Topics tagged with 'Greenhouse Effect'
Russia’s no adds to UN climate treaty troubles
2 May 2008
Russia's opposition to new cuts in greenhouse gases means all of the world's top four emitters are against making quick reductions, complicating plans for a new UN climate treaty by the end of 2009.
Rockefeller offspring demand Exxon takes action on climate change
2 May 2008
Descendants of legendary oil tycoon John D Rockefeller have accused ExxonMobil of adopting a myopic approach towards alternative sources of energy and of refusing to engage in any meaningful discussion about the future of the planet.
Climate Change Leadership Forum policy statement process
2 May 2008
Business NZ is perfectly entitled to disassociate itself from the Climate Change Leadership Forum's 10 point policy advice to Ministers on the Emissions trading scheme, released on April 28, the forum said in a statement yesterday.
NZIER sets cat among political pigeons
1 May 2008
Two days after being revealed exclusively by Carbon News, the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research’s (NZIER’s) report into the costs of the Government’s planned emissions trading scheme (ETS) is sending shock-waves through Parliament.
Emissions-trading impacts on regional agenda
1 May 2008
Worried regional leaders gathering in Wellington tonight will discuss a report that predicts some far-flung regions will be hardest hit by the emissions trading scheme.
Cheaper for government to pick up greenhouse-gas tab
1 May 2008
A private research company says that it would be cheaper to have the Government paying for greenhouse-gas emissions than using an emissions trading scheme.
ANALYSIS: What you are not hearing from the NZIER and heavy emitters
1 May 2008
The NZIER appears to expect a New Zealand Government to carry on regardless with an all-sectors, all-gases emissions trading scheme for 17 years – if the rest of the country’s competitors do not.
Parker: Emissions trading 'effective and affordable'
1 May 2008
A summary of economic modelling shows emissions trading is an effective approach to reducing New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions in the long term, Climate Change Minister David Parker says.
Worried about the environment
1 May 2008
The quest to find solutions to climate change is being hampered by public confusion over the difference between climate change and general environmental issues, warns a social trends researcher.
Political realities mean emissions scheme phase in slower than desirable
1 May 2008
The political reality of having all sectors included in an emissions trading scheme means some major emitters will start paying for their greenhouse gas emissions later than is desirable in a perfect world.
UN 2: Surging food prices not just threat, but also opportunity, says official
1 May 2008
The world must not only take immediate action to address the current food crisis, but also take advantage of the higher food prices by assisting farmers in developing countries to thwart similar situations in the future, the head of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today.
Philippines experts try to figure it out
1 May 2008
Government statisticians are seeking ways to measure the impact of climate change on the Philippines, a country that expects to be hit hard by warming.
Agroforestry the best bet, say Aussies
1 May 2008
Agroforestry and reforestation are the best option for providing carbon offsets in the initial phase of an emissions trading system, according to Australian researchers.
Are our cattle killing the orangutan?
1 May 2008
Greenpeace is accusing the dairy sector of environmental irresponsibility after the Green Party revealed the sector is contributing to tropical rainforest destruction by importing huge quantities of palm kernel for cattle feed.
Lines companies can’t duck thermal ban - Parker
30 Apr 2008
Lines companies will not be able to buck the Government’s ban on new thermal power generation despite the Electricity Industry Reform Amendment Bill (EIRA) seeming to give them that option, Climate Change Minister David Parker has told Carbon News.
Minister reveals emissions trading scheme to cut emissions by 11%
30 Apr 2008
Climate Change Minister David Parker this morning revealed the Government expects its emissions trading scheme to cut emissions by 11% by 2012.
Tesco launches carbon footprint labels
30 Apr 2008
Major UK supermarket chain Tesco overnight launched carbon food labels, in a move which could have long-term implications for New Zealand suppliers.
ETS will lead to more forests and cleaner air and water
30 Apr 2008
New Zealand’s emissions-trading and other climate-change laws will lead to more forests, better air and water quality and a slowing of damaging farming and fishing practices, but could also lead to increased pressure on the environment and some initial impacts on human health, according to new advice to the Government.
