Topics tagged with 'Greenhouse Effect'
We’re glad to be back, US tells Bonn summit
31 Mar 2009
The United States won sustained applause at the opening of the Bonn summit when President Barack Obama's envoy pledged to "make up for lost time" in reaching a global agreement on climate change.
Obama invites big emitters to Washington forum
31 Mar 2009
The United States will host a meeting of major economies late next month to lay the diplomatic foundation for an international agreement on climate change and energy later in the year, the White House said.
G20 leaders plan special climate change talks
31 Mar 2009
Leaders attending the G20 meeting in London plan to gather again soon for a special summit on tackling climate change.
Table talk gets the climate message across
31 Mar 2009
Table talk may be the best way to help individuals to reduce carbon emissions and develop sustainable lifestyles, according to CSIRO social scientist, Anne-Maree Dowd.
National-Labour-Green deal possible on ETS
27 Mar 2009
The National Government could have a majority for a revised emissions trading scheme without the Act Party.
Energy leader backs cross-party action on ETS
27 Mar 2009
The prospect of cross-party support for an emissions trading scheme is being welcomed by energy infrastructure company Vector.
Insurers work through climate disasters liability
27 Mar 2009
The insurance industry is grappling with the issue of how to insure against carbon lost through fires, biosecurity breaches, cyclones and other disasters.
Obama might delay signing up to Copenhagen deal
27 Mar 2009
US President Barack Obama might be forced to delay signing up to a new international agreement on climate change in Copenhagen at the end of the year because of the scale of opposition in the Congress, the Guardian reported yesterday.
Garnaut says no reason to delay emissions trading
27 Mar 2009
The Australian federal government's climate change expert, Professor Ross Garnaut, expects the economy to be in recovery by the time an emissions trading scheme begins operation in July 2010.
Wong off to talk climate change in US
27 Mar 2009
Australian Climate Change Minister Penny Wong left yesterday for the United States to discuss climate change with leading figures in the new administration.
Changing climate might force Australians to move
27 Mar 2009
Senior government officials in Victoria are warning residents of towns on the Murray River that they could become the first Australians to be displaced by climate change.
Experts seek ways to make tourism eco-friendly
27 Mar 2009
More than ever, global tourism must play its part in sustainable development and poverty alleviation, according to experts at an international symposium in Toronto.
Worldwide darkness planned for Earth Hour
27 Mar 2009
What started in 2007 as one city's protest over inaction on climate change has ignited into a worldwide movement and this weekend 1800 cities are expected to participate in this year's Earth Hour.
Gore writing new climate change book
27 Mar 2009
Former United States vice-president Al Gore is writing another book on global warming policies and solutions.
Greenpeace increases call for emission cuts
27 Mar 2009
New Zealand must make deeper and faster cuts in its greenhouse gas emissions than previously thought, Greenpeace is warning ahead of the first of the year’s global climate talks which begin in Bonn over the weekend.
Minister refuses to rule out further delays to ETS - Labour
27 Mar 2009
Environment Minister Nick Smith’s refusal in Parliament on Wednesday to rule out further delays in the implementation of New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme is a cause for considerable alarm, says Labour’s Climate Change Issues spokesperson Charles Chauvel.
Energy leader calls for carbon tax solution
24 Mar 2009
New Zealand’s largest domestically owned and operated energy company is calling for the government to postpone the emissions trading scheme and reconsider a carbon tax.
Harmonising Tasman emissions schemes could mean massive losses
24 Mar 2009
Harmonising the Australian and New Zealand emissions trading schemes could cause massive losses for forestry firms here and bring fuels into the scheme six months early.
Obama invests $2b in plug-in hybrids
24 Mar 2009
To produce the next generation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and the advanced battery components that will make these vehicles run, President Barack Obama has announced $2.4 billion in economic stimulus funding.
Honda tackles Prius in US after wowing Japan
24 Mar 2009
The road will get a little more crowded for the Toyota Prius today when Honda offers American consumers what it bills as “the world’s first affordable hybrid.”
Use e-car power, says new US energy chief
24 Mar 2009
US President Barack Obama has named Jon Wellinghoff, a lawyer who believes that electric-car owners could someday get paid to provide backup battery power to the electricity grid, as chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
Super funds in dark over costs of climate change
24 Mar 2009
Australian super funds want to review their investments in light of climate change, but are in the dark when it comes to evaluation methods.
Aussies spend $20m on neighbourhood climate project
24 Mar 2009
Australian Climate Change Minister Penny Wong says a $A20 million science programme will help the country’s neighbours to understand the impacts of climate change on the region.
Carbon trading 'undermined by boom and bust’
24 Mar 2009
A shake-up in the way the "boom and bust" carbon markets are working in Europe is being urged ahead of tomorrow's auction of new emission certificates by the UK government.
Australia move could cut agriculture from ETS
20 Mar 2009
Aligning New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme more closely with that of Australia could mean an indefinite delay to bringing agriculture into the scheme, opening this country to charges of unfair subsidies, Greenpeace says.
