Topics tagged with 'Science'
Missed opportunity to stop plastic pollution
3 Dec 2024
Countries failing to agree on a global treaty to curb plastic pollution after a week of talks in South Korea is a missed opportunity, according to a New Zealand plastics expert.
Investment lagging in climate action – report
27 Nov 2024
A new report looks at the barriers to investment at the core of the priorities of COP29.
We can't afford to be complacent about the effects of tropical cyclones – experts
26 Nov 2024
A symposium currently taking place in Rotorua will bring together recent research on tropical cyclone ecology, with a special focus on the ecological impacts of last year's Cyclone Gabrielle.
Microbes behind unprecedented surge in methane emissions
26 Nov 2024
Media release | Microbes - such as those living in wetlands, landfills or the digestive tracts of livestock - are behind unprecedented spikes in methane emissions, according to new research from the University of Colorado and NIWA.
Study finds four global policies could eliminate >90% of plastic waste and 30% of linked carbon emissions by 2050
25 Nov 2024
A study released in Science determines that just four policies can reduce mismanaged plastic waste—plastic that isn't recycled or properly disposed of and ends up as pollution—by 91% and plastic-related greenhouse gases by one-third.
Carbon tax best for lower emissions, economy – study
21 Nov 2024
A carbon tax is the most effective way for New Zealand to cut emissions while supporting a stable economy, according to a University of Auckland study.
New Zealand drops in global ranking on climate action
21 Nov 2024
Media release | Greenpeace is accusing the New Zealand government of ‘quiet quitting’ on climate change as the country drops seven points in the global rankings on climate action.
Scientists develop tool to monitor coastal erosion in fine detail
21 Nov 2024
Media release | An online tool developed by scientists at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland allows for detailed monitoring of the nation’s coastal erosion from satellite imagery.
Plastic waste to double by 2050 – study
18 Nov 2024
New modelling published in Science suggests plastic waste will double by 2050 if we stick to business as usual, reaching an estimated 121 million metric tonnes.
We study climate change. We can’t explain what we’re seeing
15 Nov 2024
The Earth has been exceptionally warm of late, with every month from June 2023 until this past September breaking records. It has been considerably hotter even than climate scientists expected.
Govt ring-fences $60 million to investigate new geothermal energy
14 Nov 2024
The government is putting aside $60 million to investigate new geothermal energy generation technology, which has the potential to boost renewable energy output and slash emissions.
What 1.5C overshoot would mean for climate impacts and adaptation
14 Nov 2024
With average global temperatures set to see another record high this year, the chances of holding warming to no more than 1.5C continue to dwindle.
New research reveals that microplastics could be changing Earth’s climate
14 Nov 2024
Scientists discovered that microplastics act as ice nucleating particles in clouds, potentially influencing weather, climate, and even aviation safety. Microplastics in the atmosphere may alter precipitation and cloud formation, affecting climate patterns.
Zero chance NZ pulls out of climate agreement: Upton
13 Nov 2024
If Donald Trump pulls the United States out of the Paris Agreement, it’s not likely other countries such as New Zealand will follow, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton.
Climate researchers drill deep for Antarctic climate clues
13 Nov 2024
Media release | Kiwi climate researchers are part of an ambitious mission to recover critical geological records to help forecast future sea-level rise.
NZ can do better on climate policy, says auditor general
8 Nov 2024
New Zealand’s legislative framework is a strength of its response to climate change, however it is not doing so well in other areas, according to a new report.
Trump stranglehold adds to growing doubts at climate talks
8 Nov 2024
Nearly 200 nations will soon gather for the annual COP29 summit, where efforts to increase funding for poor countries and slash emissions will run against the reality of a hostile American president.
UN report obscures meat’s true climate impact
4 Nov 2024
A United Nations climate report made headlines last week with a stark warning: the planet is on track to heat by 2.6 to 3.1 degrees Celsius within the century.
California's schools are embracing vegan meals
1 Nov 2024
How have plant-based lunches spread so successfully? Credit environmentally conscious students — and a handful of state funding programmes.
Carbon credits essential part of decarbonisation toolkit: new report
31 Oct 2024
Carbon credits remain at the heart of global efforts to limit dangerous climate change, with prices predicted to rise towards US$125 by 2035, according to new analysis.
