Topics tagged with 'Politics'
Myths … and the making of a climate bill
26 Jun 2009
No bill is perfect …certainly not one that contains a thousand pages and seeks to overhaul the way a nation uses energy, says the respected US science watchdog, the Pew Centre.
Scotland sets emissions cut target at 42%
26 Jun 2009
Scotland’s Climate Change Minister Stewart Stevenson has lodged an amendment to the Climate Change Bill that will set the interim target for greenhouse gas emissions at 42 per cent.
ETS review body on hold for key report
23 Jun 2009
The emissions trading scheme review committee will not be meeting to discuss ETS issues this week.
Top UK scientist here to see NZ toes the line
23 Jun 2009
The appearance at a public seminar in New Zealand of a top British government scientist this week underlines the importance that the British authorities are placing on whipping New Zealand into line on emissions trading.
Australian opposition stalls vote on emissions laws
23 Jun 2009
A vote on the Australian government's emissions trading scheme appears certain to be delayed until August, but the Senate was locked in procedural wrangling for much of yesterday about how to achieve the delay.
In the House ...
23 Jun 2009
On Thursday, the Government asked – and answered – questions about the emissions trading scheme.
Dunne: ETS report might be July or August ... or later
19 Jun 2009
The emissions trading scheme review committee might not release its report until as late as August.
Filibustering may delay carbon trading vote
19 Jun 2009
The Opposition is likely to seek to prolong debate on the Australian Government's carbon emissions trading scheme in a bid to delay a vote in the Senate.
Australia unveils new renewable energy targets
19 Jun 2009
The Australian Government has introduced laws aimed at driving renewable energy investment and curbing greenhouse emissions.
Big emitters deny overstating carbon scheme cost
19 Jun 2009
Big emitters Woodside Petroleum and Rio Tinto have denied claims by an environmental group they overstated costs of proposed Australian climate change legislation to the public and the government.
Brussels tries to charm NZ into action on ETS
19 Jun 2009
A European Union charm offensive exerted on Australia over the past month is partly dedicated to ensuring that the Rudd government passes its delayed emissions trading scheme legislation in sympathy with Europe’s own policies.
US House may vote on climate bill next week
19 Jun 2009
Legislation to drastically reduce carbon dioxide pollution blamed for global warming could be voted on by the US House of Representatives as early as next week.
UN launches high-level climate and energy group
19 Jun 2009
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has launched a new group consisting of business leaders and experts who will advise him on energy and climate change challenges, particularly in identifying key issues in the run-up to the major United Nations conference in Copenhagen in December.
Study into impact of sugar policies on energy and food issues
19 Jun 2009
Research into how sugar policies in Europe, the United States Brazil impact on world food and energy issues will be undertaken by experts from Nottingham Trent University and the University of Salford.
Lawyers question claims by big Aussie miners
16 Jun 2009
An Australian legal group has called for a probe into claims by big miners - some with New Zealand connections - that a carbon trading scheme would cost thousands of jobs and millions of dollars.
US debates climate change role of farms and forests
16 Jun 2009
A dispute is heating up in the United States over the role of farms and forests in climate legislation.
Where are our carbon credits, asks tribal group
12 Jun 2009
Emissions trading has been a long time coming for Ngâti Porou Whanui Forests.
New bill will ignite local biofuel debate
12 Jun 2009
A new private member’s bill will spark an interesting debate about whether New Zealand-produced biofuel is disadvantaged compared with imported biofuel, says Gull’s New Zealand manager Dave Bodger.
Aust firms not ready for carbon scheme, says survey
12 Jun 2009
Australian businesses are mostly not prepared for the federal government's planned domestic carbon trading scheme, due to start in mid-2011, a new survey shows.
Canada to establish carbon trading market
12 Jun 2009
The Canadian federal government has announced plans to establish a national carbon trading market in which all companies and individuals could participate.
Swedish PM calls for carbon taxes in Europe
12 Jun 2009
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has called for European nations to tax carbon emissions to reduce greenhouse gases.
New climate pact ‘unlikely’ in Copenhagen
12 Jun 2009
The UN's top climate official has voiced doubt about the prospects for completing a new pact on global warming in Copenhagen by its much-touted December deadline.
US trading plans excite NZ forest owners
9 Jun 2009
Moves to include international forestry offsets in America’s plans for a clean-energy economy will be a boon for New Zealand forest owners.
US connection boosts NZ Carbon Exchange
9 Jun 2009
A link to United States-based Cantor Fitzgerald is putting the New Zealand Carbon Exchange on a strong footing.
