Topics tagged with 'Politics'
Why it's better to sell NZUs at home
15 Jul 2011
Carbon Market Solutions says it has had a number of clients asking if they are able sell NZUs overseas.
New enviro watchdog to run ETS
1 Jul 2011
The new Environmental Protection Authority kicks off today, and from January it will be responsible for administering the Emissions Trading Scheme.
NZ spearheads agri-emissions research
24 Jun 2011
The Government has just revealed details of a $25 million fund for international research on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from pastoral farming.
All's not well after Bonn climate talks
24 Jun 2011
A two-week United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting held in Bonn, Germany, this month drew 3500 people representing 190 nations, Carbon Market Solutions reports.
At these levels, you have to start buying
24 Jun 2011
The local carbon market continues to fall in sympathy with European carbon prices, though the majority of NZU owners are baulking at selling at these levels, OMFinancial reports.
WWF calls for countries to act on carbon
17 Jun 2011
Fast and scaled-up support for innovative approaches to developing a low-carbon economy is both possible and essential, says a new WWF report.
World Bank tracks stalled carbon market
17 Jun 2011
The international carbon market stalled at $US142 billion last year, after five years of growth.
The Carbon Traders: Lizzie Chambers, Carbon Match
17 Jun 2011
The newcomer to the New Zealand carbon trading scene believes it is a market destined to grow.
Emissions trading is best, says Shell chief
17 Jun 2011
Emissions trading schemes are a better way of tackling carbon pollution than government subsidies of renewable energy projects, says a senior Shell executive.
Wind generation needs a helping hand
17 Jun 2011
New Zealand this week celebrated Global Wind Day for the first time.
Climate fighter has a big job for NZ
10 Jun 2011
Scientist and climate change campaigner Dr James Hansen says that New Zealand could be the country he has been looking for to "stand up and tell the truth" - that our addiction to fossil fuels can be cured only by an honest, rising price on carbon.
Parties battle over carbon farming plans
10 Jun 2011
The Gillard Government has called on the Opposition to stop political game-playing which could delay Australian farmers and rural communities from securing significant benefits under the Carbon Farming Initiative.
FORUM: Britain can't do it alone
3 Jun 2011
Climate change is a huge threat to prosperity and security, and the United Kingdom can't tackle it alone, writes British High Commission to New Zealand first secetary Tony Clemson.
Labour might sweeten ETS deal for farmers
27 May 2011
Labour might sweeten the carbon deal for farmers by letting them become the point of obligation under the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Europe keeps emissions under control
27 May 2011
Europe’s greenhouse gas emissions grew last year on the back of an economic recovery, but were still below cap.
Business on right track, says Hansen
13 May 2011
New Zealand’s business community has received a bouquet from the scientist James Hansen, the American dubbed the father of global warming.
They are the Champions … of the Earth
13 May 2011
Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon, singer Angélique Kidjo and adventurer Louis Palmer are among this year’s five winners of a United Nations award that honours contributions to the global effort to protect the environment.
Nervous foresters unsure about ETS
6 May 2011
Political uncertainty over the Emissions Trading Scheme has left some foresters gun-shy.
Labour wants teeth for EPA
6 May 2011
The Labour Party is trying to give the Environment Protection Authority teeth, says Labour’s Environment spokesperson Charles Chauvel.
ETS review predictable so far
29 Apr 2011
With the findings of the ETS Review due out in June, the consultation phase of the review is has drawn to a close.
Politics not way to beat climate change
21 Apr 2011
Progress on climate change will come through “boring detail” and not political rhetoric, says International Climate Change Minister Tim Groser.
NZ drags chain in drive for green growth
21 Apr 2011
All over the world, writes British High Commission first secretary TONY CLEMSON in a personal view, countries are going low-carbon and getting ready to reap the financial rewards. But not New Zealand.
Islands join NZ in collecting e-waste
15 Apr 2011
New Zealand’s eDay – the day on which electronic waste is collected for recycling or disposal – is to go regional.
Tasman eyes turn to energy efficiency
15 Apr 2011
Australia and New Zealand are to collaborate on energy efficiency measure for households and businesses.
Synthetics answer might lie outside ETS
1 Apr 2011
Greenhouse gas emissions from the synthetic gases sector could be dealt with outside the Emissions Trading Scheme, says ETS review panel chair David Caygill.
What the IEA thinks of our ETS
1 Apr 2011
The International Energy Agency says there is no guarantee New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme will actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
EU emissary talks aviation
1 Apr 2011
Jill Duggan, who has been instrumental in the set up of the European ETS, spoke to a number of New Zealand audiences this week, offering some interesting insights into the future of emissions trading, CMS reports.
Ministers reveal more carbon details
25 Mar 2011
The Australian Government has released more details about its plans to put a price on carbon.
