Topics tagged with 'Kyoto'
NZ faces carbon markets shut-out
7 Dec 2012
New Zealand could be shut out of international Kyoto-compliant carbon markets
Key defends climate change actions
7 Dec 2012
Prime Minister John Key says that he takes criticism of New Zealand’s actions on climate change with a grain of salt.
We're staunch, junior minister tells world
7 Dec 2012
New Zealand has attempted to assure the world that its carbon-reduction targets will continue beyond 2015.
This is a crisis, Ban tells Doha
7 Dec 2012
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged countries at the United Nations talks in Doha to act decisively to tackle the growing crisis of climate change.
Energy savings only way left, says economist
7 Dec 2012
Energy savings are one of the “few valuable options” left for humankind to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, says the chief economist of the International Energy Agency.
Dodgy Doha poor place for climate talks
30 Nov 2012
As world leaders gather in Doha for the COP 18 climate change talks, Wayne King, a veteran of COP 1, reflects on progress to date.
Greens accuse Nats of breaking promises
23 Nov 2012
The National Government has broken two election promises it made to act on climate change, the Green Party says.
Plans to reduce supply in world's largest market
23 Nov 2012
International prices have traded sideways following last week’s back-loading proposal announced by the European Commission.
We'd sign with Kyoto, promises Labour
16 Nov 2012
A Labour Government would sign up to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
Good on ya, Julia, says UN chief
16 Nov 2012
Australia has been publicly thanked by the United Nations for signing on for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
If the world burns, we burn
16 Nov 2012
A number of comments made by the public about the Government's decision to not sign up to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol appear to be made from a position of lack of understanding of the global atmosphere, including the complex processes which the atmosphere undergoes, Carbon Market Solutions says.
Carbon hovers above historic lows
9 Nov 2012
Very little changed in the European carbon market last night,OMFinancial reports.
EU cans plans to limit ‘hot air’ credits
2 Nov 2012
EU environment ministers have abandoned plans to limit excess supply of Kyoto-era carbon credits on the world’s markets after seven eastern European states backed Poland’s opposition to the measure.
Price flop not a good look, admits Smith
26 Oct 2012
Former Climate Change Minister Nick Smith admits that low carbon prices are sending “weak” market signals to emitters and foresters.
Brussels wants to ban $500m in ERU credits
26 Oct 2012
The European Commission has proposed an Emissions Trading System ban on $US570 million of Kyoto-era carbon credits from non-EU countries such as Russia, which have not signed up to a second Kyoto commitment period.
Europe on track to meet Kyoto targets
26 Oct 2012
Emissions of greenhouse gases in the European Union fell on average by 2.5 per cent from 2010 to 2011, although several countries increased emissions.
Groser: We'll check out status of units
19 Oct 2012
The Government says it will look at the eligibility of some international units under New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme.
Government lying to us, says forester
28 Sep 2012
The Government is being accused of lying to New Zealanders over plans to encourage afforesation as a means of reducing greenhouse gas levels.
EDITORIAL: The problem called John Banks
28 Sep 2012
The Government may be weakening in its opposition to restricting the number of international carbon units allowed into New Zealand.
Why Romney in the White House scares Europe
28 Sep 2012
European Union officials are privately alarmed at the chilling effect that a Mitt Romney win in the US presidential election could have on global climate talks, says the EurActiv agency.
Prices stage a rally ... of sorts
28 Sep 2012
Despite carbon prices remaining at extreme low levels, the overall market has seen a rally of sorts, Westpac reports.
Trader warns of carbon unit avalanche
21 Sep 2012
Billions of cheap carbon units are bound for New Zealand – enough to meet the country’s carbon obligations for decades, Parliament has been warned.
Is ETS a scheme or a scam, ask Greens
21 Sep 2012
New Zealand's emissions trading scheme could be renamed the emissions trading scam, Parliament has heard.
Put that in writing, minister, says council head
14 Sep 2012
Sustainability Council chief Simon Terry is challenging Climate Change Minister Tim Groser to deny in writing that New Zealand faces a carbon deficit.
Experts urge action to save carbon market
14 Sep 2012
A high-level panel established to take stock of the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism has released its recommendations by urging nations to intervene forcefully to address the crisis in the carbon market.
Putin mulls over carbon trading
14 Sep 2012
Russian President Vladimir Putin could make an announcement on an internal carbon trading system by the end of the month, says the Moscow Times.
Surplus threatens climate deal, says report
14 Sep 2012
Current Kyoto Protocol rules allow rich countries to continue to emit greenhouse gases on a business-as-usual trajectory while accumulating more than 17 billion tonnes of surplus emission reduction permits by 2020, a new study shows.
