Topics tagged with 'Technology'
Obama climate move seen as a game-changer
6 Jun 2014
The Obama administration has announced what could be its biggest move to tackle climate change − with major emissions cuts on the way in what is seen by some as a policy game-changer for the US.
Business group wants to green KiwiSaver
6 Jun 2014
The Sustainable Business Network wants to turn KiwiSaver green.
Greens: Climate change biggest issue world has faced
3 Jun 2014
"They used to call climate change the biggest issue of our time; more recently, I've heard it described as the biggest issue of all time." Green Party co-leader RUSSEL NORMAN on why his party will replace the Emissions Trading Scheme with a carbon tax:
Coal use spiking climate mitigation costs
16 May 2014
The global cost of pegging global warming to 2deg has risen by $8 trillion in the past two years, due to soaring coal use which has eclipsed the roll-out of renewable energies, says a new report.
US businesses tread water on enviro issues
9 May 2014
By KIEREN COOKE.- If corporate America attended climate change college, the report card would read: “Modest progress but has to try much harder.”
Climate policy and the need for clarity and certainty
24 Apr 2014
Cutting emissions now makes business sense for industry, writes TAMARYN NAPP, a research associate at Imperial College, London.
Budgeting for use of carbon is key to cutting emissions
17 Apr 2014
Seriously tackling New Zealand’s emissions requires the use of carbon to be budgeted for in the same way the nation budgets for government spending.
Tax credits deal fuels LanzaTech move to Illinois
4 Apr 2014
NEW ZEALAND clean-tech company LanzaTech has been lured to Illinois with more than $US1 million worth of tax credits.
Biofuels not a lasting solution, warns report
4 Apr 2014
By DOUGLAS CRAWFORD-BROWN.- Biofuels alone are unsustainable, but can still help to combat climate change.
Carbon price breach of rights, says Maori leader
21 Mar 2014
Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia has weighed into the row over low carbon prices, describing the loss of value of credits given to Maori in Treaty of Waitangi settlements as a breach of human rights.
Credibility key selling point for green economy
28 Feb 2014
The idea of the “green economy goes in and out of fashion, not least because it is rarely defined and frequently misunderstood, writes PAUL EKINS, Professor of Resource and Environmental Policy, University College, London.
CDM verifier pulls out as market collapses
14 Feb 2014
The largest verifier of CDM projects is pulling out, as the market for carbon units from international projects to cut emissions in developing countries collapses.
Market quiet for Waitangi holiday
10 Feb 2014
NZUs dealt in the low $3s in holiday-affected trade late last week.
Investors question EU climate moves
31 Jan 2014
Investors say that Europe's latest climate package fails to send the sort of investment signal that will lead to jobs and innovation.
EXCLUSIVE: Biofuels pioneer wants to go into production with refinery in NZ
22 Nov 2013
A New Zealand second generation-biofuels company is in the market for funding to build a refinery.
Australia going back to coal, says report
22 Nov 2013
Higher gas prices, and the impending repeal of the Australian carbon price mechanism are set to resume the emphasis on coal-fired generation in the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM).
California finds friends to fight climate change
1 Nov 2013
British Columbia, California, Oregon and Washington have signed the Pacific Coast Action Plan on Climate and Energy, committing their governments to a comprehensive alignment to combat climate change and promote clean energy.
Savers demand climate action from pension funds
1 Nov 2013
Savers across the UK are calling for their pension funds to be used for curbing emissions.
Greens quiz minister on emissions reduction
25 Oct 2013
News that New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions are expected to grow by more than a third by 2040 prompted questions in Parliament this week, as Green Party climate change spokesman Dr Kennedy Graham sought to pin the Government down on just how it planned to reach its emissions reduction targets.
Hydro power heads for growth period
18 Oct 2013
The world's hydropower installed capacity is expected to rise by 3.5 per cent by 2020, a new report says.
WORLD WEB ... news from the world of carbon
18 Oct 2013
Polluters eye $4b, airlines emissions charges, China carbon pricing, climate all at sea, worms are heroes, bye-bye Oracle, Quakers talk tough.
Greens vow to bring power to the people
11 Oct 2013
The Green Party says it would implement policies promoting small-scale distributed energy generation, such making it more affordable for families to install solar panels on roofs.
LanzaTech wins $4m US research grant
27 Sep 2013
LanzaTech has been awarded a $US4 million grant by the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy of the US Department of Energy to work with partners on unlocking the energy in waste methane gases.
