Topics tagged with 'NZ ETS'
ETS puts NZ power users $360m behind Australia
20 Jan 2009
New Zealand electricity users are at a $360 million-a-year disadvantage when compared with our transtasman neighbours, thanks to the emissions trading scheme.
Cheaper carbon is the up-side of the downturn
20 Jan 2009
The cost of implementing an emissions trading scheme is falling with the recession, says a prominent business adviser.
Nats' ETS opinions don't worry me, says Hide
20 Jan 2009
Act Party leader Rodney Hide says that he is unconcerned by comments from United Future leader Peter Dunne and Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee that New Zealand’s emissions trading scheme is here to stay.
Obey the law, minister tells confused forest owners
20 Jan 2009
Forestry Minister David Carter has told forest owners concerned about the vailidy of the the emissions trading scheme that they should obey the law.
Defer the ETS to minimise job losses, says MEUG
20 Jan 2009
The pros and cons of deferring the Emissions Trading Scheme should be considered by the Prime Minister’s Summit on Employment next month,” says Ralph Matthes, executive director of the Major Electricity Users’ Group (MEUG).
No takers with emissions trading review a month away
16 Jan 2009
Submissions on the review of New Zealand emissions trading scheme close on February 13 - and so far none have been made.
Solid Energy: NZIER report all we funded
16 Jan 2009
Solid Energy says that the NZIER report on the implications of the emissions trading scheme is the only work it has funded on the issue.
World carbon market could be worth $150 billion this year
16 Jan 2009
Despite the slumping economy, the value of the worldwide carbon market soared 84 per cent in 2008 to reach $118 billion, and could reach $150 billion this year.
Emissions trading will increase Aussie grazing costs
16 Jan 2009
Emissions trading could increase the production costs for livestock by 18 per cent by 2030 if farmers have to offset methane emissions from their cattle and sheep, according to the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE).
National will have to do better than announce old policy , says Anderton
16 Jan 2009
The National Party is to be congratulated for finally recognising the importance of climate change mitigation for farmers, but it’s a bit cheeky to act as if it has a new fund of money, Opposition agriculture spokesman Jim Anderton says.
Confused forest owners keep planting plans on hold
19 Dec 2008
The Government’s announcement that it will not now suspend the emissions trading scheme will not get forest owners planting again, they say.
ETS select committee opens for business
19 Dec 2008
Submissions on the review of the emissions trading scheme are now open.
No suspension of ETS - what the PM said
19 Dec 2008
On Wednesday, Prime Minister John Key told Parliament that the Government would not now suspend the emissions trading scheme.
Shipowners seek rewards for cutting emissions
19 Dec 2008
The New Zealand shipping industry wants rewards built into the emissions trading scheme for companies that cut greenhouse gas emissions from their fleets.
Season's greetings - and thanks from Carbon News
19 Dec 2008
Carbon News publishes 48 weeks of the year.
Japan’s voluntary emissions scheme attracts 500 firms
19 Dec 2008
More than 500 businesses have now joined Japan’s two-months-old voluntary emissions trading scheme, the government has announced.
The new slavery - some say it's time to face up to the curse of oil
19 Dec 2008
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sees dependence on oil as the modern version of slavery.
PM indicates ETS law will not be suspended during review
18 Dec 2008
The Prime Minister has indicated the ETs law will not be suspended during the select committee review.
Aquaflow eyes world-first algae biofuel flight
16 Dec 2008
The world's first test-flight using Aquaflow's algae-based biofuel blend could be just months away - and it might be in New Zealand.
Dunne to bar time-wasters from ETS review hearings
16 Dec 2008
Groups wanting to relitigate the science of climate change or to grandstand on the issue are likely to find themselves shut out from appearing before the select committee reviewing the emissions trading scheme.
NZ should be backing geothermal brains, says expert
16 Dec 2008
The skills of New Zealand scientists and engineers in the area of geothermal energy could make a real difference to global climate change, says Sinclair Knight Merz (SKM) regional manager Michael Shirley.
Ministry extends time for carbon-reporting comments
16 Dec 2008
The deadline for commenting on rules governing the way in which New Zealand’s largest industrial emitters of greenhouse gases report their carbon levels has been extended.
Brownlee urgently wipes thermal ban and biofuel requirement
16 Dec 2008
Laws requiring oil companies to sell biofuel and banning the building of new non-baseload thermal power stations are expected to be gone by the end of the week.
