Topics tagged with 'Politics'
US power giant will spend $10b to slash gas emissions
18 Jul 2008
The United States’ largest electricity and gas utility, Exelon, has released a $10 billion plan to eliminate or offset its carbon dioxide emissions, positioning itself ahead of expected federal climate change legislation.
Consider Aussie ETS before passing bill, say Nats
18 Jul 2008
New Zealand needs to give careful consideration to the design of the Australian emissions trading scheme before passing the current bill, says National Party Climate Change spokesman Nick Smith.
Parker, Swan meet tomorrow to talk emissions trading
16 Jul 2008
Australia’s proposed emissions trading scheme will be top of the agenda for a meeting between New Zealand Climate Change Minister David Parker and Australian Treasurer Wayne Swan tomorrow.
REACTION: Green Paper gives cold comfort to those wanting to delay emissions trading
16 Jul 2008
The Green Paper outlining the Australian Government’s thinking on emissions trading shows it is well aligned with New Zealand’s plans, says the New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development
REACTION: NZ emission scheme should pick up some Aussie ideas, say forest owners
16 Jul 2008
Forest owners have welcomed the release by the Australian Government of its preferred policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
World won't buy ETS dream, top economist tells Aussies
15 Jul 2008
Australians are being told by one of the world’s leading economists that the world will never support an emissions trading regime.
ANALYSIS: Australian Green Paper: Will faces here go green or red?
15 Jul 2008
ANALYSIS: The Green Paper on Australia’s emissions trading scheme, being published tomorrow, could have policy and political repercussions in New Zealand.
Bush administration slams door on climate change
15 Jul 2008
Arguing that it's the wrong tool for the job, the Bush Administration has said that it will not use the nation's leading clean air law to regulate emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases.
Poll shows most of us want action on climate change
11 Jul 2008
Another poll has confirmed that most New Zealanders believe that climate change is human-induced and want to take action.
NZIER-funded polling shows coalition deal may have to deliver ETS policy
11 Jul 2008
Emissions trading is an issue of great concern to Maori and Green party voters - and the major parties might need them to form a coalition after this year's election.
ANALYSIS: The NZIER and friends' poll slip is showing
11 Jul 2008
A close-call election result is probably not what the NZIER and its major emitter study funders would have most liked in the results of their June TNS Conversa poll.
Roundtable: NZIER survey confirms ETS proposals lack support
11 Jul 2008
“The New Zealand Institute of Economic Research survey confirms what the Business Roundtable has been saying: that the government has failed to make a robust case to the public that further action against climate change is in New Zealand’s interests, and that without public support any action is likely to be politically unsustainable”, Roger Kerr, executive director of the New Zealand Business Roundtable said.
Paper giant might fold and flee if NZ emissions scheme 'hostile'
8 Jul 2008
International paper giant Norske Skog might quit New Zealand if it is confronted by what it regards as a hostile emissions regime, sources say.
Forest owners urge NZ to follow Garnaut carbon storage action
8 Jul 2008
Australia’s emissions trading scheme is likely to recognise carbon stored in wood products – something New Zealand’s own forest industry would like to see on the table for the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol.
Garnaut review releases draft report
8 Jul 2008
Australians are facing risks of damaging climate change. Without strong and early action by Australia and all major economies we are likely to face severe and costly impacts on Australia’s prosperity and enjoyment of life, according to the Garnaut Climate Change Review’s Draft Report, released on Friday.
Did the ETS really cause big business to leak?: the Dutch evidence
8 Jul 2008
Everywhere emissions trading is being considered, heavy emitters are saying they will relocate to countries without a price on carbon.
India shapes up as second-biggest emitter, says report
8 Jul 2008
India, with a rising demand for crude oil and coal, is likely to overtake the US as the second-largest emitter of carbon from energy use by 2050 after China, a new study says.
Wind-generated electricity blows past 2007 figures
4 Jul 2008
The contribution of wind energy to New Zealand’s electricity supply has increased significantly, figures released yesterday by the Ministry of Economic Development show.
ANALYSIS: The Labour-National negotiation that should be under way
4 Jul 2008
National and Labour are not far apart on the adjustments needed to make the emissions trading bill acceptable to both and restore multi-party support for the measure.
No horse trading on other issues in Govt - NZ First ETS negotiations
4 Jul 2008
Winston Peters has revealed his negotiating position over the emissions trading bill does not involve any other issue.
What’s it all about, mate, ask bewildered Aussies
4 Jul 2008
Australia takes a big step into the brave new world of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions with the release today of Professor Ross Garnaut’s draft report for the Rudd government on carbon trading.
