Topics tagged with 'Kyoto'
Smith: Labour needs to come clean on multi-billion dollar ETS windfall profits
21 May 2008
National yesterday again challenged the Government to release the official papers that reveal just how much the Government is set to profit from the emissions trading scheme, saying it is "apalled" it has been denied leave to table official documents in Parliament.
Top climate change academics shun National's bid to delay ETS
21 May 2008
An academic group from Victoria University's Institute of Policy Studies has come out publicly with "several arguments" why the legislation should not be deferred.
US' biggest coal burning power firm to turn cow dung into carbon credits
21 May 2008
The American Electric Power company is going to trap methane from cow manure in a bid to earn emission credits.
EMA applauds plan to "pause" ETS
21 May 2008
The Employers and Manufacturers Association Northern supports the need for New Zealand to have a robust policy to combat man-made contributions to greenhouse gases.
Fed Farmers pushes to have soil carbon sequestration included in ETS
20 May 2008
Federated Farmers is calling for a greater push toward getting soil recognised as a legitimate method of storing greenhouse gases, saying that it would be a boon to farmers struggling to deal with emission from animals.
Brazilian companies announce global warming game plan
20 May 2008
The Brazil Greenhouse Gas Protocol Program has been launched today and its 12 founding corporate members have voluntarily agreed to report their global-warming emissions.
Who pays for climate change?
20 May 2008
OPINION: New Zealand Centre for Political Research.- Last week the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment came out in support of the Government's Emissions Trading Bill as the gateway to a 'carbon-constrained future':
Kyoto carbon trade hits one million tonnes a day
19 May 2008
The European Climate Exchange says its futures trade in carbon emissions credits from developing countries based on a UN scheme has hit a million tonnes a day after launching the contracts in March.
Trading in the dark is no place for the nervous
19 May 2008
Carbon may well be the world’s fastest growing traded commodity, and will one day be the biggest, but right now it’s no place for the faint-hearted, as the ever-growing ranks of carbon traders are finding.
ETS will trim Kyoto bill $909 million, pushes Key further out on policy tightrope
16 May 2008
The emissions trading scheme will avoid a 15 to 50 million tonne rise in emissions between 2008 and 2012, Climate Change Issues Minister David Parker has told Parliament, in what appears to a ground preparing statement ahead of National leader John Key’s ETS policy announcement this Sunday.
Japan extends $4b helping hand for climate change projects
16 May 2008
Japan plans to extend up to 500 billion yen ($US4.8 billion worth of low-interest loans to developing countries over the next five years to help them fight global warming.
Bluffing over aluminium: EU says post-2012 ETS impact may be 'negligible'
15 May 2008
While Rio Tinto talks of its Bluff aluminium smelter being put on a path to closure by the proposed emissions trading scheme, the European Union says the effects of including the sector in its scheme “may well be negligible” once a new post-Kyoto international agreement is in place.
Fletcher role revealed, Government extends credit assistance further than sought
14 May 2008
The advice from Fletcher Building which helped persuade Government to make a further $1.3 billion in emission credit concessions to heavy emitters is revealed in an appendix to the interim report of the select committee considering the emissions trading bill.
McCain outlines plan to confront climate change
14 May 2008
Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting Senator John McCain says America needs a market-based cap and trade system to curb greenhouse gas emissions, mobilise innovative technologies, and strengthen the economy.
Smelter submission actually supports ETS, makes special pleadings
13 May 2008
ANALYSIS. - The operator of New Zealand’s only aluminium smelter supports New Zealand’s desire to introduce an emissions trading scheme.
Little point in NZ carbon trading currency, says business group
13 May 2008
A second major business group is suggesting that New Zealand should be using international carbon instruments instead of creating its own currency.
Australian report: Climate change will boost farm output
13 May 2008
Australian agricultural output will double over the next 40 years, with climate change predicted to increase, rather than hinder, the level of production.
Government disputes $80b 'carbon tax' windfall claim
9 May 2008
The Government is disputing a suggestion by Solid Energy chief Don Elder that it could stand to make $80 billion from New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme.
ANALYSIS: Will Don Elder today spell out his dream for New Zealand?
9 May 2008
What did Don Elder hope to achieve by assuming a carbon price of $200 per tonne and almost nil-emissions reduction – to produce a result showing the Government could make a surplus of up to $80 billion from its emissions trading scheme?
Big players put cases to ETS select committee
8 May 2008
The select committee hearing submissions on the emissions trading bill is in for an interesting day today, with energy producers, users and lobbyists lining up to make submissions.
