Topics tagged with 'Forestry'
Experts quit carbon market watchdog in row over quality label for forest credits
18 Dec 2024
Two ICVCM expert advisors have resigned from their positions over what they called a “problematic precedent” set with the REDD+ decision.
Wood products pivotal to NZ meeting climate targets
12 Dec 2024
Media release | Government support for boosting wood processing as outlined in NZ’s second emissions reduction (ERP2) plan is a step in the right direction says the Wood Processors and Manufacturers Association.
Second emissions reduction plan still off-track
11 Dec 2024
The government has released its final emissions reduction plan for 2026-30, copping criticism for relying on unproven technology such as carbon capture and storage, as well as failing to meet crucial climate targets.
Carbon price dips as dust settles after auction
10 Dec 2024
The carbon price has taken a dive since last week’s auction, down more than 6% on last week’s auction price.
Loggers and carbon projects forge odd partnerships in the Brazilian Amazon
10 Dec 2024
Brazil’s largest carbon credit scandal, which came to light in June after a major police raid, has cast doubt on the viability of REDD+ projects in the Brazilian Amazon.
Dame Patsy Reddy appointed Climate Change Commission chair
9 Dec 2024
Dame Patsy Reddy has been appointed the new chair of the Climate Change Commission, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced this morning.
Green Party releases alternative climate plan
9 Dec 2024
The Green Party wants to take forestry out of the Emissions Trading Scheme and instead create biodiversity credits for afforestation.
Govt to partner with private sector planting trees on Crown land
6 Dec 2024
Cabinet has agreed to look at public-private partnerships to plant trees on low value Crown land, in a move the government says will support New Zealand’s climate change targets and create more jobs.
Changes to limit ETS forestry will have 'dire consequences' - foresters
5 Dec 2024
Foresters say that new rules limiting farm to forestry conversions under the Emissions Trading Scheme are set to have dire consequences for forest growers as well as for the country’s ability to meet climate targets.
Environmental group slams new forestry regulations
5 Dec 2024
An environmental group advocating for sustainable land use in Tairāwhiti has lashed out at the government’s announcement it will restrict forestry to marginal land.
No excuse to not slash climate pollution – Carr
5 Dec 2024
Outgoing Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr says every sector faces challenges in reducing its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, and New Zealand is not unique in its barriers.
Final auction of the year partially clears
4 Dec 2024
More than 7 million pollution permits will fail to enter the register this year, with just under half of a possible 14.1 million units selling across all the Emissions Trading Scheme carbon auctions this year.
Auction preview: experts predict partial clearance tomorrow
3 Dec 2024
The secondary carbon market is trading just above the $64 auction floor, as tomorrow’s highly anticipated auction looms - the fourth and final of 2024.
Gisborne councillors fear loss of control over forestry rules
2 Dec 2024
By Zita Campbell, Local Democracy Reporter | Gisborne district councillors fear a proposed nationwide environmental standard will prevent the council from creating and enforcing rules to safeguard Tairāwhiti's “unique terrain”.
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.
Complex Article 6 rules pave way to unruly carbon markets
25 Nov 2024
Media release | Despite the best efforts of activists and some climate negotiators, the agreement reached on Article 6 carbon markets at COP29 in Baku risks facilitating cowboy carbon markets at a time when the world needs a sheriff.
Partial clearance possible at December auction
22 Nov 2024
The carbon price is hitting up against the $64 auction floor on the secondary market, with the government’s final quarterly auction for the year now less than two weeks away.
Delaying agricultural emissions pricing comes with a cost
20 Nov 2024
Holding back on agricultural emissions pricing could cost New Zealand hundreds of millions more in future offshore climate mitigation.
New carbon market rules could lock out forestry
19 Nov 2024
By Liz Kivi | New carbon market rules negotiated at the United Nations climate summit could have negative consequences for carbon forestry in New Zealand, experts are warning.
