Topics tagged with 'Greenhouse Effect'
Time for Australia to stop bluffing on climate change
19 Apr 2021
Australia is like a firefighter holding a hose with one hand and a box of matches in another when it comes to climate change. And according to two Aussie academic, it's only going to get worse.
UN chief calls for revolution in city planning
19 Apr 2021
Media release - The United Nations Secretary-General, on Friday, called for a “revolution” in urban planning and urban transport to beat back impacts of climate change and build a green and sustainable future for all.
Call to return one million hectares of marginal land to native bush
16 Apr 2021
Forest and Bird is calling on the government to return a million hectares of marginal land to native bush in the wake a Ministry of the Environment report showing native eco-systems continuing to shrink.
Best by the rest...
16 Apr 2021
The New Zealand Herald has published a series of articles in recent days as its contribution to Covering Climate Now's "Living Through the Climate Emergency" week of coverage in the lead up to Earth Day.
Fed's focus on climate change defended
16 Apr 2021
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday defended the Fed’s increasing scrutiny of the threat that climate change could pose to the health of the United States’ banks.
Tech billionaires' climate change solutions might not be helping
16 Apr 2021
Climate change appears to be high on the agenda for tech billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates but some are questioning whether they’re focusing their efforts on the right areas.
Sustainability despite Covid-19
16 Apr 2021
Media Release - Oxygen Consulting in collaboration with the Sustainable Business Council (SBC), Sustainable Business Network (SBN) and Auckland University of Technology (AUT) have launched their 2021 Insights on New Zealand’s Sustainability Professionals.
Sparkie on an e-bike
15 Apr 2021
BY JEREMY ROSE - When Andy Dynan set himself up as an independent electrician, just over a year ago, he did what most tradies do and bought himself a 4 x 4 Toyota Hilux. The ute – New Zealand’s most popular vehicle - is now on TradeMe and Andy’s getting around on an e-bike.
Mexico’s cactuses find novel path to cooler climate
15 Apr 2021
Rainforests are prized for storing carbon, but Mexico’s cactuses are also vital to climate cooling, and provide leather too.
Big business calls on Biden to double US climate target
14 Apr 2021
More than 300 businesses have called on President Joe Biden to nearly double U.S. targets to reduce planet-warming emissions below 2005 levels by 2030.
Report calls for end of carbon gluttony
14 Apr 2021
The world’s wealthy must radically change their lifestyles to tackle climate change, a report says.
Climate change study win marine biologist a PM science prize
14 Apr 2021
Media Release - When Dr Christopher Cornwall began his biological research career, three unanswered questions bothered him about how climate change might affect marine organisms.
Agriculture and energy sector account for 90 per cent of emissions
13 Apr 2021
Agriculture and the energy sector accounted for 90 per cent of New Zealand’s gross greenhouse gas emissions in 2019, according to the Ministry of the Environment’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990 – 2019 released today.
Bill requires finance sector to disclose climate risks
13 Apr 2021
A Bill requiring the financial sector to disclose the impact of climate change on their business and explain how they manage climate-related risks has its first reading in Parliament this week.
Biden in risky talks to save Amazon
13 Apr 2021
The US is negotiating a multi-billion dollar climate deal with Brazil that observers fear could help the reelection of president Jair Bolsonaro and reward illegal forest clearance in the Amazon.
Unions call for a just transition
12 Apr 2021
Unions are calling for large-scale public investment as part of a “just transition” to a carbon-zero future in their submissions to the Climate Commission’s draft report.
Greenlanders vote for the environment
12 Apr 2021
A fight over Greenland's rich oil, gas and mineral deposits is raging, as global warming melts ice and exposes rich reserves. Now Greenlanders are struggling to balance economic growth and environmental protection.
NZ emissions down, household emissions up
9 Apr 2021
The good news is that New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions were down in the year to December 2020, the not so good news is that that same month saw household emissions reach their highest ever level.
The week in review
9 Apr 2021
The week that was: The PM accepts invite to virtual climate summit; slow burn on coal boiler shutdown; renewable energy stocks tumble, and the kids hit the streets.
Best by the rest...
9 Apr 2021
Every week journalists across the New Zealand media produce dozens of stories about climate change. We thought we'd start linking to some of the best from the preceding week each Friday. Here goes...
15000 ClimCom submissions
9 Apr 2021
Just over a week since submissions closed on the Climate Change Commission’s first draft advice to the Government, the commission says it is making good progress on reviewing feedback.
