Topics tagged with 'Greenhouse Effect'
How climate change traps poor countries between poverty and disaster
2 Nov 2021
As world leaders meet at COP26 to confront climate change, low-income nations have a dilemma: How can they develop without raising carbon emissions?
Australia's emissions projections are a farce based on technological pipe dreams: opinion
2 Nov 2021
If you examine the figures rather than the media release, it’s clear the Coalition has given up on the Paris agreement, argues Greg Jericho.
Climate reparations
2 Nov 2021
A trillion tons of carbon hangs in the air, put there by the world’s rich, an existential threat to its poor. Can we remove it?
Aotearoa joins International Climate Council Network
2 Nov 2021
He Pou a Rangi, New Zealand’s Climate Change Commission has joined forces with a group of international evidence-based climate advisors in an effort to deliver on global climate action.
Government commits to halving NZ emissions with billions of dollars of offshore offsets
1 Nov 2021
The government yesterday announced a more ambitious Nationally Determined Contribution that will see the “the amount of pollution NZ is responsible for” halved by 2030.
Who’s going to the COP26 climate summit? Meet the key players at the UN talks
1 Nov 2021
The COP26 climate summit begins on Sunday, with world leaders from more than 100 countries set to take part in what is regarded as humanity’s last and best chance to secure a livable future amid dramatic climate change.
Why planting trees is no silver bullet against climate change
1 Nov 2021
“Nature-based solutions” are gaining traction as a means of fighting climate change while protecting biodiversity. Tree planting, a key part of several countries’ COP26 pledges, is one such proposal – but experts say that reforestation, while essential, is far from a silver bullet against climate crises.
Antarctica gets a Glasgow Glacier ahead of climate summit
1 Nov 2021
Britain is naming a thinning Antarctic ice mass the Glasgow Glacier, to symbolize the vast implications for the world of a climate conference that starts Sunday in the Scottish city.
Reasons to be hopeful: the climate solutions available now
1 Nov 2021
The climate emergency is the biggest threat to civilisation we have ever faced. But there is good news: we already have every tool we need to beat it. The challenge is not identifying the solutions, but rolling them out with great speed.
Introducing the Glasgow Conversations
29 Oct 2021
Alastair Thompson is one of just two New Zealand journalists covering the COP26 summit from Glasgow. For the duration of the summit he will be having a daily chat with Carbon News editor Jeremy Rose.
More than $100bn in public investments to be climate friendly
29 Oct 2021
The government has announced a new “responsible investment framework” that will see the more than $100bn managed by Crown Financial Institutions required to be aligned with the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.
Polls shows rising demand for government action on climate
29 Oct 2021
Popular support for governments to take tough action on climate change is growing around the world, according to a BBC World Service opinion poll.
India rejects target for net zero emissions ahead of COP26 climate conference
29 Oct 2021
India has rejected calls to announce a net zero carbon emissions target and says it is more important for the world to lay out a pathway to reduce such emissions and avert a dangerous rise in global temperatures.
What big oil knew about climate change, in its own words
29 Oct 2021
Stanford University PhD candidate Benjamin Franta uncovered a trove of documents revealing Big Oil's knowledge of climate change and its efforts to seed doubt of the science behind it. He tells the story in this piece on The Conversation.
Bottom-up change could be only hope as governments repeatedly fail to deliver: experts
29 Oct 2021
A NEW study sees the lack of environmental justice considerations in climate negotiations as a root cause of the failure of international talks to slow climate change.
Health and wellbeing must be heart of climate response: healthcare professionals
28 Oct 2021
Groups representing the majority of New Zealand's healthcare professionals have penned an open letter calling on prime minister Jacinda Ardern to place health and wellbeing at the heart of the country's climate response.
There’s still time to fix climate — about 11 years: Scientific American
28 Oct 2021
ON October 31 world leaders will descend on Glasgow, Scotland, for the United Nations Climate Change Conference, or COP26, in a last-ditch effort to defuse the climate emergency by limiting global warming to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius. Reaching that level would still bring violent storms, deep flooding, gripping droughts and problematic sea-level rise, but it would avert even more severe consequences. Global temperature has risen by nearly 1.1 degrees C since the industrial revolution.
City broker launches weather data index to trade climate crisis risk
28 Oct 2021
The City broker TP ICAP has launched a weather data-backed index that it says will allow business risks tied to the pace of the climate crisis to be traded on financial markets for the first time.
