Topics tagged with 'Energy'
Windfarm decision worries developers
18 Feb 2011
A decision to let only part of the proposed Tiritea wind farm go ahead has got wind energy developers worried.
UN chief calls for a global revolution
18 Feb 2011
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a “revolution” in how the world defines prosperity and relates to nature.
Flannery to head Climate Commission
18 Feb 2011
Respected science communicator Professor Tim Flannery has been named head of an independent Climate Commission in Australia.
US investors ask enviro questions
18 Feb 2011
American investors are asking coal, energy and oil companies about their exposure to risks from climate change – and want executive pay linked to environmental performance.
Aussie scheme could be lucrative for NZ carbon sellers
18 Feb 2011
As more of the Garnaut papers are released, Australia moves closer to a revised carbon scheme, Carbon Market Solutions says.
Clean-tech costs falling fast, says Garnaut
11 Feb 2011
The cost of clean technology is falling faster than expected, as the United States and China swing their manufacturing might behind the sector, says the Australian Government’s climate change adviser.
Engineers warn of infrastructure chaos
11 Feb 2011
Engineers are warning the British Government that the country’s infrastructure will not cope with the effects of climate change.
Combet: Australia must act to cut emissions
11 Feb 2011
Australia’s carbon emissions will rise steeply without decisive and effective new policy action, according to annual projections released this week by Climate Change Minister Greg Combet.
Public and private sectors must work together, says Charles
11 Feb 2011
The growing risks posed to long-term economic growth by climate change and over-exploitation of the planet’s natural resources have been highlighted by Prince Charles in a speech to European parliamentarians.
Wind farm adds power to the economy
11 Feb 2011
The new Te Uku wind farm showcases the benefits of wind energy to the New Zealand economy, according to Fraser Clark, chief executive of the Wind Energy Association.
Smith calls for carbon reduction submissions
4 Feb 2011
The Government is calling for submissions on New Zealand’s 2050 emissions reduction target.
Lanzatech takes on international exec
4 Feb 2011
A New Zealand company turning algae into oil has appointed an international government relations manager.
Airport eyes switch from diesel boilers
4 Feb 2011
The diesel boilers might be turned off at Christchurch airport in favour of an environmentally friendly alternative.
Kiwi bach shows off power of solar
4 Feb 2011
A solar-powered bach is New Zealand's entry in an American competition designed to showcase solar-energy innovation.
These days, it's all about shale oil
4 Feb 2011
By Keith Kohl.- "The era of plentiful, low-cost petroleum is reaching an end" - it's been nearly six years since those words began the now-famous Hirsch Report.
Australia ratifies renewable energy law
28 Jan 2011
Australia has ratified the statute of the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), Resources and Energy Minister Martin Ferguson announced this week.
Australia eyes 50% tax cut on new fuels
28 Jan 2011
Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten has released draft legislation for public consultation on the Australian Government's reform of the taxation of alternative fuels.
Dramatic emissions cuts possible, says UN
28 Jan 2011
Dramatic cuts in industrial emissions of greenhouse gas emissions are achievable in developed and developing countries at an acceptable cost, the United Nations says.
Energy market contemplates the end of oil
28 Jan 2011
By Nick Hodge. The energy market as you know it is on the verge of a vast transformation.
Some growers qualify for free carbon credits
21 Jan 2011
Horticulturalists have joined the list of those eligible for free carbon credits under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Investment in five wind farms tops $250m
21 Jan 2011
More than $250 million is being invested in new wind farms in New Zealand - and all without government subsidy.
FORUM: Signs of change
21 Jan 2011
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Susan Krumdieck, of Canterbury University, reflects on a sustainability conference which was, in itself, sustainable.
Blame Brownlee for blackouts, says Labour
21 Jan 2011
If New Zealanders are asked over the next few years to reduce power use or face blackouts, the responsibility will fall squarely on Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee, says Labour's Associate Energy spokesperson Chris Hipkins.
Review rules out some ETS challenges
23 Dec 2010
Questions about whether the Emissions Trading Scheme is the best way for New Zealand to tackle climate change have been ruled out of a review of the scheme.
Public might not appear before panel
23 Dec 2010
The public might not get a chance to make oral submissions on the review of the Emissions Trading Scheme.
California gives nod to timber carbon case
23 Dec 2010
The carbon-storing properties of wood products have been recognised in the new cap-and-trade scheme endorsed by Californian law-makers last week.
