Topics tagged with 'Extreme weather'
Biofuels key to food security and shipping resilience for NZ
7 Apr 2025
By Shannon Williams | Aotearoa New Zealand's reliance on imported fossil fuels poses significant risks for food security and shipping resilience in the face of global catastrophes, according to experts speaking at a recent webinar on biofuel self-sufficiency.
Climate crisis on track to destroy capitalism, warns top insurer
7 Apr 2025
The climate crisis is on track to destroy capitalism, a top insurer has warned, with the vast cost of extreme weather impacts leaving the financial sector unable to operate.
Media round-up
4 Apr 2025
In our weekly round-up of climate coverage in local media: Europe is heading towards an emissions tax on dairy imports; Auckland Transport stops measuring emissions cuts; and Stuff asks if the Paris Agreement is over.
Risky business – banks must consider climate risks, commissioner says
3 Apr 2025
Banks considering climate risks is prudent business practice, not just environmental activism, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton.
Dunedin initiative to tackle flooding problems
3 Apr 2025
Public consultation is now open on Dunedin City Council and Otago Regional Council's South Dunedin Future initiative, which looks at ways the region can respond to climate change and flooding problems in South Dunedin.
Southern Ocean warming may affect tropical drought and rainfall more than Arctic warming
3 Apr 2025
Southern Ocean warming may have a greater impact than Arctic warming in some regions, particularly affecting tropical rainfall patterns, according to a study published in Nature Communications.
Properties destroyed as ‘horrendous’ waves batter Sydney coast
3 Apr 2025
Residents have been evacuated, properties flooded and coastal infrastructure damaged after a large swell combined with a king tide to batter the Australian shore.
New tool reveals shallow groundwater elevations
2 Apr 2025
Media release: NIWA | A new online tool that identifies areas at risk from groundwater flooding has been developed by New Zealand scientists.
Rain records to fall in Queensland with Townsville to set new annual high
1 Apr 2025
Queensland cities and towns are dealing with the effects of flooding – including extensive stock losses and widespread damage – after a year’s worth of rain fell in a matter of days.
Economy and climate go hand in hand – minister
31 Mar 2025
Growing our economy and reducing climate emissions go hand in hand, says Minister of Climate Change Simon Watts.
Extreme weather could lead to financial disaster for ordinary New Zealanders
28 Mar 2025
A rise in extreme weather events due to climate change could result in financial disaster for many New Zealanders, according to a credit risk consultancy.
Media round-up
28 Mar 2025
In our weekly round-up of climate coverage in local media: Rail is still considered crucial to Canterbury's future, climate risk is being left of company balance sheets, and NZ climate forecasts rely on the system Trump is dismantling.
Giving rivers more room to move could benefit people and nature
26 Mar 2025
Media release | Giving rivers space to roam rather than increasing conventional flood infrastructure to control them would help keep human settlements safer in a changing climate while also supporting freshwater ecosystems, says University of Canterbury | Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha (UC) School of Biological Sciences Associate Professor Jonathan Tonkin.
NOAA cuts more key weather data gathering after layoffs
26 Mar 2025
The National Weather Service is reducing weather balloon launches at six more locations in the U.S. and temporarily suspending them at two more places due to staffing shortages, the agency announced Thursday afternoon.
Kiwi aid agencies urge govt to increase climate finance and foreign aid spending
25 Mar 2025
Media release | In the lead-up to the 2025 budget, an open letter from New Zealand’s international development NGOs has asked the government to increase aid spending in the Pacific region, at a time of significant cutbacks by other bilateral donors.
Declining concern over climate change
24 Mar 2025
Public concern over climate change has dipped steadily since reaching an all-time high following the events of Cyclone Gabrielle, according to the latest Ipsos poll.
India records severe heat weeks ahead of schedule
24 Mar 2025
Severe heatwave conditions have begun sweeping across eastern and western India unusually early in the season, with temperatures exceeding 40°C in several regions.
Why action on extreme heat in Indian cities is falling short
21 Mar 2025
Local governments face the difficult task of preparing communities and infrastructure for a warmer world - all while urbanisation accelerates and extreme weather becomes more frequent and intense.
'Our world is melting'
20 Mar 2025
Signs of human-induced climate change reached new heights in 2024, with some of the consequences irreversible over hundreds if not thousands of years, according to a new report from the World Meteorological Organisation.
How flying can be a climate solution
Today 10:45am
By Paul Callister and Robert McLachlan - Planetary Ecology | How can aviation contribute to tackling climate change when no practicable technology-based solutions are on the horizon?
