Topics tagged with 'Forestry'
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.
Carbon market buoyed by ETS settings announcement
21 Aug 2024
The carbon price shot up yesterday, following the government’s announcement it would reduce auction supply of carbon credits by more than half.
‘Bombshell’: Devastation as Ruapehu mills announce permanent closure
21 Aug 2024
By Moana Ellis, Local Democracy Reporter | Ruapehu mayor Weston Kirton says he is deeply concerned for local communities devastated by news that two timber mills in the central North Island will close permanently.
UN-backed organisation approves Fonterra’s climate targets
19 Aug 2024
By Jon Rawlinson | The world’s top corporate climate-target verifier, the London-based Science Based Targets initiative, has approved Fonterra’s emissions reductions targets.
The online exchange with a difference
16 Aug 2024
By Zita Campbell, Local Democracy Reporter | An innovative online trading platform is tapping into the East Coast community to help tackle recovery and regenerative mahi across the region.
Will gene tech rule changes lead to lower emissions?
14 Aug 2024
The government is moving to overhaul restrictions on the use of gene editing and other genetic technologies, and touting possible climate benefits.
Could geothermal power stations go carbon-negative?
12 Aug 2024
Retrofitting a geothermal power station could allow carbon capture from other sources like forestry residue, according to a new study.
Carbon market plays waiting game with ETS announcement to come
9 Aug 2024
The carbon price stayed relatively flat last week, but with a high volume of NZUs changing hands, as the market awaits the government’s upcoming announcement on Emissions Trading Scheme settings.
How is the draft Emissions Reduction Plan supposed to work?
5 Aug 2024
COMMENT: In its new climate plan, the coalition government seems to be setting New Zealand up to withdraw from the world carbon market before 2035, argues economist Geoff Bertram.
Carbon futures offer new opportunity for forest owners
1 Aug 2024
By Liz Kivi | The first few days of trade for Australian and New Zealand carbon futures contracts on the Australian Securities Exchange got off to a slow start since launching on Monday.
Significant risk Aotearoa will not meet climate targets: Climate Commission
31 Jul 2024
There is a significant risk that New Zealand will not meet future emissions reductions targets, according to a new report from the Climate Change Commission.
Trans-Tasman ministers talk climate and finance
31 Jul 2024
Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts were in Brisbane yesterday discussing climate and finance with their Australian counterparts.
Commtrade makes spot price unavailable
25 Jul 2024
By Liz Kivi | Jarden’s digital carbon trading platform, Commtrade, has locked market watchers and the general public out of viewing its last traded spot price, just as the government said it wanted to improve market transparency.
Agricultural emissions down
25 Jul 2024
New Zealand's emissions were down in the March quarter, 8% lower than their peak in March 2019, partly due to a decrease in agricultural emissions.
Carbon market ‘underwhelmed’ by govt climate plan
24 Jul 2024
The carbon market barely blinked last week when the coalition government released its major climate policy, the second emissions reduction plan, which is intended to chart a path to reach climate targets to 2030.
Media round-up
19 Jul 2024
In our weekly round-up of climate coverage in local media: how the government's climate plan does less with more; experts say the plan puts NZ's reputation at risk; and why getting the ETS right will be critical to investment.
New plan might see climate change minister in court
18 Jul 2024
Lawyers for Climate Action say there are “significant concerns” about whether the government’s new climate plan will achieve its climate targets, and could be in breach of the Climate Change Response Act.
Foresters say govt planting forecasts are wrong
18 Jul 2024
Foresters say the government's planting forecasts in its new climate plan are wrong, with the actual planted areas likely to be about half the government’s projections in 2024, according to the New Zealand Institute of Forestry.
Govt releases emissions reduction plan
17 Jul 2024
Climate change minister Simon Watts has released the second emissions reduction plan for consultation, with proposed changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme including aligning ETS units with emissions budgets and reviewing the free industrial allocation of units.
ACT submits bill to stop regional councils considering climate impacts
15 Jul 2024
ACT MP Mark Cameron has lodged a new member’s bill to stop regional councils from considering climate change impacts in consenting decisions.
Climate strategy contradictory - or step in the right direction?
11 Jul 2024
A climate policy expert and IPCC lead author is concerned that progress on climate will be lost if the government doesn’t overhaul the Emissions Trading Scheme and introduce other complementary policies to reduce emissions.
Digital token launched to encourage sustainable mahi
5 Jul 2024
By Jeremy Rose | Te Kautuku is a 930ha Māori land block on the far East Coast. Its natural ecosystems range from lowland forests to duneland, with wetlands and river systems connecting directly to the Pacific Ocean.
Carbon credit ‘stockpile’ down by 25 million units
4 Jul 2024
The NZU ‘stockpile’ has shrunk by 24.5 million NZUs, with emitters surrendering their units ahead of the May 31 deadline removing a hefty chunk of the surplus, according to the latest government figures.
Wait for the emissions reduction plan: Watts
20 Jun 2024
By Liz Kivi | The failure of yesterday’s carbon auction doesn’t mean the Emissions Trading Scheme isn’t working, according to climate change minister Simon Watts.
Govt cans controversial forestry ETS charges for this year
17 Jun 2024
Foresters have welcomed the government’s announcement that it is cancelling forestry ETS annual services charges for 2023-24.
Govt 'not even pretending to try' to reduce transport emissions: former MOT chief science advisor
11 Jun 2024
By Liz Kivi | The former chief science advisor for the Ministry of Transport says the current government isn’t even pretending to try to reduce carbon emissions from transport.
Flaws in NZ ETS make international news
4 Jun 2024
Problems with the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme are making headlines globally.
Climate change minister faces up to some difficult questions
30 May 2024
By Liz Kivi | The climate change minister faced some awkward questions at the Carbon and Energy Professionals conference this week, against a backdrop of falling carbon prices.
Scion report on short rotation forestry met with scepticism
27 May 2024
A new report from Scion that says short rotation forestry holds the key to lowering fossil fuel use has been criticised by sustainable land use campaigners as well as an oil industry expert.
Environment commissioner calls for separate ETS for methane
23 May 2024
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has again called for forestry to be phased out of the Emissions Trading Scheme and is calling for a separate ETS for methane.
Govt blamed for low carbon price
22 May 2024
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price hit a ten-month low on the secondary market on Monday, with NZUs trading at about half the price of the commodity’s all-time high of $88.50 in November 2022.
ETS alone won’t decarbonise NZ: businesses representing 40% of country’s GDP
22 May 2024
The Sustainable Business Council and Climate Leaders Coalition say that depending on the ETS alone to reach net zero will cause significant harm to the economy.
How flying can be a climate solution
Mon 16 Jun 2025
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
Mon 16 Jun 2025
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.
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.
Government undermines regional powers to protect coastal biodiversity
Mon 16 Jun 2025
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.
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
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
Mon 16 Jun 2025
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
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.
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.
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.
“It’s not the car – it’s how we move” – EECA
3 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams| New Zealand’s transport emissions conversation has focused heavily on electric vehicles – but Richard Briggs, group manager, delivery and partnerships at the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, says we’re asking the wrong question.
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.
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.