Govt could make significant domestic reductions towards second NDC - but needs to hurry up
8 Nov 2024
The government could find much of the needed emissions reductions for its next Paris Agreement pledge at home – but needs to get on with it, says new analysis from the Climate Change Commission.
Constraints on forestry set to slash unit supply
8 Nov 2024
COMMENT: Carbon unit supply from forestry looks set to be limited by multiple factors - and by 2040 NZUs from new forestry are likely to fulfill only a fraction of demand, writes Ollie Batelier-Belton.
Media round-up
8 Nov 2024
In our weekly round-up of climate coverage in local media: Tensions flare over ETS forestry on the Chatham Islands; MPI questions the Climate Commissions native forestry targets; and extreme weather is costing vulnerable island nations billions.
Carbon price inching up as auction looms
7 Nov 2024
The carbon price is still inching up towards the auction floor, with the final auction for 2024 less than a month away. But the US election result means uncertain times for global environmental markets, according to an expert.
Upcoming auction pivotal for carbon market
29 Oct 2024
With the final carbon auction of the year less than six weeks away, experts are watching keenly to see if any carbon units are likely to enter the market at auction.
Environmental management failing to hold the line - Upton
24 Oct 2024
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton is not confident New Zealand’s efforts are making a difference to environmental quality.
Government consulting on ETS charges for forestry
23 Oct 2024
The government is proposing setting an annual per hectare charge for forestry in the ETS at $14.90 - about half the price set by the previous government, but still a significant increase on what foresters formerly paid.
Stockpile and forestry set to drive carbon price
23 Oct 2024
Stockpile holders will have the power to set the NZU price in future, as the importance of the government’s carbon auctions wanes, Emissions Trading Scheme participants were told last week.
Revealed: Biomass firm poised to clear Bornean rainforest for dubious ‘green’ energy
22 Oct 2024
Indonesia’s strategy for increasing renewable energy production could see Indigenous communities lose huge swathes of their forests to biomass plantations.
Foresters welcome reference group - but questions remain around ETS charges
17 Oct 2024
Foresters have welcomed the plan for a new Reference Group for the sector, but say the government shouldn’t risk undermining afforestation by overcharging foresters participating in the ETS.
Government and sector to improve Forestry ETS Registry
14 Oct 2024
Media release | Forestry Minister Todd McClay today announced the establishment of a Forestry Sector Reference Group to drive better outcomes from the Forestry Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) Registry.
UN carbon trading expert group agrees deal on market framework
14 Oct 2024
A UN expert group has reached a compromise on key elements of a global carbon trading system, in a bid to resolve nearly a decade of talks on what is seen as an important tool for raising climate finance.
Woody biomass - a false climate solution and threat to Indonesia’s forests?
11 Oct 2024
A new report highlights the threat to Indonesia’s forests from industrial biomass demand.
Environment the loser in govt's fast-track announcement, say critics
7 Oct 2024
Environmental groups and opposition parties are irate over the government's list of fast-track projects, with activists saying they will be "disasters" for the planet.
Gisborne cross-sector group established to guide landowners of highly erodible land
7 Oct 2024
By Zita Campbell, Local Democracy Reporter | As the Government looks to take control of national forestry regulations from councils, questions linger on what it will mean for Gisborne.
Centre seeks experts to classify sustainable claims
4 Oct 2024
The Centre for Sustainable Finance is looking for experts in sustainable finance, agriculture, and forestry, to develop the agriculture and forestry taxonomy for Aotearoa New Zealand.
NZ needs to optimise its natural advantage for carbon removal
3 Oct 2024
By Shannon Williams | Carbon capture should be monetised as a commodity, and New Zealand needs to seize on its natural advantages for carbon removal, according to a University of Canterbury researcher.
OIO approves sale of West Coast forestry harvesting rights
3 Oct 2024
The Overseas Investment Office has approved Ngāi Tahu Forestry’s plan to sell harvesting rights to its 26,700ha forestry estate on the West Coast.
