Topics tagged with 'Science'
Not even pandemic can flatten the Keeling Curve
8 Jun 2020
As graphs go, the Keeling Curve is simple, but it clearly illustrates the planet's vexing global warming challenge.
South Asia’s twin threat: extreme heat and foul air
2 Jun 2020
Climate change means many health risks. Any one of them raises the danger. What happens when extreme heat meets bad air?
Climate change keeps sustainability staff busy
28 May 2020
Climate change is the top priority for sustainability professionals working in New Zealand, new research shows.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
26 May 2020
The Climate Action Tracker international climate science coalition holds an online summit today on achieving net-zero emissions energy systems.
Recyclable bricks and concrete the way of the future
26 May 2020
Bricks, concrete and other construction materials could one day be made from recycled PVC, waste plant-fibre or sand, thanks to a remarkable new kind of rubber polymer.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
25 May 2020
Horizons Regional Council is expected to approve its 2020/21 annual plan today, with $175,000 going to assessing the region’s vulnerability to climate change.
POLITICS: It looks like more of the same
22 May 2020
The outcome of National’s leadership stoush today is unlikely to affect the party’s approach to climate policy.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
21 May 2020
Today is the last day for submissions on a new law aimed at smoothing out the supply of logs for the domestic wood industry.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
20 May 2020
Submissions on the Forestry (Regulation of Log Traders and Advisers) Amendment Bill, introduced as part of last week’s Budget, close tomorrow, when the Environment Select Committee will meet to discuss the bill.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
19 May 2020
MPs take a break from Parliament this week, but will be back in the House next week.
Largest Arctic science expedition finds itself on thin ice
19 May 2020
Covid-19 is just one of many setbacks for hundreds of scientists pursuing critical climate questions in the world’s most remote and inhospitable environment.
Bad soil fungi will welcome warmer weather
13 May 2020
Rising temperatures will increase crop losses as warmer soils encourage the growth of pathogenic soil fungi, scientists say.
Belt and Road backers failing to protect nature
12 May 2020
The financial backers of China’s Belt and Road Initiative are being accused of failing to require safeguards to protect nature.
What we do now with the economy is crucial
28 Apr 2020
The actions governments take now to stimulate their economies in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic will either slow or exacerbate climate change, international experts say.
ClimCom to review our Paris emissions target
23 Apr 2020
New Zealand seems set to increase its Paris Agreement emissions reduction target.
Windows could produce future electricity
21 Apr 2020
Windows could replace rooftop solar panels within a decade as a way of generating electricity, scientists say.
Scientists blame poor soil for carbon limits
9 Apr 2020
Issues like poor soil fertility are limiting the ability of mature forests to store carbon and help reduce climate change, scientists say.
Australian academics call for survival strategy
1 Apr 2020
A group of Australian scientists, business leaders, public servants and academics is calling for nations to work together to develop a strategy for humans to survive climate change, pandemics and other looming threats.
OPINION: Science makes a comeback
26 Mar 2020
By JIM SALINGER | This has been a strange period and I have been reflecting on the uptake of scientific facts and advice with the covid-19 pandemic.
ClimCom opens doors to carbon-budget ideas
16 Mar 2020
Energy, transport, farming and forestry businesses are the first sectors to put their vision of a carbon-neutral New Zealand to the body charged with developing the country’s carbon budgets.
We're not doing enough climate science
13 Mar 2020
New Zealand and Australia face a critical shortage of the climate-science capacity needed to prepare the countries for dealing with climate change.
Green movement mourns loss of Rob Fenwick
12 Mar 2020
Sustainable business pioneer and environmental activist Sir Rob Fenwick has died.
Experts to probe farm emissions tool
12 Mar 2020
A panel has been appointed to review the functioning of Overseer, the farm environmental modelling tool that could help farmers to measure their greenhouse gas emissions.
Veteran activist clear to tackle Big Business
9 Mar 2020
Veteran activist and Iwi Chairs’ Forum spokesman Mike Smith has been given the go-ahead to take some of the country’s largest companies to court in a bid to cut their emissions to zero by 2030.
