Topics tagged with 'Greenhouse Effect'
Cut emissions, say scientists, it's the only way
11 Jul 2014
Once again, American scientists have come to the same conclusion: there really is no alternative. The only way to contain climate change and limit global warming, they say, is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Sydney takes lead role in urban energy drive
11 Jul 2014
Sydney is to head an international network of global cities looking at energy efficiency.
NORMAN: The longer we wait the more it will cost
11 Jul 2014
By RUSSEL NORMAN, Green Party co-leader.- Thanks to Federated Farmers’ incoming president William Rolleston for taking the time to write about the Green Party’s Climate Tax Cut in last week’s Carbon News.
Asia-Pacific targets $2.5 trillion for renewables
4 Jul 2014
The Asia-Pacific region will invest a massive $3.6 trillion over the years ahead to equip itself with the power capacity it needs for 2030.
Climate target needs new money … but not that much more
4 Jul 2014
Climate change will require substantial new investment in low-carbon energy and energy efficiency – but no more than what is currently spent on today’s fossil-dominated energy system, according to new research.
'I shuddered at the thought of connecting my cooking stove with a toilet’s septic tank'
4 Jul 2014
Sunita Bote, a 30-year-old housewife from the small village of Kumroj in eastern Nepal, was far from convinced when energy specialists from the capital city, Kathmandu, talked about the benefits of constructing a small biogas plant near her house.
Doctors swap fossil fuels for renewables
4 Jul 2014
The body that represents doctors in the UK has voted to end its investments in fossil fuel companies − making it the first national medical organisation in the world to do so.
Memo America: It could be a lot worse than you think
4 Jul 2014
The sheer economic cost of climate change to Americans could be far greater than many realise, an influential study says.
Coal forever? It depends on what we do now
4 Jul 2014
At the recent midyear UN climate negotiations in Bonn, an unprecedented 60 countries (including Germany) called for a total phase-out of fossil fuels by 2050, as part of a global agreement on climate change to be concluded in Paris in 2015.
Why carbon tax proposal won't work
4 Jul 2014
Newly elected Federated Farmers' president Dr William Rolleston explains why he thinks the Green Party's carbon tax proposal is not a runner:
Morgan's water report damns official actions
27 Jun 2014
Businessman and economist Gareth Morgan could pull the plug on the Government’s plans for our crucial freshwater resources.
Millionaire miner rocks Canberra carbon camp
27 Jun 2014
Australia’s emissions trading scheme is on again. Maybe.
No worries, says Bridges, the world loves us
27 Jun 2014
Associate Climate Change Minister Simon Bridges says New Zealand’s is respected internationally for its action on climate change.
Carbon tax won't fix troubled ETS, says report
27 Jun 2014
New Zealand's emissions price beacon is "obscured in the fog of policy uncertainty", but dumping it in favour of a carbon tax isn't the only way to fix it, say Motu Research's Catherine Leining and Suzi Kerr.
NZ has warmest winter
27 Jun 2014
Last winter was New Zealand's warmest on record, says the latest international report on global climate.
Progress must be climate-smart, says World Bank
27 Jun 2014
Government policies that improve energy efficiency and public transport could increase global economic output by more than $1.8 trillion per year, says the World Bank.
Island nations set agenda for Samoa conference
27 Jun 2014
Preparations are well under way for a sustainability conference in Samoa on the challenges and opportunities of partnering with small island states.
Australian Senate likely to pass carbon tax repeal
27 Jun 2014
The bill to repeal Australia’s carbon tax is poised to pass the Senate, potentially leaving Australia without a working price on carbon.
Climate crisis puts pressure on King Corn
27 Jun 2014
One-third of cropland in the US is devoted to corn. It produces nearly 40 per cent of the world’s corn, and a record harvest last year was valued at nearly $70 billion.
Scientists see dangers in jet contrails
27 Jun 2014
Air travel is a rapidly-growing source of carbon dioxide and is helping to heat the Earth. It accounted for 6 per cent of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions in 2011.
Queenstown plays big part in Aussie ski season
27 Jun 2014
By SUSANNE BECKEN, Professor of Sustainable Tourism and Director Griffith Institute for Tourism at Griffith University. Australia’s ski season is finally getting under way, with the first resort, Perisher, opening its ski lifts.