Forum: How Israel watches its water
25 Mar 2011
Israel’s estimated US$3.5 billion in annual water technology-related exports helps countries around the world squeeze the most out of every drop, writes Shemi Tzur, Israeli Ambassador to New Zealand.
Aussies eye product stewardship
25 Mar 2011
Legislation making it mandatory for the importers and manufacturers of televisions, computers and computer products to fund recycle schemes is being debated in Australia.
Forum: Why we must focus on the whole environment
25 Mar 2011
Waikato University’s new professor of environmental planning, Bob Evans, is concerned at the way in which New Zealand, like the world’s other prosperous economies, is continuing to pursue economic growth despite the long-term dangers inherent in this. He explains:
ETS PAPER 2: World situation unclear
11 Mar 2011
New Zealand could decide it is economically sensible to push ahead with the Emissions Trading Scheme even if the world fails to negotiate a successor for the Kyoto Protocol, the panel reviewing the ETS says.
New Christchurch could show world the way
11 Mar 2011
Post-quake Christchurch could be a world-leading example of a sustainable city, an expert says.
Australia will get over carbon tax drama
4 Mar 2011
The Gillard carbon tax drama In Australia will subside with time just as it did in New Zealand, Carbon News Solutions predicts.
Australia sets date for carbon scheme
25 Feb 2011
Australia will have a price on carbon by July next year.
Labour: It's the same old story
25 Feb 2011
The Labour Party says the opposition in Australia to putting a price on carbon is reminiscent of what happened in New Zealand.
ETS group looks at oral submissions
11 Feb 2011
The committee reviewing the Emissions Trading Scheme says it will try to hear oral submissions from those who want to make them.
Garnaut backs fixed carbon price
4 Feb 2011
Australia’s chief climate change adviser is backing the idea of a fixed carbon price.
ETS adds to the confusion
4 Feb 2011
From a carbon market perspective, the Government’s review of the Emissions Trading Scheme has generated further uncertainty among the public and among ETS participants, Carbon Market Solutions says.
Australia eyes 50% tax cut on new fuels
28 Jan 2011
Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten has released draft legislation for public consultation on the Australian Government's reform of the taxation of alternative fuels.
Energy market contemplates the end of oil
28 Jan 2011
By Nick Hodge. The energy market as you know it is on the verge of a vast transformation.
Govt stays silent on value of free credits
21 Jan 2011
Some of New Zealand’s biggest companies received free carbon credits from the Government.
Farmers renew call to keep agriculture out
23 Dec 2010
Federated Farmers says it will use the review of the Emissions Trading Scheme to try to keep agriculture out of the scheme.
CANCUN: What the scientists are saying
17 Dec 2010
Leading climate scientists from New Zealand, Australia and Britain say progress was made in Cancun - but not enough to prevent dangerous climate warming.
CANCUN: Climate agreements at a glance
17 Dec 2010
Most agree the UN climate summit in Mexico made some progress in the struggle to deal with climate change.
NZ plays key role in fossil fuels subsidies probe
17 Dec 2010
New Zealand is leading a group of small and medium-sized countries pushing for reform of inefficient fossil fuel subsidies, which, it says, could cut greenhosue gas emissions by 10 per cent.
Forests come to the rescue of clams exporter
10 Dec 2010
A company that has lost export orders to Europe because of air miles and other environmental concerns is planting forests to offset its carbon footprint.
ETS should be suspended, says NZ First
3 Dec 2010
New Zealand First is reassessing its position on climate change policy – and says that the Emissions Trading Scheme should be put on hold.
Western states eye US-wide carbon alliance
3 Dec 2010
California and New Mexico are considering developing a nationwide US carbon trading market by joining forces with states in the north-east.
Can we have a word, say kids at Cancun
3 Dec 2010
The Cancun climate change negotiations are being stormed by hundreds of young people calling for fair, ambitious and legally binding intergovernmental action on climate change - and our own New Zealand Youth Delegation is right in the midst of it.
Governments must vote in favour of moratorium on deep sea mining
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Media release - Greenpeace | The 30th session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has ended with Greenpeace saying governments are continuing to fall short in protecting the deep sea.
Does NZ need a national incentive scheme for wetlands?
25 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | An expert is calling for a national incentive programme to restore New Zealand’s wetlands and wants to stop schemes to drain these vital carbon-sequestering ecosystems.
NZ Post drops science-based climate target
8 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | NZ Post has dropped its science-based emissions reduction target of 42% by 2030 with no plans to replace it.
Airlines risk legal challenges by advertising jet fuel as “sustainable”, NGO warns
18 Jul 2025
Amid suspected fraud in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a new report says the airline industry should stop calling all alternatives to kerosene “sustainable”.
