction – Upton
1 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Government projections for cutting agricultural emissions are being undermined by low farmer uptake, with the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment warning the country is relying on “heroic” assumptions to meet its methane targets.
AI tool predicts wildfire danger faster than current systems
26 Mar 2026
Media release | A wildfire forecasting system powered by artificial intelligence could help detect dangerous fire conditions earlier and reduce the cost of wildfire response, according to new research from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury.
Fast-track approved project could deliver NZ’s largest wind farm
Tue 7 Apr 2026
Media release: New Zealand Government |Fast-track approval has been granted for New Zealand’s largest wind farm project.