Smart Sydney landlords save millions
20 Sep 2013
Sydney's major commercial office landlords are saving more than $25 million a year on their electricity bills, thanks to more energy-efficient buildings.
Labour hopefuls and their green values
13 Sep 2013
Which of the three MPs battling to be leader of the Labour Party would be best for the environment?
When small is best for NZ businesses
13 Sep 2013
Energy efficiency, generating energy from waste, and solar energy are three of the major opportunities for New Zealand businesses wanting to invest sustainability, says Grant Thorton national director Alastair Boult.
Our businesses must lead, says green champion
6 Sep 2013
The Global Sustainability Leader of the Year says New Zealand businesses need to step up to the responsibilities – and opportunities – of environmental issues like climate change.
India laps up LanzaTech fuel process
16 Aug 2013
Gas fermentation technology developed in New Zealand will be used to produce low-carbon fuels from industrial carbon dioxide emissions in India.
China safe at top of wind power market
16 Aug 2013
China will continue to be the largest wind power market in 2020 as it attempts to reduce its carbon footprint while increasing electricity production in rural areas, says research firm GlobalData.
Google user’s carbon footprint equal to one mile drive in car
16 Aug 2013
Google’s carbon footprint per user is equal to a person driving a car for one mile, the company has announced.
California shuns linking emissions schemes
9 Aug 2013
The head of the Californian emissions trading scheme – which will ultimately become the world’s third largest – says the US state has no plans to link with Australia’s carbon price.
Business eyes clean, green economy
9 Aug 2013
New Zealand’s leading sustainable businesses will come together to identify practical ways of future-proofing our clean, green economy at the Transforming Business conference in Wellington next month.
NZ eyes move to natural capital cost
2 Aug 2013
Government officials are working on ways to bring in policies recognising the economic value of New Zealand natural capital.
Biofuel brokers welcome Beehive backing
2 Aug 2013
The bioenergy industry is welcoming Government support of a wood-waste-to-biofuel pilot.
Green-building body gets new members
2 Aug 2013
Six market leaders in the sustainable water heating industry have became members of the New Zealand Green Building Council.
Here’s our electric car … and we’re serious, says BMW
2 Aug 2013
BMW has unveiled its first all-electric car – the i3 – and said it is serious about battery powered vehicles.
NSW to host huge solar power plant
2 Aug 2013
Construction will start in Australia early next year on the largest solar power station in the southern hemisphere.
Travellers prefer green hotels
2 Aug 2013
Business travellers are increasingly prioritising green-certified hotels, according to a new survey by market research firm Timetric.
Your chance to show off at Otaki
2 Aug 2013
Green-tech companies are being invited to showcase their businesses.
Solar plane shows world what's possible, says UN chief
12 Jul 2013
The journey of the first solar-powered plane to cross the United States has been hailed as an inspiration to tackle climate change and promote sustainable development.
President promises to slash emissions
28 Jun 2013
United States President Barack Obama has unveiled the country’s first national climate action plan, pledging to limit carbon emissions from power plants.
Prices force rethink of forestry carbon rules
21 Jun 2013
Forest owners exploiting low carbon prices to convert forest land to dairy farms have forced government officials to rethink this country’s net forestry carbon position.
Air NZ in Paris to show off new green aircraft
21 Jun 2013
Air New Zealand's new Airbus A320s will each produce 250 tonnes less of carbon-equivalent emissions a year than the airline's current planes do.
WWF seeks $40b to back renewable energy
7 Jun 2013
Governments and financial institutions worldwide have been urged to increase investment in renewable energy by at least $US40 billion over the next 12 months.
Car pollution claims misleading, report says
7 Jun 2013
The gap has widened between the fuel-efficiency that carmakers declare for their models and the reality for drivers, with luxury German vehicles showing the biggest divergence, a study has found.
Little eco powerhouse wins best engine award
7 Jun 2013
Ford Motor Company’s ultra-fuel efficient 1.0-litre EcoBoost petrol engine has been named international engine of the year.
Countries plug in to sustainable energy
31 May 2013
Sustainable energy for all should get a higher priority in global development goals, delegates to a United Nations-backed forum in Vienna said this week.
Battery pioneer excites hybrid car makers
24 May 2013
Forty years ago, Dr John Abrahamson made a discovery that is exciting modern hybrid car makers.
Emissions windfall drops … by millions
17 May 2013
New Zealand’s emissions “windfall” has fallen to just $3 million because forests are being converted to dairy farms.