Gluckman group to tackle the hard stuff
4 Mar 2020
A think-tank being launched in Auckland today could give New Zealand – and the world – the tools it needs to make the hard decisions about climate change, says founder Professor Sir Peter Gluckman.
Air NZ joins space agency in climate watch
25 Feb 2020
Air New Zealand is working with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration to monitor climate change in New Zealand.
Methane revelations might benefit our farmers
24 Feb 2020
Revelations that fossil fuels are responsible for a greater percentage of methane in the atmosphere than was thought could be good news for New Zealand farmers – but only if the rest of the world is prompted to cut fossil-fuel extraction more quickly.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
20 Feb 2020
Parliament’s Environment Committee is discussing changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme today, as well as the annual reports of the Environmental Protection Authority and Predator Free 2050.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
19 Feb 2020
Applications for the Government’s Low-Emission Vehicles Contestable Fund open today, with secure parking for electric bikes eligible for the first time.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
18 Feb 2020
Greater Wellington Regional Council’s environment committee meets today to set environmental priorities.
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17 Feb 2020
Cambridge University economist Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta will give a public talk in Wellington tomorrow on the economics of biodiversity (5.30pm-7pm, Lecture Theatre 1, Rutherford House, 23 Lambton Quay).
Busy mast years can damage our forests
12 Feb 2020
Repeated mast years induced by climate change are damaging forests as pest numbers explode, new research shows.
Government pumps $14m into forest water study
11 Feb 2020
A $14 million Government-funded project is under way to figure out how climate change will affect the amount of water and nutrients flowing through New Zealand forests.
Rule-breaking plants take on changing climate
11 Feb 2020
Plants that break some of the rules of ecology by adapting in unconventional ways might have a higher chance of surviving climate change, new research suggests.
New material could clean up fossil fuel industry
10 Feb 2020
A new material with the potential to slash carbon dioxide emissions from the refining of crude oil has got scientists excited.
Mine only what we really need, scientists warn
5 Feb 2020
Mining should be allowed only when it is necessary for obtaining the basic necessities of life, says a group of eminent scientists and other New Zealanders.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ...
5 Feb 2020
It's Waitangi Day tomorrow, which means there will be no Carbon News.
GO ELECTRIC: The secret's in the sums
4 Feb 2020
Do the maths, says Massey University applied mathematician Professor Robert McLauchlan, it really does make sense to get rid of your fossil-fueled car.
Climate commission gets its body of experts
17 Dec 2019
The names of the experts who will make up the Climate Change Commission have been announced.
Kyoto credits threaten Paris Agreement
13 Dec 2019
Allowing countries to carry Kyoto credits forward could effectively kill the Paris Agreement, negotiators are being told.
Coal being cleaned out of schools and hospitals
12 Dec 2019
State schools, hospitals and science institutes are moving out of coal.
Jump to it, Jacinda, says global carbon watchdog
5 Dec 2019
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is under international pressure to increase New Zealand’s 2030 emissions reduction target in line with the Paris Agreement.
Cut hydrogen red tape, urges business sector
4 Dec 2019
Businesses say a hydrogen-export industry drastically cutting emissions from fossil fuels could be stymied by red tape and a failure to recognise the value of “blue” hydrogen.
Scientists claim breakthrough on gut bacteria
28 Nov 2019
Scientists have used “directed evolution” to turn gut bacteria into a carbon dioxide-munching machine in what is being called a step towards carbon-neutral production of food, fuels, and biochemicals.
Mission Methane will be run from our very own space base
7 Nov 2019
The Government is paying $26m for a ringside seat to an international space mission helping to tackle climate change.
Beware of a populist backlash, unions warn
11 Oct 2019
New Zealand risks a Brexit-style populist backlash if it mishandles decarbonisation of the economy, unions are warning.
NZ bankrolls Scottish search for clean green sheep
4 Oct 2019
New Zealand is putting money and science behind Scottish research into farming climate-friendly sheep.