Torres Strait Islanders sue Australian government over lack of climate action
28 Oct 2021
A group of Torres Strait Islanders living off Australia's north coast have filed a court claim against the Australian government, alleging it has failed to protect them from climate change which now threatens their homes.
Climate change most significant risk ever faced by financial system: Adrian Orr
27 Oct 2021
CLIMATE CHANGE poses the most significant risk ever confronted by the financial system - both locally and internationally, Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr told a media briefing yesterday.
Forests under attack from feral animals: Forest & Bird
27 Oct 2021
An out-of-control invasion of wild deer, pigs, and goats is destroying New Zealand’s future forests and carbon sinks, says Forest & Bird.
Australia pledges net zero emissions by 2050
27 Oct 2021
Leading global coal and gas supplier Australia has pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
India lost $87bn due to natural disasters last year: WMO
27 Oct 2021
India lost $87 billion last year due to natural disasters such as tropical cyclones, floods and droughts, according to the World Meteorological Organisation.
Wealthy countries spending more on border security than climate aid
27 Oct 2021
Wealthy countries are giving more money to defence contractors to beef up their border security than to fulfilling their climate aid commitments, a new study has found.
How to turn a desert into a forest
27 Oct 2021
A group of “holistic engineers” wants to return the arid Sinai peninsula to the lush, green landscape it once was.
New Zealand might not announce its NDC until after COP26: Shaw
26 Oct 2021
Climate change minister James Shaw told an online forum last week that he wasn’t sure whether he would be announcing a renewed Nationally Determined Contribution before or even at next month’s COP26 Conference in Glasgow.
Climate scientists fear tipping points (maybe you should too)
26 Oct 2021
The real disaster scenario begins with the triggering of invisible climate tripwires known as tipping points.
Permafrost: a ticking carbon time bomb
26 Oct 2021
Sheltered by snow-spattered mountains, the Stordalen mire is a flat, marshy plateau, pockmarked with muddy puddles. A whiff of rotten eggs wafts through the fresh air.
India wants compensation for climate damage caused by rich nations
26 Oct 2021
India is seeking payment for the losses caused by climate disasters, its environment ministry said while laying out the country's positions on critical issues that will be negotiated at the United Nations' COP26 climate summit in the coming weeks.
NZ study finds airborne microplastics directly impact climate change
22 Oct 2021
New Zealand scientists recently found that microplastics – which are in our rivers, oceans, and land – are also in the air we breathe. Now local scientists have discovered airborne microplastic pollution is likely to directly affect climate change.
Document leak reveals nations lobbying to change key climate report
22 Oct 2021
A huge leak of documents seen by BBC News shows how countries are trying to change a crucial scientific report on how to tackle climate change.
70% of sustainability experts expect bleak climate future: survey
22 Oct 2021
Around 70% of the world’s top sustainability experts remain pessimistic about the future of the planet and humanity’s ability to avert disasters due to climate change. In a new poll, the experts warned of the slow pace of climate action and the low prospects of the world meeting the Paris agreement goals
NZ dairy industry linked to illegal Indonesian palm oil plantations: Greenpeace
22 Oct 2021
Media Release - A new report released today by Greenpeace Indonesia, " Deceased Estate: Illegal palm oil wiping out Indonesia’s national forest", reveals that illegal palm oil plantations are destroying protected Indonesian rainforests and other habitats, and New Zealand’s industrial dairy sector is a major beneficiary.
Strong business support for mandatory climate change risk reporting
21 Oct 2021
Eighty-six per cent of businesses that made submissions on the Climate Related Disclosures Bill supported mandatory disclosure, climate change minister James Shaw told a briefing on a governance and risk management consultation document released yesterday.
Why fossil fuel subsidies are so hard to kill
21 Oct 2021
Fossil-fuel subsidies are one of the biggest financial barriers hampering the world’s shift to renewable energy sources. Each year, governments around the world pour around half a trillion dollars into artificially lowering the price of fossil fuels — more than triple what renewables receive.
Europeans want climate action but show little appetite for radical lifestyle change
21 Oct 2021
EUROPEANS want urgent action on climate change but remain committed meat-eaters and question policy proposals such as banning the sale of new petrol vehicles after 2030, according to a new poll from the YouGov-Cambridge Centre for Public Opinion Research that surveyed environmental attitudes in seven European countries, including the UK.
New UN endorsed right to a healthy environment could speed up NZ climate action
20 Oct 2021
Associate professor of law Nathan Cooper argues that a recent UN decision recognising the right to a healthy environment could have implications for New Zealand's methane emissions in this Conversation piece.
