Topics tagged with 'Forestry'
Stand by ... the weather will get worse
10 Feb 2012
El Niño and La Niña weather patterns will become even more dominant in New Zealand with climate change, according to research from the University of Auckland published in Nature Climate Change.
Prices force major forester to rethink
20 Jan 2012
Low carbon prices are causing one of our largest forestry companies to think twice about selling this year.
Forest owners fast out of the blocks
20 Jan 2012
Forest owners are proving quick off the mark this year in applying for carbon credits.
ETS safe, but where do we go from here?
20 Jan 2012
The results from the Durban conference on climate change have been hailed as a breakthrough for climate negotiations - and derided as a step back in Kyoto goals.
Durban knows our foresters are there
9 Dec 2011
New Zealand Forest Owners' Association chief executive DAVID RHODES reports from the Durban climate change negotiations:
Millions marked for look at biochar
2 Dec 2011
Australia is putting $2 million up for grabs for biochar research.
Farmers sign up to $99m green fund
2 Dec 2011
The first round of the $99 million Action on the Ground programme to help farmers to cash in on Australia’s clean energy future is under way.
Europe a turn-off for our forest owners
25 Nov 2011
New Zealand’s carbon trading future probably lies with Australia, Japan and parts of the United States and Canada, and not with Europe, says the chief executive of the Forest Owners' Association.
ETS here to stay, vows Groser
18 Nov 2011
New Zealand will push for a successor to the Kyoto Protocol, but the Emissions Trading Scheme is here to say regardless of the outcome of international climate change negotiations in Durban this month.
Kauri might hold clues to climate secrets
18 Nov 2011
NIWA scientists will use geochemistry of precisely-dated kauri tree rings to examine New Zealand's climate during the last millennium.
Business getting serious about green investment
18 Nov 2011
Businesses and governments are accelerating investment in the green sectors of the economy, a just-released United Nations report shows.
Offsetting OK ... but there's a catch
11 Nov 2011
The owners of pre-1990 forests will be allowed to replant in another area without penalty under a National Government – but there could be be a price to pay.
Aquaflow to show know-how in Australia
11 Nov 2011
New Zealand’s Aquaflow Bionomic Corporation is joining forces with an Australian company to build plants that turn waste into fuel.
Chauvel lists flaws in ETS review
4 Nov 2011
The Emissions Trading Scheme would be up for review again under a Labour Government.
Gas outage spurs forest biofuel option
4 Nov 2011
Major industries, hotels, hospitals and large schools in the central North Island should be seriously considering forest residues as an energy source, say forest owners.
Ban names high-level team to push energy
4 Nov 2011
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the members of a high-level group tasked with mobilising action among governments, the private sector and civil society to provide clean and affordable energy for everyone.
Study urges care with harvesting for biofuel
28 Oct 2011
Turning trees into biofuel can release more carbon into the atmosphere than would have been released by fossil fuels, new American research says.
Leaders must make changes, says report
21 Oct 2011
In light of recent extreme weather events, as well as long-term disruptions related to climate change, a major new report calls for different approaches to decision making by national leaders.
Why we need to ban industrial CERs soon
21 Oct 2011
A proposed Government ban on industrial CERs should go ahead as soon as possible, says DANIEL WATSON, of Carbon Market Solutions.
Investors sniff out NZ forest fortunes
14 Oct 2011
New Zealand should expect intense interest in our carbon-sequestering forests from Australian investors, especially if the two countries’ emissions trading schemes are linked, says a company involved in carbon forestry on both sides of the Tasman.
Changing climate could lead to chocolate meltdown
14 Oct 2011
Climate change could transform the cherished chocolate bar into a luxury few can afford, according to a new study.
Pre-1990 credits near 10 million mark
7 Oct 2011
Nearly 10 million carbon credits have been issued for pre-1990 forests, latest Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry figures show.
How ecotourism can help save forests
30 Sep 2011
The increasing demand for ecotourism can play a vital role in saving endangered forests, a United Nations-backed partnership believes.
Number of positives in ETS review
23 Sep 2011
The Government’s release of the Emissions Trading Scheme review report and recommendations last week provides an interesting basis for all interested parties to detail analysis over whether the recommendations are “good” or “bad”, Carbon Market Solutions says.
ETS review runs out of gas on CERs
16 Sep 2011
The Emissions Trading Scheme review panel has stopped short of recommending industrial gas CERs be banned from New Zealand – but only because it didn’t have time to investigate the issue thoroughly.