National will have an ETS, says Brownlee
12 Dec 2008
National will bring in an emissions trading scheme, says Energy Minister Gerry Brownlee.
Critics slam NZ attitude at Poznan climate talks
12 Dec 2008
New Zealand is making a name for itself at the UN climate change summit in Poznan – for all the wrong reasons.
Forest owners 'positive' after meeting new minister
12 Dec 2008
The forestry sector is waiting to see how its new minister converts his understanding of issues facing the industry into action.
Harawira tries again to link treaty and ETS
12 Dec 2008
The Maori Party is again trying to get the impact on Treaty of Waitangi settlements included in the emissions trading scheme.
Poznan pressure groups blast Australia
12 Dec 2008
Environmental groups have blasted Australia as the single biggest disappointment at climate change talks in Poland, saying it was "Groundhog Day" with the Rudd Government acting like the Howard government.
ETS review committee announced
9 Dec 2008
The ETS review is shaping as a bun-fight, with Rodney Hide, David Carter and Jeanette Fitzsimons all on the committee that will do the work.
Smith: we want consensus on climate change
9 Dec 2008
Climate Change Minister Nick Smith says he wants New Zealand to build a broader consensus on how to make progress on climate-change issues.
Chauvel: Hide failed to show for the last select committee
9 Dec 2008
Labour says that Act Party leader Rodney Hide has some gall pushing a new select committee inquiry into the emissions trading scheme when he hardly showed up for the last one.
Dunne at the helm: We need an ETS quickly
9 Dec 2008
New Zealand needs a robust emissions trading scheme in place as quickly as possible to reassure businesses and shore-up our international credibility, says the man who will chair the ETS review.
Buck: Forget ETS review, we're nearly out of time
9 Dec 2008
A New Zealander named in Britain as one of the 50 people most able to prevent the continued destruction of the world says that New Zealand doesn’t have the luxury of “forgetting” about climate change while it reviews its legislative direction.
Wairarapa pine planters mourn loss of ETS millions
9 Dec 2008
Wairarapa’s long-established pine forests would have generated the best part of $5 million for their owners if the emissions trading scheme had gone ahead, says carbon trader Greenair.
At last, forest owners get a date with the minister
9 Dec 2008
Representatives from the forestry industry will finally have an opportunity to put their concerns over delays to the emissions trading scheme to the new Minister for Climate Change Issues, Nick Smith, in person this week.
Brussels talks will decide EU stance on climate change
9 Dec 2008
French president Nicolas Sarkozy met central and eastern European leaders in Gdansk at the weekend but failed to persuade them to accept crucial elements of the package – notably auctioning permits for carbon dioxide emissions from power plants, the Irish Times reported.
Emissions scheme 'sound', but Treasury issues warning
5 Dec 2008
Treasury says that the emissions trading scheme is sound, and warns that giving “generous treatment” to emitters would simply transfer the costs to taxpayers.
Wait for trading road to clear, foresters told
5 Dec 2008
Forest owners are being advised to wait out the current period of emissions trading uncertainty amid calls for the carbon trading sector to be regulated.
Pressure mounts on Rudd to cut emissions by 25%
5 Dec 2008
Developing countries are intensifying the pressure on Australia and other wealthy nations to promise to cut greenhouse emissions by at least 25 per cent by 2020 at talks in Poland this month.
UK airport tax 'reprisal' for NZ stand on food miles
5 Dec 2008
Britain’s $240-a-head airport surcharge scheme amounts to a reprisal against New Zealand's stance on the food miles issue, some industry sources believe.
ETS review could damage farming, says Pedersen
2 Dec 2008
Former farming leader Charlie Pedersen, who championed the need for agriculture to be in the New Zealand emissions trading scheme even though he felt isolated and unsupported, is warning that the farming sector could be damaged by the review of the climate change and the ETS.
Foresters fear trading advice is a waste of time
2 Dec 2008
The forestry industry fears that the wrong kind of advice is stepping in to fill the vacuum left by the new government as forest owners struggle to come to terms with what New Zealand’s potential emissions trading turn-around might mean.
We're risking our clean reputation, says organics chief
2 Dec 2008
New Zealand risks scoring a “spectacular own-goal” if it backs away from its proactive stance on climate change, a leading agricultural lobbyist says.