New World Bank Report : Carbon market value doubles to US$64b in a year
8 May 2008
The global carbon market grew to a whopping US$64 billion (€47 billion) in 2007, more than doubling over 2006, according to a new report from the World Bank releaed overnight.
Changes to Kyoto last straw for forest owners
8 May 2008
Recent changes to the government's emission trading scheme mean forestry will be the only sector in the NZ economy meeting its Kyoto obligations until 2011, says the Nz Forest Owners Association in a statement.
The world is getting warmer … faster
8 May 2008
Climate change is happening faster than predicted and the world could be as much as seven degrees hotter by the end of the century, an Australian CSIRO scientist says.
Canada faces suspension by Kyoto watchdog
8 May 2008
Canada will be probed on suspicion of violating rules for registering greenhouse gases that are the mainstay of a UN-led fight against global warming, official documents show.
EC fires warning shot to Greece about poor greenhouse gas monitoring
8 May 2008
Greece has received a warning from the European commission for failing to provide adequate monitoring of greenhouse gases emissions which is needed to comply with UN regulations laid out under the Kyoto protocol, a commission spokesperson confirmed.
Greenpeace: Don't subsidise polluting industries
8 May 2008
Don't subsidise polluting industries at the expense of ordinary New Zealanders and the planet.
Government ETS moves will batter forestry Kyoto credit values
7 May 2008
Forest owners expect the value of their hard-won Kyoto carbon credits to plummet as a result of yesterday’s announced changes to the emissions trading scheme, with the likely result that few new forests will be planted.
Government allies vent their anger
7 May 2008
Government moves to delay the impact of the emissions trading scheme on big-business and motorists have earned anger from allies, with the Green Party threatening to pull its support.
Overnight prices indicate real Kyoto bill more than $1.5 billion?
6 May 2008
New Zealand’s true Kyoto liability might be closer to $1.5 billion, based on current emission credit prices.
Change in policies and pace call after Kyoto bill breaks billion dollar barrier
6 May 2008
Government is being urged to more quickly adopt emission-cutting policies, like public transport and home insulation, to help avert part of the now billion dollar Kyoto climate change bill, while National is calling for "a new direction".
UN confident world can reach climate change pact in time
6 May 2008
Without a deal to cap greenhouse gas emissions around 2015, then halve them by 2050, the world will face ever more droughts, heatwaves, floods and rising seas, according to the United Nations.
ETS threatens viability of $400m plant, says cement maker
5 May 2008
The emissions trading scheme threatens the viability of a planned $US400 million cement plant which would actually reduce overall greenhouse-gas emissions, warns cement manufacturer Holcim New Zealand.
Joint warming statement likely at Fukuda-Hu meeting
5 May 2008
The Japanese government is hoping to secure agreement with China over a joint document on environmental issues when Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda meets Chinese President Hu Jintao this week.
Aussie big boys scramble for carbon trading exemptions
5 May 2008
MAJOR Australian companies and industry bodies are pushing to be made exempt from the impact of a national carbon emissions trading scheme, claiming they will be hurt by cheap imports or lose out in export markets.
US airlines face $9 billion carbon bill by 2020
5 May 2008
Proposed US emission-trading legislation could leave its airlines with a crippling $9 billion annual bill in carbon costs in just over a decade.
Asia tourism, airlines 'complacent' on climate change
5 May 2008
Asian airlines and tourist firms are too complacent about the urgent need to address global warming, industry leaders warned at a conference on climate change.
Russia’s no adds to UN climate treaty troubles
2 May 2008
Russia's opposition to new cuts in greenhouse gases means all of the world's top four emitters are against making quick reductions, complicating plans for a new UN climate treaty by the end of 2009.
ETS impact ‘like a major war’ – Act leader Hide
1 May 2008
The Government’s emissions trading scheme (ETS) will have the economic impact of a major war, according to Act Party leader Rodney Hide.
ANALYSIS: What you are not hearing from the NZIER and heavy emitters
1 May 2008
The NZIER appears to expect a New Zealand Government to carry on regardless with an all-sectors, all-gases emissions trading scheme for 17 years – if the rest of the country’s competitors do not.
Parker: Emissions trading 'effective and affordable'
1 May 2008
A summary of economic modelling shows emissions trading is an effective approach to reducing New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions in the long term, Climate Change Minister David Parker says.
NEW REPORT: 'households, road users and SMEs' carry multi-billion ETS bill
30 Apr 2008
All sectors of the economy should come into the emissions trading scheme at the same time to avoid the “huge transfer of wealth” that will be the result of the proposed scheme, says the New Zealand Sustainability Council in a report out today.
