Topics tagged with 'Politics'
Can’t plant our way to net zero: Upton
7 Oct 2022
Offsetting the emissions from a single dairy cow would require the planting of 0.6 hectares of pine forest, a new report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment has found.
Best by the rest...
7 Oct 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best local climate coverage: The majority of local election candidates have climate action at front of mind; a new research project aims to forecast risks to New Zealand as the world continues to heat; and while there's government assistance for those switching to EVs, e-bikes are yet to catch up.
New Brazilian Congress not likely to address climate
5 Oct 2022
Brazil has a major role to play in addressing climate change as home to the world’s largest rainforest, but after Sunday’s election, the subject is less likely to come up than ever.
Energy windfall tax offers much better economic relief than petrol excise, study finds
4 Oct 2022
As pressure mounts on the Albanese government to tax the super profits of oil and gas companies, a new Australian study says this kind of levy would be much more effective in delivering relief from high energy prices than a discount on petrol prices.
Labour confirms opposition to mining ban bill
3 Oct 2022
Labour has confirmed its caucus has agreed that MPs will not support a member’s bill banning new mines on the conservation estate and new coal mining anywhere.
The US ban on hydrofluorocarbons is a climate game-changer
3 Oct 2022
A lot of climate change-fighting strategies focus on removing air pollutants, or preventing them from reaching the atmosphere at all. While pretty much everybody these days can recognize carbon dioxide and methane as two of them, the US just joined around 130 other nations to take a big step in knocking out a third: hydrofluorocarbons, also known as HFCs.
How do you decide which candidates are truly climate friendly?
30 Sep 2022
By Jeremy Rose | Last month, Dunedin mayoral candidate Pamela Taylor declared herself in favour of increasing carbon emissions on the grounds it would stimulate plant growth.
More than 90% of economists in survey support carbon dividend
29 Sep 2022
More than 90% of economists who took part in a New Zealand Association of Economists survey support redistributing the proceeds from the Emission Trading Scheme auctions through a dividend to household rather than the current policy of using the money for targeted decarbonisation projects.
Progress continues on future-proofing Auckland’s transport infrastructure
29 Sep 2022
Media Release - Transport minister Michael Wood has welcomed the latest progress on Auckland’s two most transformational transport projects in a generation – Auckland Light Rail and the Additional Waitematā Harbour Connections.
Christchurch residents want action on climate change
28 Sep 2022
Most Christchurch residents see climate change as a significant issue, according to a recent survey, and this is reflected in election promises as candidates vie for local government positions.
Europe’s energy crisis is destroying the multipolar world
28 Sep 2022
The energy crisis provoked by the war in Ukraine may prove so economically destructive to both Russia and the European Union that it could eventually diminish both as great powers on the world stage.
First projects announced for $50 million fund to cut plastic waste
27 Sep 2022
Recycling old plumbing pipes to make new ones, and turning waste polystyrene into innovative building products, are among the first projects earmarked for the government’s $50 million Plastics Innovation Fund.
Partnership supports climate action in Latin America and Caribbean
27 Sep 2022
Media Release - Aotearoa New Zealand is extending the reach of its support for climate action to a new agriculture initiative with partners in Latin America and the Caribbean.
UN rights body rules Australia failed to protect from climate change
27 Sep 2022
The United Nations Human Rights Committee on September 23 found that the Australian government had violated the rights of Indigenous Torres Strait Islanders by failing to adequately protect them against the adverse impacts of climate change.
Young protesters demand climate action worldwide
27 Sep 2022
Young activists staged a coordinated “global climate strike” to highlight the effects of global warming and demand more aid for poor countries hit by weather chaos.
What many progressives misunderstand about fighting climate change
27 Sep 2022
Since the 1960s, fighting for the environment has frequently meant fighting against corporations. To curb pollution, activists have worked to thwart new oil drilling, coal-fired power plants, fracking for natural gas, and fuel pipelines. But today, Americans face a climate challenge that can’t be solved by just saying no again and again.
Best by the rest...
23 Sep 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in the local media: A biofuel mandate prompts economic and environmental criticism; new research in Australia reveals conservative voters care just as much about the environment as climate change activists; and slow lawmaking is making it difficult to act on environmental regulation in time.
Zero Carbon Act might be tightened: Shaw
20 Sep 2022
Climate change minister James Shaw told a conference in Auckland, yesterday, that “based on recent court cases” the government might need to strengthen the Zero Carbon Act.
