Topics tagged with 'Forestry'
Govt seeks partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned-land
19 Dec 2024
Media release | The Government has released a request for information (RFI) to seeking interest in partnerships to plant trees on Crown-owned land with low farming and conservation value (excluding National Parks) Forestry Minister Todd McClay announced.
Govt confirms new ETS forestry fees
18 Dec 2024
The Government has confirmed new fees for forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme, which will start from January 2025.
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.
Climate adaptation plans welcomed, but funding remains the missing piece
Today 11:45am
By Oli Lewis | Experts are welcoming a proposal to make climate adaptation planning mandatory, but warn the plans may be ineffective without clarity around who will pay to implement them.
New legislation to bar climate torts proves polarising for submitters
Today 11:45am
By Liz Kivi | Opponents of legislation to block climate lawsuits say it could seriously damage investor confidence, while supporters of the same legislation argue that not passing it could be “devastating” for the New Zealand economy.
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A $30 million government package to support regional air routes risks delivering poor value for money while increasing emissions, according to transport strategist Tim Adriaansen.
Media round-up
9 Jul 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The Government re-wrote fast-track law after mining companies pushed for change; costs from inland flooding are expected to rise by up to 53% by 2075; and is there such a thing as a sustainable tourist?
University launches worldwide search for nature-focused researchers
Wed 15 Jul 2026
Media release | As governments and businesses around the world grapple with climate change and biodiversity loss, Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland is launching an international search for ten PhD researchers to help shape a more nature positive economy.
Inaction on shipping decarbonisation could cost NZ up to $94b by 2050, report says
30 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | Failing to support and enable the decarbonisation of the shipping industry could result in losses of $17.5 billion to $94.4b to the New Zealand economy by 2050, according to a report from the Aotearoa Circle.
Emissions Trading Scheme ‘stockpile’ shrinking
9 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The “stockpile” of NZUs in private accounts continues to shrink, with the latest Environmental Protection Authority figures showing the number has dropped by 9.5 million since this time last year.
UK withdraws millions in funding from world’s second-largest rainforest in Congo
Today 11:45am
The UK has abandoned projects worth tens of millions of pounds that were meant to help protect Congo rainforests and support local people.
Climate law introduced requiring adaptation plans and reducing Commission's role
Wed 15 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The Government has introduced legislation to amend the Climate Change Response Act (CCRA), which includes stripping the Climate Change Commission of one of its core roles, adds a new requirement for councils to produce adaptation plans for higher-risk areas, and updates ETS settings.
Coal is back in Australian Super’s portfolio. What happened to that net zero pledge?
Mon 13 Jul 2026
In 2020 Australia’s biggest super fund dumped its Whitehaven shares. Fast forward to 2026 and it is now the coalminer’s single biggest investor.
Politicians need to lead on climate: Carr
30 Jun 2026
As the election campaign heats up, former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr has a list of actions he's hoping to see from our aspiring leaders, which includes confronting climate denial as well as refusing funds or policy advice from vested interests.
EMA pushes for steady hand on energy and regulation
Mon 13 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Employers and Manufacturers Association wants the next government to commit to a long-term energy plan and allow faster investment in renewable generation, at the same time as slowing the pace of policy change and providing businesses with greater certainty.
What Magyar’s defeat of Orbán in Hungary means for climate and energy
21 Apr 2026
Hungary has played a disproportionate role in EU climate and energy policy in recent years, by repeatedly vetoing climate action and by delaying the phaseout of Russian fossil-fuel imports.
Experts call on Govt to withdraw ‘repugnant’ legislation to block climate lawsuits
Mon 13 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers and climate policy experts are calling on the Government to withdraw legislation intended to block climate lawsuits, with an adaptation expert arguing that the legislation could worsen the insurance protection gap.
Government running out of time to lock in LNG import terminal deal before election
Thu 16 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | Procurement for a floating LNG import terminal in Taranaki is well advanced, the Government says, but the clock is ticking to sign contracts before the election.
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.
The heat waves are Andy Burnham’s problem now
Today 11:45am
Recent record-breaking hot weather in the U.K. has made a chunk of voters more worried about climate change and impatient for help from the government.
