Topics tagged with 'Paris Agreement'
NZ experts on UN climate conference
12 Nov 2024
With the United Nations’ major climate summit kicking off in oil-rich Azerbaijan, New Zealand’s climate policy experts are divided over the value of the meeting.
Major Pacific climate study launches at COP29
12 Nov 2024
Climate adaptation strategies, including relocating households and villages, are already being employed across the Pacific region, according to a new study.
Govt could make significant domestic reductions towards second NDC - but needs to hurry up
8 Nov 2024
The government could find much of the needed emissions reductions for its next Paris Agreement pledge at home – but needs to get on with it, says new analysis from the Climate Change Commission.
NZ can do better on climate policy, says auditor general
8 Nov 2024
New Zealand’s legislative framework is a strength of its response to climate change, however it is not doing so well in other areas, according to a new report.
Constraints on forestry set to slash unit supply
8 Nov 2024
COMMENT: Carbon unit supply from forestry looks set to be limited by multiple factors - and by 2040 NZUs from new forestry are likely to fulfill only a fraction of demand, writes Ollie Batelier-Belton.
Deadlock over climate finance is undermining Paris agreement, Singapore minister says
8 Nov 2024
Efforts by the United States and others to persuade more countries to contribute to a new global climate financing initiative risks undermining the Paris agreement, Singapore's Environment Minister Grace Fu told Reuters on Wednesday.
Carbon price inching up as auction looms
7 Nov 2024
The carbon price is still inching up towards the auction floor, with the final auction for 2024 less than a month away. But the US election result means uncertain times for global environmental markets, according to an expert.
Nine years after the Paris Agreement, the UN confronts the world’s failure to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
4 Nov 2024
In one of three new reports on emissions, UN officials went as far as saying that the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius may be out of reach.
Govt should expect scrutiny over international climate targets
31 Oct 2024
The government should expect international scrutiny over progress towards its climate pledge, according to its own advisors.
Carbon credits essential part of decarbonisation toolkit: new report
31 Oct 2024
Carbon credits remain at the heart of global efforts to limit dangerous climate change, with prices predicted to rise towards US$125 by 2035, according to new analysis.
NZ adopts 'underwhelming' Commonwealth Ocean Declaration
30 Oct 2024
Commonwealth nations including Aotearoa and Pacific Island states have adopted the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration.
Govt to invest $20 million for Pacific disaster and climate resilience
29 Oct 2024
New Zealand will contribute $20 million to the Pacific Resilience Facility.
Planet will warm as much as 3.1°C under current policies: UN Report
29 Oct 2024
Without greater action, the planet will warm as much as 3.1 degrees Celsius, with a “massive gap between rhetoric and reality” that must be closed by new climate pledges under the Paris Agreement, according to the UN.
Investors are ramping up climate advocacy, with all eyes on COP29
29 Oct 2024
Investors the world over are calling on governments to use every tool in their toolbox, from fiscal carrots to regulatory sticks, to ensure industries can pivot and prosper in a clean energy future.
Auckland remains off track to meet climate target
22 Oct 2024
Auckland Council remains off track to reach its own climate targets, according to a new progress report, which shows emissions are rising rather tracking down to zero by 2050.
Govt finances still don’t recognise climate liability
17 Oct 2024
Treasury has failed to recognise a liability for New Zealand’s international climate commitments in its latest financial statement, with its position unchanged on the multibillion dollar price tag of purchasing offshore mitigation.
NZ must work with other countries to reach climate goals: new research
14 Oct 2024
By Liz Kivi | Aotearoa’s international climate targets can only be met through funding significant emissions reductions in other countries. But a lack of public support to spend this money overseas is paralysing New Zealand’s progress towards its goal, according to researchers.
UN carbon trading expert group agrees deal on market framework
14 Oct 2024
A UN expert group has reached a compromise on key elements of a global carbon trading system, in a bid to resolve nearly a decade of talks on what is seen as an important tool for raising climate finance.
The EU’s (vague) climate aid stance: Want more money? Get more donors
14 Oct 2024
The bloc won’t say how much money it’s willing to put up before other details are firmed up.
Countries can transform global energy sector by fully implementing 2030 goals: IEA
26 Sep 2024
A new report from the International Energy Agency shows tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency are possible with the right enabling conditions.
Why climate change investment pays off
25 Sep 2024
The cost of inaction on climate change far outweighs the cost of proactive investment, says new analysis issued at New York Climate Week.
Minister says buying offshore carbon credits ‘unrealistic’
12 Sep 2024
By Liz Kivi | Climate change minister Simon Watts says buying carbon mitigation offshore to meet the country’s international climate obligations is “unrealistic”.
