Topics tagged with 'Transport'
Families will pay more without clean car standard
Fri 6 Mar 2026
Media release | The Green Party says scrapping the Clean Car Standard will mean New Zealanders end up paying more to run their cars.
Solar-powered truck charging gains ground on South Africa’s freight corridors
Wed 4 Mar 2026
Africa’s freight corridors, long dominated by diesel trucks and constrained by unreliable power grids, are emerging as a new frontier in the global shift toward clean logistics, with solar-powered charging hubs designed specifically for heavy-duty electric trucks.
Canterbury rolls out NZ’s first lightweight electric double-decker
Tue 3 Mar 2026
Metro has introduced the country’s first lightweight electric double-decker bus, marking a major milestone for public transport innovation in Canterbury.
NZ’s EV uptake decelerates
23 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s EV uptake is lagging behind other countries, with a huge drop in EV sales since 2023 bucking international trends, at the same time the Government contemplates abolishing its standard for clean cars entirely.
Infrastructure plan calls for ‘predictable approach’ to electrifying economy
18 Feb 2026
Aotearoa’s first National Infrastructure Plan, introduced to Parliament yesterday, calls for "a predictable approach to electrifying the economy" as one of ten priorities for the next decade.
China starts sea trials for largest electric-powered container ship
17 Feb 2026
China’s first 10,000-ton electric containership is beginning sea trials. The shipyard is billing the ship as the largest of its kind and a further breakthrough in short-sea shipping.
China maximises battery recycling to shore up critical mineral supplies
11 Feb 2026
Beijing is bracing for a tsunami of spent EV batteries by taking steps to boost recycling – a strategy that could also cut its reliance on imports of clean energy minerals.
Hydrogen plant to start construction
10 Feb 2026
Construction is set to start this month on Hiringa Energy’s long delayed green hydrogen project in South Taranaki, after years of consenting fights that culminated in the Court of Appeal rejecting Greenpeace’s challenge in late 2023.
Heavy EV charger hub opens at Lower Hutt landfill
4 Feb 2026
By Justin Wong, Local Democracy Reporter |In a nationwide first, heavy electric vehicles can now recharge at Lower Hutt’s Silverstream Landfill.
EVs just outsold petrol cars in EU for first time ever
29 Jan 2026
Sales of electric vehicles overtook standard petrol cars in the EU for the first time in December 2025, according to new figures released by industry group the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.
The surprisingly convincing case against cars
19 Dec 2025
Life After Cars dares to imagine how different, and enriching, a car-free world could be.
NZ hydrogen regulation to catch up with the world
18 Dec 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The government has announced a regulatory reset for New Zealand’s emerging clean tech hydrogen sector.
EU waters down plans to end new petrol and diesel car sales by 2035
17 Dec 2025
The European Commission has watered down its plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2035.
Ford takes US$19 billion hit after EV plan reversal
17 Dec 2025
Ford Motor Company is pivoting away from its once-ambitious electric vehicle plans amid financial losses and waning consumer demand for the vehicles in lieu of investment in more efficient gasoline-engines and hybrid EVs, the company said Monday.
The EV leapfrog – how emerging markets are driving a global EV boom
17 Dec 2025
Growth in emerging markets has turbocharged global EV sales in 2025, with over a quarter of new cars sold being electric.
NZ could become ‘dumping ground’ for dirty vehicles: Commissioner
16 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | Simon Upton, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, has warned the Government that its changes to the clean car standard could turn the country into a dumping ground for high emitting cars, making future emissions budgets harder to achieve.
Australian Government wants EV, PHEV owners to start sending power to the grid
15 Dec 2025
The newly announced Vehicle-Grid Network is part of a plan to establish Australia as a leader in vehicle-to-grid technology.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
10 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Transport pollution was the biggest contributor to an increase in New Zealand’s consumption-based emissions in 2023, with emissions from household travel up 12%, and consumption-based emissions totalling 58.3 million tonnes – up 1.6% from the previous year.
Seven EU countries pressure European Commission to rethink 2035 diesel and petrol car ban
9 Dec 2025
Pressure from EU countries, lawmakers and the automotive industry is likely pushing the European Commission to delay the revision of the bloc's ban on diesel and petrol cars by 2035.