NZUs down in line with European prices
14 Sep 2012
European carbon offsets have continued to fall, down around 30 per cent now since the beginning of the month, Westpac reports.
We’re well on the road to Doha, says UN
7 Sep 2012
A week of climate talks in Bangkok has allowed countries to make concrete progress on key issues, providing a positive momentum for the upcoming United Nations conference in Doha, says a UN official.
It's raining ERUs ...
7 Sep 2012
It was another night of contrasts; CERs and ERUs smashed and EUAs managing a small gain, OMFinancial reports.
NZUs hit barrier at $5
7 Sep 2012
Local market trading over the week has occurred in range-bound markets, Westpac reports.
Coconut compound does the trick
31 Aug 2012
A New Zealand scientist has come up with a product that he hopes will allow farmers to earn carbon credits while cutting greenhouse gas emissions and boosting production.
Mining cuts won't ease gases liability
31 Aug 2012
Solid Energy’s decision to cut coal production in the face of depressed prices might result in fewer climate-damaging greenhouse gas emissions, but it will do little for New Zealand’s GHG liability.
Australia to link with EU carbon market
31 Aug 2012
Australia will scrap its planned floor price for carbon emissions and will link directly with the European Union's emissions trading system by 2018, says Climate Change Minister Greg Combet.
Was that the sound of a slamming door?
31 Aug 2012
The announcement this week by Australia’s Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet, of an arrangement between Australia and the European Commission whereby the Australian Carbon Pricing Mechanism is to be linked to the EU ETS sounds like an announcement for carbon traders to celebrate Christmas early, says Carbon Market Solutions.
Groser talks green in Germany
13 Jul 2012
Climate Change Minister Tim Groser is talking clean-tech investment in Germany.
Don't trade in the Holden on a push bike
29 Jun 2012
Twenty years after he attended the Rio Earth Summit, Carbon Market Solutions' Wayne King looks at progress and hopes for the future:
EDITORIAL: Our leaders should be in Rio
15 Jun 2012
Twenty-five years ago, the world was urged to adopt sustainable development.
Growing market meets carbon challenges
1 Jun 2012
The total value of the carbon market grew by 11 per cent in 2011, to $176 billion, and transaction volumes reached a new high of 10.3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, says a new World Bank report.
NZ facing the KP2 question
18 May 2012
At the Durban climate change talks last year, Japan, Canada and Russia announced that they would not sign up to Kyoto Protocol 2.
Forest credits must find place in Asia
11 May 2012
New Zealand is moving to secure access to emerging Asian carbon markets.
NZ wants new deal for carbon markets
11 May 2012
Negotiations for a new framework for international carbon markets will be a priority for the New Zealand delegation at international climate change talks in Bonn next week.
Time running out for ETS submissions
11 May 2012
If you haven’t yet made your submission on the latest round of changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme you’re nearly out of time.
Deadlines loom for forest owners
4 May 2012
Time is running out for the owners of more than 250,000ha of post-1989 forest to claim carbon credits earned between 2008 and 2012.
Stop and think about the tax
27 Apr 2012
As we head in to May surrender time, OMFinancial is urging all ETS participants who are about to pass units to their points of obligation or to the Government to pause and consider the amount of tax you are effectively about to pay.
Market revival in PFSI credits
23 Mar 2012
Interest in the Permanent Forest Sink Initiative is picking up again in the wake of indications that it will not be scrapped.
Europe tells China to start own ETS
23 Mar 2012
The European Union has hinted that it hopes to avoid levying its controversial carbon-emissions tax on flights from China, if Beijing introduces its own carbon-trading scheme to cover aviation.
NZ yet to decide on Kyoto stance
9 Mar 2012
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is working towards an agreement to sign on to the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, set to start on January 1 – and the rule changes could have an impact on our Emissions Trading Scheme.
Govt might block overseas credits
3 Feb 2012
The number of international carbon credits coming into New Zealand could be cut.
Auckland Council opens $1m Climate and Emergency Readiness Fund
4 Feb 2026
Community groups across Tāmaki Makaurau are being invited to apply for a new $1 million Climate and Emergency Readiness Fund, designed to support locally led action on climate change, disaster preparedness and climate adaptation.
Hydrogen plant to start construction
Tue 10 Feb 2026
Construction is set to start this month on Hiringa Energy’s long delayed green hydrogen project in South Taranaki, after years of consenting fights that culminated in the Court of Appeal rejecting Greenpeace’s challenge in late 2023.
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.
