Topics tagged with 'Greenhouse Effect'
UN chief urges world to look on the bright side
17 Apr 2009
The twin financial and climate catastrophes have been cause for nervousness worldwide, but Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has stressed that the challenges also open the door for new economic opportunities.
NZ joins international climate change initiative
17 Apr 2009
New Zealand is becoming a founding member of the Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute, Energy Minister Gerry Brownlie announced yesterday.
Waikato Univeristy to host free climate change lecture
17 Apr 2009
An Australian professor who argues climate change is a natural phenomenon will give a free public lecture at the University of Waikato on April 30.
Two million dollars for new Kyoto forests
17 Apr 2009
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has awarded $2 million to 17 recipients to establish new forests, and is calling for further applications.
How New Zealand can learn from “Towards a Global Green recovery”
17 Apr 2009
The Council for Socially Responsible Investment endorses a recently released report prepared on behalf of the German Foreign Office for discussion at the G20 London Summit which highlights key measures in seven strategic areas that G20 members need to take to tackle the economic crisis and re-orient development towards sustainable, low-carbon growth.
Reality check time on emissions trading, says Federated Farmers
17 Apr 2009
This week's net position report on Kyoto Liabilities, which shows a possible surplus, represents an important reality check for New Zealand, says Federated Farmers.
More headroom for a better carbon scheme
17 Apr 2009
Business NZ says our changed position on greenhouse gas emissions gives us room to move on emissions trading.
Most Kiwis want climate deal at Copenhagen
14 Apr 2009
New Zealanders support signing up to a new international agreement requiring countries to limit greenhouse gas emissions beyond 2013, a new survey shows.
Europe’s steelmakers reap $1b carbon windfall
14 Apr 2009
European steelmakers received over $1 billion worth of unneeded carbon permits last year under the European Union's Emissions Trading Scheme, EU data shows.
Slow progress made at Bonn climate talks
14 Apr 2009
The latest round of United Nations talks aimed at reaching an ambitious new treaty on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions wrapped up late last week in Bonn, having achieved what the UN's top climate change official called "important" progress.
French power plant first to run carbon capture
14 Apr 2009
The world's first retrofit of a power plant with carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology will begin operating this month in the south of France.
Add agriculture to climate talks, says global body
14 Apr 2009
A global farm policy think tank has recommended that agriculture should form part of the international negotiations on climate change in Copenhagen in December.
State governor calls for carbon tax to fight warming
14 Apr 2009
The Governor of the Australian state of Victoria, David de Kretser, has called for consideration of a carbon tax, to increase the price of goods produced using energy from high-pollution power stations.
A $6 solar cooker to save the world
14 Apr 2009
The Kyoto Box, a $6 solar cooker made from cardboard, has won the Financial Times-sponsored Climate Change Challenge contest for innovative ways to decrease the human impact on the environment.
Honda wins green car of the year award
14 Apr 2009
The Honda FCX Clarity, a hydrogen-fueled fuel-cell vehicle, has won the 2009 World Green Car award at the New York auto show.
ETS uncertainty points to serious energy problems, says Labour
14 Apr 2009
The confusion and uncertainty created by National’s climate change policy is putting New Zealand’s energy security at risk, Labour’s Energy spokesman Charles Chauvel says.
Cross-party pact vital for ETS, says Vector
9 Apr 2009
A strong cross-party agreement on durable climate change policy is the single most important thing that the emissions trading scheme review committee must deliver, the committee is being told this morning.
HFCs clampdown could backfire, company warns
9 Apr 2009
Clamping down on the so-called “bad boys” of human-induced climate change -hydroflourocarbons (HFCs) - in the emissions trading scheme could backfire and actually lead to increased emissions, warns an air conditioning company.
Doubts grow over greening of national library
9 Apr 2009
Uncertainty is growing about whether the enhanced, environmentally friendly National Library of New Zealand makeover will proceed
Rainbow Warrior chief here to talk wind power
9 Apr 2009
The man who was leading the Rainbow Warrior anti-nuclear expedition when the ship was bombed in Auckland is returning to New Zealand to promote wind energy.