Get on with it, unions tell business and politicians
1 Jul 2008
Unions are climbing into the emissions trading debate, using two of their heavy-weights to send a clear message to business and political leaders that it’s time to pass the bill.
Questions over SOE-funding of ETS reports
1 Jul 2008
Three State-owned enterprises are in the political spotlight for funding reports being used on either side of the lobby campaign on the Government’s emissions trading scheme.
UN chief uses Kyoto to call for new climate change agreement by end of 2009
1 Jul 2008
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said yesterday that the world must galvanise its will and reach a new agreement on measures to fight climate change by the end of 2009.
Blair calls for 'short steps' to climate change
1 Jul 2008
Governments trying to hammer out a post-Kyoto deal on climate change should not become “fixated on precise targets” but concentrate on practical short-term steps towards halving emissions by 2050, says former UK prime minister Tony Blair.
Send ETS back to select committee, says Roy
1 Jul 2008
ACT New Zealand Deputy Leader Heather Roy today put her support behind those businesses and individuals pressuring the Government to put the brakes on the Emissions Trading Scheme - a major piece of legislation with wide-ranging effects that should not be rammed through before the election.
Tokyo bourse carbon-permit trade hinges on Japan plan
27 Jun 2008
The introduction of carbon permits trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange will hinge on a government plan for compulsory emission curbs, Atsushi Saito, the president of the world's second-largest bourse, said yesterday.
Hurry up’ report based on generalised assumptions
24 Jun 2008
A report claiming big investment gains from quickly passing emissions trading legislation is based on generalised assumptions and some questionable logic, says Business NZ.
Pressure builds as minor parties decide where to stand on ETS
24 Jun 2008
The emissions trading bill is top of the agenda for most minor political party caucus meetings today as pressure builds to get the scheme passed before the election.
No local biofuel under proposed law - manufacturers
24 Jun 2008
Local production of biofuels will be halted by changes to the Biofuels Bill, which came back into Parliament yesterday, say manufacturers.
Poll shock: Most Britons doubt cause of climate change
24 Jun 2008
Climate change campaigners are shocked by the results of a poll which shows that the majority of the British public is still not convinced that climate change is caused by humans.
NZDEUR weaker on back of low international interest
23 Jun 2008
The carbon market drifted today and volume was extremely light - overall the market lacked direction in spite of a strong oil market and firmer electricity prices, broker OM Financial reports.
EU on target, but long-term emissions hopes look doubtful
20 Jun 2008
The European Union is on track to hit its short- term target for reducing emissions of the gases which create global warming, officials in Brussels said yesterday.
Climate change fuelling conflict, increased refugees, says UN
20 Jun 2008
Climate change is expected to drive increasing numbers of people from their homes as more conflicts are fuelled by water scarcity and a lack of food, says the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
Waste bill gives economic incentives
20 Jun 2008
New waste legislation will offer economic incentives and rewards to businesses and councils who do their bit for waste reduction, Environment Minister Trevor Mallard told Parliament during the second reading of the Waste Minimisation Bill on Wednesday.
Call to Suspend Motorway Projects
20 Jun 2008
Should oil prices reach $US150 a barrel, the Auckland based transport lobby group is recommending that all uncommitted motorway projects be placed on hold, and funds diverted to increasing the capacity of transport modes that aren't reliant on cheap oil.
Environment Commissioner supports amended ETS bill
18 Jun 2008
New Zealand must implement an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), says Dr Jan Wright, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment. “It’s the most efficient way for New Zealand to adjust to a carbon-constrained future.”
Heavy emitters: ETS bill changes not sufficient
18 Jun 2008
The Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill has not been changed sufficiently to allay concerns that industry will struggle to stay profitable in New Zealand, according to the Greenhouse Policy Coalition, which represents large industry across a range of sectors.
ETS amendments tinkering around the edges for forestry sector
17 Jun 2008
Forest owners will take little comfort from proposed amendments to the Climate Change (Emissions Tradings and Renewable Preference) Bill which were reported back from the finance and expenditure committee yesterday.
ETS back in Parliament
16 Jun 2008
The emissions trading scheme is back before Parliament, with new proposals to widen the allocation of free credits and to allow lower-emitters into the scheme.
National's full minitory report on ETS bill
16 Jun 2008
National has released its miniority report on the ETS bill.
Telling report appears on EU scheme on eve of NZ ETS bill debate
13 Jun 2008
The EU emissions trading scheme works “surprisingly well” and has little or no negative impact on the overall European economy, a new Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Sloan management School study shows.
