Topics tagged with 'Forestry'
Toitū to stop accepting NZUs
23 Nov 2023
Toitū Envirocare, the government’s carbon certification service, announced today that it will transition away from accepting New Zealand carbon credits in its carbon certification programmes.
Climate Change Commission in the dock
22 Nov 2023
The Climate Change Commission is back in court defending its advice, with a case brought by Lawyers for Climate Action (LCANZI) starting in the Court of Appeal yesterday.
Taskforce recommends continuous canopy forestry for Nelson
9 Nov 2023
A taskforce is calling for a halt to clear-felling on Nelson council land, and a transition to a continuous canopy of mixed species to replace the council’s commercial forestry operations, as part of a set of recommendations that will be presented to Nelson City Council today.
RB governor warns of climate change induced supply side shocks
3 Nov 2023
Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr has warned that climate change is likely to cause supply side shocks similar to those of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the COVID pandemic.
Badly designed biodiversity credit system could impact national grid
2 Nov 2023
Transpower - the state-owned operator of the national grid - has warned that a badly designed biodiversity credit system could pose risks for the country’s power lines.
Best by the rest...
27 Oct 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Is a $90m project to cool cow burps working? an East Coast leader argues that indigenous reforestation is a Treaty right; and MetService defends its inability to forecast the extreme rainfall that led to Auckland’s deadly floods.
Environment Commissioner suggests forestry levy to tackle wilding pines
24 Oct 2023
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has suggested a levy on forestry companies to fund efforts to combat wilding pines.
Foresters take legal action against new ETS fees
10 Oct 2023
Foresters have filed a judicial review aiming to stop the government’s new fee system for forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme, which they say will increase costs by several thousand percent.
Recloaking Papatūānuku: proposal for massive planting of native forests
9 Oct 2023
By Jeremy Rose | By one measure New Zealand has emitted more CO2 per capita since the beginning of the industrial revolution than any other country.
Govt releases Cabinet papers on ETS forestry charges
5 Oct 2023
The government has proactively released cabinet papers on controversial new charges for forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Foresters say new rules will lead to less planting
4 Oct 2023
A group that petitioned for a Ministerial inquiry into land use in Tairāwhiti has welcomed new rules for exotic tree planting, however foresters say that the regulations will lead to less forest planting and could compromise climate change targets.
Govt defends new charges for forestry in ETS
3 Oct 2023
The government is defending new charges in the Emissions Trading Scheme, which foresters say will discourage planting, and some say could be open to legal challenges.
Programme turns slash into cash
3 Oct 2023
Media release - An Edmund Hillary Fellow and Social Entrepreneur from Botswana has teamed up with EIT | Te Pukenga to help the Tairāwhiti and Wairoa communities eliminate slash and create business opportunities.
Wildfire conditions could be worst for 25 years
29 Sep 2023
By Liz Kivi | A wildfire expert says that New Zealand could be heading for the worst wildfire conditions for 25 years this summer, with El Niño and climate change combining to bring dry spells, high temperatures and high winds.
Can ‘carbon offsets’ help to tackle climate change?
27 Sep 2023
Every day, people are invited to buy products and services with supposed climate benefits – whether this be “carbon-neutral flights”, “net-zero beef” or “carbon-negative coffee”.
Labour announces “climate manifesto”
26 Sep 2023
The Labour Party has released a “climate manifesto” promising to set separate targets for gross emissions and carbon removals, develop a voluntary carbon market framework, and limit exotic afforestation, if it wins the election next month.
Foresters say new ETS charges will discourage planting
22 Sep 2023
Foresters say that new charges for forestry in the ETS will penalise sustainable forestry and disincentivise planting when it is most needed.
Trees could become a source of carbon emissions
13 Sep 2023
In the face of climate change, we’ve been told forests are our salvation. But scientists believe this summer’s wildfires are a sign of a tipping point — with trees a major source of carbon emissions.