Forestry consents and relaxed rules in erosion zones sow seeds of future disaster
Fri 13 Jun 2025
OPINION: The government’s move to restrict exotic forestry on our best food-growing soils will push even more forestry investment onto high erosion risk land on the East Coast, with the worst land becoming the only land left for the most intensive and destructive land use, writes Manu Caddie
Greenwashing is rife in Australia, but could its days be numbered?
28 May 2025
COMMENT: Have you ever ticked the box to “fly carbon neutral”, had something delivered via “carbon-neutral shipping” or chosen to pay a bit extra to buy “carbon-neutral gas” from your energy retailer?
Help sustainable aviation fuels take off or delay targets, airlines warn EU
20 May 2025
Earmarked funding, risk-reduction tools, and simplified imports top Airlines for Europe’s wish list for the EU’s upcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan.
'Time is right' for nature credits
Fri 13 Jun 2025
Media release | Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari and Ekos are thrilled to be partnering with central government on the development of a voluntary Nature Credits Market pilot programme, announced by Associate Minister for the Environment Andrew Hoggard yesterday.
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 auction odds-on to fail
Fri 13 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price has rallied slightly in recent weeks, however with secondary market prices still hovering around the $57 mark, well below this year’s $68 auction floor price, next week’s Emissions Trading Scheme auction looks set to fail.
World leaders’ failure to act is pushing Earth past 1.5°C
Today 10:45am
Based on mounting evidence, some scientists now fear we’ve entered a new era of the climate emergency, characterized by accelerated warming and amplified disasters.
Govt mulls status quo for ETS auction settings
29 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has released its consultation on the Climate Change Commission’s latest advice on Emissions Trading Scheme auction settings and volumes, putting forward the option to ignore the commission’s advice to boost auction volumes from 2028-2030.
China's approvals of coal power plants grow after 2024 decline
Wed 11 Jun 2025
China approved 11.29 gigawatts of new coal power plants in the first three months of 2025, already exceeding the 10.34 GW approved in the first half of 2024.
A credible UN carbon market needs rules that count – we’ve just set them
Wed 11 Jun 2025
COMMENT: The broad standards for a more ambitious market are now in place. But without a steady flow of investment, this progress will remain largely on paper.
Common low-grade clay strengthens low-carbon concrete
5 Jun 2025
Media release | Engineers at RMIT University have converted low-grade clay into a high-performance cement supplement, opening a potential new market in sustainable construction materials.
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.
Legal experts sue Climate minister over ‘glaring holes’ in climate plan
Wed 11 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Legal experts are taking the government to court over its Emissions Reduction Plan, alleging it fails to fulfil basic requirements of the law – with one of the arguments focussing on an over-reliance on tree-planting.
Electric firebricks: decarbonising high-temperature industrial heat
Fri 13 Jun 2025
By Ian Mason | A new technology could offer a more cost-effective solution than hydrogen to decarbonise one ‘hard-to-abate’ sector of New Zealand’s economy, as well as having ample potential for demand response as the electricity grid becomes more renewable.
Govt budgets $200m for would-be gas investors
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | Energy Resources Aotearoa has welcomed the government's plan to co-invest $200 million in fossil gas expansion, while environmental and climate groups have reacted with horror.
Government undermines regional powers to protect coastal biodiversity
Today 10:45am
Media Release | The Environmental Defence Society opposes the Government’s decision to press ahead with amendments to the Resource Management Act that severely curtail the ability of regional councils to manage the impacts of fishing on coastal marine biodiversity.
UN University report warns against carbon credits from REDD, tree planting, and improved forest management
Fri 13 Jun 2025
But the report stops short of recommending banning the trade in carbon temporarily stored in trees.
Labor accused of ‘gaslighting’ Australians on climate crisis as fossil fuel projects keep getting approved
9 Jun 2025
‘They offer sympathy and then just go and approve massive fossil fuel projects anyway,’ one advocate says.
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.
Electrification challenge for politicians, regulators
27 May 2025
Rewiring Aotearoa is calling for stronger political leadership to bring its vision of a cheaper, cleaner and stronger energy system to life, with the launch of its policy manifesto today.
As methane climate impacts soar, NGOs, scientists, and advocates launch campaign to 'pull the methane emergency brake'
Fri 13 Jun 2025
Media release | International NGOs, scientists, and climate advocates are launching a global campaign calling for deep, rapid, mandatory cuts in methane emissions as the best way to lower near-term global temperature rise.