Everybody join the fight, says United States
30 Apr 2008
A national campaign to help Americans to join in the fight against climate change has been launched by the Environmental Protection Agency.
UN chief raps Asia-Pacific for dragging the chain
30 Apr 2008
The Asia-Pacific region is lagging behind in providing access to energy services, says UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
Fine-tuning of emissions trading policies recommended
30 Apr 2008
The Government is being advised to strengthen measures to enhance energy efficiency and provide clear national guidelines to protect natural resources from potential degradation as it moves to address the country's greenhouse gas emissions.
The uplifting story of the discarded juice packet
30 Apr 2008
What do discarded juice packets, fashionable bags and survivors of sexual exploitation have in common?
High-powered leadership group endorses emissions trading scheme
29 Apr 2008
A high-powered group of business and community leaders has endorsed the concept of an emissions-trading scheme in New Zealand as a way of managing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saying the impact on the economy will be minimal.
ANALYSIS: At last commonsense leadership on the ETS is heard above vested interest
29 Apr 2008
Did we last night see an agreed whole-of-New Zealand view emerge on the emissions trading scheme?
Work starts to model climate change's impact on NZ fisheries
29 Apr 2008
New Zealand's fisheries managers are keeping a weather eye on the impacts that climate change might have on our oceans and fish stocks.
KPMG: Six sectors have "heads in sand" over climate change risks
29 Apr 2008
Aviation, healthcare, oil and gas, tourism, transport, and the financial services sectors have been accused of putting their head in the sand over climate change risks by a major new report from consultancy KPMG.
Climate Change Leadership Forum backs emissions trading scheme
29 Apr 2008
The Climate Change Leadership Forum, including 34 business and other sector leaders, has issued 10 key points of policy advice made so far to the Government and Finance and Expenditure Select Committee on the proposed emissions trading scheme (ETS).
EMA: "Carbon trade proposals could destroy economy"
29 Apr 2008
For common sense to prevail the Employers and Manufacturers Association (Northern) is urging our law makers to think long and hard about the effects of the Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill.
Japan NZ Partnership Forum will consider climate change
29 Apr 2008
Climate change and sustainability issues are on the agenda for the first ever Japan New Zealand Partnership Forum in Tokyo on 14-15 May.
Tackling drought crucial in finding food crisis solution - UN
29 Apr 2008
Addressing drought is essential in resolving the food crisis the world faces, the United Nations agency tasked with minimizing the threat posed by natural disasters sid yesterday.
Trelise Cooper, supermarkets promote pink eco bag as the "New Green"
29 Apr 2008
Fashion designer, Trelise Cooper, has joined forces with Progressive Enterprises to launch New Zealand’s first designer eco bag.
Scientists: Stop doubting and let us all get on with it
28 Apr 2008
Scientists are going on the offensive against climate-change “denialist spin”, saying that too much time is being spent arguing about whether climate change is real when the real effort should be going into finding solutions.
Businesses face bill for greenhouse gasses
28 Apr 2008
Hundreds of businesses in the Bay Area of San Francisco could soon be asked to pay for the greenhouse gases they create if the air regulators approve a first-of-its kind plan next month.
CO2 breakthrough ‘turns waste into gold’
28 Apr 2008
British scientists have pioneered a technique of recycling CO2 to reduce greenhouse gases – a process experts are saying is akin to “turning waste into gold”.
Ozone hole good news for Southern Hemisphere
28 Apr 2008
A full recovery of the stratospheric ozone hole could modify climate change in the Southern Hemisphere and even amplify Antarctic warming, according to scientists from the University of Colorado at Boulder, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and NASA.
Greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise
28 Apr 2008
Carbon dioxide again was the main offender as global greenhouse gas emissions rose in 2007.