Forestry owners call for law change gets lukewarm response
5 Sep 2023
If there’s one political party you’d expect to rally to a call from the Forestry Owners Association for a law change to stop councils charging higher rates for foresters than farmers, it’s New Zealand First.
Sealord investing $10 million in Māori-led carbon forestry offsetting
4 Sep 2023
Fishing giant Sealord is investing $10 million over the next ten years in a carbon offsetting programme that it says will develop underutilised Te Arawa land in the Rotorua region into permanent forest.
Consultation on exotic hardwoods and carbon tables in the ETS
30 Aug 2023
The Ministry for Primary Industries is consulting on recognising space-plantings and exotic hardwoods in the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme.
Govt cuts more than $200 million from climate funds to “tighten belts”
29 Aug 2023
The government is slashing funding to climate emissions reduction programmes as part of “belt tightening” measures, with more than $235 million in cuts to projects planned to reduce emissions.
Best by the rest...
25 Aug 2023
Is carbon forestry pushing farm prices out of reach? Auckland’s cyclone recovery funding deal; and why sustainability shouldn’t be just an afterthought in space exploration.
ETS needs to incentivise gross emissions reductions: Consultations close tomorrow
10 Aug 2023
By Ann Smith | Although New Zealand has updated its international commitment to reduce emissions, it is still ranked as “Highly Insufficient” by Climate Action Tracker.
Meeting the long-term climate threat takes more than private investment – 10 ways NZ can be smart and strategic
10 Aug 2023
By Kevin Trenberth | The announcement of a partnership between the government and the world’s biggest investment manager BlackRock in a NZ$2 billion climate infrastructure fund suggests the company is expecting renewable energy in New Zealand to increase its own profitability.
Tender for forestry NZUs
9 Aug 2023
An unnamed buyer is in the market for a “significant volume” of forestry NZUs through a tender process.
Māori forestry lobby welcomes Nat’s commitment to leave ETS unchanged
7 Aug 2023
Māori forestry group Te Taumata has welcomed a National Party statement that they would not make major changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme if voted into government at the upcoming election.
Best by the rest...
4 Aug 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Experts say the ETS emphasising indigenous forests would benefit public health; Is carbon capture an option for Huntly? And does National’s transport plan add up?
Bill to amend forestry provisions of Climate Change Response Act
1 Aug 2023
The government has introduced a “tidy-up bill” to Parliament, to change the Climate Change Response Act 2002 administered by the Ministry for the Environment.
Foresters welcome ETS reset
27 Jul 2023
Foresters have welcomed the government’s reset of Emissions Trading Scheme auction settings, saying it should incentivise forestry and wood processing investors for the embattled industry.
Forestry consultations
27 Jul 2023
The Ministry for Primary Industries is consulting on two forestry-related issues, with the deadline for one just a week away.
Govt signals ETS announcement, market “drifting”
25 Jul 2023
The Ministry for the Environment has signalled it will make an announcement about the Emissions Trading Scheme tonight, after the market closes.
The ETS works just fine, but unaffordable, ideological reforms will set us back
25 Jul 2023
By Andrew Cushen | OPINION: We are seeing a lot of noise about the Emissions Trading Scheme at the moment. If you listen to the likes of Climate Change Minister James Shaw, and previous Carbon News correspondent, Deirdre Kent, you may be thinking the scheme is a failure and in desperate need of reform.
RMA reform bill makes progress in Parliament
24 Jul 2023
Resource management law reform bills completed their second readings in Parliament last week with Labour on track to pass them with Green Party support and National and Act adamant they will repeal them before Christmas if elected to government.
ETS reforms puts $16 billion of potential Māori forestry earnings at risk, UN told
21 Jul 2023
By Jeremy Rose | A representative of Māori forestry interests in the Far North this week told a United Nations hearing in Geneva that the government’s ETS reforms were putting a $16 billion economic opportunity at risk
High Court orders govt to review ETS settings
17 Jul 2023
By Liz Kivi | The government will be forced to review Emissions Trading Scheme settings, after climate activist lawyers won a High Court case arguing the decision-making process for the December 2022 regulations was flawed.