Obama science adviser advocates climate engineering
9 Apr 2009
US President Barack Obama’s newly confirmed science adviser, John Holdren, says the world might have to look at the possibility of “climate engineering” to battle global warming.
Climate change to spur shifts in wildfire hotspots
9 Apr 2009
Climate change will bring about major shifts in worldwide fire patterns, and those changes are coming fast, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis led by American researchers.
Climate change could cost California billions
9 Apr 2009
Climate change may cost California tens of billions of dollars annually in coming years as sea levels rise and hot days cause people to turn up the air conditioning, a draft report from the state said.
Old buildings take the green lead
9 Apr 2009
Improving the energy efficiency of Australia’s existing commercial buildings is one of the fastest, most effective ways to reduce the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions, reports the latest edition of ECOS magazine.
NZ shamed at Bonn talks, says Greenpeace
9 Apr 2009
New Zealand should be ashamed of itself in front of its Pacific Island neighbours, Greenpeace said today, as UN climate talks wrap up in Bonn, Germany.
Government uncertainty over ETS must end, say Greens
9 Apr 2009
Business leaders and the public favour prompt Emissions Trading Scheme action to doing nothing by a margin of 2:1, according to a survey by the Business Council for Sustainable Development, says the Green Party.
Labour: We're ready to start work on joint ETS
7 Apr 2009
Work on a joint National/Labour emissions trading scheme could start as early as this week, says Labour climate change spokesman Charles Chauvel.
Concrete plant swings on ETS, says manufacturer
7 Apr 2009
The axe could fall on plans for a major new concrete manufacturing plant if the emissions trading scheme review committee does not heed industry warnings.
'Polar bear' ministry cuts expected today
7 Apr 2009
The Green Party expects the Government's 'polar bear hunt' to close in for the kill at the Ministry for the Environment today, culling initiatives that have saved the taxpayer money.
UN calls for inclusion of farming in climate talks
7 Apr 2009
The United Nations has urged policy makers to include farming in their negotiations on an ambitious new international greenhouse gas reduction pact which will replace the Kyoto Protocol.
Antarctic ice shelf disappears, Arctic melting rapidly
7 Apr 2009
One Antarctic ice shelf has completely disappeared and another has lost a chunk covering 8500 square kilometres, according to a new US Geological Survey report.
Europe, US vow to cooperate in fighting climate change
7 Apr 2009
The European Union and the United States pledged at the Bonn summit to cooperate more in fighting climate change.
Happiness is not a Hummer
7 Apr 2009
Royal Dutch Shell chief Jeroen van der Veer remembers his happy student days driving a famously fuel-miserly Citroen 2CV and believes today’s drivers should fight climate change by using more efficient vehicles.
Aussies snap up solar hot water rebate
7 Apr 2009
Sales of solar hot water systems have soared since the Australian Government boosted its solar hot water rebate to $1600 in February.
NZ 'rearranges deckchairs' while ice shelf melts
7 Apr 2009
As the Wilkins ice Shelf draws closer to collapse in Antarctica, the New Zealand Government continues to contribute absolutely nothing towards progress on a climate deal in Bonn, says Greenpeace.
Dunne: With Labour, we'll reach ETS agreement
3 Apr 2009
The chairman of the emissions trading scheme review committee is predicting that Labour and National will reach agreement over a scheme which will have some degree of harmonisation with Australia.
Blame transport, not animals, says energy expert
3 Apr 2009
World Bank and World Watch Institute renewables expert Dr Eric Martinot says that inefficient transport, not animals, is New Zealand’s major emissions problem.
NZUs allocation clear sign of future ETS plans
3 Apr 2009
The Government’s allocation of eight million NZUs to the Crown’s holding account on Wednesday is a clear sign that the emissions trading scheme is here to stay.
Banks add climate clause to new loan agreements
3 Apr 2009
Banks are writing climate change clauses into their loan agreements.
Business leaders welcome multi-party deal talks on ETS
3 Apr 2009
Business leaders are welcoming statements by the National, Labour and Green parties that they are prepared to discuss a multi-party deal on an emissions trading law.
