Topics tagged with 'Politics'
Coal still being burnt in DOC huts
10 Mar 2023
The ACT Party is claiming that the continued use of coal in some Department of Conservation huts is proof of the “craziness” of the government’s climate targets.
The Indigenous congressional climate push
10 Mar 2023
Tribal producers from across the country were among more than a dozen farm groups lobbying Capitol Hill lawmakers this week to empower farmers to address climate change in the 2023 farm bill.
US treasury secretary Yellen warns that losses tied to climate change could ‘cascade through the financial system’
9 Mar 2023
US treasury secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday warned that climate change is already taking a significant economic toll and could cause extensive losses to the U.S. financial system in the coming years.
Climate action must remain priority in transport investment: Greens
7 Mar 2023
Media release - As large parts of Aotearoa recover from two of the worst climate disasters we have ever experienced, it would be a huge mistake for the Government to deprioritise climate action from future transport investments, the Green Party says.
Speaking truth to power: Be less shit
6 Mar 2023
Thousands of school students took to the streets of cities around the country on Friday and their message to the powers that be could hardly have been more direct.
Eleven Asian countries agree to pursue 'practical' carbon neutrality
6 Mar 2023
Japan and a group of 10 other countries in Asia have agreed to pursue "practical pathways" for carbon neutrality through coordinated steps such as developing hydrogen supply chains and setting decarbonization standards while ensuring energy security
Activists make final appeal to Biden to block Arctic oil project
6 Mar 2023
Environmental and Indigenous activists rallied outside the White House on Friday calling on President Joe Biden to reject a major Arctic oil project that has been in development for years.
Govt announces $9.5 million in funding for agricultural greenhouse gas research
2 Mar 2023
The government yesterday announced an additional $9.55 million dollars for research into reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.
Concern about climate change at a record high
28 Feb 2023
Concern about climate change has significantly increased, rising by six percentage points to 27% in the latest Ipsos New Zealand Issues Monitor - the highest since tracking began in 2018.
Farmers for Climate Action rally in Washington
28 Feb 2023
Farmers and farm organisations from across the country will rally in Washington, D.C., March 6-8 to advocate for a 2023 Farm Bill that addresses and supports climate solutions.
National Party leader Christopher Luxon slams govt’s climate change record
27 Feb 2023
National Party leader Christopher Luxon slammed the government’s track record on climate change in a speech over the weekend but failed to propose a single alternative policy.
Pacific countries urged to collaborate for climate-resilient future
27 Feb 2023
Fiji President Ratu Wiliame Katonivere has called on Pacific countries to work together and hold each other accountable to agreements made at the 2023 Early Childhood Development Forum.
Green Party launches petition opposing cuts to Auckland climate programmes
24 Feb 2023
The Green Party has launched a petition to stop proposed cuts to Auckland’s climate and environmental programmes.
Nigeria's election: Candidates ignore climate change
23 Feb 2023
Nigeria has been badly hit by climate change, resulting in desertification, a shrinking Lake Chad in the north, flooding in the center and coastal erosion in the south. Yet the issue hasn't played a role in campaigning.
Austrian children take Government to court over climate change
23 Feb 2023
A dozen minors filed a lawsuit with Austria’s top court Tuesday seeking to force the government to ensure their constitutional rights are protected by taking tougher action against climate change.
Preparing for climate disclosure in the largest capital market
23 Feb 2023
For corporate sustainability professionals, questions as to what to expect, when and how to prepare for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's proposed climate disclosure rule are numerous, and understandably top of mind.
Parliament unites to stop gifting of carbon credits to big emitters
22 Feb 2023
Parliament has unanimously supported the first reading of an amendment bill that puts an end to the over-allocation of carbon credits to trade-exposed industries. The current system of “industrial allocation” has seen some of the country’s biggest emitters receiving a $60 million annual windfall.
More than half of Finns ready to adjust standard of living for climate
22 Feb 2023
More than half of Finns are ready to compromise on their standard of living to tackle the climate crisis, reveals a survey conducted for Helsingin Sanomat by Kantar Public.
Commissioner for the Environment doubts govt’s resource management plans are fit for purpose
21 Feb 2023
Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton has told a select committee that two key pieces of legislation in its climate change adaptation plan are unlikely to provide an enduring framework that protects the environment.
