Topics tagged with 'Low carbon'
Does the world have enough minerals for low-carbon electricity?
14 Nov 2023
Total reserves are not the issue – mine construction and geopolitical risks are likely to be larger barriers to progress.
Energy companies team up on windfarm ventures
27 Oct 2023
Manawa Energy is teaming up with Pioneer Energy on plans for a new 300 MW wind farm in South Otago, expected to cost $750m to $900m. And Meridian Energy and NZ Windfarms have agreed to a 50-50 joint venture to repower and extend the Te Rere Hau wind farm in Tararua.
PPA market needed to accelerate decarbonisation - Transpower
19 Oct 2023
Power Purchase Agreements between corporate energy users and renewable energy developers should enable investment in lower cost renewable electricity generation and drive faster electrification, according to Transpower.
Sustainable Business Network calls on incoming govt to step up
18 Oct 2023
The Sustainable Business Network is calling on the incoming Government to keep up action on sustainability.
Programme turns slash into cash
3 Oct 2023
Media release - An Edmund Hillary Fellow and Social Entrepreneur from Botswana has teamed up with EIT | Te Pukenga to help the Tairāwhiti and Wairoa communities eliminate slash and create business opportunities.
Climate action could boost Auckland economy by $22 billion by 2050
29 Sep 2023
Decisive climate action could deliver $22 billion to Auckland’s regional economy by 2050, while lack of action could cost the region $800 million over the same period.
Shell CEO under pressure from within on renewables shift
29 Sep 2023
Shell's CEO Wael Sawan has come under pressure over his strategy from within the energy company after two employees issued a rare open letter urging him not to scale back investments in renewable energy, sparking an internal debate.
Outgoing EECA boss on energy efficiency policy
25 Sep 2023
Despite the rapid expansion of the Government’s retrofitting housing for energy efficiency, there is still easily five years of work at the current pace to make a serious dent in improving New Zealand’s housing stock, says the outgoing head of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority Andrew Caseley.
NZ’s climate emissions at historic low
20 Sep 2023
New Zealand is set to announce its lowest emissions this century, Climate Change minister James Shaw told the Climate Change and Business Conference in Auckland yesterday.
Upcoming conferences focus on climate change and degrowth
15 Sep 2023
New Zealand's first degrowth conference is coming up this weekend in Wellington, with international and local speakers looking at the transition to a less energy-intensive future.
Solar promises slowly rise
28 Aug 2023
After much talk and numerous announcements and re-announcements, it appears some grid-scale solar farms are finally nearing completion and others crawling closer to starting.
Slow train coming: only a genuine shift to rail will put NZ on track to reduce emissions
23 Aug 2023
Both the Labour government and the opposition National Party have now released major transport polices that put the emphasis on maintaining and expanding roads.
Hydrogen summit coming to Wellington
15 Aug 2023
New Zealand’s second international hydrogen summit, in Wellington next month, will feature international speakers representing global shipping and aviation.
Best by the rest...
11 Aug 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: What does the hottest month in human history mean for Aotearoa? Planning for the worst from climate change; and the Lake Onslow Battery Project's uncertain future.
Govt launches consultation on five areas of energy transition policy
10 Aug 2023
The Government has launched consultation on New Zealand's transition towards a low emissions economy, with five streams of energy policy out for feedback.
Meeting the long-term climate threat takes more than private investment – 10 ways NZ can be smart and strategic
10 Aug 2023
By Kevin Trenberth | The announcement of a partnership between the government and the world’s biggest investment manager BlackRock in a NZ$2 billion climate infrastructure fund suggests the company is expecting renewable energy in New Zealand to increase its own profitability.
$2 billion climate fund to back 100% renewable electricity
9 Aug 2023
Investment giant BlackRock has announced a $2 billion climate infrastructure fund in New Zealand to unlock investment to support 100% renewable electricity generation.
What would it look like for the NZ ETS to be aligned with 1.5C?
9 Aug 2023
By Christina Hood | The government needs to prioritise gross reductions in long-lived gases much faster to be consistent with 1.5C of warming - with a 90% reduction in gross emissions needed by 2050.
Investment positive - but still hurdles to overcome to reach renewable electricity target
9 Aug 2023
By Ralph Sims | It’s been a good week for encouraging the uptake of renewable electricity generation in order to get closer to the Government’s 100% target by 2030.
How to maximise mangroves as climate and community solution
9 Aug 2023
Mangroves’ capacity to store up to five times more carbon than upland tropical forests — makes them a powerful natural solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Govt refers wind and solar developments for fast-tracked consenting
8 Aug 2023
The government is fast-tracking nine solar power projects and three wind farm projects, with the combined projects potentially generating nearly four times the output of the Clyde Dam.
