Topics tagged with 'Politics'
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.
Big business lobbyists queue up on Capitol Hill
19 May 2009
President Barack Obama’s push for a climate-change law this year has set off a lobbying boom on Capitol Hill, where companies are registering to weigh in at a rate of about one every business day.
UN chief urges action on risk of natural disasters
19 May 2009
United Nations secretary-general Ban Ki-moon has called for decisive action to reduce the growing impact of climate change as he launched a global assessment of ways to minimise the risks from natural disasters.
GREENS 1: New Deal creates 42,000 jobs
15 May 2009
At least 42,000 jobs could be created under a Green New Deal proposal just released by the Greens.
ETS reviewers eye June date for report
15 May 2009
The emissions trading scheme review committee could report back to Parliament by the end of next month.
NZ Govt’s move to halt climate litigation under international scrutiny
Tue 19 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Local and international NGOs have signed an open letter calling on the Government to reconsider its decision to shield major emitters from legal liability for climate-related harm.
Media round-up
Fri 15 May 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The government's move to change climate law removes a key protection for NZ citizens, farmers should be paid to use methane-busting tools, and it's one step forward, three steps back on environment policy.
$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.
Europe has 'maybe six weeks of jet fuel left', energy boss warns
20 Apr 2026
Stocks would reach a tipping point in June if Europe was unable to replace at least half of its imports from the Middle East, the organisation said in a report this week.
Govt unveils long-awaited voluntary carbon market guidance
Fri 15 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has released long-awaited guidance for New Zealand’s voluntary carbon and nature markets, as questions continue for the sector despite ministers signalling support for its growth.
Biomass sector asks: where did the love go?
Mon 18 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand has sufficient biomass in its plantation forests to replace natural gas for industrial process heat at lower costs than electrification, but is failing to get the attention it deserves, sector leaders say.
Carbon News updates forward curve
13 May 2026
Carbon News has updated its ten-year NZU forward curve, following a recent rise in spot market prices, with NZUs rallying from about $34 in January to nearly $54 in early May.
Declare climate crisis a global public health emergency, experts tell WHO
Tue 19 May 2026
The climate crisis should be declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization, or millions more people will die unnecessarily, leading international experts have said.
Drop in ETS forestry registrations
5 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | ETS forestry registrations have dropped off this year, with the new mandatory emissions return period, new land-use rules, and carbon price volatility all meaning participants aren’t rushing to register forestry in the emissions trading scheme.
Hipkins pans LNG plan as ‘massive step backwards’
Tue 19 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Labour leader Chris Hipkins has told a Queenstown audience that a Government he leads would not proceed with a planned LNG import terminal, if elected at November’s election.
Tairāwhiti deserves better than weakened forestry rules
5 May 2026
OPINION: The government's proposed amendments to forestry standards, released yesterday, ignore the hard lessons learned in our region and ignore the voices that have fought hardest to protect it, writes Manu Caddie.
Green building council calls for clean energy policies
Mon 18 May 2026
The New Zealand Green Building Council has released its 2026 election manifesto calling for policies to reduce energy waste in buildings, lower household and business energy costs, and improve New Zealand’s energy security.
What Magyar’s defeat of Orbán in Hungary means for climate and energy
21 Apr 2026
Hungary has played a disproportionate role in EU climate and energy policy in recent years, by repeatedly vetoing climate action and by delaying the phaseout of Russian fossil-fuel imports.
Conservation land open for voluntary carbon market schemes
12 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government is to open up the Crown-owned conservation estate to private investment in voluntary carbon market projects.
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.
Future big droughts may be worse than we think – NZ’s past shows why
Mon 18 May 2026
By Adam Brown, University of Waikato; Dave Frame, University of Canterbury, and Luke Harrington, University of Waikato | For an agricultural nation like New Zealand, severe drought is one of the most ominous consequences of a warming planet.
EDS urges MPs to scrap the Fisheries Amendment Bill
5 May 2026
Media release | The Environmental Defence Society today lodged a substantive submission on the Fisheries Amendment Bill.
Govt presses ahead with forestry rule changes despite opposition
Thu 14 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is pushing ahead with changes to commercial forestry rules despite most submitters opposing the proposals, with critics warning the reforms will weaken councils’ ability to manage erosion and forestry slash risks in vulnerable regions such as Tairāwhiti.
Greenpeace's new fuel crisis scorecard: Coalition flunks, Labour offers few commitments
Tue 19 May 2026
Media release | As fuel prices remain high and the Budget looms closer, Greenpeace Aotearoa has released a scorecard ranking political parties on practical solutions to cut dependence on imported fossil fuels and shield households from oil and gas price shocks.
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.”
New funding for low methane farming uptake
29 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government will co-fund projects under an Early Adoption Accelerator scheme announced today to accelerate the uptake of low emissions farming technologies emerging from the AgriZero public-private partnership.
A real ‘intergenerational equity’ budget would address Australia’s unceasing environmental decline
Fri 15 May 2026
Labor has unveiled a budget designed to tackle intergenerational equity in Australia through bold tax reform.
Why ‘greenhushing’ signals deeper issues with NZ’s climate risk reporting regime
Fri 15 May 2026
By Hang Pham, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington | Most of us are familiar with the concept of greenwashing: organisations exaggerating or overstating their environmental credentials. But in New Zealand, there are signs the country’s climate disclosure regime may inadvertently be driving a very different trend: not saying much at all.
