Topics tagged with 'The House'
Cheap price to pay, says Labour
26 Oct 2012
Bringing farmers into the Emissions Trading Scheme would cost them less than $100 a year each on current prices, Labour says.
ETS protesters bring out the chainsaws
26 Oct 2012
Youth organisation Generation Zero held a mock chainsaw massacre outside Parliament yesterday to protest about changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme going through the House.
Govt has numbers to pass ETS changes
19 Oct 2012
The Government has the numbers it needs to pass controversial changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme.
Philips to light up energy house
12 Oct 2012
Philips is to supply the LED lighting Auckland's Zero Energy house project.
Local market awaits the politicians
12 Oct 2012
Trading in local units has been sidelined on the week, with the market clearly waiting for the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee’s report back to Parliament next Wednesday, Westpac reports.
ETS changes go under scrutiny
5 Oct 2012
Changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme are now being debated by Parliament’s Finance and Expenditure Select Committee.
Government lying to us, says forester
28 Sep 2012
The Government is being accused of lying to New Zealanders over plans to encourage afforesation as a means of reducing greenhouse gas levels.
EDITORIAL: The problem called John Banks
28 Sep 2012
The Government may be weakening in its opposition to restricting the number of international carbon units allowed into New Zealand.
Think carrot ... not stick
28 Sep 2012
Carbon Match founder LIZZIE CHAMBERS says we need to think about how the carbon market can drive innovation - and artifically low carbon prices are not the answer.
Trader warns of carbon unit avalanche
21 Sep 2012
Billions of cheap carbon units are bound for New Zealand – enough to meet the country’s carbon obligations for decades, Parliament has been warned.
Maori leaders want cheap credits blocked
21 Sep 2012
The influential Climate Change Iwi Leaders Group is pressuring the Government to cut the flow of cheap international carbon credits into New Zealand.
Is ETS a scheme or a scam, ask Greens
21 Sep 2012
New Zealand's emissions trading scheme could be renamed the emissions trading scam, Parliament has heard.
Put that in writing, minister, says council head
14 Sep 2012
Sustainability Council chief Simon Terry is challenging Climate Change Minister Tim Groser to deny in writing that New Zealand faces a carbon deficit.
Committee begins to wade through ETS ideas
14 Sep 2012
Parliament’s finance and expenditure select committee next week will continue wading its way through hundreds of submissions on changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme.
ETS submission: Changes a costly mistake
14 Sep 2012
The Government’s planned changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme are a costly environmental mistake, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says.
ETS submission: Get real on power line trees
14 Sep 2012
Clearing trees to put up power lines should not invoke a carbon liability, the Electricity Networks Association says.
Australian units likely to sit at $15
14 Sep 2012
Australia’s carbon units are likely to trade at $A15, an international energy and environmental agency predicts.
Lakes eco home wins galaxy of stars
31 Aug 2012
Queenstown company Rilean Construction has achieved Queenstown Lakes’ first six-star Homestar rating for an eco-friendly evolution series home.
Public split as ETS changes face scrutiny
24 Aug 2012
Changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme have gone into Parliament as a new poll shows that New Zealanders are evenly split over whether we should even have a price on carbon.
ETS bill has October deadline
24 Aug 2012
The Government expects to have its changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme through the select committee and back into Parliament by October 17.
Europe limits dumping of e-waste
17 Aug 2012
At least 85 per cent of electrical and electronic waste generated in the European Union will have to be recycled by 2020 under new rules that took effect this week.
People want more action on climate change
10 Aug 2012
New Zealanders want the Government and business to do more about climate change – but most of all we want other countries to do something.
Petrobras protest skipper walks free
27 Jul 2012
Charges against the skipper of a boat involved in protests against deep-sea oil exploration in the Raukumara Basin by Petrobras have been dismissed.
Down, down, down ... carbon hits new low
20 Jul 2012
Global carbon prices are at an all-time low and are expected to go lower.
Greens: Why NZ was a failure at Rio
20 Jul 2012
New Zealand has failed to live up to the commitments to sustainable development it made 20 years ago at the Rio Earth Summit, the Green Party says.
Labour vows to protect carbon price
6 Jul 2012
Labour says it will push for measures to protect the domestic carbon price.