No need to rush climate laws, says Aust Opposition
9 Jun 2009
Claims by the US that its likely failure to finalise climate change legislation before December will not jeopardise the crucial Copenhagen talks have been seized on by the federal Opposition as evidence that Australia does not need to rush its laws through by the end of the year.
Kiwi organisations unite to tackle climate change
5 Jun 2009
To encourage appropriate action in response to climate change in the lead-up to the crucial UN climate change conference in Copenhagen this December, organisations nationwide are uniting through the New Zealand Climate Action Partnership, they say in a media
Govt delays setting emissions target again, says Greenpeace
2 Jun 2009
With only five months to go until the crucial UN climate talks in Copenhagen, the New Zealand Government has announced another delay in setting an emissions reduction target, says Greenpeace.
Climate change crisis 'catastrophic', says new report
2 Jun 2009
The first comprehensive report into the human cost of climate change warns the world is in the throes of a "silent crisis" that is killing 300,000 people a year.
Climate crisis like nuclear threat, say Nobel laureates
2 Jun 2009
Twenty Nobel prizewinners, including US energy secretary Steven Chu, have compared the threat of climate change to that posed to civilisation by nuclear weapons.
Turnbull tips Australian carbon trading by January
2 Jun 2009
Australian Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull says the country could have an emissions trading scheme as early as January despite members of the Coalition still being opposed to the idea.
Climate change outburst embarrasses Act
29 May 2009
The Act Party is distancing itself from a statement made in its name yesterday in which National Party MPs were told they would “introduce an emissions trading scheme at their peril."
Business leaders urge ambitious climate action
29 May 2009
Global business leaders in Denmark for a summit on climate change have jointly issued the expected "Copenhagen Call," urging ambitious, global actions on climate change.
Report card: How the tech-execs rate
29 May 2009
Being perceived as environmentally friendly is a big issue for tech leaders.
EU stands alone as world ponders carbon schemes
29 May 2009
Only the 27-member European Union has a legislated and operating emissions trading scheme to achieve the carbon pollution reduction targets it will sign up to at the United Nations climate change negotiations in Copenhagen in December, the Australian points out.
Forum: Cooler weather heats up debate
29 May 2009
Dr Muriel Newman of the New Zealand Centre for Political Research looks at changes in the way we talk about climate change.
UN chief challenges business to create cleaner, greener economy
26 May 2009
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has issued a challenge to business leaders to lead efforts to transform the global economy into one that is “cleaner, greener and more sustainable.”
Uncertainty means forest industry taking a beating
26 May 2009
The forestry sector will take years to recover from the impacts of recent policy uncertainty, says forestry consultant Roger Dickie.
Business group's climate change voice remains hushed
26 May 2009
The Stephen Tindall–led Climate Change Leadership Forum’s bid to keep working seems to have sunk like a stone.
EU sugar crackdown could kill Fiji's carbon hopes
26 May 2009
The European Union's decision to abandon Fiji’s sugar allocation indicates that the island nation’s evolving business in supplying EU nations with their carbon credits could soon also be imperiled.
Our ETS already up and running, says law firm
26 May 2009
A publicly issued backgrounder on the emissions trading scheme by a top-tier law firm is being taken by some to represent a semi-official policy statement to the effect that the ETS is long past the point of no return.
Greens and Nationals aim to defeat Aussie emissions scheme
26 May 2009
The Australian Greens want the federal government's emission trading scheme legislation put to a vote as soon as possible - so they can defeat it once and for all.
US climate change bill clears key hurdle
26 May 2009
The United States’ first federal climate change legislation has cleared a key hurdle by making it out of the House Energy and Commerce Committee on a 33-25 vote.
Obama’s new green guru under fire for climate U-turn
26 May 2009
US Energy Secretary Steven Chu will fly to Europe this week to begin talks that will be crucial in the global battle against climate change.
Business could push governments over the line on climate change
26 May 2009
Global business leaders meeting in Copenhagen could make a significant contribution toward a fair and safe deal to tackle climate change, says Oxfam.
New book, new challenge to climate change
22 May 2009
A book to be launched in Wellington at the end of the month is expected to challenge conventional wisdom about the applied politics of climate change.
UPDATE: US cap and trade bill clears House committee
22 May 2009
Historic environmental law including a cap and trade scheme has advanced in the US.
House panel set to clear US climate change bill
22 May 2009
The nearly week-long US House of Representatives debate on historic legislation to cap and reduce greenhouse gas emissions has moved into the final stages, with the panel expected to pass the measure today.
Banks who kept the faith look for carbon payday
22 May 2009
For the handful of investments banks that resiliently kept their carbon-trading desks during the financial crisis, a potential payday may come a step closer this week as the US debates its emissions future.