Govt gives Fonterra $90 million as part of $790 million spend to cut coal
20 Jul 2023
The government is giving Fonterra $90 million as part of a $790 million investment to cut coal use at six of its dairy factories.
Controversial COP28 host UAE unveils $54bn push to triple renewables
6 Jul 2023
COP28 host the United Arab Emirates said it will aim to triple its renewables base by 2030 backed by $54bn of investments.
Wind power’s explosive growth is blowing past green energy goals
21 Jun 2023
The production of wind energy keeps breaking records, and its potential for expansion is as wide as the oceans.
Lake Onslow pumped hydro could cut consumers' power bills: report from Environment Commissioner
16 Jun 2023
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment is calling for a more “robust debate” on how we decarbonise New Zealand’s electricity system, which is set to cost the country billions.
Govt invests millions in agriculture emissions research
15 Jun 2023
The Government is investing millions to support farmers to cut their greenhouse gas emissions, while striving to remain globally competitive.
Coalition of 30 environmental groups launches 10-point climate action plan
15 Jun 2023
Media release | A coalition of over 30 organisations from across Aotearoa has come together to launch a 10 point plan called “Climate Shift”, which calls for urgent climate action from parties across the political spectrum in the lead-up to the election.
Blue carbon: could a solution to the climate challenge be buried in the depths of fiords?
12 Jun 2023
The Conversation - Cyclone Gabrielle has highlighted forestry slash as a problematic aspect of relying on plantation forests to draw down carbon dioxide (CO₂) from the atmosphere.
Carbon removal industry challenges findings of skeptical UN body
30 May 2023
Carbon removal industry representatives have challenged a document a United Nations scientific body released this week that casts doubt on the nascent technology's usefulness in efforts to limit global warming.
INFINZ award-winning report uncovers potential ESG greenwashing
26 May 2023
The Institute of Finance Professionals in NZ (INFINZ) awards recognise innovation and excellence in New Zealand's financial sector ecosystem and is the leading program for the industry.
‘Don’t F&*! The Planet’: Atlassian issues net zero guide for companies cutting climate impact
26 May 2023
Tech firm founded by Australians Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar says net zero must be achieved by cutting emissions by 90% and only offsetting the remainder.
JPMorgan Chase invests $200 mn on carbon removal
25 May 2023
JPMorgan Chase announcs it has signed long-term agreements to purchase $200 million worth of carbon dioxide removal, saying the investment would boost a key emerging climate change solution.
Govt, NZ Steel to take action towards a low emissions economy
22 May 2023
The government will invest up to $140 million to subsidise one of the country’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, making it New Zealand’s biggest decarbonisation plan to date.
NZ sovereign funds to run rule over major NZ companies’ climate disclosures
18 May 2023
New Zealand’s Crown Financial Institutions (CFIs), the country’s largest investment funds, are stepping up their engagement with NZ companies over their climate change ambitions and new reporting obligations.
Cop28 host UAE’s approach is ‘dangerous’, says UN’s ex-climate chief
18 May 2023
The United Arab Emirates’ approach to the Cop28 climate summit it will preside over in November is “very dangerous” and a “direct threat to the survival of vulnerable nations”, according to the UN’s former climate chief.
Microsoft will pay to capture carbon from burning wood
18 May 2023
Microsoft has backed a big plan to capture carbon dioxide emissions from a wood-burning power plant.
Leading US carbon farming programme paid $5.1 million in 2022
18 May 2023
Truterra LLC, the carbon farming and sustainable agriculture unit of cooperative Land O'Lakes Inc, paid U.S. farmers $5.1 million in 2022 for capturing and storing 262,000 metric tons of carbon via sustainable practices.
‘Polite queuing’ will not decarbonise UK supergrid, says energy watchdog boss
18 May 2023
Britain will not achieve its ambition to decarbonise the electricity grid by the middle of the 2030s with the current system of “polite queuing”, the boss of energy watchdog Ofgem has said.
The case for green growth
17 May 2023
By Robert McLachlan | COMMENT: Addressing the global ecological crisis is absolutely critical to a safe future for humanity, for civilisation, and for the poor remnants of the natural world. It’s the number one issue of our time and, given our poor track record so far, likely to remain so. The question is, what to do about it.
Government departments reduce emissions
16 May 2023
Thirty-nine core government departments have reduced their emissions by 19% in the first year of annual reporting.
Growth; green, black or de-?
16 May 2023
By Mike Joy | COMMENT: For the last few centuries growth driven by fossil fuels (black growth) pushed humankind into overshoot exceeding most biophysical boundaries, so we are now faced with multiple existential crises. What are our future options?
Carbon capture key to Biden’s new power-plant rule: is the tech ready?
15 May 2023
The administration of US President Joe Biden has proposed a landmark regulation that aims to curb emissions from the power sector in the United States over the next two decades.
