Topics tagged with 'Greenhouse Effect'
Canberra dragging the chain, says UN climate chief
11 May 2015
Sigmund Freud would have had a field day with the speech by United Nations climate change chief Christiana Figueres to a Melbourne summit on greenhouse emissions reductions. Because what was most interesting was not what she did say, but what she didn’t.
Water crisis shows the failure of public-private deals
11 May 2015
São Paulo’s ongoing water crisis has left many of the city’s 20m or more residents without tap water for days on end. Brazil’s largest metropolis is into its third month of water rationing, and some citizens have even taken to drilling through their basements to reach groundwater.
Pope aims to win hearts and minds on climate change
11 May 2015
A declaration at the end of a meeting in Rome hosted by the Vatican made a plea to the world’s religions to engage and mobilise on the issue of climate change.
WORLD TODAY: What does Cameron's election win mean for the environment?
11 May 2015
* Australia PM's adviser: climate change is UN hoax to create new world order * Tesla says Powerwall sold out for 12 months, demand ‘just nutty’ * Canadian water for California’s drought? * South Africa prepares to give shale gas go-ahead * Food waste an enormous economic problem, say G20 ministers * Community energy model is speeding US move to renewables
Farming our forests could be the answer to green-world prayers
11 May 2015
Forests may be the green investment with the richest returns for humankind, according to new research.
Our best brains to take a look at climate change
4 May 2015
New Zealand’s leading scientists are putting their heads together to predict how climate change will affect New Zealanders.
Rather than divest, advocate for carbon balancing
4 May 2015
At many universities and other institutions, heartfelt campaigns are under way to divest from fossil fuel companies as a way to address climate change.
Man-made climate change increases extinction dangers
4 May 2015
Climate change threatens one in six of the world’s species with extinction, according to new research.
Commitment to end flaring is boost for climate talks
4 May 2015
Companies and governments responsible for 40 per cent of global gas flaring have made a commitment to stop their climate-damaging activities within the next 15 years.
US braces itself for even worse wildfire season
4 May 2015
The firefighters are primed, hoses at the ready. May and June are often the peak months for forest fires in the southwest of the US, and the outlook for this year is grim.
Europe sets timetable to slash plastic bag use
4 May 2015
Single-use plastic bags could soon become a thing of the past in European supermarkets.
Apparently, we're going to slash thousands of tonnes of emissions by 2020
28 Apr 2015
The Government expects the Emissions Trading Scheme to cut New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 10,000 kilotonnes in 2020.
Watchdog calls for 30% emissions cut by 2025
28 Apr 2015
Australia should pledge far deeper cuts to greenhouse gas emissions than its current target if it is to do its fair share in tackling climate change, according to a report by the Climate Change Authority, which advises the federal government on climate policy.
Unburnable carbon: why we need to leave fossil fuels in the ground
28 Apr 2015
Ninety per cent of Australia’s current coal reserves will need to be left in the ground for Australia to play its role in limiting warming to no more than 2C.
It's up to central banks to back the climate change fight
28 Apr 2015
In the aftermath of the 2008/9 global financial crisis central banks around the world pumped billions of dollars into the monetary system to safeguard the world economy.
Call for an end to ‘business as usual’ option on climate
28 Apr 2015
The whole issue of climate is much too important to be left to governments and their leaders, says Mary Robinson, the UN Secretary-General’s special envoy on climate change.
There’s nothing ‘perma’ about Arctic permafrost
28 Apr 2015
Permafrost - a vast, frozen subsurface layer of soil - covers nearly a quarter of the land in the northern hemisphere. It contains centuries worth of carbon in the form of plants that have died since the last ice age but remained frozen rather than decomposing.
NZ's fine on fossil-fuel subsidies, says Groser
20 Apr 2015
New Zealand has been given a clean bill-of-health on fossil-fuel subsidies, the Government says.
Minister happy with dairying emissions progress
20 Apr 2015
The dairy industry is making progress in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Government says.
Treasury COO to be new voice for the environment
20 Apr 2015
New Zealand has a new Secretary for the Environment.
Big Oil faces new pressure to disclose climate risk
20 Apr 2015
A $2 trillion group of investors have asked regulators to force oil and gas companies to provide more disclosures about climate-related risks to their businesses.
Battery costs drop even faster as electric car sales keep rising
20 Apr 2015
The cost of batteries is one of the major hurdles standing in the way of widespread use of electric cars and household solar batteries.
NZ city leaders lie low on new climate pact
13 Apr 2015
New Zealand cities are not among those signing up to a new compact on climate change.
Investors chip in as renewables rise toward record level
13 Apr 2015
Carbon dioxide levels might be soaring, and governments might be slow to reduce fossil fuel emissions and contain climate change, but the smart money could nevertheless be going into renewable sources such as wind and solar power.
Unhappy birthday for UK's nuclear white elephants
13 Apr 2015
A state-of-the-art British plant designed to re-use spent nuclear fuel so as to cut greenhouse gas emissions is to close after years of what its critics call “commercial and technical failure.”
Water Man of India makes rivers flow again
13 Apr 2015
Revival of traditional rainwater harvesting has transformed the driest state in India, and could be used to combat the effects of climate change across the world.
NZ hangs back as countries commit to carbon cuts
7 Apr 2015
Russia did it. The United States did it. All the countries in the European Union have done it, as have Mexico, Norway, Switzerland and Latvia. Even oil-and-mineral-exporting Gabon, population 1.3 million, did it.