District council factors in 10% cost of ETS
2 Dec 2008
Stratford District Council will factor in a 10 per cent increase in operating costs from 2011 to cover the increased transport and reporting costs under the current ETS, and “perhaps” a 5 per cent increase in its farm operating budget from 2013.
Anxious EMA wants to meet ministers on ETS review
28 Nov 2008
The Employers and Manufacturers' Association is seeking urgent meetings with government ministers to express concern that a review of the emissions trading scheme might include questioning whether human-induced climate change is real.
Why you should know your carbon footprint
28 Nov 2008
Taxes aren’t a barrier to operating profitably in a carbon economy, but a lack of knowledge is, says Landcare Research’s carboNZero technical manager Ann Smith.
UK moves send a strong signal to NZ exporters to cut carbon
28 Nov 2008
The UK Government's move to reform air passenger duty from two to four distance bands, increasing the cost of flying to New Zealand, is just the start of actions New Zealanders will see from throughout the world in a bid to lower emissions.
ETS on hold results in some “carbon traders” promoting VCS to New Zealand exotic forest owners.
28 Nov 2008
Parties are trying to promote the voluntary carbon standard (VCS) www.v-c-s.org now the ETS is under review, says the Environmental Intermediaries & Trading Group Limited.
Forest owners to confront new minister with facts
25 Nov 2008
Forest owners expect to meet the new Minister for Climate Change Issues Nick Smith later this week to tell him what National and Act’s agreement to review and potentially scrap the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is costing the industry.
Don't panic, emissions expert tells NZUs sellers
25 Nov 2008
There are still opportunities for foresters looking to sell NZUs, says Kensington Swan partner Bryan Gundersen.
NZ Govt’s move to halt climate litigation under international scrutiny
Tue 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.
Media round-up
Fri 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.
$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.
Europe has 'maybe six weeks of jet fuel left', energy boss warns
20 Apr 2026
Stocks would reach a tipping point in June if Europe was unable to replace at least half of its imports from the Middle East, the organisation said in a report this week.
Govt unveils long-awaited voluntary carbon market guidance
Fri 15 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has released long-awaited guidance for New Zealand’s voluntary carbon and nature markets, as questions continue for the sector despite ministers signalling support for its growth.
Biomass sector asks: where did the love go?
Mon 18 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand has sufficient biomass in its plantation forests to replace natural gas for industrial process heat at lower costs than electrification, but is failing to get the attention it deserves, sector leaders say.
Carbon News updates forward curve
13 May 2026
Carbon News has updated its ten-year NZU forward curve, following a recent rise in spot market prices, with NZUs rallying from about $34 in January to nearly $54 in early May.
Declare climate crisis a global public health emergency, experts tell WHO
Tue 19 May 2026
The climate crisis should be declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization, or millions more people will die unnecessarily, leading international experts have said.
Drop in ETS forestry registrations
5 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | ETS forestry registrations have dropped off this year, with the new mandatory emissions return period, new land-use rules, and carbon price volatility all meaning participants aren’t rushing to register forestry in the emissions trading scheme.
Hipkins pans LNG plan as ‘massive step backwards’
Tue 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.
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.
Green building council calls for clean energy policies
Mon 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.
Conservation land open for voluntary carbon market schemes
12 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government is to open up the Crown-owned conservation estate to private investment in voluntary carbon market projects.
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.
Future big droughts may be worse than we think – NZ’s past shows why
Mon 18 May 2026
By Adam Brown, University of Waikato; Dave Frame, University of Canterbury, and Luke Harrington, University of Waikato | For an agricultural nation like New Zealand, severe drought is one of the most ominous consequences of a warming planet.
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.
Govt presses ahead with forestry rule changes despite opposition
Thu 14 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is pushing ahead with changes to commercial forestry rules despite most submitters opposing the proposals, with critics warning the reforms will weaken councils’ ability to manage erosion and forestry slash risks in vulnerable regions such as Tairāwhiti.
Greenpeace's new fuel crisis scorecard: Coalition flunks, Labour offers few commitments
Tue 19 May 2026
Media release | As fuel prices remain high and the Budget looms closer, Greenpeace Aotearoa has released a scorecard ranking political parties on practical solutions to cut dependence on imported fossil fuels and shield households from oil and gas price shocks.
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.”
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.