RMA reforms deliver first major consent ahead of time, says Smith
23 Dec 2010
Environment Minister Nick Smith is welcoming the decision to grant consents for Contact Energy’s $1 billion Tauhara II 250 MW geothermal power station in Taupo – the first project processed under the national consenting process of the reformed Resource Management Act.
Clean-tech strategists will go it alone
17 Dec 2010
Business leaders pushing for a clean-tech development strategy for New Zealand say they’re ready to launch it next year – with or without the Government.
CANCUN: A clearer picture is emerging
17 Dec 2010
A clearer overall framework for global greenhouse gas emissions reductions is emerging - even if more work is needed to develop market mechanisms, writes Business New Zealand energy, enviornment and infrastructure manager John Carnegie from Cancun.
CANCUN: What the scientists are saying
17 Dec 2010
Leading climate scientists from New Zealand, Australia and Britain say progress was made in Cancun - but not enough to prevent dangerous climate warming.
CANCUN: Give money to research, says FedFarm
17 Dec 2010
The Cancun climate change summit proved that a solution to global carbon emissions is still as elusive as ever, says Federated Farmers.
California set to sign up for cap-and-trade
17 Dec 2010
California today is expected to adopt the United States’ most comprehensive carbon trading regime, creating a market-based way to lower greenhouse gas emissions at a time when similar efforts have stalled in Congress.
Britons pay more under sweeping power reforms
17 Dec 2010
Long-term prices for low-carbon electricity generators will be guaranteed by the government as part of its package of sweeping reforms of Britain’s energy markets unveiled today.
Landcare gives Scottish parliament the nod
17 Dec 2010
New Zealand’s Landcare Research has certified the Scottish Parliament’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Underground gas storage gets go-ahead
17 Dec 2010
An Origin/Contact Energy consortium has been granted permission to proceed to fully commissioning the Ahuroa underground gas storage facility near Stratford in Taranaki
Black Robin earns a feather in its cap
17 Dec 2010
A small Auckland-based strategy and design agency with a strong environmental commitment is the first business in its sector to achieve CarboNZero small-enterprise certification.
NZ wave-power machine wins award
17 Dec 2010
A New Zealand-developed and designed wave-power device has been awarded Statement of Design Feasibility certification by an international certification agency, Det Norske Veritas.
CANCUN: We're committed, says Smith
10 Dec 2010
Climate Change Issues Minister Nick Smith has told delegates at climate change negotiations in Mexico that New Zealand is committed to cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Forests come to the rescue of clams exporter
10 Dec 2010
A company that has lost export orders to Europe because of air miles and other environmental concerns is planting forests to offset its carbon footprint.
Solid Energy happy to sit on lignite facts
10 Dec 2010
Solid Energy says it will be some time before it releases figures about greenhouse gas emissions likely to come from proposed lignite developments in Southland.
Windflow rights issue raises $3 million
10 Dec 2010
Windflow Technology says it has raised more than $3 million in its latest rights issue.
Let’s hear the truth about electric vehicles
10 Dec 2010
By Jeff Segal. - I want to clear up a few misconceptions about electric vehicles so that those of you who are looking to make a few bucks in this sector are not being swayed by tall tales and deliberate falsehoods.
World Bank will help to finance carbon markets
10 Dec 2010
The World Bank will help developing countries to set up pollution credit markets to help to pay for clean development programmes.
Ship operators eye return to the days of sail
10 Dec 2010
Companies are looking to the sailing ships of the past for greener alternatives to today’s gas-guzzling vessels that transport the world's cargo.
China will lead way in clean energy, says Stern
10 Dec 2010
China will have a cap-and-trade system to limit its emissions by about 2015, London School of Economics professor Nicholas Stern believes.
US hopes technology will do the job
10 Dec 2010
The United States is betting on technological innovation to be able to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in Cancun.
Multinationals pick up Gigaton awards
10 Dec 2010
Six international companies, including Nike and Vodafone, have been recognised for their work in implementing market-driven solutions to climate change.
Lanzatech hits the hot 50
10 Dec 2010
Energy technology company LanzaTech (http://www.lanzatech.co.nz/) has climbed higher in the world ranking of the “50 Hottest Companies in Bioenergy”.
We must change our thinking, says think tank
3 Dec 2010
New Zealand needs to change its thinking if it wants to get a competitive advantage from shifting to a low-carbon economy, says New Zealand Institute director Dr Rick Boven.
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.