Agricultural emissions can be cut 13% today - at a profit, says Sustainability Council
3 Apr 2009
A report completed for MAF dispels the convenient untruth that pastoral farmers have no cost-effective options to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, the Sustainability Council says.
G20 will give climate a deal a boost, says UK minister
3 Apr 2009
The G20 summit in London will give "momentum" to efforts to reach a global deal on climate change, UK climate affairs minister Ed Miliband has said.
Carbon emissions trading core of US clean energy bill
3 Apr 2009
Congressional Democrats this week released clean energy legislation that establishes a market-based cap-and-trade programme for reducing global warming pollution from electric utilities, oil companies, and factories that together are responsible for 85 per cent of US greenhouse gas emissions.
Europe’s carbon trading scheme is working … just
3 Apr 2009
Europe’s controversial trading system to cut carbon emissions is showing faint signs of working, according to analysis of preliminary figures released by the European Commission.
Airlines fear failure of global climate talks
3 Apr 2009
Major airlines have warned that failure to agree on a global approach to emissions trading in climate change talks could hurt their industry by leading to increased taxes and regulation.
Underground water can store CO2, study shows
3 Apr 2009
Water deep below ground has safely trapped carbon dioxide for millions of years and may one day help to absorb emissions of the greenhouse gas to slow climate change, researchers believe.
CarboNZeroCert programme ranked No.1 in Australasia
3 Apr 2009
Consumers searching Carbon Catalog (www.carboncatalog.org) for the most transparent carbon offset provider in Australasia will find Landcare Research’s carboNZero programme at the very top of the list, the organisation says.
NZ carbon price cap backward step, says trader
31 Mar 2009
Capping New Zealand carbon prices as part of harmonising an emissions trading scheme with Australia would be a backward step, says a leading trader.
No hurry on methane emissions, says Groser
31 Mar 2009
Trade and Associate Climate Change Minister Tim Groser says that with no technology available to counter agricultural methane emissions, New Zealand will not push the case just for a 'first' on emissions trading.
UN climate plan talks of new world order
31 Mar 2009
A United Nations document on climate change that will be distributed to a major environmental meeting next week envisions a huge reordering of the world economy.
Govt unveils long-awaited voluntary carbon market guidance
Fri 15 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has released long-awaited guidance for New Zealand’s voluntary carbon and nature markets, as questions continue for the sector despite ministers signalling support for its growth.
Media round-up
Fri 15 May 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The government's move to change climate law removes a key protection for NZ citizens, farmers should be paid to use methane-busting tools, and it's one step forward, three steps back on environment policy.
$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.
Europe has 'maybe six weeks of jet fuel left', energy boss warns
20 Apr 2026
Stocks would reach a tipping point in June if Europe was unable to replace at least half of its imports from the Middle East, the organisation said in a report this week.
A real ‘intergenerational equity’ budget would address Australia’s unceasing environmental decline
Fri 15 May 2026
Labor has unveiled a budget designed to tackle intergenerational equity in Australia through bold tax reform.
Burning wood for power worse for climate than gas equivalent, report finds
21 Apr 2026
Research casts doubt on plans by the UK government to offer subsidies for carbon capture attached to the power source.
Carbon News updates forward curve
Wed 13 May 2026
Carbon News has updated its ten-year NZU forward curve, following a recent rise in spot market prices, with NZUs rallying from about $34 in January to nearly $54 in early May.
UN members prepare for pivotal vote on landmark ICJ climate justice ruling
Fri 15 May 2026
If the resolution is passed, governments will recognise their legal responsibility to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Drop in ETS forestry registrations
5 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | ETS forestry registrations have dropped off this year, with the new mandatory emissions return period, new land-use rules, and carbon price volatility all meaning participants aren’t rushing to register forestry in the emissions trading scheme.
GIDI-style help cheaper than LNG: MBIE
11 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Officials advised ministers last July that the lowest-cost way to free up gas for use during dry winters was to assist industrial gas users to switch to electricity.
Tairāwhiti deserves better than weakened forestry rules
5 May 2026
OPINION: The government's proposed amendments to forestry standards, released yesterday, ignore the hard lessons learned in our region and ignore the voices that have fought hardest to protect it, writes Manu Caddie.