“Clean energy arms race:” NSW Labor promises state-owned body modelled on CEFC
21 Feb 2023
The New South Wales Coalition government and the state Labor opposition have upped the ante on their election campaign promises to accelerate the transition of the country’s biggest and most coal dependent grid to a global leader on wind, solar and storage.
Counting the cost in the wake of Gabrielle
20 Feb 2023
Energy & Environment | Part of the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle will be counting the cost and a long hard rethink about aspects of energy and environment policy.
Australia will rely on carbon credits & offsets to meet climate goals
20 Feb 2023
Climate advocates were overjoyed when voters in Australia threw the despicable Scott Morrison and his gang of fossil fuel sycophants overboard last year.
Bioenergy Association says forestry slash could help drive our heavy transport fleet
17 Feb 2023
The Bioenergy Association says the forestry slash causing havoc on the East Coast could have been slashing the country’s carbon emissions.
Outcry as scientists sanctioned for climate protest
16 Feb 2023
More than 2000 researchers from around the world have signed a letter asking the American Geophysical Union (AGU) to reverse actions it took against two scientists who briefly protested at its annual meeting in Chicago, Illinois, in December.
UK politician attacks 15-minute city concept in parliament
16 Feb 2023
UK member of parliament Nick Fletcher has ignited a debate about 15-minute cities after stating that they "will take away personal freedoms".
A global citizens’ assembly on the climate and ecological crisis
15 Feb 2023
In 2021, a diverse group of actors—from scientists to social activists, practitioners to academics—organized a global citizens’ assembly for that year’s UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.
Experts back more robust US estimates of social cost of carbon
15 Feb 2023
Some 400 scientists and climate experts expressed support on Monday for a US government proposal to revise a key metric that estimates the damage from carbon dioxide emissions.
UK climate activist George Monbiot speaking at NZ EDS conference
14 Feb 2023
The Environmental Defence Society’s upcoming conference will feature the UK’s bestselling climate change author and environmental activist George Monbiot, as well as speakers from across New Zealand’s political spectrum.
Climate targets 'may mean higher taxes': Lord Stern
14 Feb 2023
The UK has made good progress towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 but getting there may need higher taxes.
EC proposes additionality rules for renewable hydrogen
14 Feb 2023
The European Commission (EC) proposed on Monday detailed rules to define what constitutes renewable (green) hydrogen in the EU, underlining the necessity of connecting electrolysers to newly-added renewable power generation only.
The curious case of the DOC mining bill report
13 Feb 2023
Reports that the Government was to introduce a bill banning new mines on conservation land came as a surprise to many.
Climate action should not be left to our children: Vanuatu PM
13 Feb 2023
An historic vote at the United Nations General Assembly in New York calling for decisive action on global warming is expected to take place next month.
Climate cuts rife in Auckland budget proposal: Forest & Bird
10 Feb 2023
News release - The mayoral proposal for Auckland’s 2023/2024 annual budget is not fit-for-purpose in a climate emergency and biodiversity crisis, says Forest & Bird.
New $20k fund for tāngata whenua environmental monitoring
10 Feb 2023
News release - Tāngata whenua are being invited to apply for a share of a new $20,000 fund designed to support them in undertaking their own environmental monitoring within Te Taitokerau.
US climate legislation could create 9 million jobs
10 Feb 2023
In Tuesday’s State of the Union address, President Joe Biden touted the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) as “ the most significant investment ever in climate change. Ever. Lowering utility bills, creating American jobs, leading the world to a clean energy future.”
Environmental groups say govt decision to drop biofuels mandate "enormous relief"
9 Feb 2023
Environmental groups, motoring and fossil fuel lobbyists, and opposition parties have all welcomed the government's decision to drop the biofuels mandate.
Greens not on board with fossil fuel subsidy
2 Feb 2023
Media release - The Green Party is calling on the Government to provide direct support to low-income households and to stop subsidising fossil fuels during a climate crisis.
Parliamentary Commissioner for Environment gives govt a hurry up
1 Feb 2023
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, has told the government it needs to speed up plans for a whole-of-system energy strategy.
