Topics tagged with 'Greenhouse Effect'
Nats' ETS opinions don't worry me, says Hide
20 Jan 2009
Act Party leader Rodney Hide says that he is unconcerned by comments from United Future leader Peter Dunne and Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee that New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme is here to stay.
Obey the law, minister tells confused forest owners
20 Jan 2009
Forestry Minister David Carter has told forest owners concerned about the vailidy of the the emissions trading scheme that they should obey the law.
Obama has four years to save Earth, says climate expert
20 Jan 2009
Barack Obama has only four years to save the world. That is the stark assessment of NASA scientist and leading climate expert Jim Hansen who has warned only urgent action by the new US president can halt the devastating climate change that threatens Earth.
PwC buys international environment advisory firm
20 Jan 2009
PricewaterhouseCoopers has announced the acquisition of the US operations of Sustainable Finance Limited, an international advisory firm with operations based in America, Britain and Holland.
Defer the ETS to minimise job losses, says MEUG
20 Jan 2009
The pros and cons of deferring the Emissions Trading Scheme should be considered by the Prime Minister’s Summit on Employment next month,” says Ralph Matthes, executive director of the Major Electricity Users’ Group (MEUG).
No takers with emissions trading review a month away
16 Jan 2009
Submissions on the review of New Zealand emissions trading scheme close on February 13 - and so far none have been made.
Solid Energy: NZIER report all we funded
16 Jan 2009
Solid Energy says that the NZIER report on the implications of the emissions trading scheme is the only work it has funded on the issue.
Day one will reveal Obama’s climate change track
16 Jan 2009
New United States president Barack Obama's dedication to addressing climate change will be tested on his first day in the White House, where a few strokes of the pen could radically change Bush Administration policies.
UN carbon trading scheme suspends reluctant Russia
16 Jan 2009
The immaturity of one of the United Nation’s flagship carbon trading schemes has been underlined after Russia was suspended from registering carbon credits on the international transaction log (ITL) as a result of unpaid fees.
Lawyers to launch association for climate change officers
16 Jan 2009
A professional association of senior executives responsible for climate change and energy will launch in the United States within the next six to 18 months.
Peru planting 40 million trees to fight climate change
16 Jan 2009
Peru has embarked an ambitious project to plant 40 million trees in three months to help to deter the effects of climate change.
Emerging economies more concerned, but optimistic about solving climate change
16 Jan 2009
Consumers in emerging economies are more concerned and willing to take actions against climate change than those in developed countries, according to global research by Accenture.
Climate could be changing the sound of music
16 Jan 2009
Scientists are not ruling out the possibility that climate change may have affected the sound of wooden musical instruments.
Learn the lingo with buzzwords for greenspeak
16 Jan 2009
If you want to impress friends with your green know-how, make sure to brush up on the top green buzzwords of the year.
New investment in climate change research
16 Jan 2009
Agriculture and Forestry Minister David Carter has announced over $10 million in funding for research projects designed to help the agriculture and forestry sectors adapt and respond to climate change.
National will have to do better than announce old policy , says Anderton
16 Jan 2009
The National Party is to be congratulated for finally recognising the importance of climate change mitigation for farmers, but it’s a bit cheeky to act as if it has a new fund of money, Opposition agriculture spokesman Jim Anderton says.
Used cooking oil slashes hot water power bill by 92%
16 Jan 2009
A Kaikoura backpackers has slashed a massive 92 per cent off the cost of its hot water bill by re-using cooking oil from local takeaways and restaurants to fire its boiler.
Canadians adopt New Zealand climate change software
23 Dec 2008
Climate change mitigation firm HYDRA Software has just signed a technology sharing deal with leading Canadian hydro optimization specialists Synexus Global.
Greenpeace New Zealand Inc v Genesis Power Ltd
22 Dec 2008
Here is the Supreme Court judgement on the Greenpeace versus Gensis Power climate change case.
Greens label Supreme Court decision as blow to climate
22 Dec 2008
Friday 19 December 2008 – A serious blow has been dealt to the climate with a Supreme Court decision just handed down in the Genesis Energy/ Greenpeace case.