Latest emissions inventory: ‘Something has gone very wrong’
16 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 decreased by just 0.1% compared to 2023, in what an expert says is a “terrible result”, compared to faster progress in previous years.
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.
Conservation land open for voluntary carbon market schemes
Tue 12 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government is to open up the Crown-owned conservation estate to private investment in voluntary carbon market projects.
Mercury eyes $1b geothermal expansion near Taupō
Fri 15 May 2026
Mercury is planning the next phase of its geothermal expansion near Taupō, with two proposed projects carrying a potential investment of up to $1 billion and enough new renewable generation to power an additional 125,000 homes.
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.
Labour condemns Govt plan to stop climate litigation
Fri 15 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Labour Party has slammed the Government’s move to block climate lawsuits against big emitters but won’t say if they would repeal the legislation if elected in November.
EDS urges MPs to scrap the Fisheries Amendment Bill
5 May 2026
Media release | The Environmental Defence Society today lodged a substantive submission on the Fisheries Amendment Bill.
Govt presses ahead with forestry rule changes despite opposition
Thu 14 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is pushing ahead with changes to commercial forestry rules despite most submitters opposing the proposals, with critics warning the reforms will weaken councils’ ability to manage erosion and forestry slash risks in vulnerable regions such as Tairāwhiti.
Fourth petroleum permit application enters competitive process
Fri 15 May 2026
Media release: New Zealand Government | The fourth petroleum exploration permit application since the removal of the exploration ban late last year has entered the open market competitive process, an encouraging signal of renewed confidence in investing in the country’s sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.
Methanexit: writing on the wall for NZ’s biggest gas user
6 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s biggest fossil gas user, Methanex, is expected to stop production by the end of this year, with the company confirming its Motunui methanol operation won’t survive Māui gas field’s closure.
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.”
New funding for low methane farming uptake
29 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government will co-fund projects under an Early Adoption Accelerator scheme announced today to accelerate the uptake of low emissions farming technologies emerging from the AgriZero public-private partnership.
Why ‘greenhushing’ signals deeper issues with NZ’s climate risk reporting regime
Fri 15 May 2026
By Hang Pham, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington | Most of us are familiar with the concept of greenwashing: organisations exaggerating or overstating their environmental credentials. But in New Zealand, there are signs the country’s climate disclosure regime may inadvertently be driving a very different trend: not saying much at all.
‘Formidable’ El Niño expected this winter
29 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Meteorologists are anticipating a significant El Niño influence on weather patterns across the country from winter onwards, with predicted lower rainfall for some areas and heavier rain for others likely to impact multiple sectors of the economy as well as the carbon market.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
Media round-up
24 Apr 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: What is the real cost of storm-hit infrastructure? Urgency is needed over climate adaptation funding; and a community conservation group has won a legal victory against multinational mining company OceanaGold.
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.
Move to block lawsuits could strengthen climate case against Govt
Thu 14 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s plan to block climate lawsuits – while potentially fatal for one groundbreaking climate case – could actually bolster claims in another live climate case underway against the Government.
Tehran will never cede control of Strait of Hormuz, senior Iranian politician tells BBC
21 Apr 2026
"Never." That's when a senior Iranian lawmaker says they'll be ready to give up their control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Govt missing tricks to save fuel in crisis
30 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is being urged to shift its response to the fuel crisis away from short-term relief and towards measures that reduce demand, with public health experts warning it is missing an opportunity to boost energy security and lower household costs.
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.
‘Triple whammy of climate chaos’: Why Antarctica's sea ice collapse is no longer a mystery
11 May 2026
Scientists have finally identified the ‘triple whammy’ behind Antarctica’s dramatic collapse, shedding new light on the chain reaction that has pushed its sea ice to record lows.
Coal mine challenge reaches Aus High Court
Wed 13 May 2026
What climate change impacts should a planning authority have to take into account when assessing a mining project?
Australian operator to run NZ ETS auctions
11 May 2026
The Government has appointed an Australian company to run its Emissions Trading Scheme auctions, taking over from NZX, which has operated the ETS auctions since they began in 2021.