Define ‘tree’: The fight over Woolworths’ eco-beef pledge
27 Sep 2024
Woolworths’ ban on beef reared on deforested land has prompted Australian farmers to campaign for rules to define the practice that would allow them to chop down trees as part of their land management.
New appointments to the EPA board
18 Sep 2024
Media release | Environment Minister Penny Simmonds has announced a major refresh of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) board with four new appointments and one reappointment.
Environmental group challenges forestry claims
13 Sep 2024
By Zita Campbell, Local Democracy Reporter | Environmentalists are rejecting claims by a forestry umbrella group that Gisborne District Council does not have the expertise to support and regulate the industry.
OPINION: Trees are the answer to more resilient rural landscapes, not the threat
9 Sep 2024
Media release | There are many ways the New Zealand Farm Forestry Association (NZFFA) could respond to Ewan McGregor’s opinion piece about the threat of pines to our rural landscape.
Councils to lose ability to make tougher local rules for forestry
6 Sep 2024
Foresters have welcomed the government’s announcement that it will roll back councils’ ability to introduce their own tougher rules for forestry, but the move is likely to be controversial with some local authorities.
Carbon price steady following failed auction
5 Sep 2024
The carbon price on the secondary market stayed steady yesterday following the failed quarterly auction, for which no bidders fronted.
Carbon auction fails again
4 Sep 2024
The September carbon auction has failed, with no bidders fronting at the auction and millions of units now rolling over to the December auction, increasing the likelihood that auction will fail as well.
Price shocks still possible for carbon market: experts
30 Aug 2024
While the government’s move to slash carbon auction volumes has stabilised New Zealand’s compliance carbon market somewhat, experts say there is still potential for market volatility due to wider uncertainty around climate policy.
Climate plan risks high future costs
29 Aug 2024
The government’s ‘least cost approach’ to emissions reductions risks passing on significant costs to future generations, according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
Govt’s next moves for RMA reform
29 Aug 2024
The Government has given more details on the Resource Management Act changes it intends to introduce by the end of the year.
Reported emissions down, carbon market up
28 Aug 2024
The Environmental Protection Authority published the latest Emissions Trading Scheme data on emissions and removals earlier this month, with reported emissions down overall, while reported removals increased.
Govt still working on land use restrictions for ETS: Watts
23 Aug 2024
Climate change minister Simon Watts says the government is still working on policy to restrict land entering the Emissions Trading Scheme but hopes to deliver it “this side of Christmas.”
Pine forests will increasingly replace farmland unless policies change - new research
22 Aug 2024
More New Zealand farms could give way to pine forests under current policy settings, according to new research.
What happens to net zero if the trees don’t survive?
Wed 20 Aug 2025
When climate change undermines the climate plan.
Media round-up
Fri 22 Aug 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The climate advice the government didn't want you to see; New Zealand's groundbreaking climate law has become ‘a shell’; and could the Electricity Authority be about to inadvertently increase power prices?
NZ Post drops science-based climate target
8 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | NZ Post has dropped its science-based emissions reduction target of 42% by 2030 with no plans to replace it.
Why plane turbulence is becoming more frequent - and more severe
6 Aug 2025
As climate change shifts atmospheric conditions, experts warn that air travel could become bumpier: temperature changes and shifting wind patterns in the upper atmosphere are expected to increase the frequency and intensity of severe turbulence.
Bolivia will choose a new president but environmental activists see little hope of progress
Fri 22 Aug 2025
Many Indigenous and environmental leaders doubt the election will bring progress in stopping deforestation, wildfires or pollution in the Amazon.
Media round-up
15 Aug 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Australia could be about to leapfrog New Zealand on climate targets; 'strangled' rivers are fighting back; and 10 rangatahi will join Aotearoa New Zealand’s delegation at the United Nations' major climate conference in Brazil.
