Topics tagged with 'Low carbon'
The carbon footprint of a full English breakfast
14 Sep 2021
Over four-fifths of the English population say they enjoy a full English breakfast. But when food production accounts for a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, and 11% of UK emissions come from agriculture, it’s time to think critically about how we can reduce the impact of our breakfasts – without compromising on quality or taste.
The messy truth about carbon footprints
10 Sep 2021
How much attention should each of us be paying to our individual carbon footprint? That question is the subject of a contentious debate that’s been raging in climate circles for quite some time.
KiwiRail’s potential carbon savings sailing away: unions
30 Aug 2021
Two of the countries largest transport unions claim an “outdated” state-owned enterprise model has seen KiwiRail opt for second-best when it comes to the environment with the purchase of new hybrid-diesel ferries to ply the Cook Strait.
China to increase carbon sinks in the ocean
27 Aug 2021
China's environmental authority vowed on Thursday to promote the capability of carbon sinks in the ocean as a key part of the country's efforts to confront climate change and fulfill its goals to achieve carbon peak before 2030.
Green shipping still over the horizon
17 Aug 2021
There are some positive signs that green shipping might be on the horizon but slashing shipping emissions requires much more innovation, carbon taxation and political will.
French cuisine goes off grid
16 Aug 2021
As other businesses go green, food service remains an energy-intensive outlier. Europe’s first solar-powered restaurant wants to change the recipe.
Hutt City to switch to LED lights
12 Aug 2021
The Hutt City Council will replace its 14,200 streetlights with LEDs, introduce EVs for its rubbish and recycling service, and phase out natural gas at all its facilities under a just released Carbon Reduction Plan
IPCC report a "call to arms" say architects and designers
11 Aug 2021
The latest IPCC climate report offers a "nugget of hope" but architects and designers must "make changes to the way they design" to help avert catastrophic climate change, according to Architects Climate Action Network.
Cutting emissions with carbon reinforced concrete
10 Aug 2021
Leading expert Prof Manfred Curbach tells GCR how ‘carbon concrete’ cuts CO2 emissions by 50% and could spark construction’s sustainability revolution.
'Mindful Mondays' cuts Otago University's carbon emissions
3 Aug 2021
Otago University colleges have cut meat from their menus on Mondays saving about the same amount of carbon as getting 133 cars off the road annually.
Fancy checking out an e-bike?
20 Jul 2021
Canberra’s e-bike library has been struggling to keep up with demand since it was launched last September.
Hydrogen agreement signed with Singapore
16 Jul 2021
Media Release - The signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation on low-carbon hydrogen with Singapore signals the start of greater collaboration between the two countries as they transition towards low carbon economies, says Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods.
Biogas could meet 20% of NZ’s needs by 2050
7 Jul 2021
A joint study by engineering consultancy Beca, Firstgas and Fonterra claims renewable gas could replace close to 20% of New Zealand’s total gas usage by 2050.
CO2 sequestering concrete arrives in Aotearoa
5 Jul 2021
Media Release - A new technology in concrete that could save New Zealand the amount of carbon emissions equivalent to 6.3 flights Auckland to Christchurch for every house built here on average has been brought into the country by leading manufacturer Stevenson.
No plans for halogen ban
29 Jun 2021
The Government has no plans to follow Britain, The EU and Australia’s lead in banning halogen lightbulbs.
Kiwis want action on climate change: IAG Poll
11 Jun 2021
Media Release - New Zealanders are increasingly expecting the government and business sector to take stronger action on climate change adaptation, according to the results of IAG’s fourth annual climate change opinion poll.
Responses to ClimCom final advice divides along usual lines
10 Jun 2021
An avalanche of press releases in response to yesterday’s release of the Climate Change Commission’s final advice to the government sees interest groups dividing along familiar lines.
10 YEARS AGO...
3 Jun 2021
Ten years ago, a French engineering company announced it has started construction of three industrial plants producing biocoal - also known as green coal.
World's first carbon-neutral cement plant to open in Sweden
3 Jun 2021
HeidelbergCement have announced its intention to upgrade its facility on the Swedish island of Gotland to become the world’s first carbon-neutral cement plant.