NSW's big ugly coal problem
9 Apr 2021
On Wednesday this week, the New South Wales Deputy Premier and Minister for Regional NSW, Industry and Trade John Barilaro stood next to a train packed with coal, hurtling past metres away as he espoused the benefits of coal mining (sadly, he failed to literally salute it, as he had promised in the tweet).
Spike in Arctic lightening could be due to climate change
9 Apr 2021
Climate change may be sparking more lightning in the Arctic, a study has found.
10 YEARS AGO...
8 Apr 2021
Ten years ago, the Government issued more than nine million carbon credits to the owners of post-1989 forests.
Bitcoin emissions threaten China's climate targets
8 Apr 2021
China powers nearly 80 per cent of the global cryptocurrencies trade, but the energy required could jeopardise its pledge to peak carbon emissions by 2030.
Frequent flyers should pay more
8 Apr 2021
Wealthy frequent flyers who take several holidays a year should pay higher taxes each time they fly, a British charity says.
Marine species fleeing equator
8 Apr 2021
With tropical fish and other marine creatures already shifting south along Australia’s east coast, a new global study involving a USC ecology researcher has confirmed a drop in species numbers in the warming waters near the equator.
Call for finance sector regulation
7 Apr 2021
New regulations requiring the financial sector to disclose the greenhouse gas emission of their investment portfolios are needed, the Sustainable Business Network says in its submission to the Climate Change Commission.
Protest will be "ginormous"
7 Apr 2021
Veteran protester Ken Findlay was standing in front of the Beehive this morning with a message for the thousands of commuters passing by: support the school climate strike on Friday.
Renewable LPG the answer
7 Apr 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - Renewable LPG can supply New Zealand’s LPG needs and achieve the emissions reductions proposed by the Climate Commission without the need to ban new connections, a new study shows.
Half of methane emissions come from aquatic ecosystems
7 Apr 2021
Methane — a greenhouse gas far more potent than carbon dioxide — plays a major role in controlling the Earth’s climate. But methane concentrations in the atmosphere today are 150% higher than before the industrial revolution.
Zimbabwean teen leads fight for climate
7 Apr 2021
Zimbabwean teenager Nkosilathi Nyathi has introduced solar power to his school and his now campaigning globally to fight climate change.
UK groups demand peat compost ban
7 Apr 2021
The UK government must ban the sales of peat compost this year after its goal of a voluntary phaseout by 2020 proved an “abject failure”, according to a group of gardening experts, conservationists and scientists.
NZ Initiative: leave it to the ETS
6 Apr 2021
An NZU price of $50 is all that’s needed to deliver net-zero emissions by 2050, according to the NZ Initiative.
Easter carbon surprise
6 Apr 2021
With Easter behind us some people will be worrying about the extra centimetres those chocolate eggs added to their waistlines – but here at Carbon News we’re more interested in how much carbon they added to the atmosphere.
NASA finds definitive proof of climate change
6 Apr 2021
It may come as a surprise, given the extensive body of evidence connecting humans to climate change, that directly-observed proof of the human impact on the climate had still eluded science. That is, until now.
Climate change slashes agricultural productivity
6 Apr 2021
Research shows rising temperatures since 1960s have acted as a handbrake on agricultural yield of crops and livestock
Biden bets on climate action creating jobs
6 Apr 2021
The New York Times takes a deep dive into the question of whether climate change action will create or destroy jobs.
Climate strikers are back
6 Apr 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - The Youth of NZ will once again be standing up for climate action on April 9th of 2021. From Auckland to Dunedin and everywhere in between we will demand fast and effective climate action.
Our corporates doing well on climate - report
1 Apr 2021
New Zealand companies rank in the top 10 countries in the world when it comes to climate policies, a new report says.
Biden says plan will 'finally' address climate change
1 Apr 2021
United States President Joe Biden says his new infrastructure plan will allow “transformational progress in our ability to tackle climate change” by bolstering investments in clean energy, electric vehicles and building homes resilient to threats posed by the climate crisis.
Helping small businesses cut their carbon
31 Mar 2021
Climate Change Minister James Shaw today launched a Climate Change Toolkit which he jokingly said was for the “other 97 per cent” of businesses.
Climate change will deepen rich-poor global divide, economists warn
31 Mar 2021
Nearly nine in 10 leading global climate economists think climate change will deepen income inequality between rich and poor countries, with most calling for urgent action to cut planet-warming emissions.
Reserve Bank calls for Govt lead on green bonds
30 Mar 2021
Government intervention is likely to be needed to encourage greater investment in green bonds, the Reserve Bank says.