Confused forest owners keep planting plans on hold
19 Dec 2008
The Government’s announcement that it will not now suspend the emissions trading scheme will not get forest owners planting again, they say.
ETS select committee opens for business
19 Dec 2008
Submissions on the review of the emissions trading scheme are now open.
No suspension of ETS - what the PM said
19 Dec 2008
On Wednesday, Prime Minister John Key told Parliament that the Government would not now suspend the emissions trading scheme.
EU slashes emission caps on utilities, factories
19 Dec 2008
The European Union approved tighter emission caps on energy and manufacturing companies as of 2013, bolstering the world’s biggest greenhouse-gas market in a bid to spur the US and China to help to fight climate change.
Australian plan not enough, says influential minister
19 Dec 2008
South Africa, emerging as one of the most influential developing nations in climate change negotiations, has rejected the Australian Government's emissions package as an inadequate "opening bid", and warns that unless it is strengthened developing countries will refuse to sign a global climate package.
Rudd backs renewables and home power generation
19 Dec 2008
The Rudd Government has released details of two energy conservation schemes which it says will boost renewables and provide powerful incentives for Australians to install home micro-generation units.
Obama: Chu appointment shows we’re serious
19 Dec 2008
The appointment of 60-year-old scientist Steven Chu as US energy secretary will send a signal that the next administration will value science, President-elect Barack Obama says.
2008 among 10 warmest years on record, UN experts say
19 Dec 2008
The year 2008 is likely to rank as the 10th warmest year on record since the beginning of the instrumental climate records in 1850, although the global average temperature was slightly lower than previous years of the 21st century, according to United Nations weather experts.
IBM tops climate change governance league table
19 Dec 2008
IBM, Tesco and Dell have taken the gold, silver and bronze positions in a league table assessing firms' response to climate change, released last week by the Ceres coalition of investment firms.
Charles urges international climate cooperation
19 Dec 2008
Prince Charles has urged greater international co-operation to tackle climate change as he drew parallels between the environmental crisis and the credit crunch.
The new slavery - some say it's time to face up to the curse of oil
19 Dec 2008
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sees dependence on oil as the modern version of slavery.
Westpac wins CEMARs certification
19 Dec 2008
Westpac New Zealand Ltd has achieved a milestone in sustainability, becoming the first bank in the world to achieve Certified Emissions Measurement and Reduction Scheme (CEMARS) certification as part of its strategy to reduce its carbon footprint. Over 30,000 organisations worldwide are seeking CEMARS certification.
Waitakere joins international climate change network
19 Dec 2008
Waitakere has become the first New Zealand city to join an international initiative aimed at combating the environmental effects of climate change.
PM indicates ETS law will not be suspended during review
18 Dec 2008
The Prime Minister has indicated the ETs law will not be suspended during the select committee review.
Australia sets minimum target of 5% emissions cut
16 Dec 2008
The Rudd Government has set Australia a minimum target to cut emissions by 5 per cent by 2020, based on year 2000 levels.
Dunne to bar time-wasters from ETS review hearings
16 Dec 2008
Groups wanting to relitigate the science of climate change or to grandstand on the issue are likely to find themselves shut out from appearing before the select committee reviewing the emissions trading scheme.
NZ should be backing geothermal brains, says expert
16 Dec 2008
The skills of New Zealand scientists and engineers in the area of geothermal energy could make a real difference to global climate change, says Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) regional manager Michael Shirley.
Ministry extends time for carbon-reporting comments
16 Dec 2008
The deadline for commenting on rules governing the way in which New Zealand’s largest industrial emitters of greenhouse gases report their carbon levels has been extended.
Poznan positives: At least some progress is being made
16 Dec 2008
If one message has emerged from the long and often tortuous hours of climate negotiations in recent years, it is this: In the end, progress is being made.
Focus on climate, not O.J. or Paris Hilton, urges Gore
16 Dec 2008
Climate change campaigner Al Gore urged the world to fight on against global warming at the conclusion of UN climate talks at Poznan instead of focusing on celebrity news like the legal woes of O.J. Simpson and Paris Hilton’s latest shopping escapade.