Gisborne community team up with experts to combat climate challenges
31 Oct 2024
Media release | University of Auckland researchers are working with a Gisborne iwi to tackle the pressing issues facing their remote community.
NZ adopts 'underwhelming' Commonwealth Ocean Declaration
30 Oct 2024
Commonwealth nations including Aotearoa and Pacific Island states have adopted the Apia Commonwealth Ocean Declaration.
Carbon removal no solution if world overshoots warming target, scientists say
15 Oct 2024
Even greater efforts to strip carbon dioxide from the atmosphere will fail to avert climate change catastrophe as rising global temperatures threaten to cross a key threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius.
NZ air quality improving, but 'no safe level' for most pollutants
10 Oct 2024
While air quality is improving around Aotearoa, pollutants are still at levels that are above WHO guidelines, with climate change likely to worsen levels of pollen, wildfire smoke, and windblown dust.
Emissions reductions low priority for dairy farmers: new report
9 Oct 2024
New Zealand dairy farmers continue to prioritise financial viability over emissions reductions, despite generally accepting the threat of human-induced climate change, according to a new study.
World on the brink of an irreversible climate disaster, scientists warn
9 Oct 2024
An international team of scientists is warning that the Earth is stepping into a critical and unpredictable new phase of the climate crisis, with environmental conditions that have never been encountered in human history.
Water is ‘canary in the coalmine’ of climate change: WMO
9 Oct 2024
Media release | The year 2023 marked the driest year in over three decades for rivers around the world, according to a new report coordinated by the UN’s World Meteorological Organization.
Hurricane Milton closes in on Florida as thousands flee
9 Oct 2024
Residents have been warned to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Milton, which is expected to make landfall on Wednesday night local time, with $1 trillion worth of commercial properties directly in its path.
New research finds significant warming of Ross Sea region
8 Oct 2024
Media release | PhD candidate Eva Nielsen has created a new dataset of Antarctica’s temperature over the past 20 years analysing its trends and temperature extremes.
Toxic chemical releases during flooding are a silent and growing threat
7 Oct 2024
Hundreds of industrial facilities with toxic pollutants were in Hurricane Helene’s path as the powerful storm flooded communities across the Southeast of the United States.
NASA analysis shows irreversible sea level rise for Pacific islands
7 Oct 2024
In the next 30 years, Pacific Island nations such as Tuvalu, Kiribati, and Fiji will experience at least 15 centimeters of sea level rise, regardless of whether greenhouse gas emissions change in the coming years.
Reversing oil and gas ban is a risky political choice: Upton
4 Oct 2024
Reversing the ban on fossil fuel exploration risks promoting more environmental damage as well as burdening taxpayers with clean-up costs, according to the environment commissioner.
NZ needs to optimise its natural advantage for carbon removal
3 Oct 2024
By Shannon Williams | Carbon capture should be monetised as a commodity, and New Zealand needs to seize on its natural advantages for carbon removal, according to a University of Canterbury researcher.
Climate adaptation report lacks detail, urgent action required
2 Oct 2024
The Environmental Defence Society says the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee's report on climate adaption lacks detail, while Forest & Bird calls for urgent action to help adapt to the challenges posed by climate change.
Intense marine heatwaves disrupt fish populations and fisheries in NZ
2 Oct 2024
Marine heatwaves, where sea surface temperatures are unusually warm, can lead to increased or decreased fisheries catches, depending on their intensity.
Air pollutant trends decrease at most monitoring sites over the last eight years
30 Sep 2024
Media release | Concentrations of air pollutants decreased at many air quality monitoring sites between 2016 and 2023, according to figures released by Stats NZ.
Environment Canterbury commits to climate plan
27 Sep 2024
Environment Canterbury Regional Council has approved its first Climate Action Plan, outlining its current and future response to climate change.
Could vertical farming help future-proof our food needs?
27 Sep 2024
Media release | Technology and improved plant science are the keys to indoor farming contributing to global food needs, according to The University of Queensland’s Professor of Protected Cropping.
Heat, animal illness, and erosion: climate risks to NZ agriculture
26 Sep 2024
Media release | The effects of climate change on agriculture will vary around NZ, according to modelling of four greenhouse gas emission scenarios.