Media round-up
5 Dec 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Labour’s chronic evasiveness as the Government reneges on climate change; newly released documents reveal the country's new methane target is associated with 'perilous' 2.7C of warming; and New Zealand's 'pitiful' decision on emissions targets comes with costs.
Spain announces $1.5 billion package to boost electric vehicle market
5 Dec 2025
Spain's plan includes 400 million euros in direct subsidies in 2026 for consumers to buy EVs.
China’s BEV trucks and the end of diesel’s dominance
4 Dec 2025
Cheap Chinese battery electric heavy trucks are no longer a rumor. They are real machines with real price tags that are so low that they force a reassessment of what the global freight industry is willing to pay for electrification.
China floods the world with gasoline cars it can't sell at home
3 Dec 2025
While Western nations focus on the competitive threat of Chinese EVs, a different challenge is reshaping the auto industry. Beijing's legacy automakers are saturating emerging and second-tier markets with fossil-fuel vehicles – often undercutting their foreign partners.
Singapore sets course for 'green' methanol ship fuel supplies
26 Nov 2025
Singapore will start issuing bunkering licences next year to companies supplying methanol as marine fuel, in an effort to help global shipping cut carbon emissions.
COP30 in a multipolar world
24 Nov 2025
COMMENT: As the gavel comes down on the final negotiations at COP30, New Zealand seems to be heading for the sidelines of global transitions, increasing our dependency on imported solutions and neglecting the economic opportunities in generating our own, writes David Hall.
New carbon calculator helps Kiwirail customers make sustainable choices
21 Nov 2025
Media release | KiwiRail has launched a carbon calculator to meet increasing demand from customers wanting to compare carbon emissions from rail, road and air.
China’s diesel trucks are shifting to electric. That could change global LNG and diesel demand
21 Nov 2025
China is replacing its diesel trucks with electric models faster than expected, potentially reshaping global fuel demand and the future of heavy transport.
NZ drops in global climate rankings as govt 'propels country backwards'
19 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand has fallen to 44th place in global climate rankings, with the country’s climate policy rated “very low” amid widespread rollbacks of environmental protections.
Coastal roads in the climate spotlight
14 Nov 2025
By Sue Teodoro, Local Democracy Reporter | Vulnerable coastal roads across New Zealand, including in Masterton district, are coming under the spotlight as the Government works on a plan to address the cost of climate-related damage.
EV and hybrid sales soar in Australia as internal combustion cars fall below 70% market share for first time
13 Nov 2025
Data from peak motoring body shows battery-electric vehicles accounted for 9.7% of new cars sold in September quarter, the highest proportion on record.
How ‘vehicle-to-grid’ technology could boost China’s electricity system
31 Oct 2025
China’s surging electric vehicles ownership – now exceeding 25.5m – is opening the door to a new technology that can help to enhance the flexibility of electricity supply.
The Yangtze River is becoming the world’s largest electrified trade corridor
30 Oct 2025
The Gezhouba, a new 13,000-ton all-electric bulk carrier launched in Yichang, is more than a technical milestone. It is a sign that the electrification of inland shipping is moving from concept to inevitability.
Councillor calls out ‘anti-EV propaganda’ after fatal bus fire
29 Oct 2025
By Torika Tokalau, Local Democracy Reporter | An Auckland councillor says he's disappointed with the level of misinformation circulating about a fatal collision involving an electric bus and car last week.
New Zealand insurer linked to Iranian dark fleet tankers
29 Oct 2025
A New Zealand insurer is under investigation for providing insurance for Iranian dark fleet tankers Reuters reveals in a new exposé.
Media round-up
24 Oct 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The Government planned to gut New Zealand's world-leading climate disclosure law - even as it bragged about it on the world stage; a new Indigenous climate adaptation network launches; and Climate Change Minister Simon Watts admits that the new methane target might breach the global 1.5C goal.
NZ abstains from vote on global shipping carbon tax
22 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government says it held back from endorsing the International Maritime Organization’s Net-Zero Framework over fears the plan could raise costs for exporters and importers.
NZ’s government wants tourism to drive economic growth – but how will it deal with aviation emissions?
22 Oct 2025
By Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University | Following a brief dip during the COVID pandemic, aviation is back in a growth phase.