‘Formidable’ El Niño expected this winter
29 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Meteorologists are anticipating a significant El Niño influence on weather patterns across the country from winter onwards, with predicted lower rainfall for some areas and heavier rain for others likely to impact multiple sectors of the economy as well as the carbon market.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
Media round-up
24 Apr 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: What is the real cost of storm-hit infrastructure? Urgency is needed over climate adaptation funding; and a community conservation group has won a legal victory against multinational mining company OceanaGold.
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.
Labour condemns Govt plan to stop climate litigation
Fri 15 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Labour Party has slammed the Government’s move to block climate lawsuits against big emitters but won’t say if they would repeal the legislation if elected in November.
GIDI-style help cheaper than LNG: MBIE
11 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Officials advised ministers last July that the lowest-cost way to free up gas for use during dry winters was to assist industrial gas users to switch to electricity.
Govt missing tricks to save fuel in crisis
30 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is being urged to shift its response to the fuel crisis away from short-term relief and towards measures that reduce demand, with public health experts warning it is missing an opportunity to boost energy security and lower household costs.
Climate risks could reshape business finances, new guidance warns
15 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New guidance warns climate change is set to fundamentally reshape financial outcomes for businesses, including difficult-to-model climate “tipping points” – irreversible changes such as ice sheet collapse or ocean circulation shifts – which threaten severe and sudden financial impacts.
Move to block lawsuits could strengthen climate case against Govt
Thu 14 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s plan to block climate lawsuits – while potentially fatal for one groundbreaking climate case – could actually bolster claims in another live climate case underway against the Government.
Coal mine challenge reaches Aus High Court
13 May 2026
What climate change impacts should a planning authority have to take into account when assessing a mining project?
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.
Deep-sea mining risks biodiversity loss lasting decades, scientists warn
11 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The first comprehensive review of deep-sea mining research has found mining could cause ecological damage lasting decades and, in some ecosystems, irreversible biodiversity loss, with New Zealand experts warning the industry poses major risks to fragile ocean environments.
Environmental groups sue Trump administration over approval of new ultra deep-water drilling project
23 Apr 2026
Environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Monday over its approval last month of oil company BP’s ultra deep-water drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico.
Opposition slams environment ministry merger
13 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Opposition MPs accused the Government of downgrading climate and environmental protections as legislation to abolish the Ministry for the Environment and merge it into a new mega-ministry passed its second reading in Parliament.
Commission urges Govt action on climate risks
7 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate change currently poses major risks to our water infrastructure with “significant gaps” in readiness to manage risks and increasing hazards, according to the Climate Change Commission.
ESG funds include petrochemical companies, report finds
5 May 2026
Global banks have invested US$133bn into US petrochemical expansion, even as the industry is linked to climate change.
Urgent need to rethink tourism says expert
Mon 18 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The post-pandemic recovery has created an urgent need to rethink how tourism operates, who benefits from it, and how it impacts the social and environmental systems it depends on, according to new research.
Thousands protest in Germany urging faster shift to renewable energy, amid Iran war
20 Apr 2026
Thousands of people demonstrated across Germany on April 18, urging a faster shift to renewable energy and accusing conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition of putting the brakes on the transition.
Green Party calls for national electrification plan
20 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is calling for a national plan to electrify homes, transport and industry using renewable energy, to reduce fossil fuel dependence in response to the Middle East crisis.
China widens its clean energy lead
Mon 18 May 2026
Chinese companies account for more than half of global investments in clean energy manufacturing since 2019, while new U.S. investments declined last year.
‘Landmark’ conservation reform bill – boost or bust for nature?
8 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government has announced an overhaul of the country’s conservation system, which environmental organisation Forest & Bird says will undo the work of many generations of Kiwis to protect public conservation land.
Combined climate extremes may prompt carbon budget rethink
Thu 14 May 2026
Media release: Springer Nature | Combined extreme climate events are likely to become more common in the future if carbon emissions continue to rise, a paper in Nature suggests.
Africa secures major clean energy deals as France deepens investment push
Fri 15 May 2026
French and African leaders have announced more than $11 billion in renewable energy investments across Africa, underscoring the continent’s growing importance in the global push for cleaner energy and industrial development.
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.
Why both trees and technology are important in the race to mitigate carbon emissions
4 May 2026
Different carbon‑removal approaches solve different problems, and pitting these technologies against each other could slow progress.
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.
More red lights for cars might mean more green lights for sustainable transport
7 May 2026
Media release: Royal Society Open Science | Reducing the amount of green light time for cars at traffic lights could encourage commuters to switch to more sustainable transport.
UN members prepare for pivotal vote on landmark ICJ climate justice ruling
Fri 15 May 2026
If the resolution is passed, governments will recognise their legal responsibility to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
NZ First moves to revive container return scheme
4 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | NZ First is aiming to launch a national container return scheme, which could recycle over a billion wasted containers each year, reviving a policy shelved by the previous Labour-led Government in 2023.
Greens condemn planned coal mine next to protected wetland
4 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party says a new plan for a coal mine and fertiliser plant next to an internationally significant wetland is “ecological vandalism and climate denial.”
Why is Northern Ireland facing a growing threat from wildfires?
7 May 2026
Figures show that spring drought events are happening more often while there has been a sharp rise in "fire weather" - a mix of warmth, dryness, and wind that allows fires to ignite and spread rapidly. Experts warn this combination, along with climate change, is creating a longer and more volatile wildfire season.
Trump has hindered offshore wind while China and other countries invest heavily
Mon 18 May 2026
President Donald Trump is stopping offshore wind projects in the United States, just as the industry was poised to grow significantly.