High temperatures and air pollution driving increase in strokes
23 Sep 2024
Climate change is driving an increase in strokes, with air pollution and high temperatures partly to blame for a 70% increase in new strokes worldwide over the past three decades, according to a new study.
How to prevent widespread harm of plastic pollution? New research
20 Sep 2024
Tackling microplastic pollution, which could more than double by 2040, needs a strategy which takes on board economics and human behaviour as well as science, according to a review of 20 years of microplastics research.
Earth’s greatest mass extinction 250 million years ago shows what happens when El Niño gets out of control
20 Sep 2024
Around 252 million years ago, the world suddenly heated up. Over a geologically brief period of tens of thousands of years, an enormous El Niño weather pattern in the world’s major ocean added to climate chaos and led to extinctions spreading across the globe, wiping out 90% of species.
NZ’s decision to restart fossil fuel exploration will be ‘hard to explain to future generations’: leading climate scientist
19 Sep 2024
By Liz Kivi | The government’s plan to restart oil and gas exploration is set to lock in higher levels of global warming, according to a leading Australian climate scientist.
NZ could be 3°C warmer this century
18 Sep 2024
Aotearoa New Zealand could be up to 3°C warmer as soon as 2090, according to new climate predictions from the Ministry for the Environment.
Climate shouldn't be politicised: Carr
17 Sep 2024
By Shannon Williams | Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr said it "defies belief" that the climate is a political debate.
Research to solve climate challenges scoops millions in funding
17 Sep 2024
A range of sustainability and climate-related projects have been awarded funding from the 2024 Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment Endeavour Fund.
Climate plan is high-cost and low ambition, says expert
9 Sep 2024
By Shannon Williams | The government’s Second Emissions Reduction Plan is high-cost, high-risk, and low ambition, says Massey University Professor, Robert McLachlan.
2024 New Zealand's third-warmest winter on record – NIWA
5 Sep 2024
This year saw Aotearoa New Zealand's third-warmest winter on record with the nationwide average temperature sitting at 9.6°C for the season, 1.0°C above the 1991-2020 average.
Thwaites Glacier won’t collapse like dominoes as feared, study finds, but that doesn’t mean the ‘Doomsday Glacier’ is stable
28 Aug 2024
Antarctica’s Thwaites Glacier got its nickname the “Doomsday Glacier” for its potential to flood coastlines around the world if it collapsed.
$20 million supercomputer for NIWA
15 Aug 2024
Methane emissions will be subject to more effective monitoring thanks to a new supercomputer.
Lobby group launches ‘blueprint’ for ocean management reform
Thu 18 Sep 2025
The Environmental Defence Society yesterday released its plan to tackle widespread ecological decline in our oceans.
Carbon price steady after failed quarterly auction
Tue 16 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price has continued to trade in its familiar moribund range in the high $50s following last week’s failed quarterly auction, with ample supply still trading on the secondary market at about $10 below this year’s $68 auction floor.
NZ needs to be part of a regional SAF strategy: Z, Air NZ
9 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand needs to be part of a regional strategic approach to sourcing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with domestic production less the aim than ensuring access to the fuel from one of a number of strategically positioned bio-refineries around the world.
'Non-negotiable' – EU carbon pricing to hit Kiwi exporters, expert warns
11 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | High carbon exports will inevitably face a high carbon tax at the EU border, possibly in the next five years, and high methane agricultural products might not be exempt, an international expert told a local audience yesterday.
UK foreign aid for nature hits £800m record due to cash for carbon credits
Tue 16 Sep 2025
The UK’s climate-aid spending on “nature protection and restoration” reached record levels of nearly £800m last year, according to government figures obtained by Carbon Brief.
Air NZ declares surprisingly low SAF prices
3 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand is able to source sustainable aviation fuel at between 1.5 and 2.5 times the price of conventional fossil fuels used for flying, all sourced from the US.
No bidders front to carbon auction - again
10 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | Today’s quarterly carbon auction was a non-event yet again, making it the third consecutive auction this year with no bidders, with the secondary market price still limping along at nearly 20% below the auction floor.
IEA reiterates ‘no new oil and gas needed’ if global warming is limited to 1.5C
Thu 18 Sep 2025
The world would not need to invest in new oil and gas projects if demand for the fuels fell in line with the 1.5C limit on global warming, says the International Energy Agency.
