Topics tagged with 'Forestry'
Govt must show the way, says planning chief
30 Jan 2019
The head of the Planning Institute says the Government needs to step up and show the way for communities to plan for the impacts of climate change.
Hands off carbon price this year, says Contact
30 Jan 2019
Contact Energy is one of the companies which opposed the Government lifting the $25 carbon price cap this year.
Maori landowners back use of older forests
29 Jan 2019
Iwi involved in the Treelords settlement are backing calls for extra carbon stored in old and indigenous forests be recognised.
Don't ignore pre-1990 trees, foresters urge
25 Jan 2019
The Emissions Trading Scheme should be used to encourage more carbon storage in old forests, the forestry industry is telling the Government.
ETS proposals won't cut it, says carbon forester
24 Jan 2019
Proposed changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme alone will not trigger the forestry planting levels New Zealand needs to cut emissions – agriculture must be brought into the scheme, says one of the country’s largest forest companies.
Muller keeps Nats' climate job
23 Jan 2019
The National Party’s climate portfolio remains in the hands of Todd Muller, who kicked off the year with a row over whether his party is ambitious or a climate laggard.
Govt gives Foodstuffs $1m for green vehicles
22 Jan 2019
Food giant Foodstuffs is to get more than a million dollars of public money as part of a drive towards low-emissions vehicles.
Govt explains why $25 cap should stay for now
21 Dec 2018
The Government says the current cap on the price of carbon needs to stay in place while the Emissions Trading Scheme is reviewed.
Government releases new forestry rules
20 Dec 2018
The Government has released further details of changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme’s forestry rules.
All farming gases must be cut, scientists say
19 Dec 2018
Cutting methane and nitrous oxide emissions from farming are critical to keeping the world to no more than 1.5deg of warming, scientists say in new research.
NZ and Europe to strengthen market cooperation
18 Dec 2018
New Zealand is to strengthen its carbon market ties with Europe.
Fewer animals is real answer, says forest group
14 Dec 2018
A group set up to advise the Government on the role of forestry in cutting greenhouse gas emissions says the real answer is reducing livestock numbers.
OPINION: When will the real action begin?
14 Dec 2018
The Government’s Emissions Trading Scheme announcement this week has left carbon forestry pioneer Dr MURRAY McCLINTOCK, of Nelson company Carbon Farm, underwhelmed and asking when the real action on combatting climate change will begin.
Government stalls as carbon price hits high
13 Dec 2018
Record carbon prices have failed to convince the Government that the price cap should be lifted immediately.
Permanent forests become permanent fixture
13 Dec 2018
Permanent forests are to come into the Emissions Trading Scheme, but there’s no decision yet on recognising the carbon stored in timber products and whether landowners will be able to average out carbon stored in their forests.
Government announces wide ETS changes
12 Dec 2018
A cap on emissions, a system to manage carbon credits supply and prices, the inclusion of permanent forests, and the possibility of a price a price floor are the major changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme just announced by the Government.
ETS changes could see price cap lifted
12 Dec 2018
The next round of changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme to be announced later today could see the $25 price cap lifted.
Government eyes using ETS money to help farmers
12 Dec 2018
Using revenue from the Emissions Trading Scheme to fund carbon sequestration by farmers is one of the options the Government is considering as it opens discussion with other countries on ways of dealing with agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
Our climate efforts 'highly insufficient'
12 Dec 2018
New Zealand’s efforts on climate change remain “highly insufficient” and consistent with twice the level of warming that scientists say we should not go beyond.
JAMES SHAW: A year of living hopefully
10 Dec 2018
Climate minister James Shaw arrives in Poland today for international climate negotiations. This time last year he was a brand-new minister, just three weeks into the job and announcing on the world stage that New Zealand would be carbon-neutral by 2050.
What state farmer said about green taxes
10 Dec 2018
New Zealand’s largest farmer, State-owned Pamu, has triggered outrage in some circles by telling the Government’s Tax Working Group that it supports some environmental taxes.
We must cut animal numbers, says new report
7 Dec 2018
Another report has confirmed that New Zealand cannot meet its Paris Agreement commitments without reducing the number of farm animals – and says that carbon prices up to $80 a tonne are needed to do it.
We're not ready for droughts and rising seas
6 Dec 2018
New reports on drought and sea-level rise highlight New Zealand’s lack of preparation for the impacts of climate change.
Tarrant to head Green Investment Fund
5 Dec 2018
Angel investor and independent director Cecilia Tarrant is to head the Government’s $100 million Green Investment Fund.
NZ will take agriculture lead role at Katowice
4 Dec 2018
New Zealand will lead discussions at international climate talks in Poland on upping emissions reductions from farming.
We're on the move but dragging the doughnut
3 Dec 2018
New Zealand is one of three countries leading the charge to the new economy – but it’s got no right to call itself a developed country, says Doughnut Economics founder Kate Raworth.