Champion farmers: We have to think differently
28 Apr 2008
Award-winning Far North farmers Lindsay and Erica Whyte say that there are many things that New Zealand farmers can do to improve their farms’ environmental impact – it’s just a case of starting to think differently.
Greens cool down on coal, but still hot on emissions
24 Apr 2008
The Green Party says that closing down the coal industry will not be a bottom-line issue in post-election coalition talks - but genuine measures to cut greenhouse gas emissions will be.
ACT leader dismisses ETS legislation as ‘a rort’
24 Apr 2008
The emissions trading scheme (ETS) is just a government money-making rort, according to ACT Party leader Rodney Hide – and his party members agree.
NZ expert questions US praise of feedlot cattle
24 Apr 2008
An American claim that feedlot cattle are one answer for a world struggling with climate change has been challenged by a leading New Zealand environmentalist.
UN watchdog bans ‘shamed’ Greeks from carbon trading
24 Apr 2008
Greece has become the first country to be suspended by a UN watchdog body from trading carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol.
Whitehall issues security warning over changing climate
24 Apr 2008
The international response to climate security threats has been “slow and inadequate” and nations need to integrate climate change into their security policy to prepare for worst-case scenarios, a Whitehall report says.
Blame it all on climate change, says Annan
24 Apr 2008
Former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan has blamed climate change for a fistful of ills - and hopes world leaders can sort out the problems at an international forum in June.
Charles gets chance to tell it like it is
24 Apr 2008
PRINCE CHARLES next month will get the chance to air the views that have brought him so much criticism over the years when he addresses an audience of top British business people on the issue of climate change.
Deer hunters stalk carbon sink scheme
24 Apr 2008
The Deerstalkers' Association wants to sink a government proposal to wipe out deer from blocks of the Aorangi Forest on the Wairarapa coast.
UN honours climate change ‘trailblazer’ Clark
24 Apr 2008
Prime Minister Helen Clark has been honoured as a Champion of the Earth by the United Nations for her work on climate change.
Green Party pledges to shut Huntly, hobble coal industry
23 Apr 2008
The Green Party is threatening to end thermal coal exports and close the Huntly coal-fired power stations.
ANALYSIS: Potential political fall out from Green’s shock coal policy
23 Apr 2008
The Greens are viewed by many New Zealanders as “extreme” and offering policies which are too restrictive.
UK expert says NZ policy "a brave experiment", warns world not moving fast enough
23 Apr 2008
One of the UK’s leading climate change commentators calls New Zealand’s decision to include agriculture and forest sinks in its emissions trading regime “a brave experiment”.
Small-forest scheme open for business
23 Apr 2008
Applications are now open for the Government's new Afforestation Grant Scheme aimed at getting more trees planted on farms as part of New Zealand's effort to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Govt weakens climate legislation, strips CCC’s powers
Today 12:00pm
By Liz Kivi | The Government has announced sweeping changes to key climate legislation, including stripping the independent Climate Change Commission of one of its core roles, and removing the requirement that Emissions Trading Scheme settings align with international climate targets.
Govt delays will damage carbon market confidence, experts warn
Tue 4 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Emissions Trading Scheme experts have warned the Government that its move to delay decisions on the country’s emissions budgets will further undermine confidence in an already weak carbon market.
NZ’s government wants tourism to drive economic growth – but how will it deal with aviation emissions?
22 Oct 2025
By Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University | Following a brief dip during the COVID pandemic, aviation is back in a growth phase.
Air NZ inks deal for its first internationally verified carbon credits
9 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Air New Zealand has committed to buying 8000 tonnes of carbon removals by 2030, in partnership with local native forest investment platform My Native Forest.
Celebrities slam mining plans
28 Oct 2025
Actor Sam Neill has slammed plans for a gold mine in Otago, while Denniston Rose author Jenny Pattrick is backing a petition that would stop a coalmine on the West Coast.