'Atrocious' and 'bizarre': experts slam Act Party's climate policy
3 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Act Party is promising to challenge New Zealand’s Paris Agreement climate target, while the coalition Government’s other minor partner, NZ First, also says it wants to reevaluate the country’s commitment to the international treaty.
Industry struggles with double-digit power price hikes
Mon 15 Sep 2025
As power prices surge by double-digit amounts for the second year in a row, industrial users can’t keep absorbing cost increases, the Major Electricity Users’ Group says.
The merchants of doubt are back
3 Sep 2025
OPINION: If you don’t follow climate policy closely, you might not know that the Trump administration is launching an effort to overturn one of the most fundamental pillars of American climate policy.
Milestone for NZ Steel electrification
10 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | NZ Steel has passed an installation milestone for its new electric arc furnace, which will reduce emissions from the Glenbrook steel mill site by as much as one megatonne (1Mt) a year.
RMA to speed up fossil fuel consents
18 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | An energy lobby group has welcomed a last-minute amendment to the RMA that puts fossil fuels on the same footing as renewables, however a sustainable energy expert says the move “beggars belief.”
Watts not considering removing electricity from ETS
Tue 16 Sep 2025
Energy and Climate Change Minister, Simon Watts, says he is “not currently considering” removing electricity generation from the Emissions Trading Scheme, as proposed by NZ First Minister Shane Jones.
Gentailers told to behave as ministers weigh Frontier review
Wed 17 Sep 2025
The chief executives of Contact, Meridian, Mercury and Genesis met Energy and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts on Thursday for their regular monthly session.
Declining sea-ice is altering Antarctic food webs
11 Sep 2025
A new study shows a significant change in Antarctic phytoplankton over time that could cascade through the marine food web and affect the ocean’s capacity as a carbon sink.
Science cuts will hold back climate research
Wed 17 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | A crisis in government-backed science funding is worsening, with dire implications for climate research in New Zealand, according to experts from the scientific community.
Marginal drop in last year's regional emissions
27 Aug 2025
Regional greenhouse gas emissions were down slightly last year, with a fall in gas supply leading to a big drop in Taranaki, but more coal burnt leading to higher emissions in Waikato, according to new figures from Stats NZ
Indigenous forest 'islands' could help transition exotic plantations to native bush
11 Sep 2025
Native forest 'islands' within exotic plantations might be the key to transitioning plantations from exotic to Indigenous, according to new research.
Decline in global oil and gas field output accelerating, IEA says
Wed 17 Sep 2025
The decline in output from mature global oil and gas fields is accelerating amid greater reliance on shale and deep offshore resources.
A modest geothermal strategy
31 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has unveiled a far more modest geothermal energy strategy than its primary backer, Resources Minister Shane Jones, had sought.
Why mega-polluters have little to fear from the European Central Bank and its new climate policy
12 Sep 2025
The European Central Bank plans to raise borrowing costs for climate offenders – but a new FTM analysis shows that big polluters such as Shell will barely feel it.
Media round-up
5 Sep 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The great methane debate; law change scuppers legal challenge to irrigation scheme consent; and what are the energy and climate implications of the $7.5 billion Amazon Web Services data centre deal?
Coal imports up 650%
12 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams and Liz Kivi | Coal imports are up 650% as generators stockpile the most polluting fossil fuel ahead of next winter.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
29 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Green hydrogen pioneer Hiringa Energy is deep in planning to develop an “eight-to-nine figure” methanol plant near Whanganui, using a combination of biomass and hydrogen produced using renewable energy.
Media round-up
29 Aug 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Changes to road user charges will increase New Zealand's emissions; Climate Change Minister Simon Watts promises better access to hazard data for homeowners; and Kiwis borrow over $1 billion in ‘green loans’ for heat pumps and electric cars.
Will NZ walk away from the Paris Agreement?
20 Dec 2024
By Geoff Bertram | COMMENT: Unless the government can find very cheap offshore mitigation, the temptation to walk away from its Paris Agreement obligations may well be too strong to resist for a coalition government focused on fiscal austerity.