Challenges persist in bid to mine the deep sea, even after boost from Trump
Tue 29 Jul 2025
After years of delay, the deep-sea mining plans of Canadian firm The Metals Company (TMC) now appear to be progressing as it pursues a controversial new path to securing a license to mine in international waters under U.S. jurisdiction.
Sustainability claims questioned as renewable diesel surges
14 May 2025
Critics are sceptical about industry claims of renewable diesel life-cycle greenhouse gas emission cuts and warn renewable diesel carbon releases will surge if sourcing is scaled up, triggering tropical deforestation as producers convert forests to energy crops, such as oil palm and soy.
Carbon prices slide as market awaits ETS decision
Fri 1 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | Volatility has returned to the secondary carbon market, with prices sliding again after plateauing in recent weeks, as the market waits for government decisions on Emissions Trading Scheme settings.
The US is sitting out the most consequential climate summit in a decade. It may offer a victory to China
Fri 1 Aug 2025
The Trump administration fired the last of the US climate negotiators earlier this month, helping cement America’s withdrawal from international climate diplomacy. It may also have handed a huge victory to China.
Bearish sentiment lingers for carbon market
11 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The compliance carbon market could be set for a gradual upward trajectory, however unsold volume from the quarterly Emissions Trading Scheme auctions continues to act as ‘a price ceiling,’ according to an expert.
Coal use drove recent emissions increase
Fri 1 Aug 2025
Increased use of coal for electricity generation was a large driver for an increase in New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions in the last quarter.
Is extending Huntly power station to 2035 in consumers’ best interest?
22 Jul 2025
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: Genesis Energy is proposing a cartel to keep high-emitting Huntly Power Station in business to 2035. If extending Huntly has economic benefits, is a cartel necessary?
What does 'drier' really mean in 'green' homes?
Fri 1 Aug 2025
Media release - Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland | Researchers say green-rating systems could improve clarity and effectiveness by explicitly defining ‘drier’ and using two measures of humidity.
Cuts to climate finance put exports in jeopardy: Lawyers
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has halved international climate finance, a move aid organisations describe as “devastating,” and which lawyers say could put our Paris Agreement commitments and export market access at risk.
NZ voluntary carbon market’s sad state
14 Jul 2025
By John O’Brien | OPINION: A combination of scandals, challenging economic times, and cheaper offshore carbon credits, mean that the domestic voluntary carbon market in New Zealand remains absolutely tiny.
Bill to restart oil and gas exploration clears final hurdle
Fri 1 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government’s Crown Minerals Amendment Bill is set to become law after passing its third reading in parliament last night, with critics calling it humiliating for the climate minister and an embarrassment to New Zealand's international reputation.
Key orange roughy population on verge of collapse, govt considers closure
9 Jul 2025
Media release - Deep Sea Conservation Coalition | New data reveals that New Zealand’s main orange roughy fishery, accounting for half of the country’s total catch, is on the brink of collapse, with one model showing it may have reached that point already, and the government’s considering closing it.
Warmer than usual weather ahead, wetter in north and east, as La Niña signals strengthen
Fri 1 Aug 2025
Media release – Earth Sciences New Zealand | Seasonal Outlook Climate August to October 2025 suggests warm, damp weather, with La Niña’s possible return.
Latest trawl bycatch numbers 'a grim wake-up call'
24 Jun 2025
Media release – Greenpeace | The latest fisheries bycatch data paints a grim picture, with trawlers hauling up thousands of kilograms of coral and killing hundreds of fur seals and seabirds over a 12 month period.
Wilding pines threaten Molesworth Station
Mon 28 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Without increased support, the unchecked spread of wilding pines will continue to creep across Marlborough’s high country – putting iconic landscapes and one of New Zealand’s top five biodiversity hotspots at serious risk, according to an expert.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
Thu 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.
A modest geothermal strategy
Thu 31 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has unveiled a far more modest geothermal energy strategy than its primary backer, Resources Minister Shane Jones, had sought.
European Central Bank to consider 'climate factor' when lending to banks
Thu 31 Jul 2025
The European Central Bank will add climate change considerations to its lending operations from late 2026, raising pressure on banks to channel financing towards greener sectors as the euro zone seeks to reduce its carbon footprint.
NZ part of hidden global deep-sea network beneath the waves
25 Jul 2025
Media release - Earth Sciences New Zealand | A world-first study of marine life, including sea creatures found in New Zealand's dark, cold, pressurised ocean depths, has revealed that deep-sea life is surprisingly more connected than previously thought.
‘Ideological sludge’: How NZ is quiet quitting climate action
17 Jul 2025
New Zealand once stood out as a world leader on climate change. In June it became the first country in the world to abandon a commitment to phase out oil, gas and coal.