Nelson commuters urged to ditch car once a week
22 Oct 2025
By Max Frethey, Local Democracy Reporter | Nelson has a bold carbon emission reduction target and residents are being encouraged to leave the car at home one day a week to help meet it.
Landmark deal to cut global shipping emissions in tatters after US pressure
20 Oct 2025
A landmark deal to cut global shipping emissions has been abandoned after Saudi Arabia and the US succeeded in ending the talks.
For Australia to get moving on electric vehicles, we must ban petrol and diesel cars by 2035
17 Oct 2025
COMMENT: If nothing is done, transport is projected to be Australia’s largest emissions source by 2030.
Nations meet to consider regulations to drive a green transition in shipping
15 Oct 2025
The world’s largest maritime nations gathered in London to consider adopting regulations that would move the shipping industry away from fossil fuels to slash emissions.
Online tool aims to reduce road freight emissions
9 Oct 2025
Media release | Road freight association Transporting New Zealand are announcing the launch of an online tool that aims to help the industry decarbonise.
End of EV tax subsidy sparks worries of collapse in US electric car sales
6 Oct 2025
Automotive executives are bracing for a freefall in U.S. electric-vehicle sales following the disappearance of a critical $7,500 tax break for buyers.
Transport will make or break Australia’s new climate plan – and time is running out to fix it
1 Oct 2025
Australia has a new climate target: cutting emissions by 62-70% below 2005 levels by 2035. Meeting even the lower end means halving emissions in a decade.
Kaikōura sets vision for non-carbon transport future
30 Sep 2025
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter | A new strategy is set to ‘‘transform’’ Kaikōura’s trails network.
Auckland Transport and Kinetic charging ahead for sustainability
30 Sep 2025
Media release | Auckland Transport (AT) and bus operator Kinetic and have taken another step in their decarbonisation journeys with major upgrades completed at Kinetic’s Glenfield bus depot to support a growing zero emissions fleet.
Electric vehicle sales surge across EU as overall car market stalls
29 Sep 2025
Battery-electric and hybrid models are gaining ground in the EU, while diesel and petrol car sales continue to lose momentum.
Media round-up
26 Sep 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Winston Peters drops a "truth bomb" about big emitters at UN function; why fixing our ‘broken’ electricity market is such a formidable challenge; and should New Zealand follow Australia’s lead on responding to its climate risk assessment?
EV batteries could power NZ's grid – study
25 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | EV batteries could ease peak demand by exporting power back to homes and the grid, with large potential cost savings for EV owners and electricity consumers, according to a new study.
KiwiRail unveils carbon reduction plan
25 Sep 2025
KiwiRail has released its first carbon reduction plan with a target of reducing emissions by 40% in the next decade and to reach net-zero carbon by 2050.
Carbon markets risk penalising Indigenous stewardship, researchers warn
Thu 5 Mar 2026
Carbon markets designed to reward environmental restoration may be unintentionally disadvantaging Indigenous communities who have long protected intact ecosystems, according to new research.
Grasslands and wetlands are being gobbled up by agriculture, mostly livestock
Wed 4 Mar 2026
A new study takes a first-of-its kind look at how farming converts non-forested areas and major carbon sinks into cropland and pasture.
Auckland Airport switches on giant heat pump system to cut gas use
Fri 6 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | While Auckland Airport’s switch from gas to heat pumps is welcome, the emissions savings are dwarfed by ongoing aircraft emissions, which are set to rise, according to a sustainable transport expert.
Air NZ joins Marsden Point SAF project
Tue 3 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand has quietly added its name to a consortium exploring the viability of green hydrogen production for sustainable aviation fuel at Channel Infrastructure’s Marsden Point energy hub.
Half of nations meet UN deadline for nature-loss reporting
Wed 4 Mar 2026
Half of nations have met a UN deadline to report on how they are tackling nature loss within their borders, Carbon Brief analysis shows. This includes 11 of the 17 “megadiverse nations”, countries that account for 70% of Earth’s biodiversity.
Govt’s own modelling shows LNG leads to higher electricity prices than other solutions
19 Feb 2026
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: According to modelling conducted by Concept Consulting for MBIE, either developing the Tariki gas storage facility or managing electricity demand would deliver lower wholesale electricity prices than the Government’s preferred solution of an LNG import terminal.