Market watchdog welcomes Palmer move
27 Jun 2014
An international carbon market watchdog is welcoming Australian politician Clive Palmer's shift on climate change.
Maori act to mobilise carbon-conscious voters
20 Jun 2014
Maori angry about the Government’s twin failures over carbon prices and sustainable economic development are looking to mobilise the crucial 18-to-34-years-old vote.
Australia will suffer, warns new carbon report
20 Jun 2014
Australia's economy faces grave threats from climate change, but the greatest threat is if the country does not make a serious effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, says a new report.
Nat's transport plan a fantasy, say Greens
20 Jun 2014
National's transport budget for the next decade is a fantasy plan that pretends climate change doesn’t exist and locks New Zealanders into their cars for the next 50 years, the Green Party says.
Fracking seriously dangerous, say campaigners
20 Jun 2014
Campaigners in the United States are warning that fracking for oil or gas, which has transformed the country’s energy market, is seriously depleting or contaminating supplies of the most vital asset − water
Abbott climate call gets cool reception here
13 Jun 2014
New Zealand appears unenthusiastic about our Tasman neighbour’s plans to form a conservative alliance on climate change.
How to save our seas: stop all fishing
13 Jun 2014
Marine biologists have delivered the most radical proposal yet to protect biodiversity and sequester carbon: stop all fishing, they say, on the high seas.
Come and see our lovely renewable energy sites
13 Jun 2014
A guidebook with a difference is selling well in Germany. It details nearly 200 renewable energy sites it thinks will appeal to tourists.
New city hotspots are the air conditioners
13 Jun 2014
Researchers in the United States have identified a way in which city dwellers are inadvertently stoking up the heat of the night – by installing air conditioners
How we can use all that space stuff for a better world
13 Jun 2014
The answers to some of the world’s sustainability problems lie in outer space, the United Nations believes.
Energy efficient homes could help Treasury balance the books
13 Jun 2014
Britain has just been through an unusually mild winter for the UK. Despite the excessive rain and storms, the warmer temperatures meant the UK needed less energy to heat homes.
The case for a carbon consumption tax
13 Jun 2014
As delegates gather once again for climate talks in Bonn, the question has to be asked: after decades of conferences, committees, procedures and protocols, is the multilateral approach to tackling climate change working?
Why we need clear emissions-reduction reporting
13 Jun 2014
STEPHEN KNIGHT-LENIHAN, JULIA HARKER and PRUE TAYLOR argue for transparent emissions-reduction reporting, in the same way that we report on the share market and exchange rates.
Obama climate move seen as a game-changer
6 Jun 2014
The Obama administration has announced what could be its biggest move to tackle climate change − with major emissions cuts on the way in what is seen by some as a policy game-changer for the US.
Research warns of higher home insurance rates
6 Jun 2014
Australian homebuyers are being warned that extreme climate events could double the price of a home insurance premium and erode property values in some areas by 20 per cent.
Ambitious Sydney slashes carbon emissions
6 Jun 2014
The City of Sydney has refitted 45 of its buildings to reduce electricity and water use, slash carbon emissions and generate operations savings of more than $1 million.
Carbon world roundup
6 Jun 2014
Westpac's carbon desk takes a look over events in the world of international carbon.
ETS more workable than carbon tax, says Labour
3 Jun 2014
Labour says that it will be easier to lift carbon prices under the Emissions Trading Scheme than under a carbon tax, as proposed by the Greens.
Greens: Climate change biggest issue world has faced
3 Jun 2014
"They used to call climate change the biggest issue of our time; more recently, I've heard it described as the biggest issue of all time." Green Party co-leader RUSSEL NORMAN on why his party will replace the Emissions Trading Scheme with a carbon tax:
Angry iwi to file carbon prices Treaty claim
30 May 2014
A $600-million Treaty of Waitangi claim over the Government’s climate change policies and carbon prices is to go ahead.
Time running out as carbon dioxide levels hit new high, warns UN
30 May 2014
Concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere have crossed a new threshold, the United Nation's weather agency has confirmed, warning that time is running out to curb rising greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate change? She'll be right, says Shell
30 May 2014
Shell, the world’s largest oil company, believes that governments will not damage its business by taking rapid action on climate change, and says all its oil reserves will be needed and sold at a profit.
