Topics tagged with 'Politics'
Australia readies for key climate debate next week
23 Oct 2009
The Australian Government’s last bid to have a carbon trading scheme in place before the Copenhagen climate talks kicked off yesterday with the reintroduction of carbon reduction legislation into parliament.
Interim steps … that’s about it from Copenhagen
23 Oct 2009
With the clock running out and deep differences unresolved, it now appears that there is little chance that international climate change negotiations in Copenhagen in December will produce a comprehensive and binding new treaty on global warming.
Leaders could feel wrath of people-power protest
23 Oct 2009
Experts are predicting that climate change could spark the first worldwide grassroots movement if the world’s leaders fail to settle the issue.
Business blasts rushed changes to ETS
16 Oct 2009
The Government came under fire from business last night for rushing through changes to the emissions trading scheme.
Taxpayers face hefty bill from ETS subsidies, says business council
16 Oct 2009
Subsidies to heavy emitters could cost taxpayers $3.5 billion, the Business Council for Sustainable Development is warning.
Bangkok flop leaves little hope for Copenhagen
16 Oct 2009
As the latest round of UN climate talks in Bangkok ended with little progress, negotiators are preparing for the Copenhagen summit in December on the assumption that not every detail will be agreed this year.
Push to exempt Australian farmers from carbon laws
16 Oct 2009
The Australian government will be asked to exempt farmers from carbon trading in order to pass landmark emissions laws through parliament under changes this week being pushed by opposition lawmakers.
Soros pledges $1bn to search for clean energy
16 Oct 2009
Billionaire financier and philanthropist George Soros has pledged to invest more than $1 billion of his own money in clean energy technology to tackle climate change.
US ‘deeply committed,’ says energy chief
16 Oct 2009
The US is “deeply committed” to solving the problem of climate change, Energy Secretary Steven Chu says.
Sack Nick Smith from climate portfolio, says Dunleavy
16 Oct 2009
A call to Prime Minister to relieve Nick Smith of the climate change issues portfolio has been made by the New Zealand Climate Science Coalition’s secretary, Terry Dunleavy.
Protests force slowdown on full-speed-ahead ETS
15 Oct 2009
The Government has been forced to back down over plans to restrict oral submissions on changes to the emissions trading scheme to 50 – all of which were to be heard today.
No choice but to accept timeline, say Greens
15 Oct 2009
Oral submissions on changes to the emissions trading scheme will go ahead this afternoon, despite a lack of notice.
Did Govt cut Maori deal without officials' advice?
9 Oct 2009
The Government appears to have negotiated support from the Maori Party for changes to the emissions trading scheme without input from officials.
G8 countries could face class actions on climate change
9 Oct 2009
The US and other G8 countries could face class actions on behalf of people in the developing world if they fail to take convincing steps to cut the emissions blamed for causing climate change, a lawyer has warned.
Apple latest to jump ship from US Chamber
9 Oct 2009
The US Chamber of Commerce has been hemorrhaging members in recent weeks after opposing legislation curtailing greenhouse gas emissions.
BMW to Government: get your vehicle policies right
2 Oct 2009
BMW’s New Zealand leader has called on the Government to deliver consistent policies on motor vehicle standards.
OPINION: The ETS and your business
2 Oct 2009
Kensington Swan energy and resources team leader Bryan Gundersen looks at the implications of proposed amendments to the ETS:
Forget ‘cap and trade,’ it's now all about PRI
2 Oct 2009
US Senate Democrats tried out a new catch phrase yesterday to sell their global warming bill: pollution reduction and investment, or PRI.
Climate catastrophe 50 years away, say experts
2 Oct 2009
Catastrophic climate change could happen with 50 years, five decades earlier than previously predicted, according to a UK Met Office report.
Blue-Greens must be 'pink' with embarrasment, says Chauvel
2 Oct 2009
Labour’s Climate Change Issues spokesperson Charles Chauvel says ministers will privately be hoping that the doors are locked at the National Party’s Blue Greens conference in Wellington this weekend.