Green growth an oxymoron: Mike Joy
31 May 2021
As countries explore ways of decarbonising their economies, the mantra of “green growth” risks trapping us in a spiral of failures, environmental scientist Mike Joy says.
Blue carbon sinks on the rise
31 May 2021
Researchers on a boat off the southern coast of Australia recently began throwing some 50,000 bags of sand into the ocean. Their goal is to restore about two dozen acres of seagrass on the ocean floor that will suck carbon out of the atmosphere.
Demand for "green aluminium" growing
25 May 2021
Russia’s Rusal ,the world’s largest aluminium producer outside China, announced last week it plans to spin off its higher-carbon production assets into a new company, leaving its low-carbon refineries and smelters in a rebranded “AL+” \
Nelson Council boosts climate change fund
25 May 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - Additional climate change funding, consistent with Nelson City Council's vision to enable our community to respond to climate change, was approved for Council's Long Term Plan 2021-31 (LTP) at a deliberations meeting held last week.
Is that lithium or methane on the Govt’s breath?
21 May 2021
In 1985, then prime minister, David Lange, memorably quipped that he could smell the uranium on the pro-nuclear televangelist Jerry Falwell’s breath during an Oxford Union debate.
Sustainable business groups welcome budget
21 May 2021
MEDIA RELEASE - Business leaders from the Sustainable Business Council (SBC) and the Climate Leaders Coalition (CLC) welcome the 2021 Budget announcement on climate action, noting that it sets high expectations for further commitments resulting from the imminent Emissions Reduction Plan, in next year’s budget.
Government EVs a small step: Greenpeace
14 May 2021
PRESS RELEASE - "More electric vehicles for the public sector is a small step in the right direction," says Greenpeace Climate Campaigner, Amanda Larsson
Climate change takes centre stage in infrastructure proposals
13 May 2021
Cheaper public transport, congestion charges, centralising the waste and recycling sectors, off-shore wind farms and up to a 10-fold increase in the price of carbon used to calculate the cost-benefit ratio of new projects are some of the ideas put forward in the infrastructure Commission’s 30 year draft strategy released yesterday.
Pacific plan to decarbonise shipping
27 Apr 2021
The Marshall Islands is calling for a greenhouse levy on gas to speed up the decarbonisation of shipping.
Tech billionaires' climate change solutions might not be helping
16 Apr 2021
Climate change appears to be high on the agenda for tech billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates but some are questioning whether they’re focusing their efforts on the right areas.
Sustainability despite Covid-19
16 Apr 2021
Media Release - Oxygen Consulting in collaboration with the Sustainable Business Council (SBC), Sustainable Business Network (SBN) and Auckland University of Technology (AUT) have launched their 2021 Insights on New Zealand’s Sustainability Professionals.
Sparkie on an e-bike
15 Apr 2021
BY JEREMY ROSE - When Andy Dynan set himself up as an independent electrician, just over a year ago, he did what most tradies do and bought himself a 4 x 4 Toyota Hilux. The ute – New Zealand’s most popular vehicle - is now on TradeMe and Andy’s getting around on an e-bike.
Organic dairy less emissions more moolah
14 Apr 2021
Landcorp dairy farms that have gone organic have made big cuts to their GHG emissions and increased their profitability.
Unions call for a just transition
12 Apr 2021
Unions are calling for large-scale public investment as part of a “just transition” to a carbon-zero future in their submissions to the Climate Commission’s draft report.
Government bans new coal boilers
8 Apr 2021
New coal boilers used in manufacturing and production are to be banned by the end of the year, the government announced today.
Where £100 can make you a solar entrepreneur
8 Apr 2021
In Bath, England, even the smallest investors can support – and profit from – the city’s green energy boom.
Active travel must be built for women too
7 Apr 2021
While the pandemic has seen more of us get out of cars and onto our two feet or our bikes, it’s also highlighted the differences in the availability of public spaces to men and women. As our cities move towards more sustainable transport models, with increased public funding being given to these, it’s worth examining whether that funding is being channelled appropriately to tackle this discrepancy.