Australia takes aim at shipping
29 Jun 2012
Legislation has been introduced into the Australian Parliament aimed at reducing pollution from ships and protecting the marine environment.
Greens probe fossil-fuel subsidies
22 Jun 2012
The Government is being accused of undermining its own policy to cut fossil-fuel subsidies, by encouraging oil exploration and giving free carbon credits to internationally exposed emitters.
Business lobby group tries again
15 Jun 2012
Some of New Zealand’s top business leaders are issuing what they say is a call-to-action over the country's green development future.
Joyce slams businessmen's report
15 Jun 2012
Economic Development Minister Stephen Joyce says the Pure Advantage business group is just looking for subsidies for businesses it likes.
All quiet on the carbon front
15 Jun 2012
It’s been another quiet week on the NZU front, with prices spending most of the week around the $6 mark, Westpac reports.
Make it easier, says rivers champion
1 Jun 2012
The planning process for commercial developments on conservation land should be streamlined, the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says.
Growing market meets carbon challenges
1 Jun 2012
The total value of the carbon market grew by 11 per cent in 2011, to $176 billion, and transaction volumes reached a new high of 10.3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, says a new World Bank report.
Australia eyes new energy standards
1 Jun 2012
The Australian Government has introduced the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards legislation to Parliament.
Warm homes green economics at work
18 May 2012
The Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart home insulation scheme is a good example of smart, green economics at work, the Green Party says.
Key must quit coal connection, says campaigner
4 May 2012
Prime Minister John Key is under fire for being a shareholder in the worst of the "filthy five" banks named as the major funders of coal mining.
Carbon company feels cut by Australia
20 Apr 2012
A New Zealand company says it is not operating on a level playing field in Australia’s carbon business.
Europe acts to right the ship
30 Mar 2012
The carbon market is not in the state that was predicted a few years ago, Carbon Market Solutions says.
Protect fresh water sources, says report
23 Mar 2012
Freshwater quality is one of the biggest environmental problems facing New Zealand, says the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
We're late, but no worries, says Smith
9 Mar 2012
New Zealand might have missed the deadline for submissions on increasing international emissions reduction levels, but Climate Change Minister Nick Smith says it’s not a problem.
Australian election poses ETS problems
2 Mar 2012
A big event in the future of the New Zealand Emission Trading Scheme will be the introduction of the Australian carbon tax flexible pricing period in 2015, Carbon Market Solutions says.
EU action gives carbon prices a boost
17 Feb 2012
Carbon prices are rising on the back of European moves to limit supply.
Europe move could jump prices
17 Feb 2012
A committee of MPs in the European parliament has supported a motion to withdraw (set aside) carbon permits (EUAs) from the EU ETS for the 2013 to 2020 period.
Smart meters need study, says expert
2 Dec 2011
New Zealand's electricity industry and regulators could usefully collaborate with academic researchers on randomised testing to gain insights into household impacts of smart meters, says a visiting American researcher.
Business brains want Beehive to come clean
25 Nov 2011
Business lobby group Pure Advantage is calling for an across-Parliament agreement for an environmentally clean business growth plan for New Zealand.
Offshore mining ... what do you think?
21 Oct 2011
The Environmental Defence Society has released a comprehensive analysis of the Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf (Environmental Effects) Bill and wants your views.
Abbott will eat his words, says CMS
14 Oct 2011
The Australian emissions trading scheme legislation was passed through that country’s Federal Parliament this week, and is expected to begin being passed into law by the Senate next month.
Spooked Europe slashes carbon price
14 Oct 2011
European carbon prices hit all-time lows overnight, partly on the back of weak European financial markets, OM Financial reports.
Governments must vote in favour of moratorium on deep sea mining
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Media release - Greenpeace | The 30th session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has ended with Greenpeace saying governments are continuing to fall short in protecting the deep sea.
Does NZ need a national incentive scheme for wetlands?
Fri 25 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | An expert is calling for a national incentive programme to restore New Zealand’s wetlands and wants to stop schemes to drain these vital carbon-sequestering ecosystems.
NZ Post drops science-based climate target
8 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | NZ Post has dropped its science-based emissions reduction target of 42% by 2030 with no plans to replace it.
Airlines risk legal challenges by advertising jet fuel as “sustainable”, NGO warns
18 Jul 2025
Amid suspected fraud in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a new report says the airline industry should stop calling all alternatives to kerosene “sustainable”.