Emissions action can create millions of jobs, says report
23 Sep 2009
The new report shows how action to cut CO2 emissions can increase both GDP and employment in all major economies.
Carbon emissions post biggest drop in 40 years
23 Sep 2009
Global carbon emissions are expected to post their biggest drop in more than four decades this year as the global recession froze economic activity and slashed energy use around the world.
FORUM: ETS is farmers' ball and chain
23 Sep 2009
Dr Peter Amer, of AbacusBio, says there are opportunities for farmers in the ETS.
No-deals Nats would have gone for a carbon tax
18 Sep 2009
The Government was apparently prepared to scrap the emissions trading scheme in favour of a carbon tax if it couldn’t get the support it needed to amend the current scheme.
Doors might shut on public opinion of ETS deal
18 Sep 2009
The public might not get a say on the deal between the National and Maori parties to change the emissions trading scheme.
IN THE HOUSE: Deal with Maori under scrutiny
18 Sep 2009
Questions over the deal between the National and Maori parties have dominated environmental debates in Parliament this week.
Climate leaders set to give up on Copenhagen
18 Sep 2009
Top US energy and climate leaders have begun to openly plan for international global warming talks to trickle into 2010.
Big spenders throw weight behind US bill
18 Sep 2009
Industry, economic and environmental groups are making a final push to influence a climate bill that might go before the United States Senate within weeks.
Shock of ETS announcement destroys prospect of policy certainty
14 Sep 2009
While the Prime Minister John Key still wants to do a deal with Labour on the ETS the prospect seems highly unlikely.
Farmers could have gained millions in secret deal proposed by Labour
14 Sep 2009
A draft ETS deal sent to the National party by Labour Monday morning reveals the Opposition proposed a special deal for agriculture which could have paid farmers millions before 2013.
EXCLUSIVE - The "Dear Lucy" deal e-mail from Labour to National
14 Sep 2009
Carbon News has an e-mail sent Monday morning from Labour's climate change negotiator to Minister Nick Smith.
Smith: ETS revisions "balance" environment, economy
14 Sep 2009
The Government, with Maori Party support, will revise the Emissions Trading Scheme to reduce the costs to households and the impact on jobs while ensuring New Zealand takes a responsible approach to the global problem of greenhouse gas pollution and climate change.
Business leaders: bill for proposed ETS changes could run to billions?
14 Sep 2009
The proposed changes to the emissions trading scheme are disappointing and the bill to taxpayers could run to billions.
Confident Labour sits in ETS driving seat
11 Sep 2009
Talks over the future of the emissions trading scheme are on again, with Labour sending strong signals that it feels in the driving seat.
Irish might need cow tax to meet EU targets
11 Sep 2009
The Irish Government might have to introduce a “cow tax” to help it to meet new tough targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions laid out in the European Union’s climate change strategy.
Senate Democrats sceptical about climate bill
11 Sep 2009
Several US Senate Democrats have questioned whether it would be possible to vote on a climate change bill this year, especially with healthcare reform eating up so much of the lawmakers' time.
Why not create our own market, asks carbon trader
4 Sep 2009
New Zealand should stop talking about a carbon market and get on and create one, says a leading carbon trader.
Planting season lost, but foresters cling to hopes
4 Sep 2009
The forestry industry is cautiously optimistic about the future of the emissions trading scheme – despite the fact that political delays mean that this year’s seed-planting season has been missed.
US climate change bill faces fresh delays
4 Sep 2009
The Obama administration has reportedly been meeting with clean-technology executives to help flesh out a new energy strategy to be unveiled later this month.
Prepare to pay extra $120 in airfare pollution charges to Europe
4 Sep 2009
Including aviation in the European ETS could mean a pollution charge of about $120 on long haul flights to New Zealand.