‘Problems looming’ for Govt's key climate tool
Fri 22 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | There are serious unresolved issues for the Emissions Trading Scheme which mean it could become unstable and ineffective at driving emissions reductions, according to the Climate Change Commission.
Record solar growth keeps China’s CO2 falling in first half of 2025
Fri 22 Aug 2025
Clean-energy growth helped China’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions fall by 1% year-on-year in the first half of 2025, extending a declining trend that started in March 2024.
Govt opts for status quo for ETS auctions
Tue 19 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has chosen not to increase auction volumes in the Emissions Trading Scheme, a decision applauded by carbon market insiders and climate campaigners alike, despite it contradicting the Climate Change Commission’s advice.
Coal mining company continuing with fast-track plans despite costly protest
Fri 22 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A marathon 23-day coal bucket occupation protesting Bathurst Resources' plan to mine the Denniston Plateau ended on Tuesday, when Climate Liberation Aotearoa activists Rachel Andrews and Tāmati Taptiklis climbed down from the 80-metre high Stockton mine ropeway and were taken into custody.
Is extending Huntly power station to 2035 in consumers’ best interest?
22 Jul 2025
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: Genesis Energy is proposing a cartel to keep high-emitting Huntly Power Station in business to 2035. If extending Huntly has economic benefits, is a cartel necessary?
What does 'drier' really mean in 'green' homes?
1 Aug 2025
Media release - Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland | Researchers say green-rating systems could improve clarity and effectiveness by explicitly defining ‘drier’ and using two measures of humidity.
RMA to speed up fossil fuel consents
Mon 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.”
Certainty crucial to emissions cuts – Watts
Wed 20 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says that policy certainty is the Government’s primary lever for unlocking private capital and meeting climate targets, telling a carbon forestry conference that ETS settings are 'locked' through 2030.
Why helping customers electrify is a growth opportunity for energy retailers
Fri 22 Aug 2025
Media release – Cogo | The global shift to a low-carbon economy is transforming the energy market. For energy retailers, this shift brings both pressure and possibility.
Key orange roughy population on verge of collapse, govt considers closure
9 Jul 2025
Media release - Deep Sea Conservation Coalition | New data reveals that New Zealand’s main orange roughy fishery, accounting for half of the country’s total catch, is on the brink of collapse, with one model showing it may have reached that point already, and the government’s considering closing it.
Nearly half of Kiwi in the dark about risks facing their homes
Fri 22 Aug 2025
Media release – Tower | As weather events become more frequent and extreme its important people have information about the risks that could affect their property.
Latest trawl bycatch numbers 'a grim wake-up call'
24 Jun 2025
Media release – Greenpeace | The latest fisheries bycatch data paints a grim picture, with trawlers hauling up thousands of kilograms of coral and killing hundreds of fur seals and seabirds over a 12 month period.
Shane Jones on climate change – it’s real, but…
15 Aug 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand First deputy leader Shane Jones believes climate change is real, but is uninterested in what is causing it and primarily focused on adapting to it.
A modest geothermal strategy
31 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has unveiled a far more modest geothermal energy strategy than its primary backer, Resources Minister Shane Jones, had sought.
Governments in Global South get dedicated support to tap into carbon markets
Thu 21 Aug 2025
Media release – VCMI | A new toolkit will help emerging markets and developing economies decide how best to generate and sell carbon credits to access climate finance, accelerate innovation and help close the $1.3 trillion climate finance gap.
How the meat industry uses environmental groups to make beef seem climate-friendly
11 Aug 2025
The meat industry may have enlisted environmental groups to persuade people to “feel better” about eating beef, despite the sector’s ballooning emissions of climate-heating pollution.
Watts talks big on energy reform, but barriers persist
29 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Energy and Climate Change minister Simon Watts says the government is doubling down on efforts to boost renewable energy generation, streamline regulation, and drive private sector investment as New Zealand faces mounting energy security and affordability challenges.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
29 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Green hydrogen pioneer Hiringa Energy is deep in planning to develop an “eight-to-nine figure” methanol plant near Whanganui, using a combination of biomass and hydrogen produced using renewable energy.