How voluntary offsets can help us meet our Paris promise
30 Mar 2021
New Zealand should have a two-pronged voluntary carbon-offsetting framework to boost climate change, a new report says.
Shopify backs underground sequestration of GHGs
30 Mar 2021
Canadian e-commerce operator Shopify plans to pay a Texas venture to pull carbon dioxide from the sky and store it underground.
How our eating is causing global deforestation
30 Mar 2021
The average western consumer of coffee, chocolate, beef, palm oil and other commodities is responsible for the felling of four trees every year, many in wildlife-rich tropical forests, research has calculated.
Big methane cut and free public transport needed, expert tells ClimCom
29 Mar 2021
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change author Bronwyn Hayward has told the Climate Change Commission its draft recommendations are not ambitious enough and larger cuts need to be made in biogenic methane emissions.
What the Canadian court rule means for carbon pricing
29 Mar 2021
Less than a week after Conservative Party members defeated a motion to acknowledge the reality of climate change in its official policy, Canada’s Supreme Court reminded Canadians that climate change threatens the future of humanity and cannot be ignored.
Farage...from Ukip leader to green finance spokesman
29 Mar 2021
He has criticised Greta Thunberg for “alarmism” and wind power as “economic insanity”.
'Shocking' changes to RMA replacement further weakens environmental protections –EDS
Today 12:00pm
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The select committee's report back on bills to replace the Resource Management Act fails to address the Environmental Defence Society's "massive concerns" with the legislation.
Study outlines methane-cutting options for NZ livestock
Today 12:00pm
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Breeding, feed and forage strategies could play a key role in reducing methane emissions from New Zealand's grazing livestock, with researchers concluding that a combination of approaches will be needed to achieve meaningful cuts.
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A $30 million government package to support regional air routes risks delivering poor value for money while increasing emissions, according to transport strategist Tim Adriaansen.
Media round-up
9 Jul 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The Government re-wrote fast-track law after mining companies pushed for change; costs from inland flooding are expected to rise by up to 53% by 2075; and is there such a thing as a sustainable tourist?
University launches worldwide search for nature-focused researchers
Wed 15 Jul 2026
Media release | As governments and businesses around the world grapple with climate change and biodiversity loss, Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland is launching an international search for ten PhD researchers to help shape a more nature positive economy.
Inaction on shipping decarbonisation could cost NZ up to $94b by 2050, report says
30 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | Failing to support and enable the decarbonisation of the shipping industry could result in losses of $17.5 billion to $94.4b to the New Zealand economy by 2050, according to a report from the Aotearoa Circle.
Emissions Trading Scheme ‘stockpile’ shrinking
9 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The “stockpile” of NZUs in private accounts continues to shrink, with the latest Environmental Protection Authority figures showing the number has dropped by 9.5 million since this time last year.
Trump blames Canada for wildfire smoke affecting US
Today 12:00pm
A series of Republican “leaders” have started producing angry denunciations of Canada for polluting America’s air with their "thoughtless" fires.
Climate law introduced requiring adaptation plans and reducing Commission's role
Wed 15 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The Government has introduced legislation to amend the Climate Change Response Act (CCRA), which includes stripping the Climate Change Commission of one of its core roles, adds a new requirement for councils to produce adaptation plans for higher-risk areas, and updates ETS settings.
Coal is back in Australian Super’s portfolio. What happened to that net zero pledge?
13 Jul 2026
In 2020 Australia’s biggest super fund dumped its Whitehaven shares. Fast forward to 2026 and it is now the coalminer’s single biggest investor.
Politicians need to lead on climate: Carr
30 Jun 2026
As the election campaign heats up, former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr has a list of actions he's hoping to see from our aspiring leaders, which includes confronting climate denial as well as refusing funds or policy advice from vested interests.
EMA pushes for steady hand on energy and regulation
13 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Employers and Manufacturers Association wants the next government to commit to a long-term energy plan and allow faster investment in renewable generation, at the same time as slowing the pace of policy change and providing businesses with greater certainty.
What Magyar’s defeat of Orbán in Hungary means for climate and energy
21 Apr 2026
Hungary has played a disproportionate role in EU climate and energy policy in recent years, by repeatedly vetoing climate action and by delaying the phaseout of Russian fossil-fuel imports.
Experts call on Govt to withdraw ‘repugnant’ legislation to block climate lawsuits
13 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers and climate policy experts are calling on the Government to withdraw legislation intended to block climate lawsuits, with an adaptation expert arguing that the legislation could worsen the insurance protection gap.
