Topics tagged with 'Low carbon'
Taranaki offshore wind developer eyes mid-2030s commissioning after law change
Fri 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.
Australia is at least ten years ahead of us on solar. It’s time we caught up.
Fri 3 Jul 2026
By Ed Harvey | OPINION: Starting this week, millions of households across New South Wales, South Australia and Southeast Queensland will have access to three hours of free electricity every single day.
Carbon markets and biochar: a golden opportunity for NZ?
Wed 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.
Electric bus fleet coming as Go Bus loses Hawke’s Bay city routes to Tranzit
Wed 1 Jul 2026
By Linda Hall, Local Democracy Reporter | Go Bus will be gone on the urban streets of Hawke’s Bay next year as a fleet of all-electric buses takes over the runs.
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.
Savings gap doubles: all-electric households stand to save $3000 a year, report finds
29 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | The economic incentive for households to electrify has become more compelling, although overcoming upfront installation costs remains a barrier.
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.
National promises low-cost solar loans for households
25 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | The National Party is promising a Home Energy Fund to accelerate the roll-out of household solar, batteries, insulation and other energy resilience measures if it is re-elected this year.
Lessons from Australia: Climate Change Authority chair cites rapid roll-out of household solar, batteries
19 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | Australia is rapidly outpacing New Zealand when it comes to new household solar and battery systems, lowering electricity costs and driving down the carbon intensity of installed generation.
Cabinet green-lights $55M super-critical geothermal drilling programme
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.
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.
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’.
New e-bike charging stations valued at $900,000 for Hauraki and Tāupo trails
2 Jun 2026
By Jordan Smith, Local Democracy Reporter | About $900,000 of the Government's $2.5 million Electrifying the Great Rides fund will go towards e-bike charging stations on trails in Hauraki and Tāupo.
Budget quietly kills renewable energy innovation centre Ara Ake
29 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The axe has fallen in the Budget on the last Labour-led government’s Ara Ake future energy development centre.
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.
Govt missing tricks to save fuel in crisis
30 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is being urged to shift its response to the fuel crisis away from short-term relief and towards measures that reduce demand, with public health experts warning it is missing an opportunity to boost energy security and lower household costs.
New funding for low methane farming uptake
29 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government will co-fund projects under an Early Adoption Accelerator scheme announced today to accelerate the uptake of low emissions farming technologies emerging from the AgriZero public-private partnership.
NZ cleantech could match forests in emissions cuts – but funding gap looms
22 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A handful of New Zealand cleantech startups could cut global emissions by 19.2 million tonnes a year by 2030, but a lack of capital is threatening to slow their scale-up, a new report shows.
Green Party calls for national electrification plan
20 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is calling for a national plan to electrify homes, transport and industry using renewable energy, to reduce fossil fuel dependence in response to the Middle East crisis.
Latest emissions inventory: ‘Something has gone very wrong’
16 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 decreased by just 0.1% compared to 2023, in what an expert says is a “terrible result”, compared to faster progress in previous years.
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.
Self-interest should drive investment in overseas climate action, says former climate commissioner
13 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Wealthy countries – including New Zealand – aren’t doing nearly enough to fund climate mitigation in the developing world, with new research saying we need to "change the conversation" to spark action in this vital area.
New alliance wants renewable-led energy – and Govt to press pause on LNG
9 Apr 2026
A newly formed coalition of business, consumer and energy organisations has unveiled a renewable-led strategy it says will strengthen the country’s energy security, and it’s calling on the Government to pause its plan for an LNG import terminal.
Genesis fires up pellet study with Nature’s Flame
8 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Genesis Energy is extending its quest for locally produced torrefied wood pellets to supplement coal and gas to fuel its Huntly power station, announcing it is investigating plant construction with established local solid fuels player Nature’s Flame.
EA entrenches 10kW export limit for residential solar
8 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The Electricity Authority intends to require all electricity networks to offer at least a 10 kilowatt (kW) export capacity for residential rooftop and other small-scale distributed generation.
Labour mulls GIDI 2.0 as factory closures mount
1 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Factory closures across the country could have been prevented if the last Labour-led government’s GIDI fund to assist companies with the cost of electrification hadn't been scrapped, Labour energy spokesperson, Megan Woods, says.
Economic contraction will impact carbon market
1 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | While higher fossil fuel prices strengthen the long-run economics of decarbonisation, the current fuel crisis won’t inspire near-term confidence in the carbon market, according to Lizzie Chambers of Carbon Match.
Cleantech expo coming to Auckland
26 Mar 2026
New Zealand’s first national cleantech expo is set to bring together 30 innovators, in what organisers say is the country’s fastest growing area in the tech sector.
Climate 'dream team' launches foundation targeting 100 million tonnes in emissions cuts
25 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The New Zealand Climate Foundation, which has the ambitious aim of cutting 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, had its official launch on Monday.
