Topics tagged with 'Litigation'
Call for wider investigation into private back-channel emails in PM’s office
Tue 9 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is calling for a full investigation into the use of private email in the Prime Minister's Office, as the scandal following a missing Fonterra and Z Energy climate policy briefing document drags on.
EU sues Ireland over failure to protect carbon-rich bogs
Mon 8 Jun 2026
The European Commission is taking Ireland to court over its failure to protect environmentally crucial boglands from commercial turf-cutters.
Dutch court agrees to hear Greenpeace lawsuit against US energy company
Fri 5 Jun 2026
Judges in Amsterdam handed Greenpeace a preliminary victory on Wednesday in an anti-intimidation court case, rejecting a request from fossil fuel pipeline company Energy Transfer to toss the complaint out.
Appeals Court affirms dismissal of youth climate case against Trump
Fri 5 Jun 2026
The lead attorney for the 22 plaintiffs said the court has “slammed the courthouse doors on children fighting for their lives.”
Wetland protections failing to stop losses
28 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New mapping commissioned by the Environmental Law Initiative shows wetlands across New Zealand are still being converted to pasture, forestry and mining despite stronger national protections introduced in 2020, with researchers warning enforcement gaps may be undermining the rules.
Officials told Govt not to stop climate court case
27 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Government officials advised ministers not to intervene in a groundbreaking climate court case, according to newly released documents.
Climate resolution conundrum for NZ
26 May 2026
By Vernon Rive | COMMENT: While the United Nations resolution endorsing a landmark climate ruling is significant – politically, diplomatically and legally – its impact on international climate negotiations and domestic action is likely to be indirect and incremental.
Mike Smith’s asymmetric victory
25 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: The New Zealand Government’s recent move, undercutting citizens’ rights and the rule of law to cancel the country’s most important climate case is a massive win for Mike Smith, the climate change activist who brought it.
NZ Govt’s move to halt climate litigation under international scrutiny
19 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Local and international NGOs have signed an open letter calling on the Government to reconsider its decision to shield major emitters from legal liability for climate-related harm.
Labour condemns Govt plan to stop climate litigation
15 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Labour Party has slammed the Government’s move to block climate lawsuits against big emitters but won’t say if they would repeal the legislation if elected in November.
Media round-up
15 May 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The government's move to change climate law removes a key protection for NZ citizens, farmers should be paid to use methane-busting tools, and it's one step forward, three steps back on environment policy.
Move to block lawsuits could strengthen climate case against Govt
14 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s plan to block climate lawsuits – while potentially fatal for one groundbreaking climate case – could actually bolster claims in another live climate case underway against the Government.
Some inconvenient truths in bringing climate science to the judiciary
14 May 2026
OPINION: Climate science had been knocking on the courthouse doors for quite some time when the Supreme Court of the United States finally invited it into the realm of legal action in 2007.
How big oil companies can slow the green transition by suing governments that ban fossil fuels
13 May 2026
Simply put, this rule lets big oil companies sue sovereign states and demand exorbitant amounts of money if they are prohibited from digging up fossil fuels.
Govt moves to block climate change litigation
12 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s move to limit lawsuits holding climate polluters accountable for damage is putting the interests of big emitters ahead of communities, according to Lawyers for Climate Action.
Tairāwhiti deserves better than weakened forestry rules
5 May 2026
OPINION: The government's proposed amendments to forestry standards, released yesterday, ignore the hard lessons learned in our region and ignore the voices that have fought hardest to protect it, writes Manu Caddie.
Media round-up
24 Apr 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: What is the real cost of storm-hit infrastructure? Urgency is needed over climate adaptation funding; and a community conservation group has won a legal victory against multinational mining company OceanaGold.
Environmental groups sue Trump administration over approval of new ultra deep-water drilling project
23 Apr 2026
Environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Monday over its approval last month of oil company BP’s ultra deep-water drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico.
Judge dismisses Trump administration’s bid to block Hawaii climate lawsuit
20 Apr 2026
It was the second defeat for the Trump administration’s unusual litigation to stop states from acting on climate change.
Environmental groups launch legal action over Govt's 'tick-box approach' to conservation land
8 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Forest & Bird and the Environmental Defence Society are taking the Government to court over decisions about the future of publicly-owned land on Te Tai Poutini/the West Coast.