Challenges persist in bid to mine the deep sea, even after boost from Trump
Tue 29 Jul 2025
After years of delay, the deep-sea mining plans of Canadian firm The Metals Company (TMC) now appear to be progressing as it pursues a controversial new path to securing a license to mine in international waters under U.S. jurisdiction.
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.
Is extending Huntly power station to 2035 in consumers’ best interest?
22 Jul 2025
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: Genesis Energy is proposing a cartel to keep high-emitting Huntly Power Station in business to 2035. If extending Huntly has economic benefits, is a cartel necessary?
Trump administration moves to repeal scientific declaration on dangers of greenhouse gases
Today 10:45am
In one of its most significant reversals on climate policy to-date, the Trump administration on Tuesday proposed to repeal a 2009 scientific finding that human-caused climate change endangers human health and safety.
Bearish sentiment lingers for carbon market
11 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The compliance carbon market could be set for a gradual upward trajectory, however unsold volume from the quarterly Emissions Trading Scheme auctions continues to act as ‘a price ceiling,’ according to an expert.
Multi-day protest continues at coal mine
Wed 30 Jul 2025
Bathurst Resources has been forced to truck coal from its Stockton mine as climate activists occupy coal buckets at the mine for a third day.
Forestry can be a big plus for sheep and beef farmers – but there are caveats
22 Jul 2025
By Keith Woodford | OPINION: These are good times for sheep and beef farmers with record product prices for meat, which is precisely why now is the time for sheep and beef farmers to be looking again at farm forestry.
Common low-grade clay strengthens low-carbon concrete
5 Jun 2025
Media release | Engineers at RMIT University have converted low-grade clay into a high-performance cement supplement, opening a potential new market in sustainable construction materials.
Cuts to climate finance put exports in jeopardy: Lawyers
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has halved international climate finance, a move aid organisations describe as “devastating,” and which lawyers say could put our Paris Agreement commitments and export market access at risk.
NZ voluntary carbon market’s sad state
14 Jul 2025
By John O’Brien | OPINION: A combination of scandals, challenging economic times, and cheaper offshore carbon credits, mean that the domestic voluntary carbon market in New Zealand remains absolutely tiny.
A modest geothermal strategy
Today 10:45am
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has unveiled a far more modest geothermal energy strategy than its primary backer, Resources Minister Shane Jones, had sought.
Key orange roughy population on verge of collapse, govt considers closure
9 Jul 2025
Media release - Deep Sea Conservation Coalition | New data reveals that New Zealand’s main orange roughy fishery, accounting for half of the country’s total catch, is on the brink of collapse, with one model showing it may have reached that point already, and the government’s considering closing it.
2025 on track to be second or third warmest year on record
Today 10:45am
As it passes its midway point, 2025 is on track to be the second or third warmest year on record. However, it is very unlikely to beat 2024 as the hottest year.
Latest trawl bycatch numbers 'a grim wake-up call'
24 Jun 2025
Media release – Greenpeace | The latest fisheries bycatch data paints a grim picture, with trawlers hauling up thousands of kilograms of coral and killing hundreds of fur seals and seabirds over a 12 month period.
Wilding pines threaten Molesworth Station
Mon 28 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Without increased support, the unchecked spread of wilding pines will continue to creep across Marlborough’s high country – putting iconic landscapes and one of New Zealand’s top five biodiversity hotspots at serious risk, according to an expert.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
Today 10:45am
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.
Watts talks big on energy reform, but barriers persist
29 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Energy and Climate Change minister Simon Watts says the government is doubling down on efforts to boost renewable energy generation, streamline regulation, and drive private sector investment as New Zealand faces mounting energy security and affordability challenges.
European Central Bank to consider 'climate factor' when lending to banks
Today 10:45am
The European Central Bank will add climate change considerations to its lending operations from late 2026, raising pressure on banks to channel financing towards greener sectors as the euro zone seeks to reduce its carbon footprint.
NZ part of hidden global deep-sea network beneath the waves
Fri 25 Jul 2025
Media release - Earth Sciences New Zealand | A world-first study of marine life, including sea creatures found in New Zealand's dark, cold, pressurised ocean depths, has revealed that deep-sea life is surprisingly more connected than previously thought.
