Topics tagged with 'Greenhouse Effect'
Experts respond to ERP discussion document
14 Oct 2021
The Science Media Centre has compiled some expert reactions to the government's discussion document on its Emissions Reduction Plan.
'Adapt or die': UK Environment Agency
14 Oct 2021
Hundreds of people could die in floods in the UK, the Environment Agency has warned in a hard-hitting report that says the country is not ready for the impact of climate change.
Helsinki's climate moonshot
14 Oct 2021
Helsinki deserves credit for modeling not only how to set an innovative climate goal, but also how to craft a novel process to achieve it, writes MIT's Carlo Ratti.
Govt proposes allowing more emissions in the short-term and steeper cuts in the future
13 Oct 2021
THE government is proposing increasing the emissions budget recommended by the Climate Change Commission for the 2022-25 period by 2 megatonnes carbon dioxide equivalents, followed by cuts of 5Mt CO2e for the 2026-30 period, and 11 Mt CO2e in the 2031 – 31 period.
3 degrees warming and Wellington looks like the Venice of the south seas
13 Oct 2021
Wellington and Christchurch look like Venice, and Havana like Atlantis in a new interactive tool showing what some of the world's major cities will look if global warming is allowed to reach 3 degrees.
Handbook aims to empower community to restore the country’s wetlands
12 Oct 2021
Aotearoa lost nearly 5500 hectares of wetlands between 1996 and 2020, that’s one of the more startling facts in a handbook being launched today.
Climate change may already affect 85% of humanity
12 Oct 2021
Climate change could already be affecting 85% of the world’s population, an analysis of tens of thousands of scientific studies found.
Over 20 more countries vow to slash methane emissions
12 Oct 2021
U.S. special climate envoy John Kerry announced Monday that 24 additional countries agreed to a voluntary pledge to cut emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas, by one-third by 2030.
A lack of fish faeces is changing the flow of carbon in the ocean
12 Oct 2021
A shortage of fish faeces is contributing to shifts in the ocean’s carbon cycle of an equivalent magnitude to that of the impact of climate change on the ocean.
UN can’t rule on climate case brought by Greta Thunberg
12 Oct 2021
A UN panel said it could not immediately rule on a complaint by Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and others that inaction on climate change constitutes a violation of children’s rights.
45,000,000 doctors call for urgent action on climate change
12 Oct 2021
Media Release - Ambitious national climate commitments are crucial for States to sustain a healthy, green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new UN health agency report launched on Monday in the lead-up to the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland.
NZ a laggard in climate change related patents
11 Oct 2021
Only two OECD countries – Latvia and Indonesia – rank behind New Zealand in terms of the percentage of patent applications related to climate change mitigation, according a just released “dashboard” comparing the organisation’s 38 member states on a range of climate change related metrics.
Pentagon plans for warfare in hotter, harsher world
11 Oct 2021
A new Pentagon plan calls for incorporating the realities of a hotter, harsher Earth at every level in the U.S. military, from making worsening climate extremes a mandatory part of strategic planning to training troops how to secure their own water supplies and treat heat injury.
China to set up standards of carbon neutrality
11 Oct 2021
China is planning to set up and improve the standards of carbon peak and neutrality, according to an official outline published last week.
“The fight is on” to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees: climate change ambassador
8 Oct 2021
New Zealand’s climate change ambassador Kay Harrison told a webinar this morning that “the fight is on” to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees at the upcoming COP26 in Glasgow.
1 degree rise in temperature may shrink India’s GDP by 3%
8 Oct 2021
India’s gross domestic product (GDP) could shrink by three per cent a year if climate change leads to rise in temperature by one degree Celsius, a new study has found.
Is a ‘climate action famine’ inevitable after Cop26?
8 Oct 2021
At-risk African countries must put pressure on those with the most resources to tackle the climate crisis – and they must do it now, argues Hannah Ryder the CEO of Development Reimagined.
Sleeper pests woken up by climate change
7 Oct 2021
Turtles could become the Bay of Plenty's next major pest due to a warming climate.
Maori land-burning practices triggered a major rise in carbon emissions 700 years ago
7 Oct 2021
The arrival of the Maori to New Zealand in the 14th Century led to a major increase in black carbon emissions in the Southern Hemisphere, Antarctic ice core study shows.
Climate change disasters will cost Australia billions each year
7 Oct 2021
Climate change-related disasters will cost Australia $73bn a year by 2060, even if action to curb emissions is taken now, a report has found.
NZ tops list of highest CO2 emissions per capita since 1850
6 Oct 2021
New Zealand is arguably responsible for the highest per capita emissions of carbon dioxide emissions since the beginning of the industrial revolution, according to a just released report by Carbon Brief.
Global citizens’ assembly to be chosen for UN climate talks
6 Oct 2021
One hundred people from around the world are to take part in a citizens’ assembly to discuss the climate crisis over the next month, before presenting their findings at the UN Cop26 climate summit.
Climate change kills 14% of coral reefs in under a decade
6 Oct 2021
Rising ocean temperatures killed about 14% of the world's coral reefs in just under a decade, according to a new analysis from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network.
The Tongan island using canoes to tackle climate change
6 Oct 2021
A job creation scheme on the Tongan island of 'Eua is not only teaching local youth traditional boat building skills it's helping combat climate change.
Water scarcity poised to exact an increasingly heavy toll
5 Oct 2021
Water scarcity will be the biggest climate-related threat to corporate assets like factories within the next few decades, according to a recent report.