No carbon invoices, says Hyde
13 Jun 2008
Act Party leader Rodney Hyde is ruling out a policy of individual invoices for a carbon flat-tax.
Forestry owners: Ministers claim of liabilities warning not true
13 Jun 2008
Claims by forestry minister Jim Anderton on Radio New Zealand’s Morning Report yesterday that land owners were warned five years ago of potential deforestation liabilities are not correct, the New Zealand Forest Owners Association said yesterday.
Fewer trees unless govt changes policies
13 Jun 2008
Major flaws in New Zealand’s land-use policies will become more obvious as the world food crisis grows, says the NZ Forest Owners Association.
"Outrage" at AWE burning 17 million cu ft of natural gas daily at Taranaki
13 Jun 2008
An Auckland Central canddiate says he is outraged that an Australian firm is burning off New Zealand's precious natural gas resources at a time of unprecedented petroleum costs and energy shortages
Heavy emitters' bull turned loose in Maori Party's china shop
12 Jun 2008
The heavy emitters' organisation yesterday launched a public attack on the Maori Party in a move which might indicate it has given up on getting the party's support to delay the ETS bill.
New report: 2009 turning point for EU ETS, urges quick Phase 3 commitment
12 Jun 2008
Amendments to the EU emissions trading scheme (EU ETS) proposed by the European Commission are a big step forward and should be adopted into EU legislation by the spring of 2009.
InterCity stalls its "carbon neutral" effort till after the election
10 Jun 2008
InterCity’s plan to be New Zealand’s first carbon neutral tourism and national transport company is on hold while it waits for the outcome of the election.
Councils need more clarity around climate adaptation
Today 10:00am
Media release - Local Government NZ | LGNZ says a lack of clarity around who pays for climate adaptation puts ratepayers at risk of footing the bill – which many could not afford.
Researchers unveil new tools to accurately track methane emissions
Today 10:00am
Breakthrough methane monitoring tools developed by Earth Sciences New Zealand are set to transform how farmers, landfill operators, and wastewater facilities track and tackle their methane emissions.
NZ Post drops science-based climate target
Tue 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.
Nations agree to tax premium flyers, private jets
2 Jul 2025
A group of countries, including France, Kenya, Spain and Barbados, pledged on June 30 to tax premium-class flying and private jets in a bid to raise funds for climate action and sustainable development.
Tipping points: Window to avoid irreversible climate impacts is ‘rapidly closing’
Fri 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”.
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.
NZ voluntary carbon market’s sad state
Today 10:00am
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.
Auditors can’t save carbon offsets
Today 10:00am
The theory behind carbon offset projects is appealing. The reality has been less encouraging.
Bearish sentiment lingers for carbon market
Fri 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.
Climate backtracking could impact trade relationships: Labour
Wed 9 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | Labour Party Energy spokesperson Megan Woods says the government needs to be upfront about how its energy policies will impact trade relationships, following revelations New Zealand was warned by other governments that backtracking on climate policies jeopardised its membership of an international alliance.
A credible UN carbon market needs rules that count – we’ve just set them
11 Jun 2025
COMMENT: The broad standards for a more ambitious market are now in place. But without a steady flow of investment, this progress will remain largely on paper.
Common low-grade clay strengthens low-carbon concrete
5 Jun 2025
Media release | Engineers at RMIT University have converted low-grade clay into a high-performance cement supplement, opening a potential new market in sustainable construction materials.
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.
Carbon price grinds higher - where to from now?
30 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price has continued to grind slowly higher since this month’s failed auction, with prices at their highest since March, although still languishing well below this year’s auction floor price.
UN Human Rights Council fails to call out fossil fuels after decision cuts mention
Fri 11 Jul 2025
A proposal by the Marshall Islands and Colombia calling for a transition away from fossil fuels at the UN Human Rights Council failed to make it into the council’s declaration on climate change and human rights issued on Tuesday.
Key orange roughy population on verge of collapse, govt considers closure
Wed 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.
‘Weaponised timber torpedoes’ – call for forestry changes after flooding
Today 10:00am
By Liz Kivi | A climate scientist is calling for changes to forestry practices, after the second ‘one-in-one-hundred-year’ climate-fuelled flash flood to hit the top of the South Island in two weeks unleashed a torrent of pine forest waste, wiping out homes and a campground.
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.
Emissions Trading Scheme needs deep reform - commissioner
Fri 11 Jul 2025
The government’s attempt to limit forestry conversions on rural land is unlikely to lead to meaningful change, according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
NZ quits Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance
25 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | The New Zealand government has quietly withdrawn from an ambitious coalition to phase out fossil fuels, with a $200 million publicly-funded subsidy for new gas fields the latest policy in conflict with that goal.