Govt uses climate change as ‘Trojan horse’ for other objectives
Tue 10 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Waitangi Tribunal has heard that the New Zealand Government’s international trade and investment agreements are failing to meet Tiriti o Waitangi obligations in the context of climate change – prioritising commercial interests while sidelining Māori rights and worldviews.
Methanex closure comes early this year
14 May 2025
The almost-now-annual closure of Methanex has come earlier this year, giving more confidence that the electricity system will get through the winter without a fuel shortfall.
What happened to the hydrogen economy?
3 Jun 2025
The hydrogen car that was supposed to carry us into a cleaner future is still not in the driveway. In fact, outside of a few test markets, it’s not in anyone’s driveway.
Climate change could drive surge in foreclosures and lender losses, new study finds
22 May 2025
Extreme weather linked to climate change could spell financial ruin for many American homeowners and lead to billions in losses for lenders, a new study finds.
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.
Energy Australia apologises to 400,000 customers and settles greenwashing legal action
22 May 2025
Energy retailer says carbon offsetting ‘not the most effective way’ to reduce emissions.
Could ‘orange’ hydrogen be NZ’s key to net-zero?
30 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand could be sitting on resources for a thriving multi-billion-dollar, low-carbon hydrogen economy, which might even be capable of creating a net reduction of carbon dioxide, according to scientists.
Carbon News launches price index
24 Jun 2024
Today’s issue is the first to feature Carbon News’ own carbon price index for secondary market spot prices for NZUs on New Zealand’s compliance market.
Tribunal asked to halt seabed mine fast-track
Today 10:45am
By Craig Ashworth, Local Democracy Reporter | South Taranaki hapū want the Waitangi Tribunal to halt a fast-track bid to mine the seabed off Pātea.
Foresters baulk at restrictions, land ballots
Wed 11 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Forestry groups say that new legislation will introduce further uncertainty for planting plans and poses a threat to climate targets.
Ocean current ‘collapse’ could trigger ‘profound cooling’ in northern Europe – even with global warming
Fri 13 Jun 2025
A “collapse” of key Atlantic ocean currents would cause winter temperatures to plunge across northern Europe, overriding the warming driven by human activity.
Fight over coal mine heats up
30 May 2025
Forest & Bird is calling on the government to create a new scientific reserve covering the Denniston Plateau on the West Coast, which would stop a fast-tracked coal mine.
Microplastics found in sand on dozens of NZ beaches
4 Jun 2025
Scientists have extracted microplastics from the sand of 22 beaches from the Far North to Banks Peninsula.
Legislation introduced to restrict farm-to-forest conversions
Tue 10 Jun 2025
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has today introduced a bill to Parliament that he says will put a stop to large-scale farm-to-forestry conversions.
Israel deports activist Greta Thunberg after military seized Gaza Freedom Flotilla ship
Thu 12 Jun 2025
Israel deported activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday, the country's Foreign Ministry said, a day after the Gaza-bound ship she was on with 11 other people was seized by the Israeli military.
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.
Could Queenstown become the world’s most electric city?
Wed 11 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Queenstown is set to become the focus of an ambitious initiative aiming to transform it into the world’s most electrified destination.
Extreme ocean warming engulfed South-West Pacific in 2024
6 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Unprecedented ocean warming engulfed the South-West Pacific in 2024, with extreme heat and rainfall causing deadly and devastating impacts and sea level rise threatening entire islands.
Green budget 'ludicrous la-la land' – govt
15 May 2025
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the budget was "clown show economics" and an "absolute circus".
Biochar's negative emissions tech coming to Fieldays
6 Jun 2025
Biochar Network New Zealand will showcase its negative emissions technology biochar at this year's Forestry Hub at Fieldays 2025.
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.
Climate progress slowing, says Auckland councillor
5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The devastating cyclone that tore through Tāmaki Makaurau in 2023 left behind more than just broken infrastructure, sparking calls to focus on facts over ideology in the fight against climate change.
Rapid action vital following UN Ocean Conference – experts
Thu 12 Jun 2025
New Zealand-based experts are calling for rapid and transformative action to restore nature - and our relationship with it - at the third UN Ocean Conference in France this week.
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.
Govt's RMA overhaul sparks fears for nature and climate
30 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has opened public consultation on the biggest overhaul of environmental planning rules in New Zealand’s history, with critics warning it puts nature and climate at risk in favour of fast-tracked development and industry expansion.
Tropical forest loss hit new heights in 2024; fire a major driver in Latin America
23 May 2025
Tropical forest loss skyrocketed in 2024, with vast swaths of primary forest consumed by fire, according to new satellite data.
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.