Watts talks big on energy reform, but barriers persist
29 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Energy and Climate Change minister Simon Watts says the government is doubling down on efforts to boost renewable energy generation, streamline regulation, and drive private sector investment as New Zealand faces mounting energy security and affordability challenges.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
Tue 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.
Climate catastrophes are creating a ‘new market reality’ for insurance carriers
23 Jul 2025
Raging wildfires and severe storms contributed to record-high global insurance losses — totalling an estimated US$84 billion — for the first six months of the year.
Will NZ walk away from the Paris Agreement?
20 Dec 2024
By Geoff Bertram | COMMENT: Unless the government can find very cheap offshore mitigation, the temptation to walk away from its Paris Agreement obligations may well be too strong to resist for a coalition government focused on fiscal austerity.
Multi-day protest continues at coal mine
Wed 30 Jul 2025
Bathurst Resources has been forced to truck coal from its Stockton mine as climate activists occupy coal buckets at the mine for a third day.
Fund for low emissions transport winds up
Thu 31 Jul 2025
New Zealand’s Low Emission Transport Fund has officially wrapped up, ending a nine-year programme that put hundreds of millions of dollars towards accelerating the country’s shift to cleaner transport.
Urgent action needed to get on track for climate goals - commission
25 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand is making progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but more work is needed – urgently – to set up for future reductions, according to the latest report from the Climate Change Commission.
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.
Toxic algae are turning South Australia’s coral reefs into underwater graveyards
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Since March, a harmful algal bloom, fueled by a marine heat wave, has been choking South Australia’s coastline.
NZ govt’s fossil fuel plans could break international law
24 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government could be breaching international law with its plans to subsidise and expand fossil fuel extraction, following a ruling overnight from the world’s highest court.
Tipping points: Window to avoid irreversible climate impacts is ‘rapidly closing’
11 Jul 2025
In the midst of a record-breaking heatwave in Europe, the UK city of Exeter recently played host to the second international conference on “tipping points”.
‘Total infiltration’: How plastics industry swamped vital global treaty talks
Mon 28 Jul 2025
Petrostates and well-funded lobbyists at UN-hosted talks are derailing a deal to cut plastic production and protect people and the planet.
Activists sue US development bank over $4.6bn loan to massive Mozambique gas project
18 Jul 2025
Environmental groups claim loan is ‘unlawful’ in legal filing.
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.
Tilting at windmills? Trump’s claims about turbines fact-checked
Thu 31 Jul 2025
The US president has taken a swipe at wind power as the blades visible from his Turnberry golf course turn.
Ocean heatwaves may signal climate tipping point
25 Jul 2025
A recent study that tapped into satellite data has revealed that 2023 marked an unprecedented year for marine heatwaves, with record-breaking levels of duration, reach and intensity across the world's oceans.
Climate groups want UK wealth tax to make super-rich fund sustainable economy
17 Jul 2025
Growing number of campaigners urge government to ensure green investment is not done ‘on backs of the poor’.
Can robot taxis solve NZ's transport woes?
23 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Ministry of Transport has tested the idea of driverless taxis as a futuristic fix. But while new modelling explores how "robotaxis" could ease congestion and reduce car ownership, critics say it misses a crucial point – the country’s worsening transport emissions.
United Nations carbon market rules agreed but concerns remain
25 Nov 2024
New carbon market rules agreed at the fractious UN climate summit will be a relief to New Zealand and Singapore, who were leading the negotiations, but concerns about greenwashing and disadvantaging nature-based solutions remain.
EV sales fall, but it’s complicated
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Imports of fully electric vehicles fell over 50% in value during the 12 months to June 2025, compared with the year ended June 2024, according to Stats NZ.
The ICJ’s ruling means Australia and other major polluters face a new era of climate reparations
25 Jul 2025
By Harj Narulla | OPINION: Australia has found itself on the wrong side of history.
Waste Levy risks becoming ‘slush fund’ under proposed changes – Commissioner
5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Proposed changes to New Zealand's waste legislation risk undermining public trust in the waste levy scheme, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton.
The struggle for control of the Arctic is accelerating - and it's riskier than ever
11 Jul 2025
As the battle for one of the world’s coldest places heats up, an increasingly fragile security balance may be breaking down, leading to an escalating arms race.
UN University report warns against carbon credits from REDD, tree planting, and improved forest management
13 Jun 2025
But the report stops short of recommending banning the trade in carbon temporarily stored in trees.
For the first time, China invests more in wind and solar than coal overseas
29 May 2025
China’s Belt and Road Initiative, long derided for its heavy carbon footprint, was dominated by wind and solar power projects for the first time from 2022 to 2023, according to a new analysis. But coal plants financed in earlier years are still coming online.