Air NZ, Mitre 10 fall short in climate action rankings
10 Sep 2024
Air New Zealand and Mitre 10 have fallen short in a new ranking of 21 major companies based on their climate action targets.
UN-backed organisation approves Fonterra’s climate targets
19 Aug 2024
By Jon Rawlinson | The world’s top corporate climate-target verifier, the London-based Science Based Targets initiative, has approved Fonterra’s emissions reductions targets.
Govt keeping options open on international climate targets: Watts
15 Aug 2024
By Liz Kivi | The government is looking at multiple ways to meet New Zealand’s 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), according to climate change minister Simon Watts.
Govt shifts goalposts for key climate target
8 Aug 2024
The government has told the Climate Change Commission to remove consideration of the 1.5 degrees target from a forthcoming report, a move expected to lead to significantly weaker climate ambition.
How is the draft Emissions Reduction Plan supposed to work?
5 Aug 2024
COMMENT: In its new climate plan, the coalition government seems to be setting New Zealand up to withdraw from the world carbon market before 2035, argues economist Geoff Bertram.
Singapore Carbon Market Alliance launches
1 Aug 2024
Media release | The Singapore Economic Development Board and IETA have launched the Singapore Carbon Market Alliance, the first platform in Singapore aimed at helping companies obtain access to high-quality Article 6 carbon credits.
Significant risk Aotearoa will not meet climate targets: Climate Commission
31 Jul 2024
There is a significant risk that New Zealand will not meet future emissions reductions targets, according to a new report from the Climate Change Commission.
Trans-Tasman ministers talk climate and finance
31 Jul 2024
Finance Minister Nicola Willis and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts were in Brisbane yesterday discussing climate and finance with their Australian counterparts.
New plan might see climate change minister in court
18 Jul 2024
Lawyers for Climate Action say there are “significant concerns” about whether the government’s new climate plan will achieve its climate targets, and could be in breach of the Climate Change Response Act.
What does Denmark’s carbon tax mean for NZ?
17 Jul 2024
By Nick Swallow | COMMENT: A few weeks back Denmark announced a proposal to introduce a tax on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Climate strategy contradictory - or step in the right direction?
11 Jul 2024
A climate policy expert and IPCC lead author is concerned that progress on climate will be lost if the government doesn’t overhaul the Emissions Trading Scheme and introduce other complementary policies to reduce emissions.
Jones says he hopes Climate Commission CEO is removed
3 Jul 2024
Minister for Resources Shane Jones says he hopes that the chief executive of the Climate Change Commission will soon be removed from her job.
More carrot, less stick for ag sector emissions reductions?
1 Jul 2024
The Bank of New Zealand is the latest big business to become a shareholder of a public-private joint venture to reduce emissions from agriculture.
NZIER slams government’s climate approach in Budget 24
27 Jun 2024
The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research has found that just 1% of new expenditure in this year’s budget was favourable in terms of meeting the country’s climate commitments.
Exposing ‘risks hiding in plain sight’ – accounting for offshore carbon credits
20 Jun 2024
Media release | The McGuinness Institute has published a discussion paper on how New Zealand’s commitment to purchase offshore carbon credits under the Paris Agreement should appear in financial statements.
Carbon auction preview: Experts predict likely failure and govt lost revenue “own goal”
18 Jun 2024
Experts are picking tomorrow’s carbon auction will fail, with no incentive for participants to bid at prices more than 20% higher than the current secondary market price.
Humanity must extract seven to nine billion tonnes of CO2 from the atmosphere every year
5 Jun 2024
Media release | New State of Carbon Dioxide Removal report shows the need for a much stronger set of policies.
Govt looking at policy to restrict forestry in the ETS: Watts
7 May 2024
By Liz Kivi | The government is looking at complementary policies around land use to restrict forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme, rather than making changes directly to the scheme.
Climate Change Minister now in Cabinet after reshuffle
26 Apr 2024
Climate Change minister Simon Watts now has a seat at the Cabinet table.
NZ to cooperate with Philippines on international climate target, pledges $41 million climate finance to Southeast Asia
23 Apr 2024
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand has made its first tentative step towards forging an international agreement to meet its United Nations climate target by buying offshore offsetting.
Fast-Track legislation wrong track for climate targets, say lawyers
22 Apr 2024
Fast-Track legislation will take New Zealand further off track from meeting climate change obligations - and places the country at risk of breaching them, according to Lawyers for Climate Action.