How trading CO2 could save the climate or not: BBC
20 Oct 2021
For its proponents, a global carbon market could significantly reduce the world's carbon emissions. But its critics say that giving polluters the option to pay for their emissions is not the answer to climate change.
Climate inaction could slash GDP by 3% per annum: Bank of America
19 Oct 2021
The cost of inaction over climate change could lead to the loss of 3 per cent of gross domestic product every year by 2030, ballooning to $69 trillion by the end of this century, Bank of America said in a report.
South Korea aims to cut carbon emissions by 40% in 2030
19 Oct 2021
South Korea set a new goal on Monday for fighting climate change over the next decade, saying it will aim to cut its greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 2018 levels by 2030.
Biden administration considers carbon tax
19 Oct 2021
A US Democrat’s decision to oppose a key policy in Joe Biden’s climate plan could lead to a carbon tax on emissions-intensive industries and threaten Australian exports.
The climate crisis is a child-rights crisis
19 Oct 2021
Children across the world have inherited a problem that is not of their making. A new report from Save the Children - Born into The Climate Crisis: Why we must act now to secure children’s rights - highlights the impact that the climate crisis is having on children’s rights now, and for future generations.
The carbon offset market could be worth $200 billion by 2050. But what is it?
19 Oct 2021
Companies and people who want to cancel out the impact of their emissions on the climate often turn to something called carbon offsetting.
Climate aid boost the wrong move at the wrong time: National
19 Oct 2021
Media Release - The Government’s decision to commit $1.3 billion over four years to support poorer countries to deal with climate change is the wrong one, given New Zealand is still struggling with lockdowns which have no end in sight, National’s Climate Change Spokesperson Stuart Smith says.
Climate aid boost a fantastic outcome: Oxfam
19 Oct 2021
Media Release - Today's announcement is a fantastic outcome for communities on the frontlines of climate change, Oxfam Aotearoa Executive Director Rachael Le Mesurier said in response to the $1.3 billion the Government has promised in climate finance over the next four years.
From a throwaway society to a circular economy
18 Oct 2021
New Zealanders are world leaders when it comes to dumping waste in landfills – in 2018 we chucked out the equivalent of 730kg per person – and all that waste ends up contributing about 4% of the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Global carbon price of US$100 needed according to Nobel Prize-winning economist
18 Oct 2021
Economist William Nordhouse, who won the 2018 Nobel Prize in economics for his work on climate change, argues a global carbon price of around US$100 per tonne is needed if the world is to successfully tackle climate change.
Climate change a double blow for oil-rich Mideast: experts
18 Oct 2021
The climate crisis threatens a double blow for the Middle East, experts say, by destroying its oil income as the world shifts to renewables and by raising temperatures to unliveable extremes.
How climate change is threatening Australia’s favourite fruits
18 Oct 2021
Australian mango growers are expecting the smallest harvest in at least two decades this summer, cherry farmers are losing trees and grape growers are contending with shortening harvest windows.
Indigenous climate activists arrested after ‘occupying’ US Department of Interior
18 Oct 2021
Dozens of Indigenous climate activists were arrested and removed from the U.S. Department of the Interior in Washington on Thursday after taking over a lobby of the department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs for several hours.
Climate progress slowing, says Auckland councillor
Thu 5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The devastating cyclone that tore through Tāmaki Makaurau in 2023 left behind more than just broken infrastructure, sparking calls to focus on facts over ideology in the fight against climate change.
Fed Farmers launches campaign against carbon forestry
Fri 6 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Federated Farmers has launched what they are calling the ‘Save Our Sheep’ campaign, blaming carbon forestry for declining sheep numbers and calling on the government to urgently review the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Greenwashing is rife in Australia, but could its days be numbered?
28 May 2025
COMMENT: Have you ever ticked the box to “fly carbon neutral”, had something delivered via “carbon-neutral shipping” or chosen to pay a bit extra to buy “carbon-neutral gas” from your energy retailer?
Help sustainable aviation fuels take off or delay targets, airlines warn EU
20 May 2025
Earmarked funding, risk-reduction tools, and simplified imports top Airlines for Europe’s wish list for the EU’s upcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan.
Microplastics found in sand on dozens of NZ beaches
Wed 4 Jun 2025
Scientists have extracted microplastics from the sand of 22 beaches from the Far North to Banks Peninsula.