European investors call for carbon trading revamp
22 May 2009
As fresh details emerge confirming that US legislators plan to water down proposed cap-and-trade legislation, a group of European investors have called on world leaders to move in the opposite direction and undertake urgent reforms designed to tighten up emerging carbon markets.
US lawmakers formally unveil climate change bill
19 May 2009
Democrats in the US House of Representatives have formally unveiled sweeping legislation to fight climate change and said the 932-page bill enjoyed broad national support.
New courses focus on climate action, activism and creating vision
Fri 12 Sep 2025
Media release | Dark Times Academy’s final lineup of courses for 2025, launching in mid-September, will focus on taking action on climate, learning about practical activism, and creating visions for the future.
Carbon price steady after failed quarterly auction
Tue 16 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price has continued to trade in its familiar moribund range in the high $50s following last week’s failed quarterly auction, with ample supply still trading on the secondary market at about $10 below this year’s $68 auction floor.
NZ needs to be part of a regional SAF strategy: Z, Air NZ
9 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand needs to be part of a regional strategic approach to sourcing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with domestic production less the aim than ensuring access to the fuel from one of a number of strategically positioned bio-refineries around the world.
'Non-negotiable' – EU carbon pricing to hit Kiwi exporters, expert warns
Thu 11 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | High carbon exports will inevitably face a high carbon tax at the EU border, possibly in the next five years, and high methane agricultural products might not be exempt, an international expert told a local audience yesterday.
UK foreign aid for nature hits £800m record due to cash for carbon credits
Tue 16 Sep 2025
The UK’s climate-aid spending on “nature protection and restoration” reached record levels of nearly £800m last year, according to government figures obtained by Carbon Brief.
Air NZ declares surprisingly low SAF prices
3 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand is able to source sustainable aviation fuel at between 1.5 and 2.5 times the price of conventional fossil fuels used for flying, all sourced from the US.
No bidders front to carbon auction - again
10 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | Today’s quarterly carbon auction was a non-event yet again, making it the third consecutive auction this year with no bidders, with the secondary market price still limping along at nearly 20% below the auction floor.
Ashburton councillor opposes climate strategy he voted for
Today 11:00am
Jonathan Leask, Local Democracy Reporter | Incumbent Ashburton councillor Phill Hooper says he doesn’t want to waste money on a climate change strategy, despite voting for the policy a few weeks ago.
'Atrocious' and 'bizarre': experts slam Act Party's climate policy
3 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Act Party is promising to challenge New Zealand’s Paris Agreement climate target, while the coalition Government’s other minor partner, NZ First, also says it wants to reevaluate the country’s commitment to the international treaty.
Industry struggles with double-digit power price hikes
Mon 15 Sep 2025
As power prices surge by double-digit amounts for the second year in a row, industrial users can’t keep absorbing cost increases, the Major Electricity Users’ Group says.
The merchants of doubt are back
3 Sep 2025
OPINION: If you don’t follow climate policy closely, you might not know that the Trump administration is launching an effort to overturn one of the most fundamental pillars of American climate policy.
Milestone for NZ Steel electrification
10 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | NZ Steel has passed an installation milestone for its new electric arc furnace, which will reduce emissions from the Glenbrook steel mill site by as much as one megatonne (1Mt) a year.
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.”
Watts not considering removing electricity from ETS
Tue 16 Sep 2025
Energy and Climate Change Minister, Simon Watts, says he is “not currently considering” removing electricity generation from the Emissions Trading Scheme, as proposed by NZ First Minister Shane Jones.
Gentailers told to behave as ministers weigh Frontier review
Today 11:00am
The chief executives of Contact, Meridian, Mercury and Genesis met Energy and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts on Thursday for their regular monthly session.
Declining sea-ice is altering Antarctic food webs
Thu 11 Sep 2025
A new study shows a significant change in Antarctic phytoplankton over time that could cascade through the marine food web and affect the ocean’s capacity as a carbon sink.
Science cuts will hold back climate research
Today 11:00am
By Liz Kivi | A crisis in government-backed science funding is worsening, with dire implications for climate research in New Zealand, according to experts from the scientific community.
Marginal drop in last year's regional emissions
27 Aug 2025
Regional greenhouse gas emissions were down slightly last year, with a fall in gas supply leading to a big drop in Taranaki, but more coal burnt leading to higher emissions in Waikato, according to new figures from Stats NZ
Indigenous forest 'islands' could help transition exotic plantations to native bush
Thu 11 Sep 2025
Native forest 'islands' within exotic plantations might be the key to transitioning plantations from exotic to Indigenous, according to new research.
Decline in global oil and gas field output accelerating, IEA says
Today 11:00am
The decline in output from mature global oil and gas fields is accelerating amid greater reliance on shale and deep offshore resources.
