Topics tagged with 'The House'
Go online and have your say on the ETS
2 Oct 2009
Parliament is calling for submissions on changes to the emissions trading scheme – and for the first time they can be made online.
OPINION: The ETS and your business
2 Oct 2009
Kensington Swan energy and resources team leader Bryan Gundersen looks at the implications of proposed amendments to the ETS:
Labour grizzles as ETS changes go through House
23 Sep 2009
National’s changes to the emissions trading scheme moved a step closer yesterday amid threats that a Labour Government would throw them out again.
Back our bill, pleads 'proud' climate minister
23 Sep 2009
Climate Change Issues Minister Nick Smith says that National has delivered on its election promise to amend the emissions trading scheme.
Big words, little action from world climate leaders
23 Sep 2009
China has taken a step forward in the delicate diplomatic dance of international climate change talks by committing to an unspecified carbon target.
EU lists industries exempted from carbon trading
23 Sep 2009
The European Union has agreed on a list of industries ranging from plastics manufacturing to iron and food processing that will be largely exempted from CO2 trading after 2013 for fears that their inclusion would move production abroad.
Doors might shut on public opinion of ETS deal
18 Sep 2009
The public might not get a say on the deal between the National and Maori parties to change the emissions trading scheme.
IN THE HOUSE: Deal with Maori under scrutiny
18 Sep 2009
Questions over the deal between the National and Maori parties have dominated environmental debates in Parliament this week.
Big spenders throw weight behind US bill
18 Sep 2009
Industry, economic and environmental groups are making a final push to influence a climate bill that might go before the United States Senate within weeks.
Smith: ETS revisions "balance" environment, economy
14 Sep 2009
The Government, with Maori Party support, will revise the Emissions Trading Scheme to reduce the costs to households and the impact on jobs while ensuring New Zealand takes a responsible approach to the global problem of greenhouse gas pollution and climate change.
Confident Labour sits in ETS driving seat
11 Sep 2009
Talks over the future of the emissions trading scheme are on again, with Labour sending strong signals that it feels in the driving seat.
Senate Democrats sceptical about climate bill
11 Sep 2009
Several US Senate Democrats have questioned whether it would be possible to vote on a climate change bill this year, especially with healthcare reform eating up so much of the lawmakers' time.
US climate change bill faces fresh delays
4 Sep 2009
The Obama administration has reportedly been meeting with clean-technology executives to help flesh out a new energy strategy to be unveiled later this month.
Prepare to pay extra $120 in airfare pollution charges to Europe
4 Sep 2009
Including aviation in the European ETS could mean a pollution charge of about $120 on long haul flights to New Zealand.
Rich Norway fund moves toward green investments
4 Sep 2009
Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, one of the largest in the world with about $400 billion in assets, plans to commit about $3.5 billion dollars over a period of five years to companies it deems environmentally sound and engaged in sustainable growth.
People won't change lifestyle for planet, says poll
4 Sep 2009
Britons want to save the planet but are unwilling to make radical lifestyle changes like giving up air travel or red meat to reduce the effects of climate change, a straw poll by Reuters shows.
All sectors, all gases the way to go, says ETS report
31 Aug 2009
Climate change is probably true and an all-sectors, all-gases emissions trading scheme is the best option for New Zealand, says the committee set up to review the scheme.
National's best ETS bet is deal with Labour
31 Aug 2009
The Labour Party is looking like the Government’s most likely emissions trading scheme partner.
Business: Review leaves huge issues up in the air
31 Aug 2009
The report of the select committee which reviewed the emissions trading scheme is a disappointment which still leaves the country with no broad cross-party agreement on climate change policy to provide investment certainty.
Labour: Big chance for a meaningful ETS
31 Aug 2009
The Labour Party has used today’s report back of the ETS Committee to repeat its call for a broad-based scheme with integrity to be agreed by Parliament.
Read the full ETS review report here ...
31 Aug 2009
The emissions trading scheme review is a 132-page report that took seven months to put together.
Government fiddling while planet burns, says Greenpeace
31 Aug 2009
Greenpeace is warning that taxpayers will pay if there’s a price cap added to the long over due emissions trading scheme, but welcomed agreement by most members of parliament that climate change is real and action needs to be taken now.
Speculation rife as ETS report faces new delay
28 Aug 2009
The report of the emissions trading scheme review select committee is now unlikely to be released before Monday.
Row as Parker demands House sees ETS report
28 Aug 2009
There was heated debate at Parliament yesterday over claims the ETS review select committee’s report should have been immediately presented to the House under standing orders.
Smith cautious on methane in ETS, bi-party deal
28 Aug 2009
The Government has a cautious view of bringing ruminant animal emissions into an emission trading scheme, says Climate Change Issues Minister Nick Smith.
ETS deal hangs on Key's response to Goff
21 Aug 2009
National is having significant difficulty delivering the “broad-based political support” sought for an amended ETS by its Climate Change Issues Minister.
Australia targets 20% renewable energy by 2020
21 Aug 2009
Australia yesterday passed a clean energy law requiring the country to produce 20 per cent of its power from renewable sources by 2020 in move that could draw billions of dollars of green investment.