Meat giant vows net-zero by 2040 amid record profits
26 Mar 2021
Brazilian company JBS, the world’s biggest meat processor, has announced record profits a day after it pledged to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 – the first global meat and poultry company to do so.
ClimCom plan described as lacking in ambition
24 Mar 2021
Wellington City Council says its emissions reduction targets risk being undermined by the Climate Change Commission’s draft carbon budget.
Carbfix turns emissions into stone
19 Mar 2021
An Icelandic startup has an intriguing solution to the emissions problem: turn carbon into stone.
Wary US farmers weigh up joining Biden's climate fight
16 Mar 2021
The series of severe droughts and heatwaves in Europe since 2014 is the most extreme for more than 2,000 years, research suggests.
Paying for ecosystem services to save the planet
12 Mar 2021
The idea that ecosystems have monetary value now has global support — and creates a route to protecting Earth’s endangered regions.
Appliances should last longer, says UK
12 Mar 2021
Tougher rules are being introduced to make appliances such as fridges, washing machines and TVs cheaper to run and last longer, says the British Government.
Aussie says as OECD boss he would be climate ambitious
10 Mar 2021
The former Australian finance minister vying to become the new head of the OECD said he would pursue an "ambitious" and "global" approach to help nations become carbon-neutral by 2050.
US urged to halve emissions by 2030
10 Mar 2021
The United States must halve its planet-heating emissions by the end of the decade to spur other countries to greater action, says a coalition of American environmental groups.
Eco-homes becoming hot property
8 Mar 2021
Smart, low-carbon homes were once the preserve of one-off grand designs, but now Britain has up to 30,000 projects in the pipeline.
Councils debating Climcom recommendations
23 Feb 2021
Greater Wellington and Waikato regional councils’ climate change committees both meet this afternoon to consider, among other things, responses to the Climate Change Commission’s 2021 draft report.
Put a big fat price on carbon, says OECD chief
18 Feb 2021
OECD Secretary General Ángel Gurría is bowing out with a climate-rallying cry, saying action on environmental crises must be the defining focus of wealthy countries after covid.
Let's think big, Germany tells US and China
16 Feb 2021
Germany wants Europe and the United States to strengthen transatlantic ties with a trade deal to abolish industrial tariffs, a WTO reform to increase pressure on China and a joint carbon-emission trading system to protect the climate.
Genesis puts another fossil-fuel unit on standby
15 Feb 2021
Genesis Energy says it is advancing plans for more renewable electricity generation – but is also preparing to fire up an extra fossil-fuel turbine at Huntly this winter if needed.
Carbon-free future is in reach for US by 2050
12 Feb 2021
The United States − per head of population perhaps the world’s most prodigal emitter of greenhouse gases − can reverse that and have a carbon-free future within three decades, at a cost of no more than $1 per person per day.
New courses focus on climate action, activism and creating vision
Fri 12 Sep 2025
Media release | Dark Times Academy’s final lineup of courses for 2025, launching in mid-September, will focus on taking action on climate, learning about practical activism, and creating visions for the future.
Carbon price steady after failed quarterly auction
Tue 16 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price has continued to trade in its familiar moribund range in the high $50s following last week’s failed quarterly auction, with ample supply still trading on the secondary market at about $10 below this year’s $68 auction floor.
NZ needs to be part of a regional SAF strategy: Z, Air NZ
9 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand needs to be part of a regional strategic approach to sourcing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with domestic production less the aim than ensuring access to the fuel from one of a number of strategically positioned bio-refineries around the world.
'Non-negotiable' – EU carbon pricing to hit Kiwi exporters, expert warns
Thu 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.
UK foreign aid for nature hits £800m record due to cash for carbon credits
Tue 16 Sep 2025
The UK’s climate-aid spending on “nature protection and restoration” reached record levels of nearly £800m last year, according to government figures obtained by Carbon Brief.
Air NZ declares surprisingly low SAF prices
3 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand is able to source sustainable aviation fuel at between 1.5 and 2.5 times the price of conventional fossil fuels used for flying, all sourced from the US.