ClimCom could make methane call, says Treasury
30 Nov 2018
Treasury has suggested the Government delay setting a 2050 emissions reduction target, saying giving the decision to the yet-to-be-established climate commission would allow more time to decide by how much methane emissions should be reduced.
We must farm fewer animals, say scientists
29 Nov 2018
A new science paper spelling out why animal agriculture will have to be severely curtailed if the Paris Agreement targets are to be met could have huge implications for New Zealand.
Hydrogen confuses Government, says National
28 Nov 2018
The National Party says the Government is “confused” over hydrogen technology and the use of natural gas.
Put food first and buy credits, says fertiliser firm
27 Nov 2018
New Zealand should keep producing food and buy international carbon credits to cover its greenhouse gas emissions, says fertiliser co-operative Ravensdown.
Campaigners take aim at NZ-owned banks
22 Nov 2018
Three New Zealand-owned banks are the new targets of anti-fossil-fuel campaigners.
Why the new economy needs a financing plan
21 Nov 2018
New Zealand needs an impact investment plan to push financing of the new economy, says a report out today.
Academics call for emergency action
20 Nov 2018
One hundred and fifty New Zealand academics calling for “emergency” action on climate change say economic growth has to stop.
Scientists see new energy value in our forests
19 Nov 2018
Forestry’s value to New Zealand’s climate change effort is not in carbon storage but in powering the low-carbon economy, says our leading forest research institute.
NZ scientists work on safer batteries
16 Nov 2018
New Zealand researchers have created a new plant-based electrolyte that could be the key to making safer and more environmentally friendly batteries.
How we'll pay for National's mismanagement
12 Nov 2018
Climate mismanagement under the National government means New Zealand will have to use international carbon credits to meet its emissions reduction targets, says a leading carbon forestry executive.
New RMA will cover effects of climate change
9 Nov 2018
The Government’s overhaul of the Resource Management Act will include the way it deals with climate change.
Shipowners could face tougher emissions rules
8 Nov 2018
Ships operating in New Zealand might soon be liable to tough new rules on air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Oil and gas exploration ban becomes law
8 Nov 2018
New oil and gas exploration is now banned from New Zealand’s waters and from most of its land.
Exploration ban close to becoming law
5 Nov 2018
The Government’s partial ban on new oil and gas exploration could become law this week.
You're dreaming, business lobby tells Govt
2 Nov 2018
Business New Zealand doesn’t support any of the Government’s proposed 2050 emissions reduction targets, saying they are based on wishful thinking and magic.
Don't do a Rogernomics, warns enviro chief
30 Oct 2018
Decarbonising the New Zealand economy cannot be a repeat of Rogernomics, says Environment Secretary Vicky Robertson.
Exploration ban sound signal, says forum chair
26 Oct 2018
Changes to the Crown Minerals Act that will see most new oil and gas exploration banned are the type of signals businesses need, says one of the people heading a ground-breaking finance sector project.
Group wants climate action to save native species
25 Oct 2018
Tougher resource management rules and incentives to store carbon in native forests are among just-released recommendations to protect New Zealand’s native species from climate change.
NZ signs hydrogen agreement with Japan
24 Oct 2018
New Zealand and Japan are working together to transition away from a reliance on fossil fuels with the signing of an agreement on hydrogen, says energy minister Megan Woods.
New power group takes aim at finance system
23 Oct 2018
Key companies and government officials are joining forces to prepare New Zealand’s financial system for the low-carbon economy.
We're using more fossil fuels, says energy report
19 Oct 2018
New Zealand’s consumption of fossil fuels is climbing, new figures show.
Recycle grant helps firm to take back products
19 Oct 2018
An Auckland company which promises to take back its products has won a Government grant to help it to recycle.
Air pollution growing threat, says new report
18 Oct 2018
Air pollution from vehicles and woodfires is affecting the climate and threatens the health of New Zealanders, a new report shows.
TRIBUTE: Climate-change pioneer Bernard Forde
16 Oct 2018
By ADELIA HALLETT | Today is the funeral of a man who pushed, to the best of his scientific and political ability, to get action on climate change.
Pacific climate advocates welcome pre-COP31 meeting in Fiji and Tuvalu
Fri 27 Feb 2026
Media release – 350.org | Climate advocates across the Pacific will now prepare for the Pre-COP31 meetings in Fiji and Tuvalu, with the Pacific Islands Forum confirming the hosts yesterday.
South Korean farmers sue utility giant KEPCO over climate damage to crops
Wed 25 Feb 2026
As harvest season approached last November, farmer Ma Yong-un walked through his apple orchard in southern South Korea with a growing sense of dread.
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
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.
Kiwis overly optimistic about state of environment
Fri 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.
Govt’s own modelling shows LNG leads to higher electricity prices than other solutions
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
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.
UN approves first carbon credits under Paris Agreement market mechanism
Fri 27 Feb 2026
The United Nations has approved the first credits to be issued under a carbon market established by the Paris climate accord, aimed at reducing emissions – a mechanism that has faced scrutiny over greenwashing concerns.