Fonterra admits ‘100% grass-fed’ claim breached law in greenwashing row
2 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Fonterra has admitted its “100% New Zealand grass-fed” claims on Anchor butter were misleading and breached the law, settling a case brought by Greenpeace Aotearoa over packaging used between December 2023 and April 2025.
Lawyers complain to ombudsman over Govt failure to release LNG modelling
1 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers for Climate Action has made a formal complaint to the Ombudsman over the Government’s failure to release information about its controversial decision to build a LNG import terminal.
Media round-up
20 Mar 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Crown lawyers agree High Court could quash emissions plan if found unlawful; NZ is locked in 'disaster inertia'; and climate change is notably absent from new development laws.
Govt process to change climate plan ‘fundamentally flawed’, says judge
18 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government’s 2024 changes to New Zealand’s first Emissions Reduction Plan was “as fundamentally flawed a process as I think I have ever seen”, the judge presiding in a case challenging climate change decision-making has said.
Close questioning over ‘ministerial latitude’ at climate hearing
17 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Lawyers challenging the legality of the government’s emissions reduction plans faced close questioning on the limits of ministerial foresight in the first of three days of hearings at the Wellington High Court yesterday.
Climate in the courtroom – where to from here?
17 Mar 2026
Media release: University of Auckland | Around the world, climate lawsuits are reshaping environmental law. Experts in Auckland are examining what this means for New Zealand.
Govt challenged in the High Court over climate plans
16 Mar 2026
A landmark case starts today that will see Climate Change Minister Simon Watts taken to the High Court over claims the Government’s climate plans are unlawful.
Five trees can’t offset a car: Lawyers accuse Mazda of greenwashing
9 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action NZ is taking Mazda to the Advertising Standards Authority over its claims that a tree-planting programme will offset vehicle emissions.
EDS puts environmental lawmaking under the spotlight
26 Feb 2026
Media Release |The Environmental Defence Society has launched the first in a series of investigative pieces into how environmental laws are being made in Aotearoa New Zealand.
US Supreme Court to hear bid by oil companies to toss climate suits
25 Feb 2026
The U.S Supreme Court has agreed to hear a bid by ExxonMobil and Suncor Energy to scuttle a lawsuit brought by officials in Boulder, Colorado that seeks to hold the oil companies liable for helping fuel climate change in a case that could affect dozens of similar lawsuits around the country.
South Korean farmers sue utility giant KEPCO over climate damage to crops
25 Feb 2026
As harvest season approached last November, farmer Ma Yong-un walked through his apple orchard in southern South Korea with a growing sense of dread.
Australian gas producer Santos wins court fight over net zero claims
18 Feb 2026
An Australian court on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit against gas producer Santos that alleged the company misled the public on its plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions.
Lawyers seek answers on climate impacts of LNG import facility
13 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action has written to Climate Change and Energy Minister Simon Watts warning that the Government's plan for an LNG import terminal could be in conflict with New Zealand’s climate obligations and emissions reduction targets.
Green Member’s Bill aims to give whales legal ‘personhood’
9 Feb 2026
The Green Party wants to give whales legal rights, including the right to sue.
Greenpeace set to take UK Government to court over deep-sea mining licences
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.
US court says Energy Dept climate group violated law
3 Feb 2026
The Trump administration violated federal law when it secretly formed a climate science advisory group to work on a contentious global warming report, a court has ruled.
Govt updates emissions plan to blow past legislated target
29 Jan 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government has updated its emissions reduction plan, with agricultural emissions now set to blow past the legislated 2030 target.
Dutch government discriminated against Bonaire islanders over climate adaptation, court rules
29 Jan 2026
The Dutch government discriminated against people in one of its most vulnerable territories by not helping them adapt to climate change, a court has found.
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.
Supreme Court mandates climate consideration in petroleum permitting
26 Jan 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government must consider climate change when offering petroleum exploration permits, according to a recent ruling from the Supreme Court.
Financial sector must account for hard realities of climate change
26 Jan 2026
COMMENT: While the world’s largest asset manager ditching its $2 billion climate tech commitment to New Zealand is part of a greater walkback of climate finance, concerns about climate-related risk continue to shape present-day financial decisions, writes David Hall.