Australia's climate change policy threat to the Pacific: former Tuvalu PM
19 Apr 2024
By Jeremy Rose | Former Tuvalu prime minister Enele Sopoaga declared Australia’s climate change policy a threat to the survival of the Pacific at a gathering in Wellington yesterday.
Emissions down for 2022
18 Apr 2024
Aotearoa New Zealand’s gross greenhouse gas emissions fell by 4% in 2022, according to new figures.
In its current state the ETS will fail to deliver significant emission reductions: Rod Carr
28 Feb 2024
By Jeremy Rose | Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr has told the Environment Select Committee that, in its current state, the ETS will fail to deliver significant emissions reductions.
Environmental Defence Society says "radical anti-environment government" could harm NZ's reputation
27 Feb 2024
The Environmental Defence Society says the government’s environmental policies could cause environmental harm as well as threaten New Zealand’s international reputation.
Wave of civil disobedience could upset corporate balance sheets
26 Feb 2024
By Jeremy Rose | Companies ignoring the potential cost of protests, which could reduce the economic value of carbon intensive investments, are risking the future viability of their businesses, a former McKinsey & Company consultant is warning.
MfE lays out issues for new minister
13 Feb 2024
Environment officials’ briefings to incoming ministers are a guarded affair with the papers outlining issues and choices, including what the new government wants to do with resource management laws, water issues, as well as climate mitigation and adaptation.
EU free trade agreement with “ambitious” climate commitments a step closer
2 Feb 2024
New Zealand’s Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, which carries sanctions if one of the parties doesn’t meet climate commitments, is a step closer. However the country’s climate targets seem to be moving further out of reach.
‘Formidable’ El Niño expected this winter
Wed 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.
New funding for low methane farming uptake
Wed 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.
$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.
Biodiversity plan heavy on talk, light on action, expert warns
Fri 24 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A newly released government biodiversity implementation plan has been criticised for lacking practical action, with one expert saying it focuses too heavily on discussion and data gathering rather than delivering results on the ground.
Burning wood for power worse for climate than gas equivalent, report finds
21 Apr 2026
Research casts doubt on plans by the UK government to offer subsidies for carbon capture attached to the power source.
Forest & Bird warns Emissions Trading Scheme ‘failing’
Tue 28 Apr 2026
New advice from the Climate Change Commission shows that New Zealand’s main climate policy tool is broken and at risk of collapse without urgent action to cut gross emissions, according to environmental advocates Forest & Bird.
BP profits more than double as Iran war sends oil prices higher
Wed 29 Apr 2026
BP's profits for the first three months of the year have more than doubled following a surge in oil prices since the beginning of the Iran war.
Carbon ‘stockpile’ up 9 million in March quarter
10 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | The ‘stockpile’ of pollution permits (NZUs) in private accounts has increased by just over 9 million to almost 145 million since the end of 2025, according to the latest figures from the Environmental Protection Authority.
Coal-to-urea plan ‘extremely unlikely’ to be zero carbon
Tue 28 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | A plan to turn Southland coal into nitrogen fertiliser is extremely unlikely “if not impossible” to be net zero, despite the claims of the Australian company applying to fast-track it, says sustainable energy expert Ralph Sims.
Supply-side pressures and political uncertainty ahead for carbon market
7 Apr 2026
By Kristen Green | ANALYSIS: With failed auctions, a surge of new forestry registrations, and an election a few months away, the NZ ETS in 2026 will be subject to a mix of supply-side pressures and political uncertainty.
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.
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.
Minister signals hands-off approach to emissions policy
Wed 29 Apr 2026
Climate Change Minister Simon Watts used last week's estimates debate to set out the Government's approach to emissions reduction, attributing New Zealand's lowest recorded emissions since 1998 in 2024 not to government policy but to the behaviour of households and businesses.
The Iran war has the world buying more clean energy. China stands to benefit the most
Tue 28 Apr 2026
The war in Iran has sent oil-starved countries scrambling for fuel. Many are opting for energy alternatives — and turning to the renewables king of the planet: China.
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.
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.
Commission advises no change to ETS settings but warns Govt of looming risks
Fri 24 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Climate Change Commission is warning the Government of a possible shortfall of Emissions Trading Scheme units by the late 2020s and says the scheme will struggle to provide an investment signal by the mid-2030s.
Peters backs rail over road as Govt weighs heavier trucks
Wed 29 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Winston Peters has broken ranks with the Government over proposed changes to heavy vehicle rules, saying rail – not bigger trucks – is the answer to New Zealand’s fuel pressures as the Coalition considers easing weight limits to reduce freight costs.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
Fonterra admits ‘100% grass-fed’ claim breached law in greenwashing row
2 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Fonterra has admitted its “100% New Zealand grass-fed” claims on Anchor butter were misleading and breached the law, settling a case brought by Greenpeace Aotearoa over packaging used between December 2023 and April 2025.