Poznan delegates (happily) say bye-bye to Bush
16 Dec 2008
US President George W. Bush's last hurrah in the global climate arena has met with a welling of disdain contrasting with the outsized expectations for his successor Barack Obama.
Environment groups slam EU deal on climate, economy
16 Dec 2008
European leaders have papered over deep divisions on solving the interlocking crises of recession and climate change and are hailing breakthrough agreements on both fronts.
Nobel winner likely to head Obama’s climate team
16 Dec 2008
President-elect Barack Obama today is expected to name Nobel physics laureate Steven Chu as his energy secretary when he announces his team to lead the fight against climate change.
We're losing coral reefs at an alarming rate, says report
16 Dec 2008
The world has already lost nearly one-fifth of its coral reefs and many of the remaining reefs could be denuded of life over the next 20 to 40 years as a result of climate change and other threats, the Global Reef Monitoring Network says.
National will have an ETS, says Brownlee
12 Dec 2008
National will bring in an emissions trading scheme, says Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee.
Critics slam NZ attitude at Poznan climate talks
12 Dec 2008
New Zealand is making a name for itself at the UN climate change summit in Poznan – for all the wrong reasons.
Forest owners 'positive' after meeting new minister
12 Dec 2008
The forestry sector is waiting to see how its new minister converts his understanding of issues facing the industry into action.
Environmental sustainability key issue, say advisers
12 Dec 2008
Environmental sustainability is now a central issue for New Zealand, say top government advisers.
UN chief calls for ‘Green New Deal’ at climate talks
12 Dec 2008
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for renewed global solidarity to tackle the twin challenges of climate change and the financial crisis, telling ministers gathered at the Poznan conference that the world cannot afford to let economic woes hinder progress on “the defining challenge of our era.”
Poznan pressure groups blast Australia
12 Dec 2008
Environmental groups have blasted Australia as the single biggest disappointment at climate change talks in Poland, saying it was "Groundhog Day" with the Rudd Government acting like the Howard government.
New courses focus on climate action, activism and creating vision
Fri 12 Sep 2025
Media release | Dark Times Academy’s final lineup of courses for 2025, launching in mid-September, will focus on taking action on climate, learning about practical activism, and creating visions for the future.
A revolution is sweeping Europe’s farms: Can it save agriculture?
Fri 12 Sep 2025
Momentum is building for regenerative agriculture, a set of approaches that could help farms to weather the changing climate and make them more profitable.
NZ needs to be part of a regional SAF strategy: Z, Air NZ
9 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand needs to be part of a regional strategic approach to sourcing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with domestic production less the aim than ensuring access to the fuel from one of a number of strategically positioned bio-refineries around the world.
'Non-negotiable' – EU carbon pricing to hit Kiwi exporters, expert warns
Thu 11 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | High carbon exports will inevitably face a high carbon tax at the EU border, possibly in the next five years, and high methane agricultural products might not be exempt, an international expert told a local audience yesterday.
'Reframe' climate conversations - focus on thriving together, says advisor
Thu 11 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand must mirror its Covid-19 response if it wants to get buy-in from the public on climate action, according to Ministry for the Environment chief advisor Heather Peacocke.
Air NZ declares surprisingly low SAF prices
3 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand is able to source sustainable aviation fuel at between 1.5 and 2.5 times the price of conventional fossil fuels used for flying, all sourced from the US.
No bidders front to carbon auction - again
Wed 10 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | Today’s quarterly carbon auction was a non-event yet again, making it the third consecutive auction this year with no bidders, with the secondary market price still limping along at nearly 20% below the auction floor.
Australia’s biggest gas project greenlit to 2070 with ‘partial’ protection for Indigenous rock art
Mon 15 Sep 2025
Approval met with fury from conservation groups and the Greens, who called it a ‘betrayal’ of Australians who want climate action.