Costly golden oldie now gets heating energy from the sea
30 May 2014
You’re responsible for a historic building, and you’re finding the heating bills an increasing burden? There’s a fairly simple answer − so long as you live near the sea.
Big 10 food companies pollute as much as some countries
23 May 2014
The 10 largest food and beverage companies, if combined, would be the 25th most polluting country in the world, according to a report by Oxfam.
Clark calls for sustainability cooperation
23 May 2014
United Nations officials have highlighted the importance of both traditional and new forms of cooperation to shaping a future development agenda that is sustainable for millions around the world.
Seeds for all seasons when farmers get together
23 May 2014
Small-scale farmers from as far apart as Peru, China and Bhutan have agreed to share indigenous crop varieties in a pioneering initiative to help adaptation to climate change.
Stand by, America, it's about to get a whole lot worse
23 May 2014
Poor air quality and health problems will become the summertime norm throughout the US as scientists predict a 70 per cent rise in ground-level ozone − unless action is taken to cut emissions.
Great potential, but Australia needs to get a move on
23 May 2014
There is an instinctive fear that overhauling the parts of our economies that emit greenhouse gases would spell economic doom and gloom.
Maori unhappy about having to back carbon move
16 May 2014
The Maori Party says it is being forced against its will to support Government moves to stamp out arbitrage by one sector of the carbon market.
Is climate law change a first nail in the coffin for Climate Commission?
Thu 6 Nov 2025
The Government’s sweeping overhaul of New Zealand’s climate laws has drawn sharp condemnation, with one expert predicting it's another step towards 'the beginning of the end' for the Climate Change Commission.
NZ off-track for 2030 methane target
Thu 6 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is no longer on track to meet its 2030 methane target, according to the Ministry for the Environment.
NZ’s government wants tourism to drive economic growth – but how will it deal with aviation emissions?
22 Oct 2025
By Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University | Following a brief dip during the COVID pandemic, aviation is back in a growth phase.
Air NZ inks deal for its first internationally verified carbon credits
9 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Air New Zealand has committed to buying 8000 tonnes of carbon removals by 2030, in partnership with local native forest investment platform My Native Forest.
New Indigenous-led Climate Institute opens at Lincoln University
Thu 6 Nov 2025
Media release | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University proudly announces a pivotal new chapter in climate resilience with the establishment of the Kāika Institute of Climate Resilience.
Govt launches strategy backing wood-based heat sector
23 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Forestry biomass could replace as much as 40% of fossil fuel-generated process heat by 2050, but access to supply, regulatory settings and business cases for converting to wood-based heat sources are required, the Government says in a series of documents released yesterday.
Does NZ's 2035 NDC meet Paris Agreement obligations?
Fri 7 Nov 2025
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: New Zealand’s 2035 Paris Agreement Target needs strengthening, with multiple reasons the 51 to 55% emissions reduction target does not meet our obligations under the accord.
EU ministers agree to 90% emissions reduction target
Fri 7 Nov 2025
European environment ministers have reached an agreement on a contentious plan to cut the bloc's greenhouse gas emissions but with caveats.
Carbon market tanks off the back of Govt’s proposed climate law changes
Thu 6 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Secondary market prices dropped 20% in early morning compliance carbon trading yesterday, as the market woke up to Tuesday’s late-breaking government announcement of proposed law changes to climate policy.
Scrutiny on energy security
Mon 3 Nov 2025
A special debate in Parliament put the Government’s energy security agenda under scrutiny, with parties splitting sharply over the role of gas, the place of an LNG import terminal, and how far to push market reform to ease pressure on power bills.
'Little to be hopeful about' – NZ scientists caution ahead of COP30
31 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Record heat, worsening climate impacts and global backsliding on emission reduction commitments have left some New Zealand climate experts with little optimism as COP30 approaches.
$235 billion worth of NZ buildings exposed to flooding
30 Oct 2025
More than 750,000 New Zealanders live in locations exposed to one-in-100-year floods, according to a nationwide study which shows escalating flood risk.