French carbon tax debate turns toxic for Sarkozy
4 Sep 2009
French President Nicolas Sarkozy's plan for a carbon tax on fuel has threatened to backfire as critics slammed it as unfair and his own camp fretted it will anger voters already hit by the crisis.
Rich Norway fund moves toward green investments
4 Sep 2009
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, one of the largest in the world with about $400 billion in assets, plans to commit about $3.5 billion dollars over a period of five years to companies it deems environmentally sound and engaged in sustainable growth.
UN chief calls for action from polar ice rim
4 Sep 2009
Standing on rapidly melting polar ice, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appealed to the world for urgent measures to be taken to combat climate change to protect the planet for future generations.
Global warming legislation 'would fail a proper regulatory impact assessment'
4 Sep 2009
There are no scientific forecasts to support the belief that emissions trading will benefit New Zealanders, says Wellington-based Monash University forecasting researcher, Dr Kesten Green.
National's best ETS bet is deal with Labour
31 Aug 2009
The Labour Party is looking like the Government’s most likely emissions trading scheme partner.
Dunne: A middle road through complex issues
31 Aug 2009
The Emissions Trading Scheme Select Committee review has demonstrated strong support for such a scheme and gives the Government the platform it needs to develop its position for the upcoming Copenhagen climate change conference, committee chairman Peter Dunne said today.
National: We'll continue talks with all parties
31 Aug 2009
Minister for Climate Change Issues Nick Smith today welcomed the report of the Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee.
Labour: Big chance for a meaningful ETS
31 Aug 2009
The Labour Party has used today’s report back of the ETS Committee to repeat its call for a broad-based scheme with integrity to be agreed by Parliament.
Denmark has recycling down to a fine art
28 Aug 2009
Denmark is truckloads of waste ahead of New Zealand when it comes to recycling, reports Angela Gregory from Copenhagen.
China gets serious with climate change resolution
28 Aug 2009
China's top legislative body approved its first climate change resolution yesterday and announced plans to draw up new laws to combat global warming, according to the state media.
Fifty years of observations, no reversal of glacier climate damage
31 Mar 2026
Media release: Earth Sciences New Zealand | Fifty years on from the first aerial survey of our Southern Alps glaciers, late snow and variable summer weather delivered a temporary reprieve from rapid ice loss, says Earth Sciences New Zealand.
Climate experts say spring is coming earlier. How will that affect agriculture and ecosystems?
Tue 7 Apr 2026
An earlier spring affects when migratory birds arrive, leaves emerge, and fruit ripens — among plants and animals that determine ecosystem health.
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A $30 million government package to support regional air routes risks delivering poor value for money while increasing emissions, according to transport strategist Tim Adriaansen.
Signs of jet fuel hoarding emerge in Asia on Iran oil shock
26 Mar 2026
Signs are growing that Asian countries are hoarding jet fuel after the Iran war sent oil prices surging, reflecting growing strain on the aviation industry.
Environmental groups launch legal action over Govt's 'tick-box approach' to conservation land
Wed 8 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Forest & Bird and the Environmental Defence Society are taking the Government to court over decisions about the future of publicly-owned land on Te Tai Poutini/the West Coast.
Genesis fires up pellet study with Nature’s Flame
Wed 8 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Genesis Energy is extending its quest for locally produced torrefied wood pellets to supplement coal and gas to fuel its Huntly power station, announcing it is investigating plant construction with established local solid fuels player Nature’s Flame.
Supply-side pressures and political uncertainty ahead for carbon market
Tue 7 Apr 2026
By Kristen Green | ANALYSIS: With failed auctions, a surge of new forestry registrations, and an election a few months away, the NZ ETS in 2026 will be subject to a mix of supply-side pressures and political uncertainty.
Oil prices choppy after expletive-laden Trump threat to Iran
Wed 8 Apr 2026
Oil prices saw choppy trading on Monday after US President Donald Trump threatened to destroy critical infrastructure in Iran unless it allows ships to cross the Strait of Hormuz.