Democrats want banks barred from carbon trading
21 Aug 2009
Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase would be barred from a planned US carbon- emissions market or face trading restrictions under proposals by Democratic senators crafting climate change legislation.
Cash for clunkers scheme doesn’t pay its way
21 Aug 2009
Whatever its success in getting new cars off the lots and quickly injecting several billion dollars into the economy, some academics say that the US “cash for clunkers” programme is an expensive way to help the environment.
Agriculture bogs down bipartisan ETS deal
14 Aug 2009
Talks between National and Labour over a bipartisan agreement on an emissions trading scheme are thought to be breaking down over agriculture.
Cap-and-ban could kill carbon market, warns broker
14 Aug 2009
An artificial cap on carbon prices and a ban on international sales of New Zealand credits will effectively kill the development of the carbon market, says trader Nigel Brunel.
Pacific nations call for drastic carbon cuts
7 Aug 2009
The Government is under pressure over a call from Pacific Islands countries to drastically cut carbon emissions by 2020.
Law makes electric cars exempt from RUCs
7 Aug 2009
Legislation exempting light electric vehicles from road user charges until 2013 has been passed by Parliament.
Household impact of US bill only modest, says study
7 Aug 2009
The United States climate change and energy bill passed by the House in June will bring somewhat higher energy prices for businesses and households and slow economic growth slightly by 2020.
You’re not alone – UN climate chief comforts Australia
7 Aug 2009
Australia is not at risk of going it alone on climate change by committing to emissions reduction targets before a global summit later this year, UN climate change chief Yvo de Boer says.
Most New Zealanders want 20-plus emissions reduction target
7 Aug 2009
Almost half of New Zealanders want the Government to set a target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per cent or more by 2020.
High price for 100 per cent renewable energy, says Smith
7 Aug 2009
Achieving 100 per cent renewable electricity by 2020 would cost $17.5 billion, put power prices up by 30 per cent and require the equivalent of seven Clyde Dams being built, Climate Change Minister Nick Smith says.
FORUM: Nick Smith doesn’t get it
7 Aug 2009
The Green party has produced a plan which is says will help New Zealand reach an emissions reduction target of 40% by 2020.
France faces internal fight over carbon tax
31 Jul 2009
France should aim to introduce a tax on carbon dioxide emissions by 2010 to help to fight global climate change, says a panel advising the government.
How US can halve emissions from transport
31 Jul 2009
The United States can cut greenhouse gas emissions from transportation in half by 2050 with strategies ranging from cutting speed limits to imposing road pricing, according to a new report.
India says no to legally binding emissions
31 Jul 2009
India will not succumb to any international pressure on committing to a legally binding agreement on cutting greenhouse emissions but will deal with climate change issues according to its own plans, a state minister says.
Costs of emissions cuts most likely overstated - report
31 Jul 2009
A carbon price of $100 to $200 per tonne is being assumed to generate estimates that New Zealand households will face a $3000-a-year bill for cutting emissions by 15 per cent, says the Business Council for Sustainable Development.
Guarantee for good biofuel moves closer
31 Jul 2009
A guarantee that biofuels in New Zealand are good for the environment moved a step closer this week as a Member’s Bill from Green Party MP Jeanette Fitzsimons passed its first reading in the House with widespread support.
2020 emission reduction target large cost, says coalition
31 Jul 2009
The Greenhouse Policy Coalition submission to the government on a 2020 target for emission reductions, warns that if the government settles on a 15 per cent reduction target from 1990 levels, it will cost NZ households 10 times what the US is proposing to charge its citizens.
Coal pushes NZ's emissions up
24 Jul 2009
New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions have risen again, with coal the biggest culprit.
Opposition split over Australia's climate plan
24 Jul 2009
Australia’s opposition has split over whether to support government legislation to tackle climate change, with one lawmaker calling leader Malcolm Turnbull “arrogant” for ignoring the wishes of party members.
Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre 26 - 28 October 2009
24 Jul 2009
The hosts of Carbon Market Expo Australasia 2009 are pleased to announce Macquarie Bank and Baker & McKenzie as Diamond Sponsors of Carbon Market Expo Australasia 2009.
Japan opposition eyes bolder emissions cuts
17 Jul 2009
Japan's main opposition party will adopt bolder greenhouse gas cuts than the government by using the global emissions market and increasing green jobs if it wins an upcoming election, the party's head of green policy said.
Maori Party might support Nats' ETS changes
14 Jul 2009
The Maori Party will today ask iwi leaders whether it should support the National Government’s changes to the emissions trading scheme – potentially giving it the majority it needs in Parliament.
Senate delays action on climate bill
10 Jul 2009
US President Barack Obama's push for quick action by Congress on climate change legislation suffered a setback yesterday when the Senate committee leading the drive delayed work on the bill until September.
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?
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
Thu 31 Jul 2025
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
Thu 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.
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
Thu 31 Jul 2025
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
Thu 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.
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
Thu 31 Jul 2025
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
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
25 Jul 2025
By Harj Narulla | OPINION: Australia has found itself on the wrong side of history.
Fund for low emissions transport winds up
Thu 31 Jul 2025
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
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
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
Thu 31 Jul 2025
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
Thu 31 Jul 2025
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
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.