Young activists won a landmark state climate trial. Now they’re challenging Trump’s orders
Thu 18 Sep 2025
Young climate activists and their attorneys who won a landmark global warming trial against the state of Montana are trying to convince a federal judge to block President Donald Trump’s executive orders promoting fossil fuels.
Forest carbon stores massive blind spot - study
4 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Aotearoa New Zealand’s planted forests hold significant deep soil organic carbon — with over half of it stored below 30 cm, and much of it over 1,000 years old.
Govt tweaks offshore energy bill with 'declared areas' model
Wed 17 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is making changes to the Offshore Renewable Energy Bill to address offshore wind developers' concerns about competing for space with other industries.
NZ's latest climate target 'weak' – Climate Action Tracker
24 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's new international climate target to 2035 is weak, and could even allow for higher emissions than the 2030 target, according to a global scientific project that tracks government climate action.
A steady ocean pattern just failed for the first time ever observed
Wed 17 Sep 2025
The failure of the Gulf of Panama’s seasonal upwelling system has left scientists wondering what happens next.
Watts full-throated in National’s support for Paris
10 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts came to this week’s Climate Change and Business Conference with nothing to announce.
Govt resilience plan 'dangerous fantasy' - thinktank
29 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | An independent thinktank, whose members include former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer and multiple academics, is warning that the government’s long-term resilience strategy ignores physical and energy realities and exposes Kiwi households and businesses to systemic failure.
‘Plastic Cup’ competitions are cleaning up rivers in Hungary
1 Sep 2025
Afloat on DIY boats, teams of volunteers have removed over 450 tons of plastic waste from the Danube and its tributaries.
Can certificates solve NZ's heavy vehicle emissions problem?
Thu 18 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Sustainable Business Council has launched a new framework for a national system to cut freight emissions.
Climate change collaboration and competition law
Thu 18 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The revamped competition law regime needs to be able to take into account the benefits of companies that collaborate for action on climate change, says the panel that reviewed both the Commerce Commission and the Commerce Act.
Underestimating support for climate action limits political decision making, study says
8 Sep 2025
Research reveals huge disparity between perceived and actual willingness of public to contribute to fixing climate.
Straterra has a new name: the New Zealand Minerals Council
16 Apr 2025
Media release | Straterra has been renamed as New Zealand Minerals Council, says chief executive Josie Vidal.
One city’s race to ‘solarise everything we possibly can’
Thu 18 Sep 2025
Bordeaux is quickly transforming itself into France’s top solar-powered city, banking on innovations like transparent panels that preserve its historic architecture.
Climate groups want UK wealth tax to make super-rich fund sustainable economy
17 Jul 2025
Growing number of campaigners urge government to ensure green investment is not done ‘on backs of the poor’.
Ara Ake backs 13 projects to unlock NZ’s energy flexibility
11 Sep 2025
Media release | Ara Ake has approved over $600,000 in funding from the National Flex Discovery Fund for 13 flexibility service providers (FSPs).
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
31 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government is expected to repeal the oil and gas ban today, with a last-minute amendment handing discretionary power to two ministers over the controversial issue of decommissioning.
Most EU carmakers on track to meet emission targets: study
10 Sep 2025
Almost all European carmakers are on track to meet EU emission targets after winning a reprieve this year as electric vehicles (EV) sales pick up, a study showed.
Hotter, longer, more frequent: NZ’s escalating heat risk
26 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Heat extremes in New Zealand will intensify faster than previously thought, according to a new study.
Echo Tech secures growth investment to tackle NZ's e-waste crisis
Mon 15 Sep 2025
Media release | Echo Tech Limited, New Zealand’s leading provider of e-waste recycling and IT asset recovery services, is proud to announce a strategic investment from growth equity firm Altered Capital.
La Niña set to prolong NZ hydro shortfall
9 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With La Niña favouring a drier-than-normal spring across much of the South Island, hydro lakes are unlikely to recover without substantial rain and late snowmelt – keeping national storage levels below average.
Record UK wildfires have burned an area twice the size of Glasgow in 2025
12 Aug 2025
Wildfires have scorched more than 40,000 hectares of land so far this year across the UK – an area more than twice the size of the Scottish city of Glasgow.
Which countries are scaling solar and wind the fastest?
12 Sep 2025
The leaderboard is quite different depending on what metric you look at.