‘Ideological sludge’: How NZ is quiet quitting climate action
17 Jul 2025
New Zealand once stood out as a world leader on climate change. In June it became the first country in the world to abandon a commitment to phase out oil, gas and coal.
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.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
Tue 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.
Climate catastrophes are creating a ‘new market reality’ for insurance carriers
23 Jul 2025
Raging wildfires and severe storms contributed to record-high global insurance losses — totalling an estimated US$84 billion — for the first six months of the year.
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.
The ICJ’s ruling means Australia and other major polluters face a new era of climate reparations
Fri 25 Jul 2025
By Harj Narulla | OPINION: Australia has found itself on the wrong side of history.
Fund for low emissions transport winds up
Today 10:45am
New Zealand’s Low Emission Transport Fund has officially wrapped up, ending a nine-year programme that put hundreds of millions of dollars towards accelerating the country’s shift to cleaner transport.
Urgent action needed to get on track for climate goals - commission
Fri 25 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand is making progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but more work is needed – urgently – to set up for future reductions, according to the latest report from the Climate Change Commission.
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.
Toxic algae are turning South Australia’s coral reefs into underwater graveyards
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Since March, a harmful algal bloom, fueled by a marine heat wave, has been choking South Australia’s coastline.
NZ govt’s fossil fuel plans could break international law
24 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government could be breaching international law with its plans to subsidise and expand fossil fuel extraction, following a ruling overnight from the world’s highest court.
Tipping points: Window to avoid irreversible climate impacts is ‘rapidly closing’
11 Jul 2025
In the midst of a record-breaking heatwave in Europe, the UK city of Exeter recently played host to the second international conference on “tipping points”.
‘Total infiltration’: How plastics industry swamped vital global treaty talks
Mon 28 Jul 2025
Petrostates and well-funded lobbyists at UN-hosted talks are derailing a deal to cut plastic production and protect people and the planet.
Media round-up
Fri 25 Jul 2025
In our round-up of the climate coverage in local media: Dairy conversions surge; Gore is hit with a drinking water crisis; meanwhile farming lobby groups Groundswell and Federated Farmers are up in arms about a plan to classify environmental impacts in the agriculture and forestry sector.
The EU’s ‘fantasy’ $750B energy promise to Trump
Today 10:45am
The EU has narrowly avoided a full-blown trade war with Donald Trump by pledging to buy $750 billion of U.S. oil and gas by the end of his term. But achieving that will be almost impossible.
Activists sue US development bank over $4.6bn loan to massive Mozambique gas project
18 Jul 2025
Environmental groups claim loan is ‘unlawful’ in legal filing.
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.
Tilting at windmills? Trump’s claims about turbines fact-checked
Today 10:45am
The US president has taken a swipe at wind power as the blades visible from his Turnberry golf course turn.
Ocean heatwaves may signal climate tipping point
Fri 25 Jul 2025
A recent study that tapped into satellite data has revealed that 2023 marked an unprecedented year for marine heatwaves, with record-breaking levels of duration, reach and intensity across the world's oceans.
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’.
Can robot taxis solve NZ's transport woes?
23 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Ministry of Transport has tested the idea of driverless taxis as a futuristic fix. But while new modelling explores how "robotaxis" could ease congestion and reduce car ownership, critics say it misses a crucial point – the country’s worsening transport emissions.
EV sales fall, but it’s complicated
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Imports of fully electric vehicles fell over 50% in value during the 12 months to June 2025, compared with the year ended June 2024, according to Stats NZ.
Waste Levy risks becoming ‘slush fund’ under proposed changes – Commissioner
5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Proposed changes to New Zealand's waste legislation risk undermining public trust in the waste levy scheme, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton.
The struggle for control of the Arctic is accelerating - and it's riskier than ever
11 Jul 2025
As the battle for one of the world’s coldest places heats up, an increasingly fragile security balance may be breaking down, leading to an escalating arms race.
UN University report warns against carbon credits from REDD, tree planting, and improved forest management
13 Jun 2025
But the report stops short of recommending banning the trade in carbon temporarily stored in trees.
For the first time, China invests more in wind and solar than coal overseas
29 May 2025
China’s Belt and Road Initiative, long derided for its heavy carbon footprint, was dominated by wind and solar power projects for the first time from 2022 to 2023, according to a new analysis. But coal plants financed in earlier years are still coming online.
