Topics tagged with 'Greenhouse Effect'
Brazil climate changes threaten coffee crop
20 Feb 2009
The future for Brazil's mighty farm sector could be grim, with hotter temperatures pushing crops past its borders, uphill into the Andes and toward the tip of South America.
New grass could wipe out cattle gas emissions
17 Feb 2009
A new strain of grass could mean that grazing cattle will cease emitting measurable amounts of methane.
Biochar pioneer recruits top Australian scientist
17 Feb 2009
Blenheim-based charcoal technology company Carbonscape has scored a coup by recruiting highly respected climate change campaigner Professor Tim Flannery on to its board of directors.
Global warming worse than we thought, say scientists
17 Feb 2009
The pace of global warming is likely to be much faster than recent predictions, because industrial greenhouse gas emissions have increased more quickly than expected, according to scientists.
Clean energy at crossroads as firms cut plans and staff
17 Feb 2009
Green companies are in retreat, with a wave of staff layoffs and production cuts that could have dire consequences for government efforts to fight climate change by quickly bringing low-carbon power projects on stream.
Firestorms here to stay, scientists tell Aussies
17 Feb 2009
Scientists say that Australia can expect more of the scorching conditions that fanned the firestorms that killed at least 181 people this month.
Britain wants green makeover of all homes
17 Feb 2009
All UK households will have a green makeover by 2030 under government plans to reduce carbon emissions and cut energy bills.
Kiribati seeks new homeland as sea levels rise
17 Feb 2009
The Pacific island nation of Kiribati is following in the steps of the Maldives by preparing for relocation for its people as rising sea levels threaten to submerge the nation.
Clinton tries to build climate change pact with China
17 Feb 2009
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hopes to recruit China as a partner in American efforts to reduce global warming on her first official tour through Asia this week.
Climate change truth is self-evident: Greens
17 Feb 2009
As Auckland experiences its highest-ever temperatures, droughts worsen each year and Australian bush fires rage, the New Zealand Government is looking more and more behind the game, say the Greens.
Event: sustainability and the law
17 Feb 2009
Lawyers from more than a dozen countries will meet business executives from New Zealand and beyond at a sustainability conference hosted by Auckland law firm Fortune Manning.
Big emitters win more time to put ETS review case
13 Feb 2009
The closing date for submissions on the emissions trading scheme review has been extended because a group representing some of New Zealand’s largest companies realised it wasn’t going to be heard, Carbon News has learnt.
ETS review beginning of the end, says Turnbull
13 Feb 2009
The Rudd Government’s decision to order a review of its emissions trading scheme is the first step to abandoning the plan, Australian Opposition leader Malcolm Turnbull says.
UN chief lines up Obama for debut appearance
13 Feb 2009
US President Barack Obama is expected to make his first appearance at the United Nations next month.
European cities (and Christchurch) sign climate pact
13 Feb 2009
Mayors from more than 350 cities across Europe signed an EU climate change agreement this week pledging to cut carbon dioxide emissions by more than 20 per cent by 2020.
Ford first to offer battery-powered commercial van
13 Feb 2009
Ford has become the first of the big three car makers to announce plans to market a pure battery electric-powered light commercial vehicle in North America.
Coast Guard prepares as Arctic shipping lanes melt
13 Feb 2009
Global warming could be a boon for international shipping if vessels eventually use the Arctic Ocean to cut transit routes in half between Europe and Asia.
Explorer Graphics works help MFE map soil carbon
13 Feb 2009
Porirua-based Geographic Information Systems company Explorer Graphics Limited says it has signed a major contract with the Ministry for the Environment to help it meet New Zealand's requirements under the Kyoto Protocol.
Ice could hold clue to greenhouse effect
13 Feb 2009
It wasn’t always quite so cold at the north and south poles.
Kiwis a bit short on good ideas, UK expert says
10 Feb 2009
A British marine energy expert says New Zealand is lacking ideas and needs to do more to support the emergence of the marine energy industry.
NZ research finds new life in old concrete
10 Feb 2009
Research in New Zealand by Swiss-owned Holcim has identified a carbon dioxide re-uptake process in demolition concrete material.
Top polar scientists turn eyes on Antarctica
10 Feb 2009
More than 50 top international polar scientists meet in Wellington this week to discuss their cutting-edge climate change research.
Australian executives ahead of pack on climate change
10 Feb 2009
MORE than 50 per cent of Australia's business chiefs believe they have not received adequate information about the impact of climate change on business.
US and China told to cooperate on climate change
10 Feb 2009
Cooperation between China and the United States is crucial to successfully addressing the climate change problem, says a report that was co-authored by Energy Secretary Steven Chu just before to his nomination.
Energy boss warns of end to California farming
10 Feb 2009
United States Energy Secretary Steven Chu has warned that, if climate change continues unabated, California’s agriculture could vanish by the end of the century.