Tarakihi on verge of extinction: Stock collapse exposes major fisheries management failings
3 Jul 2026
Media release: Environmental Defence Society | Fisheries NZ is consulting on new sustainability measures for the country’s two tarakihi stocks.
“It’s by stealth, isn’t it?” The multi-million dollar effort by Australian fossil fuel companies to get into schools
Thu 16 Jul 2026
Australian oil, gas and coal companies want to get into school to shape what kids learn about their industry and climate change. One group has been trying to map the scale of the problem.
Clock ticks on Gas Security Fund as Tariki developer reports ongoing losses
Wed 15 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | A Canadian company advancing a major gas storage project in New Zealand continues to report ongoing losses.
$3m Govt boost for Tauranga geothermal energy
Tue 14 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Resources Minister Shane Jones has announced a $3 million grant for the Gas to Geoheat Tauranga Geothermal System Project as part of the Government's plan to double geothermal energy by 2040.
The arms race to climate calamity
Today 11:45am
COMMENT: Both Australia and New Zealand are justifying spending millions of dollars on high-end killing machines by hyping the so-called China threat, while downplaying the very real threat of climate change to the Pacific region, writes Jeremy Rose.
Conservation bill risks climate goals, lawyers say
1 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action NZ says the Government's plan to change the law to encourage economic development on conservation land could undermine New Zealand's climate goals by weakening the land's ability to store carbon, as well as allowing new sources of emissions such as mining.
Govt climate claims don't match reality, lawyers say
17 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action has accused the Government of presenting an overly positive picture of New Zealand's climate progress at the United Nations climate summit in Bonn, arguing key claims on emissions reductions and support for the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal are not reflected in domestic policy.
Lake Onslow pumped hydro consortium secures funding for consent push
26 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | The consortium behind Lake Onslow pumped hydro has secured funding to finalise its resource consent application, aiming to lodge it under the fast-track process before 2027.
Ballance secures gas for 2026 as it progresses energy transition plan
16 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | One of the largest industrial gas users in New Zealand is working on an energy transition plan to futureproof domestic fertiliser manufacturing, while continuing to secure ongoing gas supply contracts.
Climate change is here and we’re all paying for it
Wed 15 Jul 2026
By Raewyn Peart | COMMENT: Another week, another storm. Just days ago, Kaikōura saw two months of rain fall within 48 hours, the most recent in a long line of adverse weather events.
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.
Sustainable Business Council listed on submission supporting climate torts bar
Today 11:45am
By Liz Kivi | Business New Zealand’s submission supporting legislation to block climate lawsuits raised eyebrows this week for listing the Sustainable Business Council as seemingly in support of the controversial law change.
Planetary Facts dashboard aims to make environmental costs visible
Wed 15 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Consumers can now compare the environmental impacts of everyday products with a new online dashboard designed to do for sustainability what nutrition labels have long done for food.
Climate risks could reshape business finances, new guidance warns
15 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New guidance warns climate change is set to fundamentally reshape financial outcomes for businesses, including difficult-to-model climate “tipping points” – irreversible changes such as ice sheet collapse or ocean circulation shifts – which threaten severe and sudden financial impacts.
UN chief says fossil fuel industry must cut methane for warming “relief”
25 Jun 2026
UN chief António Guterres called for stronger action to cut emissions of planet-heating methane, taking aim at the fossil fuel industry’s practices and profits, and pointing to coal, oil and gas as the root of today’s climate and energy crises.
What’s next for Sams Creek after failed mining bid?
Wed 15 Jul 2026
Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | A controversial gold mining application at Sams Creek has been declined, leaving question marks hanging over the future of the land.
Pacific coral reefs face mounting climate threat – experts
Thu 16 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Coral reef scientists are warning that climate change is accelerating the decline of reef ecosystems across the Pacific, with rising ocean temperatures, marine heatwaves and sea-level rise threatening both biodiversity and the communities that depend on them.
Ugandan farmers launch UK court case against East African oil pipeline
9 Jul 2026
Four Ugandan farmers filed a case with London’s High Court aiming to stop the East African Crude Oil Pipeline from starting to operate by asking the court to apply Uganda’s laws against the project’s UK-registered company.