Climate law change spanner in the works for Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry
19 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s controversial changes to New Zealand’s legal framework for climate policy have thrown a spanner in the works for a long-running Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry into climate change.
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.
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.
Shell facing first UK legal claim over climate impacts of fossil fuels
12 Dec 2025
Victims of a deadly typhoon in the Philippines have filed a legal claim against oil and gas company Shell in the UK courts, seeking compensation for what they say is the company's role in making the storm more severe.
Is Govt rushing through changes to climate framework to avoid litigation?
11 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says the Government’s motivation for proposed changes to the country’s climate framework law are unclear: “The only reason I can think of is one grounded in potential litigation risk.”
NZ’s rejection of emission targets fuels risk of international law breach
8 Dec 2025
By Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury | The New Zealand government’s decision this week to reject all of the Climate Change Commission’s emission target recommendations was just the latest in a string of policy statements that weaken the country’s action on climate.
Amy Westervelt: It’s time we stopped treating corporations as people
4 Dec 2025
COMMENT: Treating corporations as people and granting them First Amendment rights has warped US politics and harmed the climate. We need to overturn Citizens United.
Minister warned over lack of rationale for climate policy
25 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ formal explanation of why the Government isn’t going to follow the independent Climate Change Commission’s advice on climate targets is still in the pipeline, the Minister has confirmed.
A landmark court ruling looms over US absence at COP30
20 Nov 2025
The historic climate change advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice suggests the United States is violating international law on climate, legal experts say.
'Ad hoc, piecemeal, incomplete': NZ's approach to hazards not fit for purpose, says insurer
Wed 10 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's ability to manage natural hazard risks is failing to keep pace with the growing threat posed by floods, storms, earthquakes and climate change, according to a new report from IAG.
Call for wider investigation into private back-channel emails in PM’s office
Tue 9 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is calling for a full investigation into the use of private email in the Prime Minister's Office, as the scandal following a missing Fonterra and Z Energy climate policy briefing document drags on.
$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.
Airline CEOs warn EU plan to expand carbon costs will raise fares
Wed 10 Jun 2026
Europe's biggest airlines have urged the European Union not to extend its Emissions Trading System to cover international flights, warning the move would raise ticket prices, a letter seen by Reuters showed.
Fed Farmers' election wish-list includes stopping whole-farm conversions to carbon forestry
Tue 9 Jun 2026
Federated Farmers has launched a five-point plan for the next government, setting out what it says should be a major focus for political parties heading into the November election.
Huntly biomass option no cheap fix, Genesis tells MPs
28 May 2026
Genesis Energy says biomass can be burned in Huntly's Rankine units, but current costs put it in roughly the same price range as imported LNG and extra Rankine capacity would be expensive and could take years.
‘A shame’: experts on decision to send Govt carbon auctions offshore
Wed 10 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | Carbon market experts are questioning whether the Government has made the right decision in sending its auctions of carbon 'pollution permits' worth billions of dollars offshore.
‘Severe’ stress on oceans as rate of sea level rise doubles in 10 years, UN warns
Wed 10 Jun 2026
The world’s oceans are under “severe and accelerating” pressure from human activities, with the rate of sea-level rise double that of a decade ago, according to a damning assessment from the United Nations.
No bidders again: NZ carbon auction extends losing streak
Tue 9 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams |New Zealand's carbon auction has failed for the sixth consecutive time, with no bidders emerging for the 2.6 million NZUs on offer as secondary market prices remain well below the Government's $71 auction floor price.
Importing LNG would raise costs and emissions: it’s a terrible decision for New Zealand
Tue 9 Jun 2026
COMMENT: Today’s announcement from the Government is political smoke and mirrors, with electricity users’ wallets still set to bear the brunt of the proposed LNG facility, writes Christina Hood.
NZ’s sustainable finance credibility gap
Fri 5 Jun 2026
By Manbo He | COMMENT: New Zealand has built serious sustainable finance infrastructure - but risks failing to attract the global capital that infrastructure was designed for, because it lacks the practitioner capability to operate it credibly.
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.