Sustainability claims questioned as renewable diesel surges
14 May 2025
Critics are sceptical about industry claims of renewable diesel life-cycle greenhouse gas emission cuts and warn renewable diesel carbon releases will surge if sourcing is scaled up, triggering tropical deforestation as producers convert forests to energy crops, such as oil palm and soy.
Govt mulls status quo for ETS auction settings
29 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has released its consultation on the Climate Change Commission’s latest advice on Emissions Trading Scheme auction settings and volumes, putting forward the option to ignore the commission’s advice to boost auction volumes from 2028-2030.
Global energy investment set to hit record $3.3 trillion in 2025, IEA says
Fri 6 Jun 2025
A surge in clean energy spending is expected to drive a record $3.3 trillion in global energy investment in 2025, despite economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday.
Carbon price too low to fund carbon capture
20 May 2025
The government’s climate target to 2030 is at risk, after revelations that a carbon capture project which the government was relying on to deliver one third of its carbon reductions, might not go ahead.
Fight over coal mine heats up
30 May 2025
Forest & Bird is calling on the government to create a new scientific reserve covering the Denniston Plateau on the West Coast, which would stop a fast-tracked coal mine.
Trump’s actions are already having consequences for climate, especially for the IPCC - expert
11 Apr 2025
Leading climate scientist, Dr Kevin Trenberth, left the US and came home to New Zealand because of the rise of Donald Trump. In this comment piece, he writes that he is appalled in multiple ways by the so-called “war on science” unfolding through staff cuts and the president’s policy edicts.
Common low-grade clay strengthens low-carbon concrete
Thu 5 Jun 2025
Media release | Engineers at RMIT University have converted low-grade clay into a high-performance cement supplement, opening a potential new market in sustainable construction materials.
Cuts to climate finance put exports in jeopardy: Lawyers
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has halved international climate finance, a move aid organisations describe as “devastating,” and which lawyers say could put our Paris Agreement commitments and export market access at risk.
Watts talks big on energy reform, but barriers persist
29 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Energy and Climate Change minister Simon Watts says the government is doubling down on efforts to boost renewable energy generation, streamline regulation, and drive private sector investment as New Zealand faces mounting energy security and affordability challenges.
Gas supply reducing faster than forecast
Thu 5 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Gas reserves have reduced 27% as of 1 January 2025 compared to last year, according to data released today by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
Govt budgets $200m for would-be gas investors
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | Energy Resources Aotearoa has welcomed the government's plan to co-invest $200 million in fossil gas expansion, while environmental and climate groups have reacted with horror.
Extreme ocean warming engulfed South-West Pacific in 2024
Fri 6 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Unprecedented ocean warming engulfed the South-West Pacific in 2024, with extreme heat and rainfall causing deadly and devastating impacts and sea level rise threatening entire islands.
Oceans Commission must have teeth – minister
14 May 2025
If an Oceans Commission were to be established under the government it would need genuine powers to make change, says Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones.
Biochar's negative emissions tech coming to Fieldays
Fri 6 Jun 2025
Biochar Network New Zealand will showcase its negative emissions technology biochar at this year's Forestry Hub at Fieldays 2025.
Vanuatu criticises Australia for extending gas project while making COP31 bid
Wed 4 Jun 2025
Vanuatu’s climate minister has expressed disappointment over Australia’s decision to extend one of the world’s biggest liquefied natural gas projects and said it raises questions over its bid to co-host the COP31 summit with Pacific nations.
Hotter and deeper: how NZ’s plan to drill for ‘supercritical’ geothermal energy holds promise and risk
2 Apr 2025
By David Dempsey, University of Canterbury | New Zealand’s North Island features a number of geothermal systems, several of which are used to generate some 1,000 MegaWatts of electricity. But deeper down there may be even more potential.
Electrification challenge for politicians, regulators
27 May 2025
Rewiring Aotearoa is calling for stronger political leadership to bring its vision of a cheaper, cleaner and stronger energy system to life, with the launch of its policy manifesto today.
Energy Australia is in court accused of greenwashing. What is the case about and why is it significant?
16 May 2025
Climate group alleges energy giant misled 400,000 customers about ‘Go Neutral’ product, arguing that carbon credits don’t actually remove emissions.
Methanex closure comes early this year
14 May 2025
The almost-now-annual closure of Methanex has come earlier this year, giving more confidence that the electricity system will get through the winter without a fuel shortfall.
What happened to the hydrogen economy?
Tue 3 Jun 2025
The hydrogen car that was supposed to carry us into a cleaner future is still not in the driveway. In fact, outside of a few test markets, it’s not in anyone’s driveway.