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.
Net-zero much cheaper than thought for UK – and unchecked global warming far more costly
Wed 9 Jul 2025
Reaching net-zero will be much cheaper for the UK government than previously expected – and the economic damages of unmitigated climate change far more severe.
The struggle for control of the Arctic is accelerating - and it's riskier than ever
Fri 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.
Can you trust climate information? How and why powerful players are misleading the public
Fri 11 Jul 2025
The climate crisis is more urgent than ever, so why is there a disconnect between stated policies and actual practices?
Methanex closure comes early this year
14 May 2025
The almost-now-annual closure of Methanex has come earlier this year, giving more confidence that the electricity system will get through the winter without a fuel shortfall.
Electric firebricks: decarbonising high-temperature industrial heat
13 Jun 2025
By Ian Mason | A new technology could offer a more cost-effective solution than hydrogen to decarbonise one ‘hard-to-abate’ sector of New Zealand’s economy, as well as having ample potential for demand response as the electricity grid becomes more renewable.
‘Significant gaps’ in proposed approach to climate adaptation
Thu 10 Jul 2025
A new report into climate adaptation doesn’t suggest how development in high-risk areas should be avoided - an issue that needs urgent action with thousands of homes still being built in hazardous areas, according to the Environmental Defence Society.
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.
In Latin America, the energy transition stirs a rise in human rights lawsuits
Tue 8 Jul 2025
A new report shows that more than half of the 95 energy transition-related lawsuits recorded globally since 2009 took place in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Clear-sighted view to trade-offs crucial to reimagining our relationship with the land
7 Jul 2025
By Nick Swallow | COMMENT: New Zealand could see a 70% drop in the value of dairy land if we pursue our emissions targets for agriculture, according to a new report.
Unlocking economic growth on conservation land
Wed 9 Jul 2025
Media release - New Zealand Government | A targeted effort to reduce the backlog of applications for use of conservation land is accelerating economic growth without compromising conservation values, says Conservation Minister Tama Potaka.
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.
Change in Southern Ocean structure could have climate implications
7 Jul 2025
Media release – Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM-CSIC) | Satellite data processing algorithms developed by ICM-CSIC have played a crucial role in detecting this significant shift in the Southern Hemisphere, which could accelerate the effects of climate change.
'Back-to-basics' approach for councils ignores climate risk
Fri 11 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | While ACT is standing local government candidates to oppose councils' attempts to manage emissions and ministers are calling for local authorities to 'get back to basics' - or even suggesting scrapping regional councils altogether - one expert says this narrative is putting communities at risk in the face of climate change.
Markets aren't going to save us – Carr
Wed 9 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Consumerism is reaching its ecological and economic limits, and only systemic change - not market tweaks - can steer us away from climate catastrophe, according to former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr.
Microplastics found in sand on dozens of NZ beaches
4 Jun 2025
Scientists have extracted microplastics from the sand of 22 beaches from the Far North to Banks Peninsula.
UK: Thousands lobby MPs to demand climate action
Thu 10 Jul 2025
More than 5,000 people from across the UK arrived in Westminster on Wednesday to meet their MPs and demand urgent climate action to protect their communities.
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.
North Canterbury locals get say over huge solar farm
Thu 10 Jul 2025
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter | North Canterbury residents are being encouraged to have their say on a proposed 180 hectare solar farm on a property near their village.
1500 deaths in the recent European heatwave were due to climate change
Today 10:00am
We now have the ability to rapidly assess the death toll of climate change after extreme heat – a first-of-its-kind analysis has shown that it nearly tripled the death toll from the most recent European heatwave
Green budget 'ludicrous la-la land' – govt
15 May 2025
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the budget was "clown show economics" and an "absolute circus".
Kiwi ‘smart panel’ startup aiming to reduce energy bills and emissions
4 Jul 2025
NZ start-up Basis this week launched an ‘intelligent’ panel to replace traditional electrical switchboards in homes, which it says can save the average home $1,200 NZD annually on bills and lead to lower 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.
Fast, sustained phase-out of fossil fuels: best-performing countries in coal and transport sectors
Thu 10 Jul 2025
By Robert McLachlan | It’s true that climate change is getting worse – it will continue to get worse until emissions fall to near zero. But is action on phasing out fossil fuels really stalling?
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.
NZ urgently needs to change approach to flood management - experts
2 Jul 2025
Experts say climate change is squarely to blame for flooding in Nelson - but isn’t getting the media attention it deserves - and the country urgently needs to change its approach to flood management in the face of climate change.
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.