Unusual scarcity drives early 2026 NZU rally
Thu 5 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The New Zealand carbon price has recovered since its late 2025 collapse, although the rally is driven by scarcity rather than confidence in market settings.
China sets cautious climate target as carbon deadline looms
Fri 6 Mar 2026
China, the world’s top polluter, set a cautious new climate target for the rest of the decade, frustrating hopes for tighter policy that would accelerate the nation’s work to curb emissions.
Bidders no-show at carbon auction – again
Tue 3 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | As predicted, today’s carbon auction yet again failed to attract any bidders, with NZUs currently trading hands on the secondary market at a 35% discount on this year’s auction floor price.
3,600 times faster: China is shaking up the steel industry
25 Feb 2026
For over a century, making steel meant coal, heat, and hours of waiting. A Chinese research team now reports collapsing that process into just three to six seconds; no coal, near zero emissions, and a vortex lance already moving toward commercial production. The technology is called flash ironmaking, and in February 2026, its implications are still unfolding.
LNG: a rational choice compared to unpalatable alternatives
10 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: By deciding to underwrite the private construction of a liquefied natural gas import facility in Taranaki, the Government has made a rational choice in favour of energy security and affordability.
Sustainable retail-office project breaks ground under new Green Star framework
19 Feb 2026
Construction is set to begin on a new retail-office development in central Auckland, which is targeting a 40% reduction in embodied carbon and 25% lower energy.
Opposition attacks Govt over fossil fuel phaseout backdown
2 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | Revelations that Resources Minister Shane Jones ruled out New Zealand signing up to a 'road map' away from fossil fuels at last year’s global climate summit show the National Party’s minor coalition partners’ undue influence over the Government, according to Labour leader Chris Hipkins.
Italy calls for suspension of EU carbon market
Mon 2 Mar 2026
The Italian Minister said the Emissions Trading System (ETS) has a "perverse effect" and is condemning European companies from being competitive with other countries, urging other member states to back the suspension.
Rule changes could reshape corporate emissions strategies
Fri 6 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand organisations may need to rethink how they manage and report electricity-related emissions as proposed global accounting changes take shape, according to a new report.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
20 Feb 2026
Several environmental organisations are calling on political parties to make climate and biodiversity central to the 2026 election campaign, with reforming the Emissions Trading Scheme seen as a key priority.
Global coastal sea-level risks may be underestimated, say scientists
Thu 5 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Coastal communities across the Pacific and Southeast Asia could be facing greater sea-level rise risks than previously estimated, researchers say.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
10 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Transport pollution was the biggest contributor to an increase in New Zealand’s consumption-based emissions in 2023, with emissions from household travel up 12%, and consumption-based emissions totalling 58.3 million tonnes – up 1.6% from the previous year.
The 15 foods destroying rainforests, in one simple chart
25 Feb 2026
It’s pretty much impossible to live a life free of environmental harm. But there is one thing you could do immediately that would help the planet a heck of a lot: eat less beef.
A gas shock – not an oil shock – from the Iran war looks more threatening
Wed 4 Mar 2026
Europe and Asia will take an economic hit if the supply of Qatari LNG is halted by the closure of the strait of Hormuz.
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.”
Gaps in adaptation taxonomies hinder climate finance in Asia: report
Thu 5 Mar 2026
Without clearer criteria and metrics in adaptation taxonomies, Asia risks widening its climate financing gap, warns a new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
Surviving on Trump's dangerous planet
Mon 2 Mar 2026
COMMENT: Yet another war, and yet another argument for an end to oil.
Claims that AI can help fix climate dismissed as greenwashing
18 Feb 2026
Tech companies are conflating traditional artificial intelligence with generative AI when claiming the energy-hungry technology could help avert climate breakdown, according to a report.
Govt missing opportunity to slash electricity prices, says expert
11 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s fixation on eliminating the "dry-year risk margin" as a lever to reduce costs misses a much bigger opportunity to lower electricity prices, according to Christina Hood, head of Compass Climate.
Media round-up
13 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Senior UK ministers have asked their New Zealand counterparts to explain new climate policies, National’s LNG blunders are a warning ahead of election campaign, and what are the lessons New Zealand should take from another summer of weather disasters?