Govt to include carbon sinks in Emissions Trading Scheme
12 Jul 2023
Cabinet agreed last week to reform the Emissions Trading Scheme to recognise all forms of carbon sinks rather than just forestry.
Forestry lobbying heats up over ETS review
11 Jul 2023
Forestry interests are continuing their campaign to ensure forestry retains value under a reviewed Emissions Trading Scheme, with another open letter to the government saying climate goals are at risk.
Govt launches consultation on biodiversity credits
7 Jul 2023
The government has launched consultation on a national biodiversity credit system, which it says could address “the gap” between exotic and native forests under the emissions trading scheme.
Foresters launch campaign to stop their carbon credits losing value
6 Jul 2023
The climate change minister says a new campaign entitled “Halt the NZU Grab” is spreading misleading information.
Forestry investment at risk, along with climate targets
4 Jul 2023
By Liz Kivi | Foresters may lose their businesses if the carbon price stays low, with contractors already losing their jobs.
NZU spot price drops further
29 Jun 2023
The price of NZUs on the secondary market is in freefall following the government’s consultation announcement on ETS settings and restrictions on permanent forestry.
Emissions down 9% in Wellington region
28 Jun 2023
Greenhouse gas emissions in the Wellington region fell by 9% since 2019, according to a new report.
Forestry Institute's open letter warns NZ may fail to meet climate commitments
23 Jun 2023
The New Zealand Forestry Institute has penned an open letter to MPs and the media outlining “deep concerns” about the future of forests and forest investment, with climate commitments at stake.
Carbon price plummets: what does ETS review mean for future prices?
22 Jun 2023
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price on the secondary market has slumped to its lowest point since 2021 in the wake of the government’s ETS announcement, after rallying briefly following last week’s failed Emissions Trading Scheme auction.
ETS forestry review critical to achieving emissions goals
20 Jun 2023
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: The government’s review of the Emissions Trading Scheme is critical and long overdue, with the potential to drive much deeper gross emission cuts and set up forestry as the long-term carbon sink New Zealand needs for net-negative emissions. But if done badly, the review risks trading off these separate but important goals and achieving neither.
ETS review options will take too long to implement: expert
20 Jun 2023
Proposed changes to the ETS will take too long to come into effect and do not go far enough to solve the core issues, according to an expert.
Activists say the world's biggest agribusiness company has broken deforestation promises
20 Jun 2023
Activists allege that the world’s largest agribusiness company has failed to keep pledges on eliminating deforestation from its supply chains.
ETS review looks at reducing NZUs at auction
19 Jun 2023
The government has opened public consultation on the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme as well as consultation on redesigning its Permanent Forest Category.
New research looks at methane-munching microorganisms in forest soils
15 Jun 2023
Scientists are working on new research into how much methane is consumed by microorganisms in New Zealand’s planted forest soils - and what potential these soils have to counteract the country’s outsized agricultural emissions.
Climate risks could reshape business finances, new guidance warns
Today 11:00am
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.
From war to weather: A ‘super El Niño’ event poses fresh risks to global food costs
Fri 10 Apr 2026
An unusually powerful El Niño later this year could exacerbate food security fears as disruption caused by the Iran war strains supply for crucial fertilier products.
$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.
UK ‘green’ jet fuel imports linked to illegal Amazon deforestation
Tue 14 Apr 2026
A major supplier of ‘green’ airline fuel to the UK has sourced beef fat linked to illegal Amazon deforestation, court documents and shipping data show.
Environment ministry straining under pressure of reforms and potential disestablishment
Today 11:00am
The ministry responsible for New Zealand’s most significant resource management reform in a generation is doing so under institutional strain, compressed timeframes, and an uncertain future – including its own potential disestablishment.