Mercury signs major hydro upgrade programme with ANDRITZ
23 Apr 2026
Media release | Mercury has signed a contract with international technology group ANDRITZ as part of a $590 million upgrade of three of the nine hydro stations on the Waikato River.
NZ prepares to join ‘gold rush’ for white hydrogen
25 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand may be close to commercialising the capture and use of naturally occurring ‘white’ hydrogen, with investment plans for developments in the Wairarapa region picking up pace in response to spiralling oil prices.
Media round-up
Fri 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.
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.
Tehran will never cede control of Strait of Hormuz, senior Iranian politician tells BBC
21 Apr 2026
"Never." That's when a senior Iranian lawmaker says they'll be ready to give up their control of the Strait of Hormuz.
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.
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.
Climate pollution static but NZ still on track for first emissions budget, says MfE
17 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is still on track to meet its first emissions budget, according to the Ministry for the Environment, despite the pace of emissions reductions slowing to a standstill.
Announcements expected soon on $200M gas fund
Fri 24 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Fossil fuel companies appear likely to take up a $200 million government fund to encourage additional oil and gas exploration, dashing lobbyist Business New Zealand’s hopes that it might be repurposed to underwrite industrial electrification.
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.
Pacific Islands call for fossil fuel phase-out, NZ hangs back
23 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Pacific Islands nations have launched a landmark declaration for a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific, calling for a Fossil Fuel Treaty and urgent phase-out of fossil fuels, however New Zealand isn’t rushing to join the call.
Kiwis overly optimistic about state of environment
27 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New research suggests many New Zealanders believe the environment is in better shape than it really is, with public perceptions often out of step with scientific evidence.
‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics
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?
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.
China has a new competitor? Kazakhstan reveals huge rare Earth deposit that could power the next tech boom
25 Feb 2026
China’s grip on rare earths might finally see some competition, and the world is already taking notice.
Environment ministry straining under pressure of reforms and potential disestablishment
15 Apr 2026
The ministry responsible for New Zealand’s most significant resource management reform in a generation is doing so under institutional strain, compressed timeframes, and an uncertain future – including its own potential disestablishment.
Timaru’s buses go fully electric
23 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Timaru’s bus service is set to go fully electric with the rollout of 10 new vehicles, marking a major step in cutting emissions and advancing Canterbury’s low-carbon public transport network.
The one-million whale climate solution: 6000-mile voyage launches to audit ocean carbon sinks
Tue 28 Apr 2026
Media release: Pacific Whale Fund | An unprecedented, multi-year ocean expedition launches this week to lay the scientific and legal groundwork for recognising the recovery of whale populations as a vital climate solution across the Pacific.
Media round-up
17 Apr 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The fuel crisis is a chance for government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, what would it take to tap into New Zealand's oceans energy, and which political parties would subsidise your rooftop solar panels?
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.
AI surge gives carbon capture a new push
15 Apr 2026
Technology that captures carbon emissions from power plants may finally get a breakthrough as deep-pocketed tech companies try to meet climate goals while powering the AI race.
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.
Electric car sales soar 51% in mainland Europe as Iran war drives up fuel prices
22 Apr 2026
Buyers’ interest in electric cars has risen across Europe since the start of the war in Iran in late February, as the rising cost of petrol highlights the cheaper power available from a plug.
India submits new climate action pledges to UN body, flags condition to fulfil promise
Wed 29 Apr 2026
India has formally submitted its pledge to the UN climate body, underline importing conditions noting the developing countries' committments cannot be fulfilled without adequate support in terms of finance and technology transfer.
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.
Extreme weather in Wellington ‘a different beast’
21 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate scientist Luke Harrington says the small-scale but intense floods which have slammed the capital in recent days are the kind that intensify most rapidly in a warming climate – and are the hardest to predict.
Scientists forecast wildfire risk for species survival under climate change
Fri 24 Apr 2026
A new study warns climate change could increase the global area susceptible to wildfires in the future, putting many more species at risk than today.
Trump administration to pay two more companies to walk away from US offshore wind leases
Wed 29 Apr 2026
Bluepoint Wind and Golden State Wind have agreed to end their offshore wind leases in exchange for reimbursements totaling nearly $900 million. Both companies have decided not to pursue any new offshore wind projects in the United States.