'Atrocious' and 'bizarre': experts slam Act Party's climate policy
3 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Act Party is promising to challenge New Zealand’s Paris Agreement climate target, while the coalition Government’s other minor partner, NZ First, also says it wants to reevaluate the country’s commitment to the international treaty.
Industry struggles with double-digit power price hikes
Mon 15 Sep 2025
As power prices surge by double-digit amounts for the second year in a row, industrial users can’t keep absorbing cost increases, the Major Electricity Users’ Group says.
The merchants of doubt are back
3 Sep 2025
OPINION: If you don’t follow climate policy closely, you might not know that the Trump administration is launching an effort to overturn one of the most fundamental pillars of American climate policy.
Milestone for NZ Steel electrification
Wed 10 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | NZ Steel has passed an installation milestone for its new electric arc furnace, which will reduce emissions from the Glenbrook steel mill site by as much as one megatonne (1Mt) a year.
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.”
Wind and solar power fuel over one-third of Brazil's electricity for first time
Mon 15 Sep 2025
Wind and solar power generated more than a third of Brazil’s electricity in August.
Declining sea-ice is altering Antarctic food webs
Thu 11 Sep 2025
A new study shows a significant change in Antarctic phytoplankton over time that could cascade through the marine food web and affect the ocean’s capacity as a carbon sink.
Study links world’s top oil and gas firms to 200 ‘more intense’ heatwaves
Mon 15 Sep 2025
Global warming linked to the world’s biggest oil and gas companies made all “major” 21st century heatwaves more intense and frequent.
Marginal drop in last year's regional emissions
27 Aug 2025
Regional greenhouse gas emissions were down slightly last year, with a fall in gas supply leading to a big drop in Taranaki, but more coal burnt leading to higher emissions in Waikato, according to new figures from Stats NZ
Indigenous forest 'islands' could help transition exotic plantations to native bush
Thu 11 Sep 2025
Native forest 'islands' within exotic plantations might be the key to transitioning plantations from exotic to Indigenous, according to new research.
EU considers faster Russian oil and gas exit after US pressure
Mon 15 Sep 2025
The European Union is considering a faster phase-out of Russian fossil fuels as part of new sanctions.
A modest geothermal strategy
31 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has unveiled a far more modest geothermal energy strategy than its primary backer, Resources Minister Shane Jones, had sought.
Why mega-polluters have little to fear from the European Central Bank and its new climate policy
Fri 12 Sep 2025
The European Central Bank plans to raise borrowing costs for climate offenders – but a new FTM analysis shows that big polluters such as Shell will barely feel it.
Media round-up
5 Sep 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The great methane debate; law change scuppers legal challenge to irrigation scheme consent; and what are the energy and climate implications of the $7.5 billion Amazon Web Services data centre deal?
Coal imports up 650%
Fri 12 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams and Liz Kivi | Coal imports are up 650% as generators stockpile the most polluting fossil fuel ahead of next winter.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
29 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Green hydrogen pioneer Hiringa Energy is deep in planning to develop an “eight-to-nine figure” methanol plant near Whanganui, using a combination of biomass and hydrogen produced using renewable energy.
Media round-up
29 Aug 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Changes to road user charges will increase New Zealand's emissions; Climate Change Minister Simon Watts promises better access to hazard data for homeowners; and Kiwis borrow over $1 billion in ‘green loans’ for heat pumps and electric cars.
Will NZ walk away from the Paris Agreement?
20 Dec 2024
By Geoff Bertram | COMMENT: Unless the government can find very cheap offshore mitigation, the temptation to walk away from its Paris Agreement obligations may well be too strong to resist for a coalition government focused on fiscal austerity.
Apple Watch not a 'CO2-neutral product,' German court finds
28 Aug 2025
Apple can no longer advertise its Apple Watch as a "CO2-neutral product" in Germany, following a court ruling on Tuesday that upheld a complaint from environmentalists, finding that the U.S. tech company had misled consumers.
Forest carbon stores massive blind spot - study
4 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Aotearoa New Zealand’s planted forests hold significant deep soil organic carbon — with over half of it stored below 30 cm, and much of it over 1,000 years old.