New alliance wants renewable-led energy – and Govt to press pause on LNG
Thu 9 Apr 2026
A newly formed coalition of business, consumer and energy organisations has unveiled a renewable-led strategy it says will strengthen the country’s energy security, and it’s calling on the Government to pause its plan for an LNG import terminal.
Self-interest should drive investment in overseas climate action, says former climate commissioner
Mon 13 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Wealthy countries – including New Zealand – aren’t doing nearly enough to fund climate mitigation in the developing world, with new research saying we need to "change the conversation" to spark action in this vital area.
Don’t mention the climate: Trump creates ‘beyond absurd’ situation at global finance talks
Today 11:00am
Governments desperate for cash to protect their citizens from the growing impacts of the climate crisis are being put in a “beyond absurd” situation this week at global finance talks: they are being urged not to mention the climate, even as they address the current oil crisis.
Carbon ‘stockpile’ up 9 million in March quarter
Fri 10 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | The ‘stockpile’ of pollution permits (NZUs) in private accounts has increased by just over 9 million to almost 145 million since the end of 2025, according to the latest figures from the Environmental Protection Authority.
Activist ends five-day tree-top protest at West Coast coal mine
Fri 10 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A climate activist has ended a five-day tree-top occupation that blocked access to Bathurst Resources’ Cypress Mine on the West Coast, in a protest against plans to expand what could become New Zealand’s largest coal mine.
Supply-side pressures and political uncertainty ahead for carbon market
7 Apr 2026
By Kristen Green | ANALYSIS: With failed auctions, a surge of new forestry registrations, and an election a few months away, the NZ ETS in 2026 will be subject to a mix of supply-side pressures and political uncertainty.
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.
LION commissions 3MW electric boiler at Speight’s brewery
Today 11:00am
Media release | LION has commissioned a 3MW electric boiler at Speight’s Brewery, marking the completion of a $7.2 million project that will significantly reduce carbon emissions and increase energy demand flexibility and security for central Dunedin.
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.
Climate change could sharply increase NZ landslide risk
Tue 14 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Climate change could significantly increase the number and intensity of landslides in New Zealand, with new research showing a Cyclone Gabrielle-scale storm in a warmer world could trigger tens of thousands more slips across a wider area.
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.
Media round-up
Fri 10 Apr 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Past fuel price spikes failed to shift Kiwis out of their cars with signs suggesting it’s happening again, a 'she’ll be right' attitude is not enough in a climate crisis, and should forestry be listed as critical in the government's national fuel plan?
A matter of strategy
7 Apr 2026
COMMENT: Even on the brink of a global commodities crisis, the possibilities for climate action aren't hopelessly foreclosed. Strategy can turn our fortunes around, writes David Hall.
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.”
FMA to ease conditions for green bond issues
31 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Green, social and sustainability-linked bonds will face lower disclosure requirements and regulatory costs under a class exemption newly granted by the Financial Markets Authority.
New protections for NZ migratory species under UN convention
2 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New international protections for migratory species, including several found in New Zealand, are a positive step – but global protections won’t halt the decline of migratory species on their own, experts say.
Fonterra admits ‘100% grass-fed’ claim breached law in greenwashing row
2 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Fonterra has admitted its “100% New Zealand grass-fed” claims on Anchor butter were misleading and breached the law, settling a case brought by Greenpeace Aotearoa over packaging used between December 2023 and April 2025.
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.
NZ prepares to join ‘gold rush’ for white hydrogen
25 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand may be close to commercialising the capture and use of naturally occurring ‘white’ hydrogen, with investment plans for developments in the Wairarapa region picking up pace in response to spiralling oil prices.
Media round-up
20 Mar 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Crown lawyers agree High Court could quash emissions plan if found unlawful; NZ is locked in 'disaster inertia'; and climate change is notably absent from new development laws.