NZ scientists warn of Antarctic meltdown
20 Mar 2009
New Zealand scientists have found conclusive evidence that global warming of the scale predicted this century will cause massive melting of the Antarctic ice sheet and potentially catastrophic sea level rises.
Kiwi charcoal system in line for world prize
20 Mar 2009
A New Zealand company’s carbon-capturing innovation is one five finalists in the Financial Times UK’s global Climate Change Challenge.
Backlash as Shell cuts renewables business
20 Mar 2009
Royal Dutch Shell has provoked a furious backlash from campaigners by announcing plans to scale back its renewable energy business and focus purely on oil, gas and biofuels.
China rejects US carbon-based import tariff idea
20 Mar 2009
China's top climate change official has rejected as protectionist a United States idea to put tariffs on some imports from countries that do not place a price on carbon, chiding the Americans to do more to cut their greenhouse gas emissions.
World Bank appeals for water investment
20 Mar 2009
The global economic crisis threatens to shrink investment in water infrastructure, an already underfunded sector vital to growth and public health, the World Bank says.
UN gives $18 million for countries to slash emissions
20 Mar 2009
Five pilot countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America are set to receive $18 million in funding from a United Nations programme aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions from forests while boosting local livelihoods.
World leaders to be given green new deal facts
20 Mar 2009
Investing 1 per cent of global GDP, or around $750 billion, into five key sectors could be the key to a Global Green New Deal.
Environmentalists praise new climate change film
20 Mar 2009
A film on climate change released in British cinemas this week is “one hundred times better” than previous productions, environmentalists have said.
Business Roundtable releases climate change submission
20 Mar 2009
The Business Roundtable has released the submission which it presented yesterday to the emissions trading scheme review committee of Parliament.
Opposition ups ETS pressure on Rudd government
17 Mar 2009
The Australian Government yesterday faced mounting pressure to make radical changes to its carbon trading plans to get the scheme passed by parliament.
Scientists slam ‘weak, ineffective’ governments
17 Mar 2009
The world’s top scientists have urged “weak and ineffective” governments to stand up to big business and “vested interests” in order to address the alarming climate impact.
Gore optimistic for climate deal in December
17 Mar 2009
Former US vice-president Al Gore is optimistic that a global deal to combat climate change would be agreed at a summit in December.
Threatened Maldives now aims to be carbon-neutral
17 Mar 2009
The Maldives islands in the Indian Ocean, under threat from rising sea levels, will shift entirely to renewable energy over the next decade.
Govt setting bad example, says UN award winner
13 Mar 2009
The scaling back of government green initiatives is setting a bad example for the private sector, says a Wellington environmental consultancy that has just been recognised by the United Nations.
Select committee has a chance to get it right
13 Mar 2009
The emissions trading scheme review is a good process which could give New Zealand a chance to “get it right”, says a leading climate change adviser.
Chauvel: Forget Australia and get on with our ETS
13 Mar 2009
Calls for alignment with Australia are really calls for New Zealand to delay the implementation of its emissions trading scheme, says Labour’s climate change spokesman Charles Chauvel.
Insurers now wary of climate change risks
13 Mar 2009
Climate change is an "emerging risk," the CEO of insurance underwriters Lloyds of London told an Auckland business gathering this week.
Opposition terriers get teeth into Rudd’s ETS
13 Mar 2009
The Australian Government’s massive draft emissions trading legislation could be torn apart before it is put to the Parliamentary vote, throwing into doubt Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's 2010 timetable for the introduction of emissions trading.
What the Australian ETS proposes …
13 Mar 2009
After months of criticism and heated debated from all corners, the draft legislation for Australia’s Emissions Trading Scheme has been released.
US senators attack Obama’s cap-and-trade proposal
13 Mar 2009
The United States should not impose a cap-and-trade system to battle climate change this year because it amounts to a painful tax during a deep recession, senators argued this week.
EPA proposes reporting on gas emissions
13 Mar 2009
The US Environmental Protection Agency has proposed the first comprehensive national system for reporting emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases produced by major sources in the United States.
Sea level could rise twice as fast, warn scientists
13 Mar 2009
By the end of the century, sea levels might rise twice as much as was predicted two years ago in the fourth assessment report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
Angry EU farmers oppose livestock-gas tax
13 Mar 2009
Proposals to tax the flatulence of cows and other livestock have been denounced by farming groups in the Irish Republic and Denmark.
Stern: Climate change deniers are 'flat-earthers'
13 Mar 2009
Climate change deniers are "ridiculous" and akin to "flat-earthers", according to Sir Nicholas Stern, who advised the British government about the economic threat posed by global warming.
Three make final of world green car award
13 Mar 2009
The Mitsubishi i-MiEV, the Honda FCX Clarity, and the Toyota iQ are the top contenders in the prestigious World Green Car of the Year competition.
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.