The climate litigation trend is gathering global momentum
20 Sep 2022
The legal pressure on governments around the world to deliver more ambitious climate policies is continuing to intensify, according to a major new analysis from the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Is government move to protect productive land too little, too late?
19 Sep 2022
The government has released a National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land, aiming to enhance protection for the country’s most productive land and provide security for domestic food supply and primary exports.
NZ played no part in deep sea mining decision: MFAT
16 Sep 2022
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says New Zealand played no part in an International Seabed Authority (ISA) decision to grant a permit for deep sea mining near Kiribati.
Kenya’s new president promises ambitious climate plan
15 Sep 2022
Kenya's newly elected president William Ruto said that climate change will be key to the government's agenda and made an ambitious pledge to ramp up clean energy and phase out fossil fuels for electricity by 2030.
Fonterra bill threat to climate change targets: Upton
14 Sep 2022
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton, has written to the government warning an amendment to the Dairy Industry Act, currently before parliament, is likely to result in increased greenhouse gas emissions and more pressure on freshwater resources.
Low carbon homes could boost economy by $150 billion, slash emissions by 30 million tonnes
13 Sep 2022
Changes to the construction sector could give the economy a $150 billion boost, as well as slashing 30 million tonnes of CO2-e by 2050, a new study has found.
Consultation on proposals to update ETS unit settings
13 Sep 2022
The government is consulting on proposals to update the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) unit settings for the period 2023 to 2027.
Government promises favourable consent regime for renewable energy
12 Sep 2022
By Ian Llewellyn - Energy & Environment | Energy minister Megan Woods says a new regulatory framework for the development of offshore wind should be in place by 2024 and a discussion document was being put together on strengthening national direction for renewable electricity generation and transmission.
Australia finally has new climate laws. Now, let’s properly consider the astounding social cost of carbon
9 Sep 2022
The Conversation | The federal government’s climate change bill passed the Senateon Thursday. Among the mandates in the new Climate Change Act are assessments of the social, employment and economic benefits of climate change policies.
New U.K. Prime Minister brings worries about research funding and climate measures
7 Sep 2022
Liz Truss may not honour promises by outgoing leader Boris Johnson to make Britain a 'science superpower'
‘Gigantic missed opportunity’: Chile rejects green constitution
6 Sep 2022
Chile rejected a new constitution on Sunday which, if accepted, would have significantly expanded environmental rights and recognised the urgency of climate action.
Kiwi Chileans give thumbs up to new constitution recognising rights of nature
5 Sep 2022
New Zealand’s Chilean community voted overwhelmingly, yesterday, to approve a draft constitution for their homeland that recognises the legal rights of nature.
Taupō District Council adopts climate change directives
1 Sep 2022
Media Release - Taupō District Council has demonstrated its commitment to helping address climate change, adopting a set of directives and emissions reduction targets at its monthly meeting on Tuesday.
G20 climate talks in Indonesia end without joint communique
1 Sep 2022
Group of 20 climate talks in Bali ended without a joint communique Wednesday despite host Indonesia warning the world's leading economies they must act together to combat a warming planet or risk plunging into "uncharted territory".
The Inflation Reduction Act could change the world in at least five ways.
1 Sep 2022
Nearly seven years ago, a single mischosen word nearly killed the Paris Agreement.
Macron warns of ‘end of abundance’
30 Aug 2022
France is headed toward the “end of abundance” and “sacrifices” have to be made during what is a time of great upheaval, President Emmanuel Macron told his cabinet on Wednesday upon returning from summer break.
Lotteries big winner in government's decarbonisation grants
29 Aug 2022
The government has announced another $4.8 million dollars in support for decarbonisation in the public sector with a list of 11 projects saving 9943 tonnes of carbon over a 10-year period at a cost of $483 per tonne.
Call for youth representation on Climate Change Commission board
26 Aug 2022
Climate change should be included in the school curriculum and the law changed to require the Climate Change Commission to include a youth representative on its board, Parliament’s Environment Select Committee heard yesterday.
The search for fossil fuels must come to an end: Greens
26 Aug 2022
Media Release - Following a High Court decision yesterday the Green Party is calling on the Government to amend the Crown Minerals Act to end fossil fuel extraction and to require Ministers to consider climate change when making decisions about whether to grant a permit to prospect, explore or mine other Crown minerals.