Report proposes tax on the ultra-rich to finance a global climate fund
1 Feb 2023
Climate change is also a story of inequality. Inequality between the culprits and the victims of a crisis that not only causes global heating but also triggers extreme weather events that further impoverish those who are already living in poverty.
US lawmakers press to remove oil boss from leading COP28 climate talks
30 Jan 2023
A group of U.S. lawmakers wants the Biden administration to ask the United Arab Emirates to remove the oil company chief the country chose to lead the next U.N. climate talks — or at a minimum "seek assurances" that the UAE will promote an ambitious COP28 summit.
Climate activists block main road into The Hague
30 Jan 2023
Hundreds of climate activists blocked one of the main roads into The Hague on Saturday, defying attempts to prevent their protest that have sparked concerns about restrictions on the right to demonstrate in the Netherlands.
Best by the rest...
27 Jan 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Dame Anne Salmond on New Zealand’s “fatally flawed” climate strategy; a fact check of claims that Kiwi farms are the greenest; and why the country needs an e-bike rebate.
Todd Muller's second coming as National's climate spokesperson
26 Jan 2023
By Liz Kivi | Having previously announced his retirement after resigning as National party leader, Todd Muller’s political career has been resurrected with a promotion and appointment to the climate change and agriculture portfolios.
Hipkins gives little away on attitude to climate change
25 Jan 2023
By Jeremy Rose | Compared to Jacinda Ardern’s much quoted declaration that climate change was “our generation’s nuclear-free moment”, new prime minister Chris Hipkins’ comments on the subject to date have been decidedly anodyne.
Bloomberg: Ardern's mixed record on climate change
25 Jan 2023
The outgoing prime minister set up a long-term framework for New Zealand to address global warming, but emissions haven’t been trending downward.
NGO sues German government for failing climate targets in transport and buildings sectors
25 Jan 2023
Environmental lobby group Friends of the Earth Germany is suing the German government for missing its emission reduction targets in the buildings and transport sectors.
Carbon capture only way to stay below 1.5 degrees: James Shaw
23 Dec 2022
Carbon capture is going to have to play role if the world is to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees, climate change minister James Shaw says.
Govt gives $2.8 million for boiler conversion to multinational committed to phasing out coal by 2025
23 Dec 2022
By Jeremy Rose | The government has given $2.8 million to a multinational company to convert its coal boiler to woodchips, despite the company already committing to phase out coal use internationally by 2025.
Thousands demand right to repair
23 Dec 2022
Last July, Repair Café Aotearoa presented environment minister David Parker with a petition signed by 12,901 people calling on the government to introduce right to repair legislation.
Private members bill could see environment recognised as a company stakeholder
23 Dec 2022
By Jeremy Rose | In 1916 John and Horace Dodge took Henry Ford to court to stop him from, in his words, “employ(ing) still more men, to spread the benefits of this industrial system to the greatest possible number, to help them build up their lives and their homes.”
Media round-up
Fri 14 Nov 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Simon Watts acknowledges he may face ‘challenging’ conversations with Pacific nations at COP30, New Zealand's climbdown on its methane emissions target is "embarrassing", and corporates are the real winners of the gutting of the Zero Carbon Act this week.
Kaicycle celebrates ten years of collective climate action in Pōneke
Fri 14 Nov 2025
Media release: Kaicycle | Since 2015, Kaicycle has grown from a humble pilot project growing kai and collecting compost on bicycles into the thriving urban farm and composting hub that Wellingtonians know and love.
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.
Air NZ inks deal for its first internationally verified carbon credits
9 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Air New Zealand has committed to buying 8000 tonnes of carbon removals by 2030, in partnership with local native forest investment platform My Native Forest.
NZ’s shameful new role as ‘international climate pariah’
Thu 13 Nov 2025
OPINION: New Zealand has ratcheted up its climate backsliding in the past month – losing any shred of climate credibility we once had and showing the world we’re giving up on a net zero future, writes Kayla Kingdon-Bebb.
Govt launches strategy backing wood-based heat sector
23 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Forestry biomass could replace as much as 40% of fossil fuel-generated process heat by 2050, but access to supply, regulatory settings and business cases for converting to wood-based heat sources are required, the Government says in a series of documents released yesterday.