Carbon markets and biochar: a golden opportunity for NZ?
1 Jul 2026
By John O’Brien | COMMENT: New Zealand’s abundant and increasing forestry waste could become a multi-billion dollar opportunity for biochar carbon sequestration – as long as the right policies, programmes, and incentives are in place.
A real ‘intergenerational equity’ budget would address Australia’s unceasing environmental decline
15 May 2026
Labor has unveiled a budget designed to tackle intergenerational equity in Australia through bold tax reform.
UN plastics pact talks restart amid fears production curbs will be left out
2 Jul 2026
Diplomats reconvene a year after negotiations collapsed, but campaigners fear the agenda risks burying tricky discussions on key elements.
Conservation bill could put development ahead of protection, commissioner warns
Today 11:45am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton says the proposed law changes could give economic development greater weight than conservation, undermining the purpose of the Conservation Act.
Northern Thai residents march for action on polluted rivers. ‘This is an emergency’
9 Jun 2026
More than 600 residents of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces embarked May 31 on a roughly 68-kilometer, six-day ‘peace walk’ to demand the Thai government take action on the river pollution crisis that has seen Thai rivers polluted with heavy metals.
Swarbrick slams $50m critical minerals funding as 'Trump's war machine' subsidy
7 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Green Party has criticised the Government's investment into two West Coast critical minerals projects, claiming the funding could ultimately support the United States defence industry rather than New Zealand's clean energy transition, while Shane Jones dismissed opponents as "flat earth idiots".
NZ lagging in energy storage investment – report
Tue 14 Jul 2026
Investment in energy storage is maturing globally, with the need for resilient and flexible power driving demand for storage, but New Zealand has some catching up to do, according to a new report.
Fast-track panel backs proposed Haldon Solar Farm
6 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The proposed Haldon Solar Farm in the Mackenzie Basin has moved to the final stages of the Fast-track Approvals Act process after the Fast-track Panel proposed granting approval for the project.
Shining a light on Trans-Tasman solar reforms
Tue 14 Jul 2026
OPINION: The real test of solar reforms is how fast retailers can turn new rules into working tariffs, writes Mark Humphreys.
Carbon trading schemes cut more emissions than carbon taxes, according to global study
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Carbon trading schemes are more effective than carbon taxes at reducing emissions, cutting fossil fuel use, and accelerating the shift to renewable energy, a global study has found.
Microsoft emissions surge 27% as AI buildout crimps climate goals
Mon 13 Jul 2026
Microsoft's greenhouse gas emissions jumped 27 percent in its latest fiscal year, the tech giant disclosed Thursday, adding to a wave of worsening environmental reports from an industry racing to build AI infrastructure.
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.
Govt backs hydrogen with national industry summit
9 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The Government is convening a major hydrogen conference to promote awareness and uptake of the alternative fuel.
‘Those blocking climate science are not our friends': Pacific leaders warn at Bonn talks
23 Jun 2026
Pacific nations and civil society groups have united at UN climate talks, pushing back against efforts to weaken agreed language on global temperature limits as negotiations continue behind closed doors.
Next Govt must restart action on plastic pollution
1 Jul 2026
Media release - Zero Waste Aotearoa | Plastic Free July begins with an urgent call to put plastic pollution back on the political agenda. Plastic Free July is a worldwide campaign to reduce plastic waste and eliminate single use plastics.
Greens announce water policy, including nitrogen fertiliser phase-out
7 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party announced its water policy yesterday, promising to phase out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, as well as destructive fishing methods, if the party is elected in November.
Canadian wildfire smoke chokes Toronto, threatens US cities
Today 11:45am
Toronto's air quality ranked the worst among major cities globally on Wednesday as wildfire smoke from northwestern Ontario blackened skies and spread into the northeastern United States, prompting health warnings and calls for residents to limit outdoor activities.
Faster consenting, harder trade-offs
7 Jul 2026
Faster consenting is starting to produce results, but this week's decisions show speed has not removed the harder trade-offs around electricity security, conservation, ecology and climate liability.