Green Party takes ‘electric election’ up a notch
Today 12:00pm
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is promising to cut power bills and establish a publicly owned company, ‘Kiwipower,’ to deliver affordable renewable energy.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
20 Feb 2026
Several environmental organisations are calling on political parties to make climate and biodiversity central to the 2026 election campaign, with reforming the Emissions Trading Scheme seen as a key priority.
Europe’s May and June heatwave deaths – and how they were counted
Today 12:00pm
Recent weeks have seen a flurry of reports from public health authorities and scientists that estimate the deaths caused by Europe’s record-breaking summer heatwaves.
Tarakihi on verge of extinction: Stock collapse exposes major fisheries management failings
3 Jul 2026
Media release: Environmental Defence Society | Fisheries NZ is consulting on new sustainability measures for the country’s two tarakihi stocks.
Seymour ‘imploring’ council to go easy on foresters is abuse of authority: EDS
7 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Environmental Defence Society says that Regulation Minister David Seymour’s attempt to influence Gisborne District Council to ‘go easy’ on forestry companies in enforcing environmental laws is a clear abuse of ministerial authority.
SEANZ urges Govt not to sign contract for LNG before the election
Today 12:00pm
The Smart Energy Alliance has penned an open letter to the Government urging ministers not to sign a binding agreement for an LNG import facility before November’s election.
NZ First’s oil and gas plan ‘doesn’t stack up’ – professor
Today 12:00pm
By Liz Kivi | NZ First’s plan to invest $1 billion in offshore oil and gas exploration doesn’t make economic sense, says Auckland University emeritus professor and energy economics expert Basil Sharp.
$3m Govt boost for Tauranga geothermal energy
14 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Resources Minister Shane Jones has announced a $3 million grant for the Gas to Geoheat Tauranga Geothermal System Project as part of the Government's plan to double geothermal energy by 2040.
The arms race to climate calamity
Fri 17 Jul 2026
COMMENT: Both Australia and New Zealand are justifying spending millions of dollars on high-end killing machines by hyping the so-called China threat, while downplaying the very real threat of climate change to the Pacific region, writes Jeremy Rose.
‘Master class in greenwash’ as Ottawa unveils CCS deal
Mon 20 Jul 2026
A multi-billion-dollar plan to transport and store greenhouse gas emissions from Canada’s emissions-intensive oil sands has received a major boost, even though the highly-touted deal between Ottawa, Alberta, and the five oil major sands companies will only capture a tiny fraction of the oil sands’ climate pollution.
Lake Onslow pumped hydro consortium secures funding for consent push
26 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | The consortium behind Lake Onslow pumped hydro has secured funding to finalise its resource consent application, aiming to lodge it under the fast-track process before 2027.
Ballance secures gas for 2026 as it progresses energy transition plan
16 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | One of the largest industrial gas users in New Zealand is working on an energy transition plan to futureproof domestic fertiliser manufacturing, while continuing to secure ongoing gas supply contracts.
Climate change is here and we’re all paying for it
Wed 15 Jul 2026
By Raewyn Peart | COMMENT: Another week, another storm. Just days ago, Kaikōura saw two months of rain fall within 48 hours, the most recent in a long line of adverse weather events.
Climate law change spanner in the works for Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry
19 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s controversial changes to New Zealand’s legal framework for climate policy have thrown a spanner in the works for a long-running Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry into climate change.
New legislation to bar climate torts proves polarising for submitters
Fri 17 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Opponents of legislation to block climate lawsuits say it could seriously damage investor confidence, while supporters of the same legislation argue that not passing it could be “devastating” for the New Zealand economy.
Government running out of time to lock in LNG import terminal deal before election
Thu 16 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | Procurement for a floating LNG import terminal in Taranaki is well advanced, the Government says, but the clock is ticking to sign contracts before the election.
Planetary Facts dashboard aims to make environmental costs visible
Wed 15 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Consumers can now compare the environmental impacts of everyday products with a new online dashboard designed to do for sustainability what nutrition labels have long done for food.
Climate risks could reshape business finances, new guidance warns
15 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New guidance warns climate change is set to fundamentally reshape financial outcomes for businesses, including difficult-to-model climate “tipping points” – irreversible changes such as ice sheet collapse or ocean circulation shifts – which threaten severe and sudden financial impacts.
UN chief says fossil fuel industry must cut methane for warming “relief”
25 Jun 2026
UN chief António Guterres called for stronger action to cut emissions of planet-heating methane, taking aim at the fossil fuel industry’s practices and profits, and pointing to coal, oil and gas as the root of today’s climate and energy crises.