NZ scientists use algae to improve Japanese cars
3 Oct 2019
New Zealand scientists are working with the Japanese motor industry to find a low-carbon replacement for fuels, plastics and a host of other substances.
Why environment has place in red-meat debate
1 Oct 2019
Recommendations that people should keep eating red meat fail to take environmental damage into account – posing a long-term threat to human health, says one of New Zealand’s leading medical researchers.
Politicians need to ‘get over themselves’ to reduce emissions
Fri 24 Jul 2026
New Zealand needs to face up to two big areas of climate emissions: transport and agriculture, says climate policy expert Bronwyn Hayward.
Greens promise to take forestry out of the ETS
Mon 27 Jul 2026
The Green Party launched its election manifesto at its AGM yesterday, promising action to reduce climate pollution and boost resilience, with an emphasis on Emissions Trading Scheme reform.
$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.
Media round-up
9 Jul 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The Government re-wrote fast-track law after mining companies pushed for change; costs from inland flooding are expected to rise by up to 53% by 2075; and is there such a thing as a sustainable tourist?
National deer management strategy urgently needed to halt 'catastrophe' for native forests
Mon 27 Jul 2026
Scientists are calling for an urgent national deer management strategy, with deer numbers now at unsustainable levels and decimating native forests.
Biomass can free-up electrons to perform higher value roles – with multiple other benefits
Fri 24 Jul 2026
By Rob Mallinson | OPINION: New Zealand’s energy debate too often treats electricity as the universal solution.
Govt signs NZ up for carbon credit co-operation with Philippines
Today 12:00pm
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand has signed an agreement with the Philippines to establish a framework for Paris Agreement co-operation allowing offshore mitigation, including on Article 6 credits – despite the Coalition Government repeatedly telling the voting public they wouldn’t send “billions overseas”.
European wildfires may not be out for months, authorities warn, as flames rage near Bordeaux and Madrid
Today 12:00pm
President Macron said France's wildfire situation is toughest since WWII as higher temperatures loom again this week.
Red Stag boss questions $60m cement support as timber ETS reforms stall
Thu 23 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The Government has granted $60 million to an emissions-intensive industry while dragging its feet on a proposal to allow firms making harvested wood products to earn carbon credits in the Emissions Trading Scheme, an industry leader says.
Coal is back in Australian Super’s portfolio. What happened to that net zero pledge?
13 Jul 2026
In 2020 Australia’s biggest super fund dumped its Whitehaven shares. Fast forward to 2026 and it is now the coalminer’s single biggest investor.
Politicians need to lead on climate: Carr
30 Jun 2026
As the election campaign heats up, former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr has a list of actions he's hoping to see from our aspiring leaders, which includes confronting climate denial as well as refusing funds or policy advice from vested interests.
EMA pushes for steady hand on energy and regulation
13 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Employers and Manufacturers Association wants the next government to commit to a long-term energy plan and allow faster investment in renewable generation, at the same time as slowing the pace of policy change and providing businesses with greater certainty.
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.
Govt should bin draft voluntary market assurance and start again – expert
Fri 24 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government is consulting on its criteria for endorsing domestic nature and carbon markets, however market experts say the draft document falls short of what is needed to support trust in the market and stop low-integrity credits being sold.
Greens want one-year pause on AI datacentres
Today 12:00pm
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Datacentre opponents have welcomed the Greens' call to press pause on new operations, while others say the energy-hungry facilities will bring jobs to the regions.
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.
Every new UK home should have air conditioning, say Liberal Democrats
Today 12:00pm
All new UK homes should be built with air conditioning to cope with the effects of the climate crisis, according to the Liberal Democrats.
Tarakihi on verge of extinction: Stock collapse exposes major fisheries management failings
3 Jul 2026
Media release: Environmental Defence Society | Fisheries NZ is consulting on new sustainability measures for the country’s two tarakihi stocks.