Forests failure will cost plenty, says UN
16 Sep 2011
The United Nations and a coalition of financial institutions have warned that huge losses, both financial and environmental, could result from a failure to agree on a climate change agreement that spurs private sector investment in efforts to reduce deforestation and forest degradation.
Foresters shy at these prices
16 Sep 2011
We have seen a slight recovery this week in the NZU market, as European carbon and global markets bounce off their lows, OMFinancial reports.
Car pollution: the answer lies in a good paint job
9 Sep 2011
Exhaust emissions from cars are a toxic nightmare for the planet … but vehicles start polluting even before they hit the road.
NZ Wood adopts new CEO
2 Sep 2011
The Wood Council of New Zealand has appointed Jane Arnott to the role of chief executive officer of NZ Wood, the operation that runs the over-arching marketing programme for the forest and wood sector.
Carbon gear will map our land use
12 Aug 2011
Technology developed to measure New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions will be used to map the country.
Greens praise plans for Christchurch
12 Aug 2011
Light rail and more green spaces will find favour with Christchurch residents, says Green Party earthquake recovery spokesperson Dr Kennedy Graham.
Heating scheme reaches more homes
5 Aug 2011
An extra 1250 households each year will be able to access Government funding to replace their old solid fuel heaters, the Government says.
ETS review extended in wake of Aussie plan
1 Aug 2011
Climate Change Minister Nick Smith is seeking an update from the Emissions Trading Scheme review committee to take account of Australia’s recent announcements to implement a carbon price.
Perfect storm behind the CER meltdown
29 Jul 2011
Six weeks ago, the price of a CER was 13 euros and the emissions markets were looking healthy; a couple of weeks’ later, they were fetching 9 euros. Why the rapid meltdown, asks Richard Hayes of Environmental Intermediaries & Trading Group Limited.
Are land prices too high for carbon investment?
29 Jul 2011
Carbon Forests are a low-cost, low-maintenance alternative or enhancement to traditional livestock farming or traditional commercial forestry, but high land prices make it marginal at best, says Carbon Market Solutions.
Clear ETS signals bring in the money
22 Jul 2011
New-found confidence that the Emissions Trading Scheme is here to say is leading to an upsurge in carbon investment.
Youth group makes zero-carbon stand
22 Jul 2011
A new youth-based political movement is calling for today’s carbon bills to be paid today.
What's in the Australian carbon tax for New Zealand?
22 Jul 2011
Carbon Market Solutions director Wayne King takes a close look at the latest carbon reduction scheme proposed for Australia:
Scientists pinpoint vital role of forests
15 Jul 2011
The world’s established forests remove 2.4 billion tonnes of carbon per year from the atmosphere – equivalent to one third of current annual fossil fuel emissions – according to research published today in the journal Science.
Why it's better to sell NZUs at home
15 Jul 2011
Carbon Market Solutions says it has had a number of clients asking if they are able sell NZUs overseas.
The market is over-sold, says OMF
15 Jul 2011
Spot NZUs continue to be under pressure, trading around the low $17 level, OMFinancial reports.
Sorry, say experts, it's no longer business as usual
8 Jul 2011
Humanity is close to breaching the sustainability of Earth, and needs a technological revolution greater - and faster - than the industrial revolution to avoid “a major planetary catastrophe,” according to a new United Nations report.
ETS review team hands over report
1 Jul 2011
The Government has the Emissions Trading Scheme review panel report.
NZU prices struggle to hold around $18
1 Jul 2011
Carbon is hovering around the $18 mark as local players watch volatility in the European market.
New enviro watchdog to run ETS
1 Jul 2011
The new Environmental Protection Authority kicks off today, and from January it will be responsible for administering the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Why food and jobs will go as water dries up
17 Jun 2011
A worldwide shortage of water for agriculture will increasingly affect rural jobs and food supplies, says a new survey.
Get rid of soot and smog, urges report
17 Jun 2011
Fast action to curb soot and smog could improve human health, generate higher crop yields, reduce climate change and slow the melting of the Arctic, according to a new report.
How the majors deal with sustainability
17 Jun 2011
Canadian business analyst and Investing For The Soul founder Ron Robins explains why so many top international firms are incorporating sustainability into their business plans:
New trading platform handles big deal
10 Jun 2011
Carbon-trading newcomer Carbon Match has done its biggest trade to date.
Huge benefits in forest spending, says UN
10 Jun 2011
Investing a relatively small amount each year in the forestry sector could halve deforestation, create millions of new jobs and help to tackle the devastating effects of climate change, says a new UN report.
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.