Urban rewilding combats global biodiversity decline
Wed 28 May 2025
Media release | A new study led by the University of Sydney reveals how cities around the world are restoring wildlife to their former habitats in the face of ongoing urban sprawl.
US dairy farmers consider return on climate-smart milk
22 May 2025
The approach is just one of many dairy practices now considered “climate-smart” because they could cut production of climate-warming gases.
Greenwashing is rife in Australia, but could its days be numbered?
Wed 28 May 2025
COMMENT: Have you ever ticked the box to “fly carbon neutral”, had something delivered via “carbon-neutral shipping” or chosen to pay a bit extra to buy “carbon-neutral gas” from your energy retailer?
Help sustainable aviation fuels take off or delay targets, airlines warn EU
20 May 2025
Earmarked funding, risk-reduction tools, and simplified imports top Airlines for Europe’s wish list for the EU’s upcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan.
Govt's RMA overhaul sparks fears for nature and climate
Fri 30 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has opened public consultation on the biggest overhaul of environmental planning rules in New Zealand’s history, with critics warning it puts nature and climate at risk in favour of fast-tracked development and industry expansion.
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.
Govt mulls status quo for ETS auction settings
Thu 29 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has released its consultation on the Climate Change Commission’s latest advice on Emissions Trading Scheme auction settings and volumes, putting forward the option to ignore the commission’s advice to boost auction volumes from 2028-2030.
Pacific Island nations support China's Taiwan claims at high-profile foreign ministers' meeting
Fri 30 May 2025
Pacific nations have backed China's claim over Taiwan during a high-profile meeting, but have shied away from directly endorsing Beijing's push to "reunify" the democratically ruled island with the mainland.
Carbon price too low to fund carbon capture
20 May 2025
The government’s climate target to 2030 is at risk, after revelations that a carbon capture project which the government was relying on to deliver one third of its carbon reductions, might not go ahead.
Fight over coal mine heats up
Fri 30 May 2025
Forest & Bird is calling on the government to create a new scientific reserve covering the Denniston Plateau on the West Coast, which would stop a fast-tracked coal mine.
Trump’s actions are already having consequences for climate, especially for the IPCC - expert
11 Apr 2025
Leading climate scientist, Dr Kevin Trenberth, left the US and came home to New Zealand because of the rise of Donald Trump. In this comment piece, he writes that he is appalled in multiple ways by the so-called “war on science” unfolding through staff cuts and the president’s policy edicts.
Owning a green home could cut mortgage payback time by two years
9 May 2025
A green certified home plus a green mortgage and associated energy bill savings could save Kiwi families up to $98,800 over the course of their mortgage - the equivalent of being mortgage-free several years early, according to new research.
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.
Watts talks big on energy reform, but barriers persist
Thu 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.
Could ‘orange’ hydrogen be NZ’s key to net-zero?
Fri 30 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand could be sitting on resources for a thriving multi-billion-dollar, low-carbon hydrogen economy, which might even be capable of creating a net reduction of carbon dioxide, according to scientists.
Govt budgets $200m for would-be gas investors
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | Energy Resources Aotearoa has welcomed the government's plan to co-invest $200 million in fossil gas expansion, while environmental and climate groups have reacted with horror.
Glacier collapse buries most of Swiss village
Fri 30 May 2025
The Swiss village of Blatten has been partially destroyed after a huge chunk of glacier crashed down into the valley.
Oceans Commission must have teeth – minister
14 May 2025
If an Oceans Commission were to be established under the government it would need genuine powers to make change, says Minister for Oceans and Fisheries Shane Jones.
Water crisis on the horizon?
26 May 2025
Media release | Sewage contaminating Auckland oyster farms highlights the “dire state” of water infrastructure in Aotearoa, says University of Auckland Associate Professor Daniel Hikuroa.
Why expensive gas – not net-zero – is keeping UK electricity prices so high
Wed 28 May 2025
The UK’s high electricity prices have become intensely political, with competing claims over the cause of rocketing bills and how best to get them down.
Hotter and deeper: how NZ’s plan to drill for ‘supercritical’ geothermal energy holds promise and risk
2 Apr 2025
By David Dempsey, University of Canterbury | New Zealand’s North Island features a number of geothermal systems, several of which are used to generate some 1,000 MegaWatts of electricity. But deeper down there may be even more potential.
Electrification challenge for politicians, regulators
27 May 2025
Rewiring Aotearoa is calling for stronger political leadership to bring its vision of a cheaper, cleaner and stronger energy system to life, with the launch of its policy manifesto today.