No bidders front to carbon auction - again
10 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | Today’s quarterly carbon auction was a non-event yet again, making it the third consecutive auction this year with no bidders, with the secondary market price still limping along at nearly 20% below the auction floor.
Ashburton councillor opposes climate strategy he voted for
Today 11:00am
Jonathan Leask, Local Democracy Reporter | Incumbent Ashburton councillor Phill Hooper says he doesn’t want to waste money on a climate change strategy, despite voting for the policy a few weeks ago.
'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.
Industry struggles with double-digit power price hikes
Mon 15 Sep 2025
As power prices surge by double-digit amounts for the second year in a row, industrial users can’t keep absorbing cost increases, the Major Electricity Users’ Group says.
The merchants of doubt are back
3 Sep 2025
OPINION: If you don’t follow climate policy closely, you might not know that the Trump administration is launching an effort to overturn one of the most fundamental pillars of American climate policy.
Milestone for NZ Steel electrification
10 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | NZ Steel has passed an installation milestone for its new electric arc furnace, which will reduce emissions from the Glenbrook steel mill site by as much as one megatonne (1Mt) a year.
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.”
Watts not considering removing electricity from ETS
Tue 16 Sep 2025
Energy and Climate Change Minister, Simon Watts, says he is “not currently considering” removing electricity generation from the Emissions Trading Scheme, as proposed by NZ First Minister Shane Jones.
Gentailers told to behave as ministers weigh Frontier review
Today 11:00am
The chief executives of Contact, Meridian, Mercury and Genesis met Energy and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts on Thursday for their regular monthly session.
Declining sea-ice is altering Antarctic food webs
Thu 11 Sep 2025
A new study shows a significant change in Antarctic phytoplankton over time that could cascade through the marine food web and affect the ocean’s capacity as a carbon sink.
Science cuts will hold back climate research
Today 11:00am
By Liz Kivi | A crisis in government-backed science funding is worsening, with dire implications for climate research in New Zealand, according to experts from the scientific community.
Marginal drop in last year's regional emissions
27 Aug 2025
Regional greenhouse gas emissions were down slightly last year, with a fall in gas supply leading to a big drop in Taranaki, but more coal burnt leading to higher emissions in Waikato, according to new figures from Stats NZ
Indigenous forest 'islands' could help transition exotic plantations to native bush
Thu 11 Sep 2025
Native forest 'islands' within exotic plantations might be the key to transitioning plantations from exotic to Indigenous, according to new research.
Decline in global oil and gas field output accelerating, IEA says
Today 11:00am
The decline in output from mature global oil and gas fields is accelerating amid greater reliance on shale and deep offshore resources.
A modest geothermal strategy
31 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has unveiled a far more modest geothermal energy strategy than its primary backer, Resources Minister Shane Jones, had sought.
Why mega-polluters have little to fear from the European Central Bank and its new climate policy
Fri 12 Sep 2025
The European Central Bank plans to raise borrowing costs for climate offenders – but a new FTM analysis shows that big polluters such as Shell will barely feel it.
Media round-up
5 Sep 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The great methane debate; law change scuppers legal challenge to irrigation scheme consent; and what are the energy and climate implications of the $7.5 billion Amazon Web Services data centre deal?
Coal imports up 650%
Fri 12 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams and Liz Kivi | Coal imports are up 650% as generators stockpile the most polluting fossil fuel ahead of next winter.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
29 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Green hydrogen pioneer Hiringa Energy is deep in planning to develop an “eight-to-nine figure” methanol plant near Whanganui, using a combination of biomass and hydrogen produced using renewable energy.
Media round-up
29 Aug 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Changes to road user charges will increase New Zealand's emissions; Climate Change Minister Simon Watts promises better access to hazard data for homeowners; and Kiwis borrow over $1 billion in ‘green loans’ for heat pumps and electric cars.
Will NZ walk away from the Paris Agreement?
20 Dec 2024
By Geoff Bertram | COMMENT: Unless the government can find very cheap offshore mitigation, the temptation to walk away from its Paris Agreement obligations may well be too strong to resist for a coalition government focused on fiscal austerity.