Peru's capital Lima backs Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty
25 Aug 2022
City lawmakers in Lima, Peru on Monday unanimously passed a motion calling for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, a proposed global mechanism for tackling the source of most of the greenhouse gas emissions that are fueling the climate emergency.
Inflation Reduction Act could curb climate damages by up to $1.9 trillion, White House says
25 Aug 2022
The Inflation Reduction Act, the most aggressive climate investment ever taken by Congress, could cut the social costs of climate change by up to $1.9 trillion by 2050, the White House says.
Parker on ‘no go’ zones subject to extreme weather
22 Aug 2022
By Ian Llewellyn - Energy & Environment | As insurers make increasing noise about the urgency for policy to address climate change adaptation issues, Environment Minister David Parker said the Climate Adaptation Act will include processes to lay out ‘no go’ areas for building in places subject to extreme weather events.
Best by the rest...
19 Aug 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in the local media: Olivia Wannan’s coverage of the “Polluting 7” hearing; massive insurance cost rises predicted in line with climate risks; and Greater Wellington commits to a stringent climate target.
“More emissions than coal:” Pressure mounts on Australia to rule out forest biomass
18 Aug 2022
Pressure is mounting on the Australian government to rule out the use of native forest biomass for renewable energy generation – particularly as a replacement for coal in ageing coal generators – with one green group arguing that it “fails even the most basic common sense test.”
Bill to limit mining welcomed by conservationists; slammed by industry
17 Aug 2022
The mining lobby says a proposed bill to ban new mines on conservation land and stop new coal mining permits completely from 2025 is an “unnecessary stranglehold” on coal mining.
NZ German hydrogen programme announced
17 Aug 2022
New Zealand and Germany have joined forces to set up a green hydrogen programme.
What will the biggest shakeup to public transport in decades do for the climate?
16 Aug 2022
Public transport is in for its biggest shakeup in decades with yesterday’s announcements of the government’s “Sustainable Public Transport Framework” and the Auckland City Council’s proposed Transport Emissions Reduction Pathway.
EU-New Zealand agreement raises the bar on climate action in trade deals: analysis
16 Aug 2022
The EU-New Zealand free trade agreement (FTA) – announced in early July – is the first of its kind to include legally enforceable commitments on climate measures, as well as gender equality and environment and labour standards
Massachusetts’ Republican governor signs far-reaching climate bill into law
16 Aug 2022
Massachusetts’ Republican governor, Charlie Baker, signed a sweeping climate and energy bill into law last week, approving an array of policies intended to advance the state’s goal of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
US commitment to Pacific island climate action far from ironclad: A Chinese view
16 Aug 2022
As US President Joe Biden is set to host leaders of Pacific island countries at the White House in September, island nations will be watching how seriously his administration takes their calls for help to combat climate change, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported on Sunday, citing analysts.
Democrats jettison carbon pricing in favor of incentives to counter climate change
15 Aug 2022
The US's first comprehensive climate law, expected to be sealed with a vote in the House of Representatives on Friday, will not look anything like the program imagined by either climate economists or those in Washington and the environmental movement who had faith in bipartisan action
Australia calls for US-China to keep climate talks ‘ring-fenced’ from Taiwan tensions
15 Aug 2022
Australian Climate Change Minister Chris Bowen has called for China and the United States to resume climate talks despite rising tensions between the countries over the status of Taiwan.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
Fri 20 Feb 2026
Several environmental organisations are calling on political parties to make climate and biodiversity central to the 2026 election campaign, with reforming the Emissions Trading Scheme seen as a key priority.
Media round-up
Fri 20 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: 'Every tonne matters': The climate scientist who wants to give you hope; Minister says managed retreat is an option; and climate change is here – is New Zealand ready?
NZ’s government wants tourism to drive economic growth – but how will it deal with aviation emissions?
22 Oct 2025
By Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University | Following a brief dip during the COVID pandemic, aviation is back in a growth phase.
Singapore sets first ever sustainable aviation fuel levy, as Southeast Asia’s fuel industry grows
Tue 17 Feb 2026
Flying in and out of Singapore, home to Southeast Asia’s busiest airport, will get slightly more expensive this year as the city state begins imposing a levy of between 75 cents to $32 per ticket to fund sustainable aviation fuel.
Greens slam move to disband Environment Ministry
Fri 20 Feb 2026
The Green Party has joined climate and health advocates in condemning the Government's decision to disestablish the Ministry for the Environment as part of a multi-ministry merger.