Nelson backs ‘ambitious’ emissions target, but mayor nervous
26 May 2025
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | Nelson’s mayor has been accused of “pouring cold water” on ambitious greenhouse gas emission targets proposed for the city.
Energy Australia is in court accused of greenwashing. What is the case about and why is it significant?
16 May 2025
Climate group alleges energy giant misled 400,000 customers about ‘Go Neutral’ product, arguing that carbon credits don’t actually remove emissions.
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.
While govt ‘refreshes’ fund for low carbon trucks, are transport emissions set to accelerate?
Wed 28 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has announced it is updating the Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund, however cuts to funds to decarbonise transport in last week’s budget, and potential changes to road user charges, could stall transport emissions reductions.
Climate change could drive surge in foreclosures and lender losses, new study finds
22 May 2025
Extreme weather linked to climate change could spell financial ruin for many American homeowners and lead to billions in losses for lenders, a new study finds.
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.
Energy Australia apologises to 400,000 customers and settles greenwashing legal action
22 May 2025
Energy retailer says carbon offsetting ‘not the most effective way’ to reduce emissions.
Kiwi cleantech companies on the world stage
27 May 2025
Six New Zealand 'cleantech' companies were in Singapore earlier this month, along with a venture capital firm and the MacDiarmid Institute, to meet investors and multinational partners.
Carbon News launches price index
24 Jun 2024
Today’s issue is the first to feature Carbon News’ own carbon price index for secondary market spot prices for NZUs on New Zealand’s compliance market.
New research reveals NZ’s natural resource footprint
Thu 29 May 2025
Media release | New research from the office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment reveals that about 107 million tonnes of natural resources were required to produce the goods and services consumed by New Zealanders in 2019 – approximately 21 tonnes per person on average.
World’s nations to gather in France to tackle what UN says is a global emergency in the oceans
Fri 30 May 2025
The world’s nations are gathering in France next month to tackle what the United Nations calls a global emergency facing the world’s oceans as they confront rising temperatures, plastic pollution choking marine life, and relentless overexploitation of fish and other resources.
Europe’s next climate target may already have been agreed in Berlin
Wed 28 May 2025
Germany’s new coalition has adopted a climate stance shaped by talks with the EU’s top climate official, signalling where the bloc may land on a likely upcoming 2040 emissions target.
Warm water affecting Antarctica’s largest ice shelf - new research
22 Apr 2025
While Antarctica’s Ross Ice Shelf is currently stable, new research shows warm water is reaching up to 170 kilometres under the front of the ice shelf.
NZ's first chance in 20 years to catch up on waste
Fri 30 May 2025
Media release | The government has announced proposals for updating the Waste Minimisation Act and the Litter Act. For the first time in nearly 20 years, Kiwis have a chance to catch up with other countries to reduce our waste and litter.
Dismissals 'massive win' for climate movement
13 May 2025
The outstanding charges against 25 climate activists who disrupted traffic in Wellington have been dropped, a move the group calls a win for the climate movement.
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.
For the first time, China invests more in wind and solar than coal overseas
Thu 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.
A fungus that can ‘eat you from the inside out’ could spread as the world heats up
27 May 2025
Infection-causing fungi responsible for millions of deaths a year will spread significantly to new regions as the planet heats up, new research predicts — and the world is not prepared.
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".
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.
More than 1 in 4 cars sold globally in 2025 expected to be EV: IEA report
26 May 2025
According to the Global EV Outlook 2025 report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), 2025 is set to be big for EV sales. The report predicts that about one in four cars sold worldwide this year will be electric, despite overall market uncertainties.
Brazil seeks early deals on two stalled issues at Bonn climate talks
26 May 2025
Moving forward work on just transition and implementing recommendations from the Global Stocktake of climate progress are key priorities for upcoming UN negotiations.
Global sea levels rise spelling catastrophe for coastal towns and cities
14 May 2025
For around 2,000 years, global sea levels varied little. That changed in the 20th century. They started rising and have not stopped since — and the pace is accelerating.
Tropical forest loss hit new heights in 2024; fire a major driver in Latin America
23 May 2025
Tropical forest loss skyrocketed in 2024, with vast swaths of primary forest consumed by fire, according to new satellite data.
NZ moving too slowly to decarbonise – former commission chair
22 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand's energy transition is too slow and too controlled by vested interests, according to former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr.