Green Party wants commonsense emissions trading policies
30 Apr 2008
Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons welcomes the release of the Cawthron Institute's environmental assessement of the emissions trading policy.
High-powered leadership group endorses emissions trading scheme
29 Apr 2008
A high-powered group of business and community leaders has endorsed the concept of an emissions-trading scheme in New Zealand as a way of managing and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, saying the impact on the economy will be minimal.
Climate Change Leadership Forum backs emissions trading scheme
29 Apr 2008
The Climate Change Leadership Forum, including 34 business and other sector leaders, has issued 10 key points of policy advice made so far to the Government and Finance and Expenditure Select Committee on the proposed emissions trading scheme (ETS).
UN watchdog bans ‘shamed’ Greeks from carbon trading
24 Apr 2008
Greece has become the first country to be suspended by a UN watchdog body from trading carbon credits under the Kyoto Protocol.
India’s eager money men study $6b carbon trading market
24 Apr 2008
Financial houses in India are excited by the news that the local market for carbon credits has been estimated at $6 billion over four years.
Carbon storage in soil being researched: Major benefits possible for landowners
23 Apr 2008
A new move to store carbon in New Zealand soil is being formally researched and could be worth hundreds of millions to New Zealand farmers and other landowners.
Small-forest scheme open for business
23 Apr 2008
Applications are now open for the Government's new Afforestation Grant Scheme aimed at getting more trees planted on farms as part of New Zealand's effort to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Norwegian leader digs deeps to help poor African nation
23 Apr 2008
Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg was quick to put his money where his mouth is after telling a summit of African leaders that the rich countries created the problems of climate change, and the rich countries should bear the responsibility for solving them.
Parker: No emissions credits for new renewable power plant developers
22 Apr 2008
Climate Change Minister David Parker says those building new renewable power stations won’t be rewarded with extra carbon credits under the proposed emissions trading scheme (ETS).
Media round-up
Thu 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?
Hurunui to notify climate solution plan change
Thu 9 Jul 2026
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter | A North Canterbury council is looking to progress "a uniquely Hurunui solution’’ to sea level rise.
$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.
‘They want to destroy Corsia’: Brussels takes aim again at airline emissions
2 Jul 2026
The European Commission is planning to shoot down the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) largely voluntary decarbonisation scheme, CORSIA, when it presents plans to overhaul the EU’s carbon pricing system, sources suggest.
Biodiversity credit markets need stronger safeguards – report
Wed 8 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Emerging biodiversity credit markets need stronger government safeguards and public investment if they are to deliver lasting conservation benefits, according to a new report.
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
Thu 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.
Low-cost loans for solar panels could save households hundreds on bills – thinktanks
Thu 9 Jul 2026
Millions of UK households could save hundreds of pounds a year on their energy bills if the government were to approve low-cost loans for solar panel installation, research has found.
Carbon markets and biochar: a golden opportunity for NZ?
1 Jul 2026
By John O’Brien | COMMENT: New Zealand’s abundant and increasing forestry waste could become a multi-billion dollar opportunity for biochar carbon sequestration – as long as the right policies, programmes, and incentives are in place.
China's coal power on the rise again in 2026, reversing first-in-a-decade decline
25 Jun 2026
China's coal-fired power generation is set to rebound this year from its first fall in a decade, analysts said, due to the impact of El Nino and the Iran war and as renewable sources of energy have failed to keep pace with demand.
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.
Green building council calls for clean energy policies
18 May 2026
The New Zealand Green Building Council has released its 2026 election manifesto calling for policies to reduce energy waste in buildings, lower household and business energy costs, and improve New Zealand’s energy security.
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.
'Get on with it': Greens push for pre-election solar law
Thu 9 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Green Party is calling on Parliament to pass legislation enabling low-cost household solar finance before the election, arguing there is now cross-party support following Labour's SolarSaver announcement and National's earlier Home Energy Fund pledge.
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 may face 'more deadly weeks' as new heatwave builds, WHO warns
Thu 9 Jul 2026
The World Health Organization warned Europe could face “more deadly weeks” ahead, with another intense heatwave forming over the Atlantic.
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
Tue 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.
Fifth new petroleum application targets Taranaki
Wed 8 Jul 2026
Media release: New Zealand Government | An application targeting frontier deepwater in the Taranaki Basin marks the fifth permit application to prospect or explore for petroleum since the removal of the exploration ban, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.
'Electric election': Labour promises $160m SolarSaver scheme funded by gas investment cuts
Wed 8 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | Labour is promising to reprioritise $160 million from the Gas Security Fund to pay for its new SolarSaver policy, designed to accelerate the roll-out of household solar.