Govt’s own modelling shows LNG leads to higher electricity prices than other solutions
Thu 19 Feb 2026
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: According to modelling conducted by Concept Consulting for MBIE, either developing the Tariki gas storage facility or managing electricity demand would deliver lower wholesale electricity prices than the Government’s preferred solution of an LNG import terminal.
New study looks to nature markets to accelerate climate response
Wed 18 Feb 2026
The Nature Conservancy is teaming up with local groups to study the most affordable and effective ways of restoring native habitats at the top of the South Island, including ways to fund the work using international voluntary carbon markets and biodiversity credits.
California, Connecticut preparing 'attack' against Trump's repeal of basis of US climate regulation
Fri 20 Feb 2026
California and Connecticut are working together on a multi-state "plan of attack" against President Donald Trump's repeal of the foundation of federal climate regulation of vehicles, the states' attorneys general told Reuters on Tuesday.
Carbon price drops as volatility continues
Tue 17 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market is still displaying extreme volatility, with prices dropping back to below $40 yesterday, after trading as high as $46.25 last week.
Flawed decision-making around taxing electricity to fund LNG import terminal
16 Feb 2026
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: The Government's decision to back an LNG import terminal exemplifies an egregious failure in public policy and energy sector governance.
LNG: a rational choice compared to unpalatable alternatives
10 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: By deciding to underwrite the private construction of a liquefied natural gas import facility in Taranaki, the Government has made a rational choice in favour of energy security and affordability.
Sustainable retail-office project breaks ground under new Green Star framework
Thu 19 Feb 2026
Construction is set to begin on a new retail-office development in central Auckland, which is targeting a 40% reduction in embodied carbon and 25% lower energy.
Opposition attacks Govt over fossil fuel phaseout backdown
2 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | Revelations that Resources Minister Shane Jones ruled out New Zealand signing up to a 'road map' away from fossil fuels at last year’s global climate summit show the National Party’s minor coalition partners’ undue influence over the Government, according to Labour leader Chris Hipkins.
Carbon market rallies but auction floor still out of reach
13 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market has rallied, with secondary market prices up more than 25% in the past two weeks, although current prices in the mid-$40s are still far below this year’s $71 auction floor, with the first auction of 2026 less than three weeks away.
DOC trims costs and winds down jobs for nature
10 Nov 2025
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is entering a new phase of tighter budgets and structural change as it winds down the pandemic-era Jobs for Nature programme and reshapes its operations to absorb long-term cost pressures.
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.
Slash for cash turns storm debris into jobs and climate resilience
Thu 19 Feb 2026
A community-led initiative in Tairāwhiti is transforming storm-damaged forestry slash into jobs, soil regeneration and long-term climate resilience.
Calls for action to reduce emissions as extreme weather bites
Tue 17 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | Renewable energy advocates and environmental groups are calling for more action to reduce emissions and increase resilience as severe weather wreaks havoc across the country.
RMA to speed up fossil fuel consents
18 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | An energy lobby group has welcomed a last-minute amendment to the RMA that puts fossil fuels on the same footing as renewables, however a sustainable energy expert says the move “beggars belief.”
European Central Bank's green supervision grows teeth, but will banks avoid being bitten?
13 Feb 2026
After several years of issuing guidance and repeatedly calling on banks to take climate and environmental risk management seriously, the European Central Bank is moving from guidance and expectations to enforcement.
Green Member’s Bill aims to give whales legal ‘personhood’
9 Feb 2026
The Green Party wants to give whales legal rights, including the right to sue.
Claims that AI can help fix climate dismissed as greenwashing
Wed 18 Feb 2026
Tech companies are conflating traditional artificial intelligence with generative AI when claiming the energy-hungry technology could help avert climate breakdown, according to a report.
Govt missing opportunity to slash electricity prices, says expert
11 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s fixation on eliminating the "dry-year risk margin" as a lever to reduce costs misses a much bigger opportunity to lower electricity prices, according to Christina Hood, head of Compass Climate.
Media round-up
13 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Senior UK ministers have asked their New Zealand counterparts to explain new climate policies, National’s LNG blunders are a warning ahead of election campaign, and what are the lessons New Zealand should take from another summer of weather disasters?
Wales council to buy and demolish homes prone to flooding
4 Feb 2026
A row of homes in a village in south Wales is to be bought by a local authority and demolished as they can no longer be protected from flooding caused by the climate crisis.