UN chief scolds nations for failing climate goals ahead of COP30 summit
Fri 7 Nov 2025
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tore into nations for their failure to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as Brazil hosted world leaders for a summit ahead of the COP30 climate conference in the rainforest city of Belem.
Why I’m not outraged at the Govt’s latest climate backsliding
Fri 7 Nov 2025
COMMENT: The Government’s latest climate rollbacks underline New Zealand’s long history of a lack of genuine desire to cut emissions, writes Geoff Bertram.
Govt gas expansion 'climate vandalism' – Greens
Fri 7 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Green Party has labelled the Government’s move to broaden the scope of its $200 million fossil gas investment fund as vandalism, accusing Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of breaking trust with New Zealanders.
From nuisance to crisis: New report on pest wasps In Aotearoa
24 Sep 2025
Media release: Moths and Butterflies NZ Trust | Just published is the Final Report of the Pest Wasps Survey carried out by the Moths and Butterflies of NZ Trust (MBNZT) offering a comprehensive look at New Zealanders’ awareness, experiences, and attitudes toward wasps and the growing ecological, health, and social issues associated with them.
Solar geoengineering in wrong hands could wreak climate havoc, scientists warn
Thu 6 Nov 2025
Blocking the sun may reduce global heating – but ‘rogue actor’ could cause drought or more hurricanes, report finds.
NZ marine heatwaves could double in intensity under high-emissions pathway
16 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New projections show marine heatwaves will grow more intense around the North Island and more frequent around the South Island as the climate warms – raising risks for fisheries, aquaculture, coastal ecosystems and tourism.
Govt delays will damage carbon market confidence, experts warn
Tue 4 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Emissions Trading Scheme experts have warned the Government that its move to delay decisions on the country’s emissions budgets will further undermine confidence in an already weak carbon market.
“Dirty and expensive:” City of Sydney bans gas as it votes to electrify all new big buildings
Thu 6 Nov 2025
The City of Sydney has followed the example of the ACT and Victoria governments and voted unanimously to require all newly built residential buildings, medium to large commercial buildings, hotels, and serviced apartment buildings, to be all-electric.
RMA to speed up fossil fuel consents
18 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | An energy lobby group has welcomed a last-minute amendment to the RMA that puts fossil fuels on the same footing as renewables, however a sustainable energy expert says the move “beggars belief.”
Bank of England must better address climate risk to tackle inflation
Tue 4 Nov 2025
The central bank is being urged to take a series of actions to better respond to environmental risks.
TotalEnergies loses in Paris court, marking a turning point for fossil fuel truth-in-advertising
Wed 5 Nov 2025
TotalEnergies was found to have misled consumers about its role in the energy transition.
Lake Onslow battery project set for revival?
29 Oct 2025
A newly formed private consortium has emerged with plans to finance and build the massive Lake Onslow pumped-hydro project, despite the coalition government’s decision to abandon the scheme.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
29 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Green hydrogen pioneer Hiringa Energy is deep in planning to develop an “eight-to-nine figure” methanol plant near Whanganui, using a combination of biomass and hydrogen produced using renewable energy.
Media round-up
31 Oct 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: A controversial seabed mining project could lead to sediment flows knocking over rigs and damaging wind turbines; weather-related insurance claims climb; and is the government playing Russian Roulette with our future over methane targets?
Will NZ walk away from the Paris Agreement?
20 Dec 2024
By Geoff Bertram | COMMENT: Unless the government can find very cheap offshore mitigation, the temptation to walk away from its Paris Agreement obligations may well be too strong to resist for a coalition government focused on fiscal austerity.
Z Energy settles greenwashing case over ‘quitting petrol’ claims
Tue 4 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Z Energy has settled a landmark greenwashing case over claims it misled the public about moving away from petrol – a result Lawyers for Climate Action NZ says delivers long-overdue accountability.
Nelson commuters urged to ditch car once a week
22 Oct 2025
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | Nelson has a bold carbon emission reduction target and residents are being encouraged to leave the car at home one day a week to help meet it.
Supermarket fast-track a ‘cynical ploy’, risks climate and environmental protections
Wed 5 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government’s “express lane for supermarkets” announcement has been met with fierce backlash, with critics calling the Fast-track Approvals Amendment Bill a Trojan horse that strips environmental protections, sidelines communities, and hands sweeping powers to ministers at the expense of democracy.