Govt’s own modelling shows LNG leads to higher electricity prices than other solutions
19 Feb 2026
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: According to modelling conducted by Concept Consulting for MBIE, either developing the Tariki gas storage facility or managing electricity demand would deliver lower wholesale electricity prices than the Government’s preferred solution of an LNG import terminal.
Sustainable retail-office project breaks ground under new Green Star framework
19 Feb 2026
Construction is set to begin on a new retail-office development in central Auckland, which is targeting a 40% reduction in embodied carbon and 25% lower energy.
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.
NZ ‘clearly’ breaching international law on climate – Vanuatu Climate Change Minister
12 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Vanuatu’s Climate Change Minister, Ralph Regenvanu, says New Zealand restarting fossil fuel exploration and subsidies is an obvious breach of international law, exposing the country to international and domestic litigation.
Oil and gas majors would create $78bn more value by stopping exploration
11 Dec 2025
Media release | Ten of the world’s largest oil and gas companies would create significantly more shareholder value by ending exploration and sharply curtailing upstream development, according to new analysis released today by ACCR.
NZ fails to back ‘roadmap’ to phase out fossil fuels at COP
24 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Eighty-six countries including Australia, the UK, Germany, and Ireland backed a proposal at COP30 for national plans on how to quit oil, gas and coal – but New Zealand wasn’t one of them.
'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.
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.
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.
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.
'Non-negotiable' – EU carbon pricing to hit Kiwi exporters, expert warns
11 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | High carbon exports will inevitably face a high carbon tax at the EU border, possibly in the next five years, and high methane agricultural products might not be exempt, an international expert told a local audience yesterday.
Forest carbon stores massive blind spot - study
4 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Aotearoa New Zealand’s planted forests hold significant deep soil organic carbon — with over half of it stored below 30 cm, and much of it over 1,000 years old.
'Atrocious' and 'bizarre': experts slam Act Party's climate policy
3 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Act Party is promising to challenge New Zealand’s Paris Agreement climate target, while the coalition Government’s other minor partner, NZ First, also says it wants to reevaluate the country’s commitment to the international treaty.
Carbon market still weak despite govt confirming tighter auction supply
28 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government’s commitment to keeping Emissions Trading Scheme auction volumes tight to 2030 has done little to buoy carbon prices, with an underwhelming response from the market following last week’s announcement.
‘Problems looming’ for Govt's key climate tool
22 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | There are serious unresolved issues for the Emissions Trading Scheme which mean it could become unstable and ineffective at driving emissions reductions, according to the Climate Change Commission.
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.”
Forestry the source of all ETS risk, says top economist
15 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Forestry is the source of all of the risk in New Zealand's Emissions Trading Scheme and it's inevitable that the scheme has to be reformed, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment chief economist Geoff Simmons.
Fund for low emissions transport winds up
31 Jul 2025
New Zealand’s Low Emission Transport Fund has officially wrapped up, ending a nine-year programme that put hundreds of millions of dollars towards accelerating the country’s shift to cleaner transport.
All aboard for passenger rail in the golden triangle
28 Jul 2025
Media release – The Future Is Rail | New Zealand’s national passenger rail advocacy group, The Future is Rail, has announced its strong support for the Green Party’s proposal to establish a new passenger rail service connecting Auckland and Tauranga.
Is extending Huntly power station to 2035 in consumers’ best interest?
22 Jul 2025
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: Genesis Energy is proposing a cartel to keep high-emitting Huntly Power Station in business to 2035. If extending Huntly has economic benefits, is a cartel necessary?
NZ Post drops science-based climate target
8 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | NZ Post has dropped its science-based emissions reduction target of 42% by 2030 with no plans to replace it.
Minister warns councils against 'extreme' climate forecasting
Mon 6 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Minister Simon Watts has written to councils warning them off using extreme climate forecasting scenarios that can “drive unnecessary costs” for ratepayers.
Government supporting Wairarapa farmers after heavy rain
Mon 6 Jul 2026
Media release | The Government is working closely with farmers and rural communities in the Wairarapa to assess the impacts of recent heavy rain, which has damaged local roads and bridges and caused significant erosion on hillside farms.
$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
Thu 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.
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.
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.
Tens of millions swelter as heatwave blasts US
Thu 2 Jul 2026
Tens of millions of Americans sweltered under furnace-like temperatures Tuesday as central and eastern cities hunkered down for a heat wave set to last through the July 4 holiday weekend.
Where do the UN secretary general candidates stand on climate change?
Mon 6 Jul 2026
Candidates are being nominated to take over as the UN secretary general, when António Guterres steps down after nearly a decade in the role at the end of 2026.
Carbon markets and biochar: a golden opportunity for NZ?
Wed 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.