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.
Environmental groups launch legal action over Govt's 'tick-box approach' to conservation land
8 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Forest & Bird and the Environmental Defence Society are taking the Government to court over decisions about the future of publicly-owned land on Te Tai Poutini/the West Coast.
Genesis fires up pellet study with Nature’s Flame
8 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Genesis Energy is extending its quest for locally produced torrefied wood pellets to supplement coal and gas to fuel its Huntly power station, announcing it is investigating plant construction with established local solid fuels player Nature’s Flame.
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.
Ocean protections clash with mining pressure in Indonesia’s most diverse marine ecosystem
Mon 13 Apr 2026
Long regarded as a global model for ocean conservation, Raja Ampat ecosystems are now under pressure, as concerns grow over the expansion of nickel mining alongside a surge of international tourism.
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.
Worst in a generation: Environmentalists slam fisheries reform bill
25 Mar 2026
Media release: Greenpeace | The Fisheries Amendment Bill, which will likely have its first reading in parliament this week, is being labelled the worst fisheries policy in a generation by environmental groups who are calling for it to be rejected to protect ocean health.
Renewable build-out runs into grid and firming limits
8 Apr 2026
New Zealand's electricity market entered 2026 with renewable generation at record levels and a substantial build pipeline finally moving from paper to construction. The harder question is whether the wider system can absorb and firm that capacity fast enough.
Lawyers complain to ombudsman over Govt failure to release LNG modelling
1 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers for Climate Action has made a formal complaint to the Ombudsman over the Government’s failure to release information about its controversial decision to build a LNG import terminal.
Kiwis overly optimistic about state of environment
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.
‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics
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?
Global uncertainty driving solar surge
Mon 13 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Global instability and rising energy costs are pushing more New Zealanders towards solar, with companies reporting a surge in enquiries as households look for greater control and resilience in an increasingly uncertain energy landscape.
Activists occupy controversial gold drilling site
25 Mar 2026
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | Opposition in Golden Bay to a controversial gold mine at Sams Creek has flared up over the weekend after several activists briefly occupied a drilling site.
China has a new competitor? Kazakhstan reveals huge rare Earth deposit that could power the next tech boom
25 Feb 2026
China’s grip on rare earths might finally see some competition, and the world is already taking notice.
Govt tweaks consenting rules for EV chargers
Fri 10 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has announced a national reset of planning rules for EV chargers, which it says aim to address infrastructure shortages which have put the brakes on electric vehicle uptake in New Zealand.
Sci-tech prioritisation report is a joke that could cost NZ dearly, says NZ Association of Scientists
2 Apr 2026
Media release: New Zealand Association of Scientists | The Prioritisation Report released yesterday by the Prime Minister’s Science Innovation and Technology Council makes a poor case for further cuts and changes to our research system.
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.
AI surge gives carbon capture a new push
Today 11:00am
Technology that captures carbon emissions from power plants may finally get a breakthrough as deep-pocketed tech companies try to meet climate goals while powering the AI race.
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 latest push to roll out more EV chargers is a good thing – but can it go the distance?
Tue 14 Apr 2026
A $50 million plan to expand New Zealand’s public electric vehicle (EV) charging network marks another step toward a lower-emissions transport system.
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.
Dairy farmers' lack of climate action 'even bleaker' than water inaction – Upton
1 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Government projections for cutting agricultural emissions are being undermined by low farmer uptake, with the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment warning the country is relying on “heroic” assumptions to meet its methane targets.
AI tool predicts wildfire danger faster than current systems
26 Mar 2026
Media release | A wildfire forecasting system powered by artificial intelligence could help detect dangerous fire conditions earlier and reduce the cost of wildfire response, according to new research from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury.
Fast-track approved project could deliver NZ’s largest wind farm
7 Apr 2026
Media release: New Zealand Government |Fast-track approval has been granted for New Zealand’s largest wind farm project.