How the US’s post-2020 climate target could fit into a global deal
7 Apr 2015
The United States' formal submission this week of its intended post 2020 climate target raises several questions for this year’s global climate talks.
BP’s extreme climate forecast puts energy giant in a bind
7 Apr 2015
BP’s annual Energy Outlook report details the results from modelling of what it sees as the “most likely” energy scenario out to 2035.
Hi-tech farming seen as way to green the food chain
7 Apr 2015
Connected agriculture – from farm to retail – has been promoted at an event in Brussels as the way to wean European agriculture off its addiction to chemicals, water and fossil fuels.
New ocean energy plan could worsen global warming
7 Apr 2015
One of renewable energy’s more outspoken enthusiasts has delivered bad news for the prospects of developing ocean thermal energy. His prediction is that although the technology could work for a while, after about 50 years it could actually exacerbate long-term global warning.
Rich nations urged to cut temperature rise targets
7 Apr 2015
The official target of limiting global warming to a 2C rise has been described by a senior scientist as “utterly inadequate” to protect the people most at risk from climate change.
Forest experts are wrong, say climate change ministers
30 Mar 2015
The Government is sticking to its guns – forest planting is down because of the cyclical nature of the industry, and not because carbon prices are too low to encourage planting.
We're watching carbon prices, says Government
30 Mar 2015
The Government says it is watching carbon prices creep higher.
Australia well short of meeting emissions target
30 Mar 2015
Australia’s flagship climate change scheme will buy the country just half of its 2020 emissions reduction target, a market watcher says.
China ramps up the rhetoric on climate change
30 Mar 2015
By KEIRAN COOKE.- Zheng Guogang, head of the China Meteorological Administration, says future variations in climate are likely to reduce crop yields and damage the environment.
Beat-the-heat beans could keep feeding millions
30 Mar 2015
Scientists believe they may have found how to safeguard a staple tropical crop, on which hundreds of millions of people depend, from the depredations of climate change.
Fossil-fuel investment risk not on our radar, says Treasury
23 Mar 2015
Fossil-fuel investment exposure might be worrying the Bank of England, but it has failed to cause any ripples at New Zealand’s Treasury.
Memo Jo: Foresters need a bit more than praise
23 Mar 2015
Forest owners want the Government to put its money where its mouth is on sustainable forestry – and are gathering the numbers to back their case.
NZ slow to commit to Paris emissions deadline
23 Mar 2015
New Zealand will not get its post-2020 emissions reduction target into the United Nations by the end of the month.
Old King Coal is sick ... but not yet dying
23 Mar 2015
A global investigation into every coal-fired power plant proposed in the past five years shows that only one in three of them has actually been built.
Why is low-carbon energy innovation so slow? You can thank Economics 101
23 Mar 2015
The world needs a lot of energy. Global energy demand is expected to increase by 37 per cent percent over the next 25 years, according to the International Energy Agency’s World Energy Outlook 2014.
Law firm awards student environment prize
23 Mar 2015
Rachael Witney is the winner of the Simpson Grierson Environmental Law Prize for 2014.
Foresters draw up wishlist for ETS review
16 Mar 2015
The Emissions Trading Scheme review is likely to be pushed into next year, forest owners say.
Chemical fertilisers poison our water, says study
16 Mar 2015
Waterways – including human drinking supplies – are being poisoned by excessive use of chemical fertilisers, new research shows.
Heat is on to slow down faster rise in temperatures
16 Mar 2015
Analysis of temperature records and reconstructions of past climates indicates that the pace of global warming is about to accelerate.
Why is pumping CO2 underground stuck in second gear?
16 Mar 2015
There are many uncertainties with respect to global climate change, but there is one thing about which I have no doubts: we will not solve climate change by running out of fossil fuels.
World needs early warning of climate-linked disasters
16 Mar 2015
A senior French political leader has told an international conference on how to reduce the risk from natural disasters that 70 per cent of them are now linked to climate change, twice as many as 20 years ago.
Carbon measure puts us among worst in the world
9 Mar 2015
New Zealand’s carbon intensity is going through the roof, despite Government claims to the contrary.
Beehive breaking our climate change pledge
9 Mar 2015
Latest figures show that New Zealand is not planting enough trees to meet its climate change pledges, and a carbon forestry expert says that the Government is to blame.
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.
Watts coy about meeting environmental groups over methane target
Mon 9 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Climate change minister Simon Watts won’t say whether he’ll meet NGOs to discuss New Zealand’s approach to methane emissions, with five environmental organisations joining forces to ask for a meeting to warn the government off weakening methane targets.
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.
BlackRock is off Texas’ blacklist. Where the ESG battle stands now
Mon 9 Jun 2025
The world’s largest asset manager can now do business with Texas—here’s where it stands in other states.
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.
Labor accused of ‘gaslighting’ Australians on climate crisis as fossil fuel projects keep getting approved
Mon 9 Jun 2025
‘They offer sympathy and then just go and approve massive fossil fuel projects anyway,’ one advocate says.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Greenpeace Denmark complaint accuses dairy giant of 'systemic greenwashing'
Mon 9 Jun 2025
"Greenwashing and false marketing will not be tolerated, no matter how big you are and where you are based," said one Greenpeace Denmark campaigner.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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".
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.
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
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.