Govt launches strategy backing wood-based heat sector
23 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Forestry biomass could replace as much as 40% of fossil fuel-generated process heat by 2050, but access to supply, regulatory settings and business cases for converting to wood-based heat sources are required, the Government says in a series of documents released yesterday.
Another hit to market as Govt uncouples ETS from international climate target
Today 12:00pm
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s surprise move to break the connection between the Emissions Trading Scheme and New Zealand’s Paris Agreement climate target is a brutal hit to confidence in an already moribund market.
UNEP: New country climate plans ‘barely move needle’ on expected warming
Today 12:00pm
Executive director Inger Anderson made the comments as UNEP published its 16th annual assessment of the global “emissions gap”.
Carbon price drops, now trading 30% below auction floor
Mon 3 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Secondary carbon market prices took a sharp downward turn last week, with traders blaming a continued lack of interest from buyers.
Scrutiny on energy security
Mon 3 Nov 2025
A special debate in Parliament put the Government’s energy security agenda under scrutiny, with parties splitting sharply over the role of gas, the place of an LNG import terminal, and how far to push market reform to ease pressure on power bills.
'Little to be hopeful about' – NZ scientists caution ahead of COP30
Fri 31 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Record heat, worsening climate impacts and global backsliding on emission reduction commitments have left some New Zealand climate experts with little optimism as COP30 approaches.
$235 billion worth of NZ buildings exposed to flooding
Thu 30 Oct 2025
More than 750,000 New Zealanders live in locations exposed to one-in-100-year floods, according to a nationwide study which shows escalating flood risk.
Brazil opens three weeks of COP30-linked climate events
Tue 4 Nov 2025
Brazil on Monday opens three weeks of events linked to the COP30 climate summit, hoping to showcase a world still determined to tackle global warming
Hutt City Council slashes gas emissions
Mon 3 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Hutt City Council is set to cut its gas emissions by 60% by 2026 as it speeds up phasing out fossil fuels from public facilities.
From nuisance to crisis: New report on pest wasps In Aotearoa
24 Sep 2025
Media release: Moths and Butterflies NZ Trust | Just published is the Final Report of the Pest Wasps Survey carried out by the Moths and Butterflies of NZ Trust (MBNZT) offering a comprehensive look at New Zealanders’ awareness, experiences, and attitudes toward wasps and the growing ecological, health, and social issues associated with them.
Auckland Council toughens up on building in flood risk areas
Today 12:00pm
Media release: Auckland Council | From Monday 3 November 2025, stronger planning rules take effect in Auckland to better protect people and property from natural hazards.
NZ marine heatwaves could double in intensity under high-emissions pathway
16 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New projections show marine heatwaves will grow more intense around the North Island and more frequent around the South Island as the climate warms – raising risks for fisheries, aquaculture, coastal ecosystems and tourism.
Media round-up
Fri 31 Oct 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: A controversial seabed mining project could lead to sediment flows knocking over rigs and damaging wind turbines; weather-related insurance claims climb; and is the government playing Russian Roulette with our future over methane targets?
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.”
Bank of England must better address climate risk to tackle inflation
Tue 4 Nov 2025
The central bank is being urged to take a series of actions to better respond to environmental risks.
TotalEnergies loses in Paris court, marking a turning point for fossil fuel truth-in-advertising
Today 12:00pm
TotalEnergies was found to have misled consumers about its role in the energy transition.
Lake Onslow battery project set for revival?
29 Oct 2025
A newly formed private consortium has emerged with plans to finance and build the massive Lake Onslow pumped-hydro project, despite the coalition government’s decision to abandon the scheme.
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.
Vero warns losses to rise 26% by 2050 over extreme weather
29 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Extreme weather could drive a 19–26% spike in annual insurance losses by 2050, fuelled by rising seas and more intense flooding, according to Vero’s latest Climate-Related Disclosures Report.
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.
Z Energy settles greenwashing case over ‘quitting petrol’ claims
Tue 4 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Z Energy has settled a landmark greenwashing case over claims it misled the public about moving away from petrol – a result Lawyers for Climate Action NZ says delivers long-overdue accountability.