Economic contraction will impact carbon market
1 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | While higher fossil fuel prices strengthen the long-run economics of decarbonisation, the current fuel crisis won’t inspire near-term confidence in the carbon market, according to Lizzie Chambers of Carbon Match.
Asia ramps up use of dirty fuels to cover energy shortfall triggered by Iran war
2 Apr 2026
South Korea will delay the shutdown of coal-fired plants, while the Philippines also plans to boost the output of its coal-burning plants
Death toll in Afghanistan flooding increases to 28, authorities say
1 Apr 2026
Afghan authorities said Monday that the death toll from severe weather that has struck swathes of the country over the past four days has increased to 28, with 49 people injured. Dozens of people have died from extreme weather in the country so far this year.
Sustainable retail-office project breaks ground under new Green Star framework
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 price: Ups and downs amid geopolitical uncertainty
26 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | After ups and downs in recent weeks, the carbon market again broke above the $40 mark this week, with questions around how the Middle East conflict will play out weighing on market confidence.
EA entrenches 10kW export limit for residential solar
Wed 8 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The Electricity Authority intends to require all electricity networks to offer at least a 10 kilowatt (kW) export capacity for residential rooftop and other small-scale distributed generation.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
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.
Severe tropical cyclones Maila And Vaianu threaten communities in Solomon Islands, PNG and Fiji
Wed 8 Apr 2026
Media release: 350.org |Two Category 3 Tropical Cyclones are currently moving through the Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Fiji, while experts watch a third system potentially developing in the North Pacific.
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.
Wellington planting nears one million trees
30 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Greater Wellington’s parks restoration programme will hit one million native trees this year, with the first dams to rewet peat wetlands in Queen Elizabeth Park now completed after a years-long effort to bring these ecosystems – and their carbon sequestering superpowers – back to life.
Renewable build-out runs into grid and firming limits
Wed 8 Apr 2026
New Zealand's electricity market entered 2026 with renewable generation at record levels and a substantial build pipeline finally moving from paper to construction. The harder question is whether the wider system can absorb and firm that capacity fast enough.
A matter of strategy
Tue 7 Apr 2026
COMMENT: Even on the brink of a global commodities crisis, the possibilities for climate action aren't hopelessly foreclosed. Strategy can turn our fortunes around, writes David Hall.
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.”
FMA to ease conditions for green bond issues
31 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Green, social and sustainability-linked bonds will face lower disclosure requirements and regulatory costs under a class exemption newly granted by the Financial Markets Authority.
New protections for NZ migratory species under UN convention
2 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New international protections for migratory species, including several found in New Zealand, are a positive step – but global protections won’t halt the decline of migratory species on their own, experts say.
Fonterra admits ‘100% grass-fed’ claim breached law in greenwashing row
2 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Fonterra has admitted its “100% New Zealand grass-fed” claims on Anchor butter were misleading and breached the law, settling a case brought by Greenpeace Aotearoa over packaging used between December 2023 and April 2025.
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.
NZ prepares to join ‘gold rush’ for white hydrogen
25 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand may be close to commercialising the capture and use of naturally occurring ‘white’ hydrogen, with investment plans for developments in the Wairarapa region picking up pace in response to spiralling oil prices.
Media round-up
20 Mar 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Crown lawyers agree High Court could quash emissions plan if found unlawful; NZ is locked in 'disaster inertia'; and climate change is notably absent from new development laws.
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.
Lawyers complain to ombudsman over Govt failure to release LNG modelling
1 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers for Climate Action has made a formal complaint to the Ombudsman over the Government’s failure to release information about its controversial decision to build a LNG import terminal.
Labour mulls GIDI 2.0 as factory closures mount
1 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Factory closures across the country could have been prevented if the last Labour-led government’s GIDI fund to assist companies with the cost of electrification hadn't been scrapped, Labour energy spokesperson, Megan Woods, says.