Energy companies powering change on climate targets
11 May 2023
Media release | A group of New Zealand energy companies have made a joint commitment to help reduce emissions and build a more sustainable future for all Kiwis.
Amsterdam’s ‘smart’ blue-green roofs reduce urban flooding
12 Apr 2023
The city scaled up the planting of self-watering residential rooftop gardens that mitigate flooding and lower temperatures.
Big returns on retrofitting houses - but not necessarily in terms of reduced CO2 emissions
6 Apr 2023
A study by BERL economic consultants has found that investing between $26 and $58 billion in retrofitting the country’s poor quality housing stock would have benefits upwards of $116 billion.
Finnish startup raises €1.8 million to make manufacturing concrete carbon negative
29 Mar 2023
Joensuu-based Carbonaide, a VTT spin-out company, has raised €1.8 million in seed funding, which will be used to integrate their CO2 curing technology into an automated production line in Hollola, Finland.
Architects not adopting biomaterials are "dinosaurs"
14 Mar 2023
Canadian mass-timber pioneer Michael Green has hit out at architects designing unusually shaped buildings rather than embracing biomaterials in this interview as part of Dezeen's Timber Revolution series.
Denmark injects carbon dioxide into undersea storage in world first
9 Mar 2023
European companies have injected carbon dioxide below Denmark’s seabed for the first time in an ambitious project that could become a key component in the fight against climate change.
Can a new university breathe life into Britain’s climate education
28 Feb 2023
Even before the United States entered the Second World War, American schools were preparing students for conflict.
Will this new carbon capture technology help solve the climate crisis?
20 Feb 2023
Researchers in the United States say they have developed a new system for capturing carbon dioxide that is the least expensive ever created. The process requires less energy and water than any technology produced before it.
Tairāwhiti needs proper Govt support to heal the land – not empty announcements for political optics
Tue 24 Feb 2026
OPINION: The Government’s answer to Tairāwhiti’s severe erosion crisis – that the region apply for modest, contestable funding rounds – while rejecting the region's own land transition business case, leaves our long-term resilience hanging in the balance, writes Manu Caddie.
South Korean farmers sue utility giant KEPCO over climate damage to crops
Today 11:45am
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.
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.
Singapore sets first ever sustainable aviation fuel levy, as Southeast Asia’s fuel industry grows
17 Feb 2026
Flying in and out of Singapore, home to Southeast Asia’s busiest airport, will get slightly more expensive this year as the city state begins imposing a levy of between 75 cents to $32 per ticket to fund sustainable aviation fuel.
Biodiversity survey challenges coal mine proposal
Today 11:45am
An intensive biological survey at Deep Stream and the Denniston Plateau has revealed rare and at-risk species in areas slated for coal mining, with conservationists saying mining the area could spell extinction for the recently crowned 'bug of the year' – the avatar moth.
Govt’s own modelling shows LNG leads to higher electricity prices than other solutions
Thu 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.
New study looks to nature markets to accelerate climate response
18 Feb 2026
The Nature Conservancy is teaming up with local groups to study the most affordable and effective ways of restoring native habitats at the top of the South Island, including ways to fund the work using international voluntary carbon markets and biodiversity credits.
US Supreme Court to hear bid by oil companies to toss climate suits
Today 11:45am
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.
Carbon price drops as volatility continues
17 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market is still displaying extreme volatility, with prices dropping back to below $40 yesterday, after trading as high as $46.25 last week.
3,600 times faster: China is shaking up the steel industry
Today 11:45am
For over a century, making steel meant coal, heat, and hours of waiting. A Chinese research team now reports collapsing that process into just three to six seconds; no coal, near zero emissions, and a vortex lance already moving toward commercial production. The technology is called flash ironmaking, and in February 2026, its implications are still unfolding.
LNG: a rational choice compared to unpalatable alternatives
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.
Sustainable retail-office project breaks ground under new Green Star framework
Thu 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.
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.
Carbon market rallies but auction floor still out of reach
13 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market has rallied, with secondary market prices up more than 25% in the past two weeks, although current prices in the mid-$40s are still far below this year’s $71 auction floor, with the first auction of 2026 less than three weeks away.
Mercury ramps up renewable investment with $1b pipeline
Today 11:45am
Mercury is accelerating investment in wind, geothermal and hydro assets, reinvesting $270 million — half its half-year earnings — into new and existing renewable generation.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
Fri 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.
Hipkins rejects LNG terminal, backs renewables
Tue 24 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Labour leader Chris Hipkins used his State of the Nation address to warn that worsening extreme weather and rising energy costs show climate change is no longer a distant threat.
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.
The 15 foods destroying rainforests, in one simple chart
Today 11:45am
It’s pretty much impossible to live a life free of environmental harm. But there is one thing you could do immediately that would help the planet a heck of a lot: eat less beef.