BNZ and Pāmu team up on ‘carbon insetting’ with existing native forests
30 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | BNZ and state-owned enterprise Pāmu (Landcorp) have teamed up on what they say could be a model for landowners to earn revenue from existing native forests, while businesses pay for carbon removals. The organisations involved say this is “not offsetting,” with less stringent rules needed than for carbon credits.
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.
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.
‘Extremely high’ rates of heat-related ER visits in US due to extreme heat
Mon 6 Jul 2026
A deadly, multiday heat wave tightened its grip on the eastern United States on Friday, breaking records, sending people to the emergency room and raising the risk for millions of people.
Tarakihi on verge of extinction: Stock collapse exposes major fisheries management failings
Fri 3 Jul 2026
Media release: Environmental Defence Society | Fisheries NZ is consulting on new sustainability measures for the country’s two tarakihi stocks.
High Court upholds forestry directors' environmental liability
Thu 2 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The High Court has dismissed appeals by a forestry company, its directors, and a landowner, against enforcement orders over environmental damage in a Gisborne forest, reinforcing that company directors can be personally liable for environmental breaches.
EECA seeks answers on NZ's future fuel mix
Fri 3 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority is looking for specialists to assess the role future low-emissions fuels could play in New Zealand’s energy system.
Savings gap doubles: all-electric households stand to save $3000 a year, report finds
29 Jun 2026
By Oli Lewis | The economic incentive for households to electrify has become more compelling, although overcoming upfront installation costs remains a barrier.
Cabinet green-lights $55M super-critical geothermal drilling programme
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.
World Bank to abandon goal to devote 45% of lending resources to climate change projects
Wed 1 Jul 2026
The World Bank Group said on Monday it will "retire" its previous goal to devote 45% of its annual lending resources to projects with climate co-benefits, but extend its longstanding Climate Change Action Plan that was due to expire on Tuesday.
Conservation bill risks climate goals, lawyers say
Wed 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
Fri 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.
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.
Labour promises to repeal bill to block climate lawsuits
Fri 3 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government bill aiming to block climate lawsuits passed its first reading under urgency after a heated debate in Parliament last night, with the Labour Party promising it will repeal the bill if elected in November.
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.
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.
New report sounds alarm on risks of unregulated radioactivity from deep-sea mining
Fri 3 Jul 2026
Media release | A groundbreaking scientific report released today by the Deep Sea Mining Campaign exposes a critical, unaddressed threat to global ocean health: the mobilisation of naturally occurring radioactive materials by proposed deep sea mining operations.
Forestry at heart of ETS problems – commissioner
24 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Forestry is a central driver of growing problems within New Zealand's Emissions Trading Scheme, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton told the Environment Select Committee during Parliamentary Scrutiny Week.
Ocean surface temperatures hit record high as world enters ‘uncharted territory,’ scientists warn
Fri 3 Jul 2026
“The planet is warming because we’re emitting vast quantities of greenhouse gases, primarily from fossil fuel burning,” one expert said.
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
Thu 2 Jul 2026
Diplomats reconvene a year after negotiations collapsed, but campaigners fear the agenda risks burying tricky discussions on key elements.
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.
Taranaki offshore wind developer eyes mid-2030s commissioning after law change
Fri 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.
Australia is at least ten years ahead of us on solar. It’s time we caught up.
Fri 3 Jul 2026
By Ed Harvey | OPINION: Starting this week, millions of households across New South Wales, South Australia and Southeast Queensland will have access to three hours of free electricity every single day.
Upton warns of 'expensive mess' if catchments carved up
Wed 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.
Strong El Niño raises drought and wildfire concerns
Thu 2 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A newly declared El Niño is expected to bring drier conditions to parts of New Zealand over the coming months, increasing the risk of drought, water shortages and wildfires, while experts warn communities should prepare for potentially significant impacts.
Media round-up
Fri 3 Jul 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Getting the most impact from the Government's investment in school solar; NZ needs an objective assessment of LNG imports and renewable storage options; and while greener suburbs are healthier on all kinds of metrics, achieving them isn’t straightforward.
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.
New Delhi offers residents $1,000 to scrap old cars for EVs to curb air pollution
Thu 2 Jul 2026
India's capital New Delhi will offer a cash incentive of over$1,000 to car owners willing to scrap their old vehicle for an EV, according to a new policy finalised by the government on Monday in a move aimed at reducing high levels of air pollution.
‘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
Wed 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.
Waikato Council advances water security action plan
23 Jun 2026
Waikato Regional Council has endorsed a new action plan to strengthen the region’s water security.
Wildfires scorch southern France as heat and drought fuel blazes
Mon 6 Jul 2026
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said nearly 7,000 fires have broken out since the start of the summer season, with some 8,700 hectares already burned. “The situation is fairly tense.”
Offshore renewable energy bill passes, opening path for developers
Thu 2 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | Feasibility permits for offshore wind developments could be issued within months after the Government passed a long-awaited law to establish a regulatory regime.