World fight against invasive species comes to Auckland
Tue 10 Feb 2026
Media release: University of Auckland | From countering invasive pink salmon in Norway to controlling feral cats in the Cayman Islands, knowledge on eradicating invasive species will be shared by international experts in New Zealand.
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.
EU weighing options to support industry in carbon market overhaul
Mon 9 Feb 2026
The European Commission is looking at various ways to support industries in an upcoming overhaul of the EU carbon market to prevent them moving to areas with lower pollution standards, the head of the Commission’s climate department said late on Wednesday.
IEA calls peak coal, even as 'Age of Electricity' takes hold to boost global power demand
Tue 10 Feb 2026
A new IEA report published on Friday, Electricity 2026, says electricity demand will increase by an average of 3.6 per cent each year over the remainder of the decade, driven by rising consumption from industry, electric vehicles, air conditioning, and data centres.
Minister’s letters: Mildly positive or just virtue signalling?
Thu 5 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market was buoyed slightly yesterday, after letters between the Government and the Climate Change Commission were proactively released.
Govt backs LNG imports
Tue 10 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government will rush to put in place contracts for the construction of a liquefied natural gas import facility by mid-year, claiming it will smooth electricity price volatility and underpin investment in renewable energy projects.
LNG: a rational choice compared to unpalatable alternatives
Tue 10 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: By deciding to underwrite the private construction of a liquefied natural gas import facility in Taranaki, the Government has made a rational choice in favour of energy security and affordability.
RMA’s successors hinge on two untested bets
17 Dec 2025
Two ideas sit at the heart of the Government’s replacement for the Resource Management Act: regulatory relief and spatial planning.
Opposition attacks Govt over fossil fuel phaseout backdown
2 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | Revelations that Resources Minister Shane Jones ruled out New Zealand signing up to a 'road map' away from fossil fuels at last year’s global climate summit show the National Party’s minor coalition partners’ undue influence over the Government, according to Labour leader Chris Hipkins.
Govt looks to Commission for ways to shore up carbon price
4 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government has asked the Climate Change Commission to look at lower auction volumes and an increase in the auction floor price as options to revive the Emissions Trading Scheme, as carbon prices remain weak.
Ministers celebrate fast-track milestone amid criticism
Tue 10 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government is marking the first anniversary of its fast-track approvals regime, saying it is helping “build New Zealand’s future”, despite continued criticism from environmental groups, opposition parties, and industry voices following several controversial project decisions.
DOC trims costs and winds down jobs for nature
10 Nov 2025
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is entering a new phase of tighter budgets and structural change as it winds down the pandemic-era Jobs for Nature programme and reshapes its operations to absorb long-term cost pressures.
$8.9m research project to map future ocean change around Aotearoa
Tue 10 Feb 2026
The major research project aims to better understand how warming oceans are driving extreme weather events around New Zealand, from heavy rainfall to tropical cyclones.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
10 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Transport pollution was the biggest contributor to an increase in New Zealand’s consumption-based emissions in 2023, with emissions from household travel up 12%, and consumption-based emissions totalling 58.3 million tonnes – up 1.6% from the previous year.
'Damning' report challenges forestry’s role in Tairāwhiti as sector rejects conclusions
4 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New independent analysis commissioned by Mana Taiao Tairāwhiti challenges long-standing claims that industrial forestry underpins the Tairāwhiti economy.
US-driven gas turbine crunch may speed global clean power uptake
Mon 9 Feb 2026
A rush by U.S. utilities and tech giants to snap up as many gas turbines as possible to boost local power output is causing a global shortage of gas-power equipment and may spur other power systems to fast-track cleaner alternatives.
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.”
US is canceling almost $30 billion in Biden-era energy loans
27 Jan 2026
The Trump administration said it’s canceling almost $30 billion of financing from the Energy Department’s green bank after reviewing transactions approved under former President Biden.
Green Member’s Bill aims to give whales legal ‘personhood’
Mon 9 Feb 2026
The Green Party wants to give whales legal rights, including the right to sue.
Govt slammed for weakening methane target
15 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams The Government has pushed through legislation under urgency to almost halve New Zealand’s 2050 methane target – a move Opposition parties say disregards scientific advice, breaks the country’s hard-won political consensus on climate action, and shifts the burden of higher warming and higher future costs onto the next generation.
COP30 microcosm of difficult geopolitics, says Vanuatu's Climate Minister
15 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Despite ‘intransigent’ states blocking multilateralism and a disappointing official outcome, Vanuatu’s Climate Change Minister Ralph Regenvanu says he left the COP30 climate summit feeling more positive than after previous UN climate conferences.