Contact: Protected geothermal fields must be opened to meet 2040 goal
Mon 6 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | A goal to double geothermal energy generation by 2040 using existing technologies is unachievable unless some protected fields are reclassified for development, Contact Energy says.
How will the World Bank’s abandoned finance goal affect climate action?
Tue 7 Jul 2026
The World Bank has abandoned a target for 45% of the funding it gives developing countries to be “climate finance”, following months of pressure from the Trump administration in the US.
Conservation bill risks climate goals, lawyers say
1 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action NZ says the Government's plan to change the law to encourage economic development on conservation land could undermine New Zealand's climate goals by weakening the land's ability to store carbon, as well as allowing new sources of emissions such as mining.
Govt climate claims don't match reality, lawyers say
17 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action has accused the Government of presenting an overly positive picture of New Zealand's climate progress at the United Nations climate summit in Bonn, arguing key claims on emissions reductions and support for the Paris Agreement's 1.5°C goal are not reflected in domestic policy.
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.
Confidence in tackling climate risks remains low
3 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealanders have little faith in the country's ability to tackle climate risks, with a new poll finding fewer than one in three are confident the country can reduce the impacts of climate change, while many are calling for stronger Government leadership on climate hazards.
Ugandan farmers launch UK court case against East African oil pipeline
Thu 9 Jul 2026
Four Ugandan farmers filed a case with London’s High Court aiming to stop the East African Crude Oil Pipeline from starting to operate by asking the court to apply Uganda’s laws against the project’s UK-registered company.
Commissioner ‘unconvinced’ LNG is the best dry-year solution
26 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has told the Energy Minister he is “unconvinced” the government’s proposed LNG import terminal is the best ‘dry year’ solution for the country, and criticised the Government’s “extremely limited” options analysis.
Govt backs hydrogen with national industry summit
Thu 9 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The Government is convening a major hydrogen conference to promote awareness and uptake of the alternative fuel.
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.
Swarbrick slams $50m critical minerals funding as 'Trump's war machine' subsidy
Tue 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".
'Extreme' marine heatwave expected for parts of UK
Thu 9 Jul 2026
A marine heatwave could reach "extreme" levels around parts of the UK later this week, according to the Met Office, raising concerns for marine life.
Carbon capture and the need for ‘net zero oil’
16 Jun 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The answer to making carbon capture and storage work is to make fossil fuel producers responsible for making it happen rather than consumers, says Oxford University climate change policy expert, Professor Myles Allen.
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.
Energy Minister completes overhaul of EECA board
Wed 8 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The board of the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (EECA) has been completely overhauled since the last election, with Energy Minister Simeon Brown responsible for all six appointments.
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.
US defence spending on critical minerals surges in the last decade
22 Jun 2026
Members of communities affected by some of these projects said that U.S. state backing has meant projects are being fast-tracked without the necessary social and environmental checks or meaningful consultation.
Fast-track panel backs proposed Haldon Solar Farm
Mon 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.
Faster consenting, harder trade-offs
Tue 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.
Upton warns of 'expensive mess' if catchments carved up
1 Jul 2026
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has warned the Government risks creating an "expensive mess" if it abolishes regional councils without first deciding which environmental functions must still be managed at catchment or regional scale.
Experts sound alarm over escalating climate impacts
Wed 8 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Scientists are warning climate impacts are accelerating across our region after a World Meteorological Organization report found last year was the South-West Pacific's second-warmest on record, with impacts including rising seas, marine heatwaves and extreme weather.
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.
Lack of finance stalling sustainable innovation – report
12 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A lack of access to suitable finance is threatening growth in New Zealand's sustainable innovation sector, despite strong confidence and ambitious expansion plans among purpose-driven businesses, according to a new report.
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.
Weakening Clean Car Standard would hurt EV uptake, industry warns
Tue 7 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Electric vehicle advocates say weakening the Clean Car Standard would reduce access to new EV models, undermining New Zealand's place in global supply chains and slowing the country's transition to lower-emissions transport.
‘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
Tue 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.
Tourist spots across Europe hit by wildfires as Greece warns of toxic smoke
Wed 8 Jul 2026
Wildfires are raging across holiday spots across Europe, with hundreds of firefighters battling blazes in Portugal, Greece, and Spain. International reinforcements have been sent to Portugal, where a massive fire has been burning for over three days.
Taranaki offshore wind developer eyes mid-2030s commissioning after law change
3 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The first offshore wind farm in New Zealand could be commissioned by the mid-2030s, with its developer saying a new permitting framework has bolstered investor confidence.