Undermining the ETS is poor policy – Mindful Money
Fri 7 Nov 2025
Politicising settings for the Emissions Trading Scheme creates uncertainty for investors at a time when we need clear and stable policy, says Mindful Money's Barry Coates.
NZ's latest climate target 'weak' – Climate Action Tracker
24 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's new international climate target to 2035 is weak, and could even allow for higher emissions than the 2030 target, according to a global scientific project that tracks government climate action.
Climate impacts hit NZ with increasing wild weather
23 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is facing a triple whammy of climate impacts today, with severe winds and rainfall predicted for much of the country while some areas are still dealing with wildfires ignited earlier in the week.
Carbon Finance Program upscales efforts to close climate investment gap in climate vulnerable nations
22 Oct 2025
Media release | The Climate Vulnerable Forum and its V20 Finance Ministers (CVF-V20) will work with the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) to upscale the Carbon Finance Program in reach and impact, supporting more climate-vulnerable countries to host high-integrity carbon projects that yield tangible climate, nature, and sustainable development benefits.
Lobby group launches ‘blueprint’ for ocean management reform
18 Sep 2025
The Environmental Defence Society yesterday released its plan to tackle widespread ecological decline in our oceans.
Judge says Greenpeace must pay $345 million in pipeline lawsuit, cutting jury amount nearly in half
31 Oct 2025
A North Dakota judge has ordered Greenpeace to pay damages of $345 million, reducing an earlier jury award after it found the environmental group and related entities liable for defamation and other claims in connection with protests of an oil pipeline nearly a decade ago.
Straterra has a new name: the New Zealand Minerals Council
16 Apr 2025
Media release | Straterra has been renamed as New Zealand Minerals Council, says chief executive Josie Vidal.
Here comes the sun: solar surge gathers pace
Tue 4 Nov 2025
More than $700 million of new solar investment advanced last week, underscoring the pace of the renewable buildout.
AgriZero backs first nitrous oxide solution with $1.2m investment
Thu 6 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A Kiwi ag-tech start-up developing a device for cows to wear to drastically cut nitrous oxide emissions has secured $1.2 million in government-industry funding.
Solar households to get little-noticed tax break
23 Sep 2025
A provision in the government’s latest tax bill would exempt households from paying tax on income they earn by selling excess electricity back to the grid.
Climate scientists and republican lawyers are taking aim at Big Tech’s emissions
17 Oct 2025
Technology companies have long been one of the biggest investors in clean energy, but new accounting rules could upend that.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
31 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government is expected to repeal the oil and gas ban today, with a last-minute amendment handing discretionary power to two ministers over the controversial issue of decommissioning.
How ‘vehicle-to-grid’ technology could boost China’s electricity system
31 Oct 2025
China’s surging electric vehicles ownership – now exceeding 25.5m – is opening the door to a new technology that can help to enhance the flexibility of electricity supply.
Govt climate policy set by vested interests to delay emissions cuts - Carr
Thu 6 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Rod Carr, former Climate Change Commission chair, says the Government’s move to unlink the Emissions Trading Scheme from our international climate target to 2030 undermines the credibility of emissions pricing as a tool for climate action – and is yet another Coalition Government policy designed to benefit vested interests rather than ordinary New Zealanders.
Fix it, don't ditch it: University of Auckland hosts first Repair Cafe
9 Oct 2025
Media release - Auckland University | The University's first-ever Repair Cafe is bringing students and staff together to give broken items a new lease on life, while promoting a culture of repair and reuse.
Council buys dairy farm to help clean up Lake Rotorua
21 Oct 2025
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has bought a 266-hectare dairy farm in the Lake Rotorua catchment and plans to retire it from production to reduce nitrogen entering the lake.
Adaptation plan at odds with public sentiment: survey
21 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s position on climate adaptation buyouts shows a disconnect with public opinion, according to survey findings from insurer Suncorp NZ.
‘Damp squib’ – Govt energy plan slammed for locking in fossil fuels
2 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Critics across business, climate groups and the opposition say the Government’s electricity reforms duck structural change, double down on LNG and gas, and offer little relief for soaring power prices – warning of an “expensive white elephant", deeper energy poverty and a missed chance to scale renewables.