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.
Forestry sector could take legal action over ETS changes
14 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | The forestry sector is threatening legal action against the Government over changes to legislation intended to limit whole farm-to-forest conversions in the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Forestry the source of all ETS risk, says top economist
15 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Forestry is the source of all of the risk in New Zealand's Emissions Trading Scheme and it's inevitable that the scheme has to be reformed, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment chief economist Geoff Simmons.
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.
Oil states accused of using scare tactics in bid to sink green shipping deal
12 Aug 2025
Saudi Arabia, Iran and other oil-reliant countries are campaigning to stop the adoption of the IMO’s Net-zero Framework in October.
Brazil issues last-ditch plea for countries to submit climate plans ahead of COP30
Wed 20 Aug 2025
Only 28 countries have submitted carbon-cutting proposals to the UN, with some of the biggest emitters yet to produce plans.
Backlash over govt conservation changes
4 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government’s proposed changes to the Conservation Act are the most significant roll back in conservation protections in a generation, according to the Green Party.
Failed plastic treaty 'significant disappointment'
Mon 18 Aug 2025
The failure of negotiations on a legally-binding global plastics treaty is a "significant disappointment," but no treaty is still better than a weak one, according to a New Zealand expert.
Strong NZ representation in upcoming global climate report
Thu 21 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams and Liz Kivi | Eighteen New Zealanders are among more than 600 experts appointed by the IPCC for its next painstaking scientific deep dive into the drivers of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and how adaptation and mitigation can reduce those risks.
Activists facing intimidation tactics at Bathurst mine
Tue 19 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate Liberation Aotearoa activists suspended 80m high in a coal bucket at a the Stockton mine on the West Coast say coal mining company Bathurst Resources is using ‘hostile’ tactics to try and remove them.
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.
The US Department of Agriculture bans support for renewables, a lifeline for farmers
Thu 21 Aug 2025
The agency said it’s concerned that farmland is being consumed by wind and solar facilities – which occupy a tiny fraction of the country’s productive acres.
Will reflective roofs help beat the heat?
15 Aug 2025
Media release - University of Auckland | About 500 roofs across four continents have been painted with a reflective coating, as part of research into tackling the health impacts of climate change.
Climate groups want UK wealth tax to make super-rich fund sustainable economy
17 Jul 2025
Growing number of campaigners urge government to ensure green investment is not done ‘on backs of the poor’.
Carbon price underperforming: Environment secretary
13 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has been focussed on reducing the Emissions Trading Scheme ‘stockpile’ and carbon prices should rise soon, according to the Secretary for the Environment.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
31 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government is expected to repeal the oil and gas ban today, with a last-minute amendment handing discretionary power to two ministers over the controversial issue of decommissioning.
African $60 billion high-speed rail project takes shape
15 Aug 2025
One of the largest infrastructure projects in Africa has received a new update that could see construction begin soon.
'Yet another rate': Franz Josef ratepayers balk at $2.8m stopbank extension
4 Aug 2025
By Lois Williams, Local Democracy Reporter | Franz Josef ratepayers have given the thumbs down to plans for a $2.8 million stopbank extension to protect the town’s sewerage plant from the Waiho River.
Warmer end to winter but dry spell expected over southern lakes
5 Aug 2025
As hydro lake levels hover just below average levels, climate forecasts indicate that warmer than usual weather conditions will reduce demand, but there will likely be less rain over the southern hydro lakes as New Zealand moves towards spring and summer.
Record UK wildfires have burned an area twice the size of Glasgow in 2025
12 Aug 2025
Wildfires have scorched more than 40,000 hectares of land so far this year across the UK – an area more than twice the size of the Scottish city of Glasgow.
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.