Media round-up
Fri 24 Jul 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Labour leader Chris Hipkins floats the idea of a carbon border tax; two-way charging between the garage and the grid will slash power bills; and cost isn't everything when it comes to rooftop solar.
West Africa signs off $25bn mega gas-pipeline plan
Wed 22 Jul 2026
One of Africa's most ambitious energy infrastructure projects has finally been signed off at the highest level, with West African leaders formally endorsing the long-awaited Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic Gas Pipeline.
$3m Govt boost for Tauranga geothermal energy
14 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Resources Minister Shane Jones has announced a $3 million grant for the Gas to Geoheat Tauranga Geothermal System Project as part of the Government's plan to double geothermal energy by 2040.
Will new UK PM’s green measures at home cause climate finance pain overseas?
Thu 23 Jul 2026
Andy Burnham will cut bus fares and household electricity tax in a boost for UK climate action – but this will be funded partly by switching international climate finance from grants to loans.
The thriving coral reef that ‘defeated time’ in West Africa
Wed 22 Jul 2026
A 60-year mystery has been solved as researchers discover a coral ecosystem on the Benin-Togo continental shelf that is still teeming with marine life.
‘Master class in greenwash’ as Ottawa unveils CCS deal
20 Jul 2026
A multi-billion-dollar plan to transport and store greenhouse gas emissions from Canada’s emissions-intensive oil sands has received a major boost, even though the highly-touted deal between Ottawa, Alberta, and the five oil major sands companies will only capture a tiny fraction of the oil sands’ climate pollution.
Contact: New biodiversity goal may be 'highly problematic' for renewable projects
Fri 24 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The goal of no net loss of indigenous biodiversity in the new resource management system may be highly problematic for renewable energy developments, Contact Energy says.
Groundbreaking steel startup cuts production time while slashing emissions
Mon 27 Jul 2026
Startup CullBeck has raised a record $20 million to commercialise its new ironmaking technology, which replaces coal with hydrogen to eliminate carbon emissions from one of the world's most emissions-intensive industries.
Climate change keeps adding to the list of uninsurable assets, Allianz executive says
Fri 24 Jul 2026
Extreme weather events — such as the heat wave that just hit Europe — are making more and more assets too risky to insure, according to a director at Europe’s largest primary insurer.
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.
TotalEnergies to appeal French court decision ordering it to adapt its business to climate change
Today 12:00pm
French oil major TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA), opens new tab will appeal a Paris court decision ordering it to bring its business in line with climate change goals.
NZ at risk of missing all its climate goals: Commission
Wed 22 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Aotearoa New Zealand’s rate of emissions reduction needs to more than double, with progress stalling since 2024 after the Coalition Government took power, according to the latest report from the Climate Change Commission.
Planetary Facts dashboard aims to make environmental costs visible
15 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Consumers can now compare the environmental impacts of everyday products with a new online dashboard designed to do for sustainability what nutrition labels have long done for food.
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.
UN chief says fossil fuel industry must cut methane for warming “relief”
25 Jun 2026
UN chief António Guterres called for stronger action to cut emissions of planet-heating methane, taking aim at the fossil fuel industry’s practices and profits, and pointing to coal, oil and gas as the root of today’s climate and energy crises.
What’s next for Sams Creek after failed mining bid?
15 Jul 2026
Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | A controversial gold mining application at Sams Creek has been declined, leaving question marks hanging over the future of the land.
European fish are adapting to climate change in unexpected ways
Today 12:00pm
As climate change reshapes marine habitats, scientists have discovered European fish aren’t just moving north to stay cool. Instead, they’re diving deeper into darker waters.
Panama Canal braces for El Niño, announcing first transit restrictions
Fri 24 Jul 2026
The probability of a severe El Nino has risen from 25% to 81% and the Panama Canal is preparing to restrict transits.
NZ First promises $1 billion for offshore oil and gas
20 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand First wants to “drill baby drill,” and has made an election campaign promise of $1 billion to survey New Zealand’s offshore basins to extract oil and gas, in an announcement at the party’s campaign launch on Sunday.