A modest geothermal strategy
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.
Why mega-polluters have little to fear from the European Central Bank and its new climate policy
Fri 12 Sep 2025
The European Central Bank plans to raise borrowing costs for climate offenders – but a new FTM analysis shows that big polluters such as Shell will barely feel it.
Media round-up
5 Sep 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The great methane debate; law change scuppers legal challenge to irrigation scheme consent; and what are the energy and climate implications of the $7.5 billion Amazon Web Services data centre deal?
Coal imports up 650%
Fri 12 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams and Liz Kivi | Coal imports are up 650% as generators stockpile the most polluting fossil fuel ahead of next winter.
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
29 Aug 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Changes to road user charges will increase New Zealand's emissions; Climate Change Minister Simon Watts promises better access to hazard data for homeowners; and Kiwis borrow over $1 billion in ‘green loans’ for heat pumps and electric cars.
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.
Apple Watch not a 'CO2-neutral product,' German court finds
28 Aug 2025
Apple can no longer advertise its Apple Watch as a "CO2-neutral product" in Germany, following a court ruling on Tuesday that upheld a complaint from environmentalists, finding that the U.S. tech company had misled consumers.
Forest carbon stores massive blind spot - study
4 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Aotearoa New Zealand’s planted forests hold significant deep soil organic carbon — with over half of it stored below 30 cm, and much of it over 1,000 years old.
Govt tweaks offshore energy bill with 'declared areas' model
Today 11:00am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is making changes to the Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to address offshore wind developers' concerns about competing for space with other industries.
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.
A steady ocean pattern just failed for the first time ever observed
Today 11:00am
The failure of the Gulf of Panama’s seasonal upwelling system has left scientists wondering what happens next.
Watts full-throated in National’s support for Paris
10 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts came to this week’s Climate Change and Business Conference with nothing to announce.
Govt resilience plan 'dangerous fantasy' - thinktank
29 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | An independent thinktank, whose members include former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer and multiple academics, is warning that the government’s long-term resilience strategy ignores physical and energy realities and exposes Kiwi households and businesses to systemic failure.
‘Plastic Cup’ competitions are cleaning up rivers in Hungary
1 Sep 2025
Afloat on DIY boats, teams of volunteers have removed over 450 tons of plastic waste from the Danube and its tributaries.
Invites-only fast-track for seabed mine slammed as 'rushed, awful'
Fri 12 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With the wider public shut out of submissions, critics including Te Pāti Māori, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining and Greenpeace say the process strips away robust scrutiny and risks setting a dangerous precedent.
Underestimating support for climate action limits political decision making, study says
8 Sep 2025
Research reveals huge disparity between perceived and actual willingness of public to contribute to fixing climate.
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.
Solar and battery systems to boost resilience at Tasman community facilities
Tue 16 Sep 2025
Media release: Tasman District Council | Ten community facilities across Tasman District will soon be equipped with solar panels and battery storage, following confirmation of co-funding from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).
The ozone hole continues to recover thanks to international action
Today 11:00am
Media release: World Meteorological Organization (WMO) | The Earth’s protective ozone layer is healing and the ozone hole in 2024 was smaller than in recent years, according to a new report.
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’.
Ara Ake backs 13 projects to unlock NZ’s energy flexibility
Thu 11 Sep 2025
Media release | Ara Ake has approved over $600,000 in funding from the National Flex Discovery Fund for 13 flexibility service providers (FSPs).
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.
Most EU carmakers on track to meet emission targets: study
10 Sep 2025
Almost all European carmakers are on track to meet EU emission targets after winning a reprieve this year as electric vehicles (EV) sales pick up, a study showed.
Hotter, longer, more frequent: NZ’s escalating heat risk
26 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Heat extremes in New Zealand will intensify faster than previously thought, according to a new study.
Echo Tech secures growth investment to tackle NZ's e-waste crisis
Mon 15 Sep 2025
Media release | Echo Tech Limited, New Zealand’s leading provider of e-waste recycling and IT asset recovery services, is proud to announce a strategic investment from growth equity firm Altered Capital.
La Niña set to prolong NZ hydro shortfall
9 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With La Niña favouring a drier-than-normal spring across much of the South Island, hydro lakes are unlikely to recover without substantial rain and late snowmelt – keeping national storage levels below average.
Record UK wildfires have burned an area twice the size of Glasgow in 2025
12 Aug 2025
Wildfires have scorched more than 40,000 hectares of land so far this year across the UK – an area more than twice the size of the Scottish city of Glasgow.
Which countries are scaling solar and wind the fastest?
Fri 12 Sep 2025
The leaderboard is quite different depending on what metric you look at.