Diesel vs LNG – both high cost options for dry year cover
Mon 8 Jun 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | ANALYSIS: While last week’s Sapere report – looking at the Government’s proposed LNG terminal for electricity ‘dry year’ cover – says diesel would be better in the short-term, opting for diesel would lead to higher more volatile electricity spot prices in the next few years.
Lodestone launches virtual rooftop solar scheme
Wed 10 Jun 2026
A new virtual solar scheme launching in Hawke's Bay aims to make locally generated renewable electricity accessible to households and businesses that cannot install rooftop panels on their own properties.
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.
‘That’s a bad combination’: why Australia may be in for a slushy snow season
Tue 9 Jun 2026
Snow arrives in time for the start of ski season, but climate change and El Niño mean it may not stick around for long, experts say.
EDS urges MPs to scrap the Fisheries Amendment Bill
5 May 2026
Media release | The Environmental Defence Society today lodged a substantive submission on the Fisheries Amendment Bill.
'Terrible result': Emissions barely budged in 2024
Fri 5 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions were virtually unchanged in 2024, falling by 0.03%, despite the economy shrinking by ten times that amount during the same period, according to new data.
Labour on overturning LNG: ‘we’d need to see the contract’
Tue 9 Jun 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | An incoming Labour government later this year would need “to look at the contract” before deciding whether it would be bound by the current government’s commitment to a user-pays funded liquefied natural gas terminal.
Meridian nears Pūkaki approval despite energy security warning
Tue 9 Jun 2026
Meridian Energy is close to winning fast-track approval to draw Lake Pūkaki deeper than normally allowed, despite the Energy Minister warning the move could weaken New Zealand’s dry-year electricity security and saying he does not support the application in its current form.
Cabinet green-lights $55M super-critical geothermal drilling programme
Tue 9 Jun 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Cabinet has agreed to release the $55 million unspent of the $60m secured by Resources Minister Shane Jones to drill up to 5 kilometres deep into super-critical geothermal heat under the Taupō volcanic zone.
Oxfam calls on Govt to renew climate finance commitments
Mon 8 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government's failure to renew international climate finance commitments has left Pacific nations short at least $100 million a year, with Oxfam Aotearoa linking the funding gap to New Zealand's weakened Emissions Trading Scheme.
Antarctic surface melt set to increase dramatically this century, new study finds
Wed 10 Jun 2026
Media release – Victoria University | New research shows surface melting across Antarctica is set to intensify and spread dramatically over the 21st century, with melt increasing by 10 times and the area affected growing by more than 10 percent by 2100 if global temperatures continue to rise.
Why ‘greenhushing’ signals deeper issues with NZ’s climate risk reporting regime
15 May 2026
By Hang Pham, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington | Most of us are familiar with the concept of greenwashing: organisations exaggerating or overstating their environmental credentials. But in New Zealand, there are signs the country’s climate disclosure regime may inadvertently be driving a very different trend: not saying much at all.
Hipkins pans LNG plan as ‘massive step backwards’
19 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Labour leader Chris Hipkins has told a Queenstown audience that a Government he leads would not proceed with a planned LNG import terminal, if elected at November’s election.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
Media round-up
Fri 5 Jun 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The government must stop delaying decisions on funding climate adaptation, says Gisborne mayor; insurance conference exposes poor preparation for climate change; and Labour questions whether a disappearing climate briefing note was part of a deliberate cover-up.
Climate law change spanner in the works for Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry
19 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s controversial changes to New Zealand’s legal framework for climate policy have thrown a spanner in the works for a long-running Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry into climate change.
Full steam ahead on LNG: but timing slips
Tue 9 Jun 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government is pressing ahead with plans to import liquefied natural gas, paid for by the ‘big four’ electricity generators, but its timetable is slipping closer to election day.
Changes to emissions factors prompt caution over climate claims
4 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Organisations may need to revisit how they calculate and communicate their greenhouse gas emissions after the Ministry for the Environment released an updated version of its Measuring Emissions Guide, incorporating new emissions factors based on New Zealand's latest greenhouse gas inventory.
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.
Move to block lawsuits could strengthen climate case against Govt
14 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s plan to block climate lawsuits – while potentially fatal for one groundbreaking climate case – could actually bolster claims in another live climate case underway against the Government.