Millions in Asia face growing water stress, UN warns
10 Feb 2009
Hundreds of millions of South Asians face growing water stress due to over exploitation, climate change and inadequate cooperation among countries, which are threatening river basins that sustain about half of the region’s 1.5 billion people, the United Nations warns in a new report.
Kyoto soil carbon rules don't fit NZ, says official
3 Feb 2009
New Zealand would have to be able to use a base year other than 1990 if the country was to start accounting for soil carbon, says a senior government official.
BP accused of watering down EU green agenda
3 Feb 2009
Oil industry lobbying at the heart of the European Union has undermined efforts to tackle climate change, environmental groups are claiming.
Banks key players in low-carbon future, says Stern
3 Feb 2009
Britain’s banking industry might be crippled and reviled, but it is likely to become one of the nation’s key assets in dealing with climate change, according to influential economist Lord Stern.
World can afford green economy, says new report
3 Feb 2009
Moving to a green global economy could not only protect the planet from the worst effects of climate change but is surprisingly affordable, new figures show.
US spacecraft aims to unlock secrets of carbon
3 Feb 2009
NASA's first spacecraft dedicated to studying atmospheric carbon dioxide is in final preparations for a February 23 launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
Overheated Aussies get a taste of climate change
3 Feb 2009
A heatwave scorching southern Australia could be a glimpse of the future as the world’s climate changes, the government says.
Poor state of Earth focus of South Island journey
3 Feb 2009
South Islanders will march from Bluff to Picton in a journey to wake the nation to the world’s dire environmental plight.
Deforestation returns running late
30 Jan 2009
Deforestation returns for pre-1990 forests close tomorrow, but many will be late.
Big UK polluters abusing EU carbon trading scheme
30 Jan 2009
Britain’s biggest polluting companies are abusing a European emissions trading scheme designed to tackle global warming by cashing in their carbon credits in order to bolster ailing balance sheets.
EU puts plan for global carbon trading system
30 Jan 2009
The European Union is calling on developed countries - particularly the US - to sign on to a global system for trading carbon credits to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
Gore urges action on US green agenda
30 Jan 2009
Former US vice-president Al Gore yesterday, laid out a road map for President Barack Obama to push through his ambitious green agenda and re-assert American leadership on global climate change negotiations.
Climate change largely irreversible, new study shows
30 Jan 2009
A new scientific study reaches a powerful conclusion about the climate change caused by future increases of carbon dioxide: to a large extent, there’s no going back.
Asian cities team up to prepare for climate change
30 Jan 2009
Asian cities will form a network to prevent disasters and prepare for the impacts of climate change with initial backing of around $50 million from the US-based Rockefeller Foundation.
NZ could pay the price for Australian energy targets
27 Jan 2009
Australia’s mandatory renewable energy target of 20 per cent by 2020 could cost New Zealand investment dollars.
Biofuels a sham, says Goldsmith's ecology magazine
27 Jan 2009
The Wellington-based Pacific Institute of Resource Management - the Australasian arm of millionaire environmentalist Teddy Goldsmith - is denouncing the push for sustainable biofuels as the “most appalling sham.”
Europe woos US for transatlantic carbon market
27 Jan 2009
The European Commission is preparing to call on the United States to create a transatlantic system of carbon trading to limit greenhouse gas emissions and to press for the establishment of similar markets spanning the developed world.
Leading investors call for US 'green recovery'
27 Jan 2009
A group of 44 US and international investors managing more than $1.7 trillion in assets has called on Congressional leaders to include significant funding for energy efficiency, clean energy and clean transportation in the economic stimulus bill being debated this week in Congress.
Clinton names key US climate change envoy
27 Jan 2009
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today appointed a special envoy for climate change, vowing that the Obama administration would restore America's credentials and leadership in shaping environmental policy.
Rudd minister rubbishes Opposition’s ETS scheme
27 Jan 2009
Australian Climate Change Minister Penny Wong has scoffed at Opposition claims that the Rudd Government has done nothing on developing clean energy sources, insisting it has already allocated $1 billion for development of renewable technologies and clean coal.
Japan satellite to measure carbon gases from space
27 Jan 2009
Japan has launched the first satellite to monitor greenhouse gases worldwide, a tool to help scientists better judge where global warming emissions are coming from, and how much is being absorbed by the oceans and forests.
US domestic airline offers offset as you go
27 Jan 2009
Passengers flying with Virgin America can offset the environmental impact of their journey while they are travelling.
New Zealand should join the new International Renewable Energy Agency
27 Jan 2009
About 100 states will be meeting in Bonn this week to establish an International Renewable Energy Agency (http://www.irena.org/), but New Zealand has not yet committed to being there.
Deadline looms for owners to report deforestation
23 Jan 2009
Owners of pre-1990 forests have just over a week to report any deforestation last year as the government starts the massive job of accounting for changes in land use.
ETS review submissions start to flow
23 Jan 2009
Submissions on the review of the emissions trading scheme are starting to trickle in.
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.