Climate law change spanner in the works for Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry
19 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s controversial changes to New Zealand’s legal framework for climate policy have thrown a spanner in the works for a long-running Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry into climate change.
Australian gas producer Santos wins court fight over net zero claims
Wed 18 Feb 2026
An Australian court on Tuesday threw out a lawsuit against gas producer Santos that alleged the company misled the public on its plans to achieve net zero carbon emissions.
Govt unveils plans for carbon storage regulations – and ETS rewards
18 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government has released plans to regulate carbon capture and storage in natural geological formations, which include Emissions Trading Scheme incentives, with the aim of introducing related legislation in 2026.
Seabed miners quit South Taranaki fast-track bid
Fri 20 Feb 2026
By Craig Ashworth, Local Democracy Reporter | Would-be seabed miners have abandoned their fast-track bid to mine in South Taranaki waters, saying they can’t change the minds of the panel that rejected their application.
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.
Partnership to advance Pacific science and environmental leadership
Thu 19 Feb 2026
Media release | Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration in Pacific-led science, research and capacity-building, with a strong focus on environmental sustainability and ocean stewardship.
Lawyers seek answers on climate impacts of LNG import facility
13 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action has written to Climate Change and Energy Minister Simon Watts warning that the Government's plan for an LNG import terminal could be in conflict with New Zealand’s climate obligations and emissions reduction targets.
Commentators slam Govt inaction in aftermath of climate change-fuelled storms
30 Jan 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate action - or inaction - is shaping up to be an election issue, with multiple commentators drawing a line between the Coalition Government’s backsliding on climate targets and the deadly extreme weather events of the past week.
Kiwi startup takes on global plastic pollution
12 Feb 2026
A New Zealand startup is launching what it says is the world’s first plastic-free effervescent drink tablet, with the ambitious aim of eliminating bottled beverages to reduce global plastic pollution.
78% of NZers want bottom trawling banned as Govt pushes to catch more coral in South Pacific
Tue 17 Feb 2026
Media release | New polling shows overwhelming support from New Zealanders for a ban on bottom trawling in the South Pacific high seas, says Greenpeace.
Critical minerals talks with US questioned in Waitangi Tribunal climate inquiry
9 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand and the United States' negotiations over critical minerals have raised questions for the Waitangi Tribunal’s long-running inquiry into climate change.
IEA Declaration strengthens international co-operation on critical minerals
Fri 20 Feb 2026
Media release – NZ Government | New Zealand has joined international leaders at the 2026 International Energy Agency Ministerial meeting in committing to strengthen global co-operation on critical minerals to strengthen long‑term energy security.
Antarctic sediment core reveals past ice sheet retreat during warmer climates
Wed 18 Feb 2026
A record-breaking sediment core drilled from beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is giving scientists new insight into how the ice sheet responded to warmer climates in the past — and what that could mean for future sea-level rise.
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.
NZ-UAE partnership boosts advanced tech
9 Feb 2026
Media release | A new Antarctic science partnership with a leading UAE university will grow New Zealand’s advanced engineering and modelling capability, supporting high-value jobs, encouraging economic growth, and enabling smarter climate risk management, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti says.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
Infrastructure plan calls for ‘predictable approach’ to electrifying economy
Wed 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.
Climate ambassador moves on
13 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government is on the hunt for a new top climate diplomat, with previous climate ambassador Stu Horne moving on to a posting in Honolulu as New Zealand’s Consul General to Hawai’i.
EU to ban destruction of unsold clothes and shoes
12 Feb 2026
The European Commission has adopted new measures that will require medium and large companies to stop discarding unsold clothing and footwear, in the bloc’s latest move to target textile waste.
New research on climate adaptation as severe weather hits
16 Feb 2026
As extreme weather batters the country yet again, researchers have published the first ever empirical study of climate adaptation justice in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Study finds warming world increases days when weather is prone to fires around the globe
Fri 20 Feb 2026
The number of days when the weather gets hot, dry and windy — ideal to spark extreme wildfires — has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, with the trend increasing even higher in the Americas, a new study shows.
Hydrogen plant to start construction
10 Feb 2026
Construction is set to start this month on Hiringa Energy’s long delayed green hydrogen project in South Taranaki, after years of consenting fights that culminated in the Court of Appeal rejecting Greenpeace’s challenge in late 2023.