Government invests $200m towards Genesis Energy's $400m capital raise
Mon 23 Feb 2026
The Government has confirmed it will buy up to $200 million of new Genesis Energy shares as part of a capital raise announced by the company this morning.
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.”
European Central Bank's green supervision grows teeth, but will banks avoid being bitten?
13 Feb 2026
After several years of issuing guidance and repeatedly calling on banks to take climate and environmental risk management seriously, the European Central Bank is moving from guidance and expectations to enforcement.
Greens slam move to disband Environment Ministry
Fri 20 Feb 2026
The Green Party has joined climate and health advocates in condemning the Government's decision to disestablish the Ministry for the Environment as part of a multi-ministry merger.
Claims that AI can help fix climate dismissed as greenwashing
18 Feb 2026
Tech companies are conflating traditional artificial intelligence with generative AI when claiming the energy-hungry technology could help avert climate breakdown, according to a report.
Govt missing opportunity to slash electricity prices, says expert
11 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s fixation on eliminating the "dry-year risk margin" as a lever to reduce costs misses a much bigger opportunity to lower electricity prices, according to Christina Hood, head of Compass Climate.
Media round-up
13 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Senior UK ministers have asked their New Zealand counterparts to explain new climate policies, National’s LNG blunders are a warning ahead of election campaign, and what are the lessons New Zealand should take from another summer of weather disasters?
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.
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.
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.
China has a new competitor? Kazakhstan reveals huge rare Earth deposit that could power the next tech boom
Today 11:45am
China’s grip on rare earths might finally see some competition, and the world is already taking notice.
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.
Media round-up
Fri 20 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: 'Every tonne matters': The climate scientist who wants to give you hope; Minister says managed retreat is an option; and climate change is here – is New Zealand ready?
Calls for action to reduce emissions as extreme weather bites
17 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | Renewable energy advocates and environmental groups are calling for more action to reduce emissions and increase resilience as severe weather wreaks havoc across the country.
Australia-US minerals deal underpinned decision to allow mining company to clear threatened indigenous forest
Mon 23 Feb 2026
The Australian government’s decision to allow the US mining giant Alcoa to continue clearing swathes of Western Australian jarrah forest despite past illegal clearing practices was made in part due to a critical minerals deal reached between Australia and the Trump administration last year, a new document shows.
‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics
Tue 24 Feb 2026
Plastic production has doubled over the last 20 years – and will likely double again. For author Beth Gardiner, metal water bottles and canvas tote bags are not the solution. So what is?
Climate 'dream team' launches foundation targeting 100 million tonnes in emissions cuts
Today 11:45am
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.
Environmental groups boycott Bluegreens forum
Tue 24 Feb 2026
National’s Bluegreens forum in Wellington doubled as a small but telling election-year rehearsal: a bid to reclaim “moderate green” territory while parts of the environmental NGO ecosystem conspicuously stayed away.
78% of NZers want bottom trawling banned as Govt pushes to catch more coral in South Pacific
17 Feb 2026
Media release | New polling shows overwhelming support from New Zealanders for a ban on bottom trawling in the South Pacific high seas, says Greenpeace.
Brazil and India agree to boost cooperation on rare earths
Tue 24 Feb 2026
Brazil and India sealed a deal Saturday on critical minerals and rare earths, enhancing cooperation on crucial resources between two major countries of the global south as they seek to diversify their trading relationships.
Antarctic sediment core reveals past ice sheet retreat during warmer climates
18 Feb 2026
A record-breaking sediment core drilled from beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is giving scientists new insight into how the ice sheet responded to warmer climates in the past — and what that could mean for future sea-level rise.
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.
NZ-UAE partnership boosts advanced tech
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.
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.
NZ’s EV uptake decelerates
Mon 23 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s EV uptake is lagging behind other countries, with a huge drop in EV sales since 2023 bucking international trends, at the same time the Government contemplates abolishing its standard for clean cars entirely.
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.
Infrastructure plan calls for ‘predictable approach’ to electrifying economy
18 Feb 2026
Aotearoa’s first National Infrastructure Plan, introduced to Parliament yesterday, calls for "a predictable approach to electrifying the economy" as one of ten priorities for the next decade.
New research on climate adaptation as severe weather hits
16 Feb 2026
As extreme weather batters the country yet again, researchers have published the first ever empirical study of climate adaptation justice in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Study finds warming world increases days when weather is prone to fires around the globe
Fri 20 Feb 2026
The number of days when the weather gets hot, dry and windy — ideal to spark extreme wildfires — has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, with the trend increasing even higher in the Americas, a new study shows.
India and UK launch offshore wind taskforce
Mon 23 Feb 2026
Constituted under Vision 2035 and the Fourth India-UK Energy Dialogue, the Taskforce is designed to provide strategic leadership and coordination for India’s nascent offshore wind ecosystem.