NZ First targets regional share of mining royalties
30 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand First has proposed returning 50% of mining royalties to regional communities, saying that too much of the value from resource extraction is currently flowing to Wellington.
Tuvalu prioritises climate change in agreement with NZ
27 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand has pledged an additional $20 million to climate resilience work in Tuvalu, more than doubling Aotearoa's aid to the tiny island nation in the current financial year.
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.
Worst in a generation: Environmentalists slam fisheries reform bill
25 Mar 2026
Media release: Greenpeace | The Fisheries Amendment Bill, which will likely have its first reading in parliament this week, is being labelled the worst fisheries policy in a generation by environmental groups who are calling for it to be rejected to protect ocean health.
Free fares call as fuel crisis impacts school attendance
Wed 8 Apr 2026
An open letter is urging the Government to make public transport free for all school children and subsidised for students under 25, as rising fuel costs begin to impact attendance and access to education across the country.
Kiwis overly optimistic about state of environment
27 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New research suggests many New Zealanders believe the environment is in better shape than it really is, with public perceptions often out of step with scientific evidence.
‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics
24 Feb 2026
Plastic production has doubled over the last 20 years – and will likely double again. For author Beth Gardiner, metal water bottles and canvas tote bags are not the solution. So what is?
Activists occupy controversial gold drilling site
25 Mar 2026
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | Opposition in Golden Bay to a controversial gold mine at Sams Creek has flared up over the weekend after several activists briefly occupied a drilling site.
China has a new competitor? Kazakhstan reveals huge rare Earth deposit that could power the next tech boom
25 Feb 2026
China’s grip on rare earths might finally see some competition, and the world is already taking notice.
Britain hits renewable power record in 2025, but fossil fuel use also up
Wed 8 Apr 2026
Renewable power such as wind and solar provided a record 52.5% of Britain’s electricity generation in 2025, government data showed on Thursday, but fossil fuel use also rose.
Sci-tech prioritisation report is a joke that could cost NZ dearly, says NZ Association of Scientists
2 Apr 2026
Media release: New Zealand Association of Scientists | The Prioritisation Report released yesterday by the Prime Minister’s Science Innovation and Technology Council makes a poor case for further cuts and changes to our research system.
Carbon trading schemes cut more emissions than carbon taxes, according to global study
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Carbon trading schemes are more effective than carbon taxes at reducing emissions, cutting fossil fuel use, and accelerating the shift to renewable energy, a global study has found.
AI’s arrival complicates Big Tech climate goals, and some worry it’s locking in more fossil fuels
2 Apr 2026
Six years ago, Google was confident that by 2030 it would power all operations with electricity generated from clean sources, including wind and solar power, and remove as much pollution as it produced. Today it calls those goals a “moonshot.” Microsoft says it’s still aiming to remove more carbon than it creates by 2030 but now describes the effort as “a marathon, not a sprint.”
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.
Fuel crisis powers surge in EV interest in Asia-Pacific region
Tue 7 Apr 2026
Motorists across the Asia-Pacific region are switching to electric vehicles at a rapid pace, as rising fuel costs due to the Middle East war force consumers and companies to reconsider their reliance on petrol and diesel vehicles.
Infrastructure plan calls for ‘predictable approach’ to electrifying economy
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.
Dairy farmers' lack of climate action 'even bleaker' than water inaction – Upton
1 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Government projections for cutting agricultural emissions are being undermined by low farmer uptake, with the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment warning the country is relying on “heroic” assumptions to meet its methane targets.
AI tool predicts wildfire danger faster than current systems
26 Mar 2026
Media release | A wildfire forecasting system powered by artificial intelligence could help detect dangerous fire conditions earlier and reduce the cost of wildfire response, according to new research from Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury.
Fast-track approved project could deliver NZ’s largest wind farm
Tue 7 Apr 2026
Media release: New Zealand Government |Fast-track approval has been granted for New Zealand’s largest wind farm project.
