Topics tagged with 'Politics'
Key carbon tax MP escapes charges
9 Sep 2011
The chances of Australia’s carbon tax going ahead improved yesterday when police announced they would not charge a Labor MP with fraud.
Carbon farming becomes reality in Australia
26 Aug 2011
The Gillard Government’s Carbon Farming Initiative has passed through the Parliament to establish a regulated carbon offsets market in Australia.
UN wants clean energy revolution
26 Aug 2011
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has called for a clean energy revolution to help to transform the global economy and put the world on a cleaner, safer, more equitable path.
What China does is vitally important
26 Aug 2011
Is the world’s largest polluter doing enough to combat climate change, asks Carbon Market Solutions.
Greens slam stand on Auckland transport
19 Aug 2011
Public transport under-funding will be an election issue in Auckland, the Green Party is predicting.
NZUs remain at premium over CERs
19 Aug 2011
NZUs recovered further through the week, with spot moving above $15 and trading seen in March 2012 & March 2013 forwards.
Israel puts energy solutions on show
5 Aug 2011
The CleanTech 2011 mega-event under way in Tel Aviv this week displays Israel's advanced water, solar, wind and natural gas energy solutions.
Australian carbon bills on the move
29 Jul 2011
Australians have until August 22 to comment on legislation to bring in a price on carbon.
Youth group makes zero-carbon stand
22 Jul 2011
A new youth-based political movement is calling for today’s carbon bills to be paid today.
UN warns of climate threats to security
22 Jul 2011
Climate change is a real threat to international peace and security, says United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
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.
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.