Lack of demand leads to Bathurst pausing coal mine expansion
2 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | Bathurst Resources has confirmed it is struggling to find a market for coal from its planned extension of the Rotowaro coal mine in North Waikato, and is putting the project on ‘pause’.
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.
Deep South marine reserves boost protection by nearly 50%
3 Jun 2026
Five new marine reserves protecting more than 300 square kilometres of ocean habitat along the Otago and south Canterbury coast will come into force next month, marking one of the largest expansions of mainland New Zealand's marine reserve network in decades.
Environmental groups sue Trump administration over approval of new ultra deep-water drilling project
23 Apr 2026
Environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Monday over its approval last month of oil company BP’s ultra deep-water drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico.
Seven ‘new approaches’ to avoid our Paris commitments: Carr
4 Jun 2026
Praying for “new approaches” to materialise to meet our international climate obligations isn’t a strategy, writes Rod Carr.
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.
Six NZ climate solutions up for 2026 Earthshot prize
21 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Six New Zealand climate and sustainability initiatives have been nominated for the 2026 Earthshot Prize, with the shortlist showcasing Kiwi-led solutions tackling emissions, plastic waste and ocean restoration.
Northern Thai residents march for action on polluted rivers. ‘This is an emergency’
Tue 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.
Why China's critical minerals strategy leaves the US behind
Mon 8 Jun 2026
The United States cannot realistically recreate that dominance overnight even if the political will existed.
Sustainable finance taxonomy for energy sector – consultation
Mon 8 Jun 2026
The Centre for Sustainable Finance is consulting on the sustainable finance taxonomy’s draft energy sector criteria.
Waikato launches vision for energy transition bringing $4.5 billion investment to the region
Mon 8 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Waikato Regional Council has released a strategy aiming to position the region at the centre of New Zealand's energy transition, with plans to boost energy security, cut emissions and unlock billions of dollars in economic opportunities by 2050.
‘Landmark’ conservation reform bill – boost or bust for nature?
8 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government has announced an overhaul of the country’s conservation system, which environmental organisation Forest & Bird says will undo the work of many generations of Kiwis to protect public conservation land.
Researchers say this new Trump rule could destroy American science as we know it. They’re fighting back
Mon 8 Jun 2026
Scientists across multiple disciplines are sounding the alarm after the White House proposed taking greater control over how scientific research gets funded and allowing political appointees to decide whether to approve scientific grants.
Australian homes lead the world in solar. But businesses are falling behind
Wed 10 Jun 2026
Australia’s revolution in rooftop solar has left behind commercial and industrial buildings, where installations have lagged far behind homes, according to new analysis.
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.
EU wants households to cut peak time energy use as demand from industry and AI soars
Fri 5 Jun 2026
A new law will aim to use artificial intelligence to boost efficient use of power as electricity demand threatens to overwhelm Europe’s grids.
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.
Labour pledges unlimited public transport for $20 a week
Wed 10 Jun 2026
The Labour Party is promising to cap weekly public transport fares at $20 in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, if elected in November.
Bonn Bulletin: Tackling climate crisis is “hardest” challenge ever, Stiell says
Tue 9 Jun 2026
The June Climate Meetings open with a reminder to delegates of the tough but ever-clearer imperative of shifting away from fossil fuels to clean energy.
Project linking food waste to cutting methane emissions gets underway
27 May 2026
Media release | Kai Commitment is leading a New Zealand-first project to help understand the connection between food waste and methane emissions and identify effective interventions.
Record-breaking heat and dry spring leave parts of England without water
2 Jun 2026
Thousands of households in southeast England were left without water or facing low pressure during a record-breaking heatwave this week, as high demand followed a dry spring to expose the failings in Britain's ageing infrastructure.
Increase in wildfire-driven ozone linked to premature deaths across the U.S.
Wed 10 Jun 2026
Smog linked to wildfires is getting worse across much of the U.S., playing a role in more than 300 additional premature deaths every year since 2013, researchers say.
China’s CO2 climbs 2% in early 2026 due to ‘wasted’ wind and solar
Fri 5 Jun 2026
The country used more coal and gas to generate electricity than in the same quarter a year earlier, despite a record amount of new wind and solar capacity being built.