Apple Watch not a 'CO2-neutral product,' German court finds
28 Aug 2025
Apple can no longer advertise its Apple Watch as a "CO2-neutral product" in Germany, following a court ruling on Tuesday that upheld a complaint from environmentalists, finding that the U.S. tech company had misled consumers.
Govt tweaks offshore energy bill with 'declared areas' model
Today 11:00am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is making changes to the Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to address offshore wind developers' concerns about competing for space with other industries.
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 steady ocean pattern just failed for the first time ever observed
Today 11:00am
The failure of the Gulf of Panama’s seasonal upwelling system has left scientists wondering what happens next.
Watts full-throated in National’s support for Paris
10 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts came to this week’s Climate Change and Business Conference with nothing to announce.
Govt resilience plan 'dangerous fantasy' - thinktank
29 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | An independent thinktank, whose members include former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer and multiple academics, is warning that the government’s long-term resilience strategy ignores physical and energy realities and exposes Kiwi households and businesses to systemic failure.
‘Plastic Cup’ competitions are cleaning up rivers in Hungary
1 Sep 2025
Afloat on DIY boats, teams of volunteers have removed over 450 tons of plastic waste from the Danube and its tributaries.
Invites-only fast-track for seabed mine slammed as 'rushed, awful'
Fri 12 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With the wider public shut out of submissions, critics including Te Pāti Māori, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining and Greenpeace say the process strips away robust scrutiny and risks setting a dangerous precedent.
Climate scorecard launched for local elections
Tue 16 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Youth-led climate justice organisation Generation Zero has launched new candidate scorecards for this year’s local body elections, hoping to make climate a key issue.
Underestimating support for climate action limits political decision making, study says
8 Sep 2025
Research reveals huge disparity between perceived and actual willingness of public to contribute to fixing climate.
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.
Solar and battery systems to boost resilience at Tasman community facilities
Tue 16 Sep 2025
Media release: Tasman District Council | Ten community facilities across Tasman District will soon be equipped with solar panels and battery storage, following confirmation of co-funding from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).
The ozone hole continues to recover thanks to international action
Today 11:00am
Media release: World Meteorological Organization (WMO) | The Earth’s protective ozone layer is healing and the ozone hole in 2024 was smaller than in recent years, according to a new report.
Climate groups want UK wealth tax to make super-rich fund sustainable economy
17 Jul 2025
Growing number of campaigners urge government to ensure green investment is not done ‘on backs of the poor’.
Ara Ake backs 13 projects to unlock NZ’s energy flexibility
Thu 11 Sep 2025
Media release | Ara Ake has approved over $600,000 in funding from the National Flex Discovery Fund for 13 flexibility service providers (FSPs).
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
31 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government is expected to repeal the oil and gas ban today, with a last-minute amendment handing discretionary power to two ministers over the controversial issue of decommissioning.
Most EU carmakers on track to meet emission targets: study
10 Sep 2025
Almost all European carmakers are on track to meet EU emission targets after winning a reprieve this year as electric vehicles (EV) sales pick up, a study showed.
Hotter, longer, more frequent: NZ’s escalating heat risk
26 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Heat extremes in New Zealand will intensify faster than previously thought, according to a new study.
Echo Tech secures growth investment to tackle NZ's e-waste crisis
Mon 15 Sep 2025
Media release | Echo Tech Limited, New Zealand’s leading provider of e-waste recycling and IT asset recovery services, is proud to announce a strategic investment from growth equity firm Altered Capital.
La Niña set to prolong NZ hydro shortfall
9 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With La Niña favouring a drier-than-normal spring across much of the South Island, hydro lakes are unlikely to recover without substantial rain and late snowmelt – keeping national storage levels below average.
Record UK wildfires have burned an area twice the size of Glasgow in 2025
12 Aug 2025
Wildfires have scorched more than 40,000 hectares of land so far this year across the UK – an area more than twice the size of the Scottish city of Glasgow.
Which countries are scaling solar and wind the fastest?
Fri 12 Sep 2025
The leaderboard is quite different depending on what metric you look at.