Hydrogen emissions are ‘supercharging’ the warming impact of methane
19 Dec 2025
The warming impact of hydrogen has been “overlooked” in projections of climate change, according to authors of the latest “global hydrogen budget”.
Wales council to buy and demolish homes prone to flooding
4 Feb 2026
A row of homes in a village in south Wales is to be bought by a local authority and demolished as they can no longer be protected from flooding caused by the climate crisis.
Greenpeace set to take UK Government to court over deep-sea mining licences
Thu 5 Feb 2026
Environmental NGO Greenpeace has kick-started a legal challenge against the UK Government’s decision to approve the transfer of two seabed exploration licences to a newly-formed mining company with US links.
Govt unveils plans for carbon storage regulations – and ETS rewards
18 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government has released plans to regulate carbon capture and storage in natural geological formations, which include Emissions Trading Scheme incentives, with the aim of introducing related legislation in 2026.
Critical minerals talks with US questioned in Waitangi Tribunal climate inquiry
Mon 9 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand and the United States' negotiations over critical minerals have raised questions for the Waitangi Tribunal’s long-running inquiry into climate change.
Court rejects challenge to Minister and Commission over climate targets
28 Jan 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Supreme Court has rejected Lawyers for Climate Action’s bid to challenge the Climate Change Commission and former Climate Minister James Shaw over climate targets, ending a long-running case which had been working its way through the courts since 2021.
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.
A turning point for our ocean: why the High Seas Treaty matters for the Pacific
Tue 10 Feb 2026
Media release: UNDP | The global ratification of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Treaty marks a decisive moment in international cooperation and ocean governance. Referred to as the High Seas Treaty, the agreement establishes a legally binding framework to protect marine biodiversity in areas of the ocean that lie beyond national jurisdiction.
Out of Paris, but will the US formally quit the UN climate regime?
30 Jan 2026
The Trump administration has decided to withdraw the US from the broader UN climate convention, raising questions about the legality of the move and what it means in practice.
Commentators slam Govt inaction in aftermath of climate change-fuelled storms
30 Jan 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate action - or inaction - is shaping up to be an election issue, with multiple commentators drawing a line between the Coalition Government’s backsliding on climate targets and the deadly extreme weather events of the past week.
Major health risks linked to plastics emissions set to soar by 2040
28 Jan 2026
The adverse health consequences stemming from the global plastics system are projected to more than double by 2040, driven by greenhouse gases, air pollutants and toxic chemicals released throughout its lifecycle.
Three Greenpeace activists removed by police from Fonterra
17 Dec 2025
Media release | Three Greenpeace activists were removed by police from Fonterra’s downtown Auckland offices, following a protest on Monday at the Shareholders’ Fund meeting over the corporation’s role in the contamination of rural communities’ drinking water.
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.
NZ-UAE partnership boosts advanced tech
Mon 9 Feb 2026
Media release | A new Antarctic science partnership with a leading UAE university will grow New Zealand’s advanced engineering and modelling capability, supporting high-value jobs, encouraging economic growth, and enabling smarter climate risk management, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti says.
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.
NZ hydrogen regulation to catch up with the world
18 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The government has announced a regulatory reset for New Zealand’s emerging clean tech hydrogen sector.
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.
Heavy EV charger hub opens at Lower Hutt landfill
4 Feb 2026
By Justin Wong, Local Democracy Reporter |In a nationwide first, heavy electric vehicles can now recharge at Lower Hutt’s Silverstream Landfill.
UN risks 'imminent financial collapse', secretary general warns
3 Feb 2026
The United Nations is at risk of "imminent financial collapse" due to member states not paying their fees, the body's head has warned.
Kaicycle celebrates ten years of collective climate action in Pōneke
14 Nov 2025
Media release: Kaicycle | Since 2015, Kaicycle has grown from a humble pilot project growing kai and collecting compost on bicycles into the thriving urban farm and composting hub that Wellingtonians know and love.
Heatwaves, downpours and droughts – Auckland on track for more extreme weather
1 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New projections show Auckland will face more heatwaves, heavier downpours, worsening droughts and growing coastal threats as climate extremes intensify, according to a new report from Earth Sciences New Zealand.
Argentina fires ravage pristine Patagonia forests, fueling criticism of Milei’s austerity
4 Feb 2026
The wildfires, among the worst to hit the drought-stricken Patagonia region in decades, have devastated more than 45,000 hectares (174 square miles) of Argentina’s forests in the last month and a half, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists.
World's first 20 MW offshore wind turbine powers grid in China
Tue 10 Feb 2026
The world's most powerful offshore wind turbine has begun feeding electricity into the grid off the coast of southeast China, marking a major technological leap in the country's wind power industry.