ETS price spike fears drove NDC decoupling
Thu 13 Nov 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Fears about the economic and fiscal costs of failure to buy enough offshore carbon credits to meet New Zealand’s Nationally Determined Contribution drove last week’s key climate change policy decision.
Australia's green energy push, Pacific ties face setback from COP31 impasse
Fri 14 Nov 2025
Australia risks undermining efforts to establish itself as a leader in the green energy transition and letting down its vulnerable Pacific island neighbours if its bid to host next year's biggest climate summit fails, diplomats and analysts say.
Carbon price’s dead cat bounce
Wed 12 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price rebounded briefly in what looked like a ‘dead cat bounce’ last week, following the Government’s announcement it was unlinking the Emissions Trading Scheme from international climate targets.
Act-NZ First split over future of the energy sector
Fri 14 Nov 2025
Act leader David Seymour has set out an energy policy platform that diverges sharply from coalition partner NZ First, arguing New Zealand must accept coal-fired backup generation, consider nuclear power, remove political interference from the electricity sector and sell down the government’s majority stakes in the gentailers.
'Little to be hopeful about' – NZ scientists caution ahead of COP30
31 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Record heat, worsening climate impacts and global backsliding on emission reduction commitments have left some New Zealand climate experts with little optimism as COP30 approaches.
$235 billion worth of NZ buildings exposed to flooding
30 Oct 2025
More than 750,000 New Zealanders live in locations exposed to one-in-100-year floods, according to a nationwide study which shows escalating flood risk.
COP30: Brazil tries to find a home for tricky issues
Fri 14 Nov 2025
Brazil is trying to craft a compromise package on several contentious issues and has dismissed the idea of a roadmap away from fossil fuels.
NZ backs international government push for high-integrity carbon markets
Thu 13 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand has joined a coalition of governments aiming to strengthen corporate demand for voluntary carbon credits.
Clean energy could become a huge political winner
Wed 12 Nov 2025
Rising power bills quietly shaped this year’s races – and gave Democrats a new attack line on climate.
DOC trims costs and winds down jobs for nature
Mon 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.
Coastal roads in the climate spotlight
Fri 14 Nov 2025
By Sue Teodoro, Local Democracy Reporter | Vulnerable coastal roads across New Zealand, including in Masterton district, are coming under the spotlight as the Government works on a plan to address the cost of climate-related damage.
NZ marine heatwaves could double in intensity under high-emissions pathway
16 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New projections show marine heatwaves will grow more intense around the North Island and more frequent around the South Island as the climate warms – raising risks for fisheries, aquaculture, coastal ecosystems and tourism.
Does NZ's 2035 NDC meet Paris Agreement obligations?
7 Nov 2025
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: New Zealand’s 2035 Paris Agreement Target needs strengthening, with multiple reasons the 51 to 55% emissions reduction target does not meet our obligations under the accord.
Govt gas expansion 'climate vandalism' – Greens
7 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Green Party has labelled the Government’s move to broaden the scope of its $200 million fossil gas investment fund as vandalism, accusing Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of breaking trust with New Zealanders.
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.”
Oxfam urges NZ to renew climate funding as Pacific projects face closure
Wed 12 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Oxfam Aotearoa is calling on the Government to urgently renew New Zealand’s climate finance commitments, warning that vital projects supporting Pacific communities’ resilience are running out of funding.
Building resilient cities in a time of climate change
Thu 13 Nov 2025
Media release: Otago University | Local and international experts are meeting in Wellington this month to share their knowledge on creating healthier, more resilient cities in the face of the challenges posed by climate change.
TotalEnergies loses in Paris court, marking a turning point for fossil fuel truth-in-advertising
5 Nov 2025
TotalEnergies was found to have misled consumers about its role in the energy transition.
Lake Onslow battery project set for revival?
29 Oct 2025
A newly formed private consortium has emerged with plans to finance and build the massive Lake Onslow pumped-hydro project, despite the coalition government’s decision to abandon the scheme.
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
31 Oct 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: A controversial seabed mining project could lead to sediment flows knocking over rigs and damaging wind turbines; weather-related insurance claims climb; and is the government playing Russian Roulette with our future over methane targets?