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.
Deep-sea mining risks biodiversity loss lasting decades, scientists warn
11 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The first comprehensive review of deep-sea mining research has found mining could cause ecological damage lasting decades and, in some ecosystems, irreversible biodiversity loss, with New Zealand experts warning the industry poses major risks to fragile ocean environments.
Environmental groups sue Trump administration over approval of new ultra deep-water drilling project
23 Apr 2026
Environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Monday over its approval last month of oil company BP’s ultra deep-water drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico.
Opposition slams environment ministry merger
Wed 13 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Opposition MPs accused the Government of downgrading climate and environmental protections as legislation to abolish the Ministry for the Environment and merge it into a new mega-ministry passed its second reading in Parliament.
Commission urges Govt action on climate risks
7 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate change currently poses major risks to our water infrastructure with “significant gaps” in readiness to manage risks and increasing hazards, according to the Climate Change Commission.
ESG funds include petrochemical companies, report finds
5 May 2026
Global banks have invested US$133bn into US petrochemical expansion, even as the industry is linked to climate change.
Thousands protest in Germany urging faster shift to renewable energy, amid Iran war
20 Apr 2026
Thousands of people demonstrated across Germany on April 18, urging a faster shift to renewable energy and accusing conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition of putting the brakes on the transition.
Green Party calls for national electrification plan
20 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is calling for a national plan to electrify homes, transport and industry using renewable energy, to reduce fossil fuel dependence in response to the Middle East crisis.
‘Landmark’ conservation reform bill – boost or bust for nature?
8 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government has announced an overhaul of the country’s conservation system, which environmental organisation Forest & Bird says will undo the work of many generations of Kiwis to protect public conservation land.
Renewable energy hub planned for Scottish coal museum
Thu 14 May 2026
A former 19th Century coal mining 'super-pit' in Midlothian is to be turned into a renewable energy hub providing green electricity for the local community.
Planned coal mine borders internationally significant wetland
30 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Victorian Hydrogen, the company behind plans for a huge coal-to-urea project, has applied for a permit to explore for coal next to an internationally significant wetland in a sensitive catchment in Southland.
Combined climate extremes may prompt carbon budget rethink
Thu 14 May 2026
Media release: Springer Nature | Combined extreme climate events are likely to become more common in the future if carbon emissions continue to rise, a paper in Nature suggests.
Africa secures major clean energy deals as France deepens investment push
Fri 15 May 2026
French and African leaders have announced more than $11 billion in renewable energy investments across Africa, underscoring the continent’s growing importance in the global push for cleaner energy and industrial development.
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.
Why both trees and technology are important in the race to mitigate carbon emissions
4 May 2026
Different carbon‑removal approaches solve different problems, and pitting these technologies against each other could slow progress.
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.
More red lights for cars might mean more green lights for sustainable transport
7 May 2026
Media release: Royal Society Open Science | Reducing the amount of green light time for cars at traffic lights could encourage commuters to switch to more sustainable transport.
UK halves Green Climate Fund contribution, as it spends more on security
Fri 15 May 2026
After promising £1.6 billion to the UN’s flagship climate fund in 2023, the UK government has now said it will only hand over half as much.
NZ First moves to revive container return scheme
4 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | NZ First is aiming to launch a national container return scheme, which could recycle over a billion wasted containers each year, reviving a policy shelved by the previous Labour-led Government in 2023.
Greens condemn planned coal mine next to protected wetland
4 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party says a new plan for a coal mine and fertiliser plant next to an internationally significant wetland is “ecological vandalism and climate denial.”
Why is Northern Ireland facing a growing threat from wildfires?
7 May 2026
Figures show that spring drought events are happening more often while there has been a sharp rise in "fire weather" - a mix of warmth, dryness, and wind that allows fires to ignite and spread rapidly. Experts warn this combination, along with climate change, is creating a longer and more volatile wildfire season.
Stripy wind turbines could save some birds
8 May 2026
Media release: Royal Society Interface | Preventing birds from colliding with wind turbine blades could be as simple as a few paint stripes, according to international researchers, who say this could help protect wildlife as renewable energy expands.