Climate change could drive surge in foreclosures and lender losses, new study finds
22 May 2025
Extreme weather linked to climate change could spell financial ruin for many American homeowners and lead to billions in losses for lenders, a new study finds.
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.
Energy Australia apologises to 400,000 customers and settles greenwashing legal action
22 May 2025
Energy retailer says carbon offsetting ‘not the most effective way’ to reduce emissions.
Could ‘orange’ hydrogen be NZ’s key to net-zero?
30 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand could be sitting on resources for a thriving multi-billion-dollar, low-carbon hydrogen economy, which might even be capable of creating a net reduction of carbon dioxide, according to scientists.
Carbon News launches price index
24 Jun 2024
Today’s issue is the first to feature Carbon News’ own carbon price index for secondary market spot prices for NZUs on New Zealand’s compliance market.
Govt's RMA overhaul sparks fears for nature and climate
30 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has opened public consultation on the biggest overhaul of environmental planning rules in New Zealand’s history, with critics warning it puts nature and climate at risk in favour of fast-tracked development and industry expansion.
Waste Levy risks becoming ‘slush fund’ under proposed changes – Commissioner
Thu 5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Proposed changes to New Zealand's waste legislation risk undermining public trust in the waste levy scheme, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton.
Top ocean experts sound the alarm over growing marine crisis due to climate change
Fri 6 Jun 2025
On the opening day of a global science conference, French fishery scientist Clea Abello presented research showing that marine protected areas could protect commercially valuable fisheries.
Tech alone won’t save us, warns climate expert
Wed 4 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Technology alone won't be enough to reach net zero emissions, environmental psychologist Lorraine Whitmarsh told the Carbon and Energy Professionals conference in Auckland last week.
New research reveals NZ’s natural resource footprint
29 May 2025
Media release | New research from the office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment reveals that about 107 million tonnes of natural resources were required to produce the goods and services consumed by New Zealanders in 2019 – approximately 21 tonnes per person on average.
NZ's first chance in 20 years to catch up on waste
30 May 2025
Media release | The government has announced proposals for updating the Waste Minimisation Act and the Litter Act. For the first time in nearly 20 years, Kiwis have a chance to catch up with other countries to reduce our waste and litter.
Dismissals 'massive win' for climate movement
13 May 2025
The outstanding charges against 25 climate activists who disrupted traffic in Wellington have been dropped, a move the group calls a win for the climate movement.
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.
UK’s solar power surges 42% after sunniest spring on record
Fri 6 Jun 2025
The UK’s solar farms and rooftops generated more electricity than ever before in the first five months of 2025, as the country enjoyed its sunniest spring on record.
Green budget 'ludicrous la-la land' – govt
15 May 2025
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the budget was "clown show economics" and an "absolute circus".
US: Clean energy project cancellations top $14 Billion so far in 2025
Wed 4 Jun 2025
Businesses have pulled the plug on big projects amid Trump’s retreat on climate action. But plenty remain in the pipeline, awaiting a Congressional decision on tax credits.
United Nations carbon market rules agreed but concerns remain
25 Nov 2024
New carbon market rules agreed at the fractious UN climate summit will be a relief to New Zealand and Singapore, who were leading the negotiations, but concerns about greenwashing and disadvantaging nature-based solutions remain.
“It’s not the car – it’s how we move” – EECA
Tue 3 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams| New Zealand’s transport emissions conversation has focused heavily on electric vehicles – but Richard Briggs, group manager, delivery and partnerships at the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, says we’re asking the wrong question.
Europe’s next climate target may already have been agreed in Berlin
28 May 2025
Germany’s new coalition has adopted a climate stance shaped by talks with the EU’s top climate official, signalling where the bloc may land on a likely upcoming 2040 emissions target.
Water crisis on the horizon?
26 May 2025
Media release | Sewage contaminating Auckland oyster farms highlights the “dire state” of water infrastructure in Aotearoa, says University of Auckland Associate Professor Daniel Hikuroa.
Tropical forest loss hit new heights in 2024; fire a major driver in Latin America
23 May 2025
Tropical forest loss skyrocketed in 2024, with vast swaths of primary forest consumed by fire, according to new satellite data.
For the first time, China invests more in wind and solar than coal overseas
29 May 2025
China’s Belt and Road Initiative, long derided for its heavy carbon footprint, was dominated by wind and solar power projects for the first time from 2022 to 2023, according to a new analysis. But coal plants financed in earlier years are still coming online.