Look beyond carbon credits to put a price on nature’s services: experts
5 Oct 2021
Putting a value on nature could be the key to getting the trillions of dollars in investments nature-based solutions need to successfully tackle the climate crisis, experts said at a recent sustainability conference in Singapore.
Environmental outlook for Oceania rated severe: Caritas
5 Oct 2021
Media Release - Caritas has shifted the dial to 'severe' for four of its five environmental indicators, while climate finance for the poor has remained stubbornly at 'woefully inadequate' for seven years.
Marine heatwaves could have dire impact on NZ fisheries
4 Oct 2021
The ocean around New Zealand is getting warmer, and extreme warming events have become more frequent over the past years. New research shows these marine heatwaves could have devastating impacts on ocean ecosystems.
PM urged to go hard and go early against climate change
4 Oct 2021
Prime minister Jacinda Ardern is being urged to go hard and go early against climate change in an open letter being promoted by activist group Extinction Rebellion
Climate change is making Earth dimmer
4 Oct 2021
Earth is reflecting less light as its climate continues to change, new research suggests.
What scientists can teach us about dealing with climate doom
4 Oct 2021
"It's a kind of hopelessness I guess. Helplessness," says Ross Simpson, 22, from Glasgow. He's telling me how he and his friends feel about stopping the worst effects of climate change.
Irish environmentalists call for phasing out of €2bn fossil fuel subsidies
4 Oct 2021
The Irish government must set out a plan in the forthcoming Budget for the removal of over €2 billion in fossil fuels subsidies a year, the climate change umbrella group the Environmental Pillar says.
Climate change concerns influenced German election but will it make a difference to policy?
4 Oct 2021
The impacts of global warming motivated voters, but the results won’t deliver the swift policy changes needed to stop them, writes Inside Climate News' Bob Berwyn.
NZ should commit to regenerative agriculture at COP26: Greenpeace
1 Oct 2021
The National and ACT parties weren't the only ones, last week, criticising climate minister James Shaw's decision to travel to COP26 in November. Former Green Party co-leader, and current Greenpeace executive director, Russel Norman took to Twitter saying New Zealand had nothing to offer at the talks.
Otago-led study calls for change to Building Code
1 Oct 2021
Changing the Building Code to enforce construction of highly energy-efficient housing could help New Zealand reach its 100 per cent renewable energy goal, a University of Otago-led study shows.
Climate change: Money on the agenda at Milan talks
1 Oct 2021
With the jeers of Greta Thunberg ringing in their ears, climate ministers are holding final talks before a key UN conference in Glasgow.
The net zero trap
1 Oct 2021
As more countries pledge to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to zero by midcentury, one could be forgiven for thinking that the world is finally making real progress on climate change.
Interactive climate atlas allows you to travel in time
1 Oct 2021
The IPCC just made it easy to access and visualize a ton of data.
An international carbon market key to COP26 success: ACT
30 Sep 2021
The ACT Party says New Zealand should push for an international carbon trading market, which includes the largest emitters the EU, USA, Russian, India and China, at November’s COP26 talks.
Climate change will add to Aotearoa’s debt burden: Treasury
30 Sep 2021
Climate change is likely to see net debt increase by at least 4% of GDP over the next 40 years, according to just released Treasury modelling.
COP26 billboard campaign takes aim at Australia
30 Sep 2021
When world leaders like Joe Biden and Boris Johnson descend on Glasgow for the world's most significant meeting on climate in years, they could well come face to face with a billboard designed by an Australian comedian.
Plastic and climate crises are linked
30 Sep 2021
For the first time, an interdisciplinary team of scientists collected evidence on how both global problems exacerbate one another, creating a dangerous cycle. The researchers identified three significant ways that the climate change crisis and marine plastic pollution are connected.
Commonwealth youth demand climate action
30 Sep 2021
Media Release - More than 2,000 young leaders and youth-led organisations from across the Commonwealth are urging governments to respect the needs and contributions of the world’s most vulnerable groups, in the lead up to global climate talks in Glasgow in November.
Greenhouse gas emissions up by 2.1% in 2019
29 Sep 2021
Greenhouse gas emissions increased by 2.1% in 2019 according to figures released by Stats NZ today.
What would a net zero emissions policy mean for Australian agriculture?
29 Sep 2021
As the warring parties in the Coalition debate the idea of a net zero carbon emissions policy, a number of questions remain unanswered. What would such a policy mean for Australian agriculture?
Students take over their classrooms to demand teaching on climate change
29 Sep 2021
Students have become the teachers in a global lesson takeover, designed to highlight the importance of climate education.
Food waste feeds climate change
29 Sep 2021
Media Release - NZ Food Waste Champions 12.3 are calling on the Government to reduce food waste as a climate change solution. On 29 September, it is International Food Waste Awareness Day.
Removing one tonne of methane from atmosphere could be worth up to $US2700
28 Sep 2021
A scientific paper published by the Royal Society has estimated that removing a tonne of methane from the atmosphere could be worth as much as $US2700 a tonne.
Climate change to loom large in talks to form new German government
28 Sep 2021
Climate and energy policies are expected to loom large in talks to determine which parties will form Germany's next government, following a much-anticipated federal election on 26 September.
China's belt and road policies could hurt environment and indigenous communities
28 Sep 2021
A new study has found that up to 60% of China's development projects pose a threat to indigenous communities and the environment.
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.