Carbon price drops as volatility continues
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.
3,600 times faster: China is shaking up the steel industry
Wed 25 Feb 2026
For over a century, making steel meant coal, heat, and hours of waiting. A Chinese research team now reports collapsing that process into just three to six seconds; no coal, near zero emissions, and a vortex lance already moving toward commercial production. The technology is called flash ironmaking, and in February 2026, its implications are still unfolding.
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
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.
Govt plan to encourage new energy investment won’t cut costs for ordinary Kiwis
Thu 26 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | While gentailers and major energy users have welcomed the Government’s plan to leverage public sector demand to drive new energy projects, an expert says it is unlikely to reduce prices for ordinary people.
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.
Floods and landslides in Brazil kill at least 30 after record rainfall
Thu 26 Feb 2026
Three firefighters pulled a man’s body from the mud amid the rubble of houses swept away in a landslide in south-eastern Brazil, where 30 people died and 39 were still missing on Tuesday after torrential rains.
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.
Hipkins rejects LNG terminal, backs renewables
Tue 24 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Labour leader Chris Hipkins used his State of the Nation address to warn that worsening extreme weather and rising energy costs show climate change is no longer a distant threat.
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.
Tairāwhiti needs proper Govt support to heal the land – not empty announcements for political optics
Tue 24 Feb 2026
OPINION: The Government’s answer to Tairāwhiti’s severe erosion crisis – that the region apply for modest, contestable funding rounds – while rejecting the region's own land transition business case, leaves our long-term resilience hanging in the balance, writes Manu Caddie.
Claims that AI can help fix climate dismissed as greenwashing
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.
EDS puts environmental lawmaking under the spotlight
Thu 26 Feb 2026
Media Release |The Environmental Defence Society has launched the first in a series of investigative pieces into how environmental laws are being made in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Climate 'dream team' launches foundation targeting 100 million tonnes in emissions cuts
Wed 25 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The New Zealand Climate Foundation, which has the ambitious aim of cutting 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, had its official launch on Monday.
China has a new competitor? Kazakhstan reveals huge rare Earth deposit that could power the next tech boom
Wed 25 Feb 2026
China’s grip on rare earths might finally see some competition, and the world is already taking notice.
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.
Chronic ocean heating fuels ‘staggering’ loss of marine life, study finds
Fri 27 Feb 2026
Chronic ocean heating is fuelling a “staggering and deeply concerning” loss of marine life, a study has found, with fish levels falling by 7.2% from as little as 0.1C of warming per decade.
Calls for action to reduce emissions as extreme weather bites
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.
Australia-US minerals deal underpinned decision to allow mining company to clear threatened indigenous forest
Mon 23 Feb 2026
The Australian government’s decision to allow the US mining giant Alcoa to continue clearing swathes of Western Australian jarrah forest despite past illegal clearing practices was made in part due to a critical minerals deal reached between Australia and the Trump administration last year, a new document shows.
‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics
Tue 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?
Local govt shake-up risks weakened environmental outcomes – Commissioner
Fri 27 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government’s push to simplify local government is "deeply flawed" and has been launched without a clear understanding of which functions must remain regional, according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
Gas security fund panel named – but projects still hush-hush
Thu 26 Feb 2026
The Government’s $200m Gas Security Fund has attracted interest from “several” entities, but officials are refusing to disclose who is circling or what types of projects are being put forward, leaving the market to take the programme’s credibility largely on trust.
Media round-up
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?
Brazil and India agree to boost cooperation on rare earths
Tue 24 Feb 2026
Brazil and India sealed a deal Saturday on critical minerals and rare earths, enhancing cooperation on crucial resources between two major countries of the global south as they seek to diversify their trading relationships.
Trump slaps 126% solar import duty on India in threat to India-US trade deal
Thu 26 Feb 2026
The solar import duty suggests that Trump's “America First” policy remains the priority, even at the expense of an India-US trade deal.
UNESCO report: Major blind spot in ocean carbon research could undermine global climate predictions
Thu 26 Feb 2026
Media release | A new report by the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO reveals a critical lack of understanding of how the ocean absorbs and stores carbon.
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.
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.
NZ’s EV uptake decelerates
Mon 23 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s EV uptake is lagging behind other countries, with a huge drop in EV sales since 2023 bucking international trends, at the same time the Government contemplates abolishing its standard for clean cars entirely.
General Assembly chief calls for US to pay UN fees in full
Fri 27 Feb 2026
The head of the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday urged top contributor the United States to pay its fees in full after Washington made only a partial payment to the global body, amounting to less than 5% of the total amount owed.
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.
New research on climate adaptation as severe weather hits
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
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.
India and UK launch offshore wind taskforce
Mon 23 Feb 2026
Constituted under Vision 2035 and the Fourth India-UK Energy Dialogue, the Taskforce is designed to provide strategic leadership and coordination for India’s nascent offshore wind ecosystem.