What’s next for Sams Creek after failed mining bid?
Wed 15 Jul 2026
Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | A controversial gold mining application at Sams Creek has been declined, leaving question marks hanging over the future of the land.
Pacific coral reefs face mounting climate threat – experts
Thu 16 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Coral reef scientists are warning that climate change is accelerating the decline of reef ecosystems across the Pacific, with rising ocean temperatures, marine heatwaves and sea-level rise threatening both biodiversity and the communities that depend on them.
UK's Burnham to maintain ban on North Sea exploration licences
Today 12:00pm
Andy Burnham will stick to Labour’s contentious ban on new exploration licences in the North Sea, dashing oil and gas industry hopes for a radical change in government policy towards fossil fuels.
NZ First promises $1 billion for offshore oil and gas
Mon 20 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand First wants to “drill baby drill,” and has made an election campaign promise of $1 billion to survey New Zealand’s offshore basins to extract oil and gas, in an announcement at the party’s campaign launch on Sunday.
A real ‘intergenerational equity’ budget would address Australia’s unceasing environmental decline
15 May 2026
Labor has unveiled a budget designed to tackle intergenerational equity in Australia through bold tax reform.
UN plastics pact talks restart amid fears production curbs will be left out
2 Jul 2026
Diplomats reconvene a year after negotiations collapsed, but campaigners fear the agenda risks burying tricky discussions on key elements.
Northern Thai residents march for action on polluted rivers. ‘This is an emergency’
9 Jun 2026
More than 600 residents of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces embarked May 31 on a roughly 68-kilometer, six-day ‘peace walk’ to demand the Thai government take action on the river pollution crisis that has seen Thai rivers polluted with heavy metals.
Swarbrick slams $50m critical minerals funding as 'Trump's war machine' subsidy
7 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Green Party has criticised the Government's investment into two West Coast critical minerals projects, claiming the funding could ultimately support the United States defence industry rather than New Zealand's clean energy transition, while Shane Jones dismissed opponents as "flat earth idiots".
Govt changes risk weakening climate policy, officials warn
Mon 20 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is pushing ahead with plans to remove health and life insurers from New Zealand's climate disclosure regime despite official advice that the move risks undermining the effectiveness of the reporting system anyway.
Fast-track panel backs proposed Haldon Solar Farm
6 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The proposed Haldon Solar Farm in the Mackenzie Basin has moved to the final stages of the Fast-track Approvals Act process after the Fast-track Panel proposed granting approval for the project.
Shining a light on Trans-Tasman solar reforms
14 Jul 2026
OPINION: The real test of solar reforms is how fast retailers can turn new rules into working tariffs, writes Mark Humphreys.
Carbon trading schemes cut more emissions than carbon taxes, according to global study
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Carbon trading schemes are more effective than carbon taxes at reducing emissions, cutting fossil fuel use, and accelerating the shift to renewable energy, a global study has found.
Big tech joins big oil in ruining summer
Mon 20 Jul 2026
The industry has abandoned its climate pledges in favor of fossil fuel-powered AI data centers.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
Govt backs hydrogen with national industry summit
9 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The Government is convening a major hydrogen conference to promote awareness and uptake of the alternative fuel.
‘Those blocking climate science are not our friends': Pacific leaders warn at Bonn talks
23 Jun 2026
Pacific nations and civil society groups have united at UN climate talks, pushing back against efforts to weaken agreed language on global temperature limits as negotiations continue behind closed doors.
Next Govt must restart action on plastic pollution
1 Jul 2026
Media release - Zero Waste Aotearoa | Plastic Free July begins with an urgent call to put plastic pollution back on the political agenda. Plastic Free July is a worldwide campaign to reduce plastic waste and eliminate single use plastics.
Greens announce water policy, including nitrogen fertiliser phase-out
7 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party announced its water policy yesterday, promising to phase out synthetic nitrogen fertiliser, as well as destructive fishing methods, if the party is elected in November.
Ontario seeks federal support for evacuations as wildfires devastate remote Canadian towns
Mon 20 Jul 2026
Ontario requested federal assistance to evacuate people from remote northern Canadian communities ravaged by wildfires on Thursday, as smoke brought poor air quality to Toronto and much of the Northeastern U.S.
Faster consenting, harder trade-offs
7 Jul 2026
Faster consenting is starting to produce results, but this week's decisions show speed has not removed the harder trade-offs around electricity security, conservation, ecology and climate liability.