Why I’m not outraged at the Govt’s latest climate backsliding
7 Nov 2025
COMMENT: The Government’s latest climate rollbacks underline New Zealand’s long history of a lack of genuine desire to cut emissions, writes Geoff Bertram.
Z Energy settles greenwashing case over ‘quitting petrol’ claims
4 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Z Energy has settled a landmark greenwashing case over claims it misled the public about moving away from petrol – a result Lawyers for Climate Action NZ says delivers long-overdue accountability.
Nelson commuters urged to ditch car once a week
22 Oct 2025
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | Nelson has a bold carbon emission reduction target and residents are being encouraged to leave the car at home one day a week to help meet it.
Supermarket fast-track a ‘cynical ploy’, risks climate and environmental protections
5 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government’s “express lane for supermarkets” announcement has been met with fierce backlash, with critics calling the Fast-track Approvals Amendment Bill a Trojan horse that strips environmental protections, sidelines communities, and hands sweeping powers to ministers at the expense of democracy.
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.
Climate impacts hit NZ with increasing wild weather
23 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is facing a triple whammy of climate impacts today, with severe winds and rainfall predicted for much of the country while some areas are still dealing with wildfires ignited earlier in the week.
Carbon Finance Program upscales efforts to close climate investment gap in climate vulnerable nations
22 Oct 2025
Media release | The Climate Vulnerable Forum and its V20 Finance Ministers (CVF-V20) will work with the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) to upscale the Carbon Finance Program in reach and impact, supporting more climate-vulnerable countries to host high-integrity carbon projects that yield tangible climate, nature, and sustainable development benefits.
Lobby group launches ‘blueprint’ for ocean management reform
18 Sep 2025
The Environmental Defence Society yesterday released its plan to tackle widespread ecological decline in our oceans.
Protesters and UN security clash at climate summit in Brazil
Thu 13 Nov 2025
Activist groups and United Nations security clashed in chaotic scenes late Tuesday after protesters appeared to force their way into the COP30 climate conference venue, in the most serious act of unrest seen in years inside one of the annual gatherings.
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.
Scotland's first wind farm 'supercharged' after upgrade
Tue 11 Nov 2025
Scotland's first commercial wind farm will be able to deliver five times more clean power than before after being upgraded.
New national dataset to unlock blue carbon potential in NZ’s coastal wetlands
Wed 12 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Ministry for the Environment and the Nature Conservancy have collaborated on a dataset to inform a framework to potentially include coastal wetlands into compliance and voluntary carbon credit schemes.
Solar households to get little-noticed tax break
23 Sep 2025
A provision in the government’s latest tax bill would exempt households from paying tax on income they earn by selling excess electricity back to the grid.
AgriZero backs first nitrous oxide solution with $1.2m investment
6 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A Kiwi ag-tech start-up developing a device for cows to wear to drastically cut nitrous oxide emissions has secured $1.2 million in government-industry funding.
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.
EV and hybrid sales soar in Australia as internal combustion cars fall below 70% market share for first time
Thu 13 Nov 2025
Data from peak motoring body shows battery-electric vehicles accounted for 9.7% of new cars sold in September quarter, the highest proportion on record.
EU’s new climate target lines up multibillion dollar boost for carbon markets
Mon 10 Nov 2025
Analysts estimate the EU will buy at least 50 billion euros worth of carbon credits in the 2030s to help meet its emissions-cutting goals.
Fix it, don't ditch it: University of Auckland hosts first Repair Cafe
9 Oct 2025
Media release - Auckland University | The University's first-ever Repair Cafe is bringing students and staff together to give broken items a new lease on life, while promoting a culture of repair and reuse.
Council buys dairy farm to help clean up Lake Rotorua
21 Oct 2025
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has bought a 266-hectare dairy farm in the Lake Rotorua catchment and plans to retire it from production to reduce nitrogen entering the lake.
Adaptation plan at odds with public sentiment: survey
21 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s position on climate adaptation buyouts shows a disconnect with public opinion, according to survey findings from insurer Suncorp NZ.
We have more renewable energy than ever before. Why are we switching it off?
Tue 11 Nov 2025
Experts say until more storage is installed to soak up the waves of renewable energy flooding the grid, much of that power will occasionally have to be curtailed.