Invites-only fast-track for seabed mine slammed as 'rushed, awful'
Fri 12 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With the wider public shut out of submissions, critics including Te Pāti Māori, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining and Greenpeace say the process strips away robust scrutiny and risks setting a dangerous precedent.
‘Pick up the phone’ on climate change action, Hipkins urges Luxon
9 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should reach out to the Labour Party if he wants get a political deal on methane reductions and the Paris agreement rather than his two coalition partners, Labour leader Chris Hipkins says.
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.
Endeavour Fund research to shape NZ’s future
5 Sep 2025
Media release - New Zealand Government | A project that looks to harness the potential of supercritical geothermal energy is amongst 19 ambitious science programmes the Government is backing, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced today.
Watts full-throated in National’s support for Paris
Wed 10 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts came to this week’s Climate Change and Business Conference with nothing to announce.
Govt resilience plan 'dangerous fantasy' - thinktank
29 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | An independent thinktank, whose members include former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer and multiple academics, is warning that the government’s long-term resilience strategy ignores physical and energy realities and exposes Kiwi households and businesses to systemic failure.
‘Plastic Cup’ competitions are cleaning up rivers in Hungary
1 Sep 2025
Afloat on DIY boats, teams of volunteers have removed over 450 tons of plastic waste from the Danube and its tributaries.
Trump sends fracking CEO to Europe to sell climate denial—and gas
Mon 15 Sep 2025
Debunking some of Chris Wright's most egregious lies.
Underestimating support for climate action limits political decision making, study says
8 Sep 2025
Research reveals huge disparity between perceived and actual willingness of public to contribute to fixing climate.
Straterra has a new name: the New Zealand Minerals Council
16 Apr 2025
Media release | Straterra has been renamed as New Zealand Minerals Council, says chief executive Josie Vidal.
Media round-up
Fri 12 Sep 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Climate adaptation discussions descended into political squabbling at a recent conference; New Zealand may find itself no longer trusted by allies if it ditches climate goals; and are we living through the fastest energy transformation in human history?
Polar geoengineering ideas 'dangerous'
Wed 10 Sep 2025
Geoengineering will not save the polar regions from catastrophic meltdown, according to an expert.
Climate groups want UK wealth tax to make super-rich fund sustainable economy
17 Jul 2025
Growing number of campaigners urge government to ensure green investment is not done ‘on backs of the poor’.
Ara Ake backs 13 projects to unlock NZ’s energy flexibility
Thu 11 Sep 2025
Media release | Ara Ake has approved over $600,000 in funding from the National Flex Discovery Fund for 13 flexibility service providers (FSPs).
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
31 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government is expected to repeal the oil and gas ban today, with a last-minute amendment handing discretionary power to two ministers over the controversial issue of decommissioning.
Most EU carmakers on track to meet emission targets: study
Wed 10 Sep 2025
Almost all European carmakers are on track to meet EU emission targets after winning a reprieve this year as electric vehicles (EV) sales pick up, a study showed.
Hotter, longer, more frequent: NZ’s escalating heat risk
26 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Heat extremes in New Zealand will intensify faster than previously thought, according to a new study.
Echo Tech secures growth investment to tackle NZ's e-waste crisis
Mon 15 Sep 2025
Media release | Echo Tech Limited, New Zealand’s leading provider of e-waste recycling and IT asset recovery services, is proud to announce a strategic investment from growth equity firm Altered Capital.
La Niña set to prolong NZ hydro shortfall
9 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With La Niña favouring a drier-than-normal spring across much of the South Island, hydro lakes are unlikely to recover without substantial rain and late snowmelt – keeping national storage levels below average.
Record UK wildfires have burned an area twice the size of Glasgow in 2025
12 Aug 2025
Wildfires have scorched more than 40,000 hectares of land so far this year across the UK – an area more than twice the size of the Scottish city of Glasgow.
Which countries are scaling solar and wind the fastest?
Fri 12 Sep 2025
The leaderboard is quite different depending on what metric you look at.