Nelson commuters urged to ditch car once a week
22 Oct 2025
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | Nelson has a bold carbon emission reduction target and residents are being encouraged to leave the car at home one day a week to help meet it.
Supermarket fast-track a ‘cynical ploy’, risks climate and environmental protections
Today 12:00pm
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government’s “express lane for supermarkets” announcement has been met with fierce backlash, with critics calling the Fast-track Approvals Amendment Bill a Trojan horse that strips environmental protections, sidelines communities, and hands sweeping powers to ministers at the expense of democracy.
Boost for voluntary carbon markets in Watts’ surprise package
Today 12:00pm
By Pattrick Smellie | Voluntary carbon market development gets a solid push in the package of climate change legislative reforms dropped by Climate Change Minister Simon Watts early last evening.
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.
Climate impacts hit NZ with increasing wild weather
23 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is facing a triple whammy of climate impacts today, with severe winds and rainfall predicted for much of the country while some areas are still dealing with wildfires ignited earlier in the week.
Carbon Finance Program upscales efforts to close climate investment gap in climate vulnerable nations
22 Oct 2025
Media release | The Climate Vulnerable Forum and its V20 Finance Ministers (CVF-V20) will work with the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) to upscale the Carbon Finance Program in reach and impact, supporting more climate-vulnerable countries to host high-integrity carbon projects that yield tangible climate, nature, and sustainable development benefits.
Lobby group launches ‘blueprint’ for ocean management reform
18 Sep 2025
The Environmental Defence Society yesterday released its plan to tackle widespread ecological decline in our oceans.
Judge says Greenpeace must pay $345 million in pipeline lawsuit, cutting jury amount nearly in half
Fri 31 Oct 2025
A North Dakota judge has ordered Greenpeace to pay damages of $345 million, reducing an earlier jury award after it found the environmental group and related entities liable for defamation and other claims in connection with protests of an oil pipeline nearly a decade ago.
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.
Here comes the sun: solar surge gathers pace
Tue 4 Nov 2025
More than $700 million of new solar investment advanced last week, underscoring the pace of the renewable buildout.
Experts warn new science curriculum sidelines climate urgency
Mon 3 Nov 2025
Climate change education has been pushed too late and too lightly in the Government’s draft science curriculum, experts say, with students not formally learning about climate change until Year 10.
Solar households to get little-noticed tax break
23 Sep 2025
A provision in the government’s latest tax bill would exempt households from paying tax on income they earn by selling excess electricity back to the grid.
Climate scientists and republican lawyers are taking aim at Big Tech’s emissions
17 Oct 2025
Technology companies have long been one of the biggest investors in clean energy, but new accounting rules could upend that.
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.
How ‘vehicle-to-grid’ technology could boost China’s electricity system
Fri 31 Oct 2025
China’s surging electric vehicles ownership – now exceeding 25.5m – is opening the door to a new technology that can help to enhance the flexibility of electricity supply.
Fix it, don't ditch it: University of Auckland hosts first Repair Cafe
9 Oct 2025
Media release - Auckland University | The University's first-ever Repair Cafe is bringing students and staff together to give broken items a new lease on life, while promoting a culture of repair and reuse.
Council buys dairy farm to help clean up Lake Rotorua
21 Oct 2025
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has bought a 266-hectare dairy farm in the Lake Rotorua catchment and plans to retire it from production to reduce nitrogen entering the lake.
Adaptation plan at odds with public sentiment: survey
21 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s position on climate adaptation buyouts shows a disconnect with public opinion, according to survey findings from insurer Suncorp NZ.
‘Damp squib’ – Govt energy plan slammed for locking in fossil fuels
2 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Critics across business, climate groups and the opposition say the Government’s electricity reforms duck structural change, double down on LNG and gas, and offer little relief for soaring power prices – warning of an “expensive white elephant", deeper energy poverty and a missed chance to scale renewables.