A real ‘intergenerational equity’ budget would address Australia’s unceasing environmental decline
Fri 15 May 2026
Labor has unveiled a budget designed to tackle intergenerational equity in Australia through bold tax reform.
Why ‘greenhushing’ signals deeper issues with NZ’s climate risk reporting regime
Fri 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.
‘Formidable’ El Niño expected this winter
29 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Meteorologists are anticipating a significant El Niño influence on weather patterns across the country from winter onwards, with predicted lower rainfall for some areas and heavier rain for others likely to impact multiple sectors of the economy as well as the carbon market.
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
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.
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 condemns Govt plan to stop climate litigation
Fri 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.
GIDI-style help cheaper than LNG: MBIE
11 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Officials advised ministers last July that the lowest-cost way to free up gas for use during dry winters was to assist industrial gas users to switch to electricity.
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.
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
Thu 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.
Coal mine challenge reaches Aus High Court
13 May 2026
What climate change impacts should a planning authority have to take into account when assessing a mining project?
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-sea mining risks biodiversity loss lasting decades, scientists warn
11 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The first comprehensive review of deep-sea mining research has found mining could cause ecological damage lasting decades and, in some ecosystems, irreversible biodiversity loss, with New Zealand experts warning the industry poses major risks to fragile ocean environments.
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.
Opposition slams environment ministry merger
13 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Opposition MPs accused the Government of downgrading climate and environmental protections as legislation to abolish the Ministry for the Environment and merge it into a new mega-ministry passed its second reading in Parliament.
Commission urges Govt action on climate risks
7 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate change currently poses major risks to our water infrastructure with “significant gaps” in readiness to manage risks and increasing hazards, according to the Climate Change Commission.
ESG funds include petrochemical companies, report finds
5 May 2026
Global banks have invested US$133bn into US petrochemical expansion, even as the industry is linked to climate change.
Urgent need to rethink tourism says expert
Mon 18 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The post-pandemic recovery has created an urgent need to rethink how tourism operates, who benefits from it, and how it impacts the social and environmental systems it depends on, according to new research.
Thousands protest in Germany urging faster shift to renewable energy, amid Iran war
20 Apr 2026
Thousands of people demonstrated across Germany on April 18, urging a faster shift to renewable energy and accusing conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition of putting the brakes on the transition.
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.
China widens its clean energy lead
Mon 18 May 2026
Chinese companies account for more than half of global investments in clean energy manufacturing since 2019, while new U.S. investments declined last year.
‘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.
Combined climate extremes may prompt carbon budget rethink
Thu 14 May 2026
Media release: Springer Nature | Combined extreme climate events are likely to become more common in the future if carbon emissions continue to rise, a paper in Nature suggests.
Africa secures major clean energy deals as France deepens investment push
Fri 15 May 2026
French and African leaders have announced more than $11 billion in renewable energy investments across Africa, underscoring the continent’s growing importance in the global push for cleaner energy and industrial development.
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.
Why both trees and technology are important in the race to mitigate carbon emissions
4 May 2026
Different carbon‑removal approaches solve different problems, and pitting these technologies against each other could slow progress.
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.
More red lights for cars might mean more green lights for sustainable transport
7 May 2026
Media release: Royal Society Open Science | Reducing the amount of green light time for cars at traffic lights could encourage commuters to switch to more sustainable transport.
UN members prepare for pivotal vote on landmark ICJ climate justice ruling
Fri 15 May 2026
If the resolution is passed, governments will recognise their legal responsibility to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
NZ First moves to revive container return scheme
4 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | NZ First is aiming to launch a national container return scheme, which could recycle over a billion wasted containers each year, reviving a policy shelved by the previous Labour-led Government in 2023.
Greens condemn planned coal mine next to protected wetland
4 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party says a new plan for a coal mine and fertiliser plant next to an internationally significant wetland is “ecological vandalism and climate denial.”
Why is Northern Ireland facing a growing threat from wildfires?
7 May 2026
Figures show that spring drought events are happening more often while there has been a sharp rise in "fire weather" - a mix of warmth, dryness, and wind that allows fires to ignite and spread rapidly. Experts warn this combination, along with climate change, is creating a longer and more volatile wildfire season.
Trump has hindered offshore wind while China and other countries invest heavily
Mon 18 May 2026
President Donald Trump is stopping offshore wind projects in the United States, just as the industry was poised to grow significantly.