‘I can’t work in the farce of climate change cruise tourism anymore’: why Antarctic guides quit their dream jobs
Wed 22 Jul 2026
“You’d see massive glacier calvings, and you’d just want to cry. But all the guests would be cheering. And you’d be like … ‘can you not put two and two together?’”
UN plastics pact talks restart amid fears production curbs will be left out
2 Jul 2026
Diplomats reconvene a year after negotiations collapsed, but campaigners fear the agenda risks burying tricky discussions on key elements.
Greens bill aims to keep supermarket food out of landfill
Mon 27 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Green Party has introduced a member's bill that would require New Zealand's largest supermarkets to donate edible surplus food to food rescue organisations instead of sending it to landfill, saying the move would reduce waste, cut emissions and help tackle food insecurity.
Northern Thai residents march for action on polluted rivers. ‘This is an emergency’
9 Jun 2026
More than 600 residents of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces embarked May 31 on a roughly 68-kilometer, six-day ‘peace walk’ to demand the Thai government take action on the river pollution crisis that has seen Thai rivers polluted with heavy metals.
Swarbrick slams $50m critical minerals funding as 'Trump's war machine' subsidy
7 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Green Party has criticised the Government's investment into two West Coast critical minerals projects, claiming the funding could ultimately support the United States defence industry rather than New Zealand's clean energy transition, while Shane Jones dismissed opponents as "flat earth idiots".
China solar exports to South, Southeast Asia and Africa rise despite post-rebate slump
Wed 22 Jul 2026
China's solar exports to Southeast and South Asia as well as Africa rose year-over-year in June, customs data showed on Monday, though overall solar exports slipped for a second month after China removed an export tax rebate.
Resource management Bills 'not yet ready to be enacted', says Upton
Wed 22 Jul 2026
By Oli Lewis | The two Bills to replace the Resource Management Act are not ready to be enacted and there is no way of knowing how they will affect the environment, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says.
Green Party takes ‘electric election’ up a notch
21 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is promising to cut power bills and establish a publicly owned company, ‘Kiwipower,’ to deliver affordable renewable energy.
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.
Big tech joins big oil in ruining summer
20 Jul 2026
The industry has abandoned its climate pledges in favor of fossil fuel-powered AI data centers.
'Shocking' changes to RMA replacement further weakens environmental protections –EDS
21 Jul 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The select committee's report back on bills to replace the Resource Management Act fails to address the Environmental Defence Society's "massive concerns" with the legislation.
How e-scooter company Lime cut its supply chain emissions
Fri 24 Jul 2026
The company’s latest sustainability report, shared exclusively with Heatmap, shows that carbon intensity per kilometer traveled has dropped 81% since 2019.
Experts call on Govt to withdraw ‘repugnant’ legislation to block climate lawsuits
13 Jul 2026
By Liz Kivi | Lawyers and climate policy experts are calling on the Government to withdraw legislation intended to block climate lawsuits, with an adaptation expert arguing that the legislation could worsen the insurance protection gap.
New funding round opens for Auckland zero waste projects – $500k available
Fri 24 Jul 2026
Media release | Auckland Council is inviting applications for the 2026 Waste Minimisation and Innovation Fund (WMIF) with $500,000 available to support projects that reduce waste and increase recycling and reuse to help achieve Auckland’s goal of zero waste by 2040.
Calls for stronger protection of drinking water sources
Today 12:00pm
A new report has highlighted growing risks to New Zealand's drinking water supplies, with Water New Zealand warning stronger protection of source water is needed as almost half of all drinking water consents come up for renewal over the next decade.
The dangerous climate driving California’s wildfires — and a warning for Australia
Today 12:00pm
California’s escalating fires reveal how heat, drought and wind are converging to create mega-blazes — and foreshadow similar risks for an El Niño–primed Australia.
Faster consenting, harder trade-offs
7 Jul 2026
Faster consenting is starting to produce results, but this week's decisions show speed has not removed the harder trade-offs around electricity security, conservation, ecology and climate liability.