Wales council to buy and demolish homes prone to flooding
4 Feb 2026
A row of homes in a village in south Wales is to be bought by a local authority and demolished as they can no longer be protected from flooding caused by the climate crisis.
Climate law change spanner in the works for Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry
19 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s controversial changes to New Zealand’s legal framework for climate policy have thrown a spanner in the works for a long-running Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry into climate change.
EDS puts environmental lawmaking under the spotlight
26 Feb 2026
Media Release |The Environmental Defence Society has launched the first in a series of investigative pieces into how environmental laws are being made in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Climate 'dream team' launches foundation targeting 100 million tonnes in emissions cuts
25 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The New Zealand Climate Foundation, which has the ambitious aim of cutting 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, had its official launch on Monday.
China has a new competitor? Kazakhstan reveals huge rare Earth deposit that could power the next tech boom
25 Feb 2026
China’s grip on rare earths might finally see some competition, and the world is already taking notice.
Carbon auction set to be another non-event
Mon 2 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | Tomorrow’s Emissions Trading Scheme auction – the first for 2026 – is set to be a non-event, with secondary market prices more than $25 below this year’s $71 auction floor price.
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.
Tiny, lost and constipated: what a baby turtle told Australian scientists about warming seas
Fri 6 Mar 2026
The arrival of loggerheads in New South Wales shows these ‘sentinels of climate change’ are being forced into unknown territory.
The world’s largest climate finance deal was built to flounder: why funding fails to reach the front‑line
Fri 6 Mar 2026
Adopted in December 2015, the Paris Agreement commits countries to keeping global temperature rise below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
Kiwis overly optimistic about state of environment
27 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New research suggests many New Zealanders believe the environment is in better shape than it really is, with public perceptions often out of step with scientific evidence.
‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics
24 Feb 2026
Plastic production has doubled over the last 20 years – and will likely double again. For author Beth Gardiner, metal water bottles and canvas tote bags are not the solution. So what is?
Should we tax the rich to pay for climate costs? Poll says yes
Fri 6 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New polling has found most New Zealanders support higher taxes on the ultra-rich to help fund public goods such as healthcare, housing and climate action.
Families will pay more without clean car standard
Fri 6 Mar 2026
Media release | The Green Party says scrapping the Clean Car Standard will mean New Zealanders end up paying more to run their cars.
Media round-up
20 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: 'Every tonne matters': The climate scientist who wants to give you hope; Minister says managed retreat is an option; and climate change is here – is New Zealand ready?
Brazil and India agree to boost cooperation on rare earths
24 Feb 2026
Brazil and India sealed a deal Saturday on critical minerals and rare earths, enhancing cooperation on crucial resources between two major countries of the global south as they seek to diversify their trading relationships.
PPA template aims to cut transaction costs and accelerate renewable investment
Fri 6 Mar 2026
Media release – DLA Piper | An energy industry initiative led by BusinessNZ Energy Council, Zeale (formerly EVA Marketplace) and DLA Piper has released New Zealand’s first publicly available, standardised template for corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs), designed to reduce transaction costs and unlock more financing to accelerate renewable energy projects.
High-tech flights tackle climate modelling dilemma
Mon 2 Mar 2026
Media release – University of Canterbury | An ongoing challenge in global climate modelling is being addressed by HALO-South a German-Christchurch collaboration.
DOC trims costs and winds down jobs for nature
10 Nov 2025
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is entering a new phase of tighter budgets and structural change as it winds down the pandemic-era Jobs for Nature programme and reshapes its operations to absorb long-term cost pressures.
NZ-UAE partnership boosts advanced tech
9 Feb 2026
Media release | A new Antarctic science partnership with a leading UAE university will grow New Zealand’s advanced engineering and modelling capability, supporting high-value jobs, encouraging economic growth, and enabling smarter climate risk management, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti says.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
World leaders invited to see Pacific climate destruction before COP31
Tue 3 Mar 2026
The leaders and climate ministers of governments around the world will be invited to meetings on the Pacific islands of Fiji, Palau and Tuvalu in the months leading up to the COP31 climate summit in November.
Infrastructure plan calls for ‘predictable approach’ to electrifying economy
18 Feb 2026
Aotearoa’s first National Infrastructure Plan, introduced to Parliament yesterday, calls for "a predictable approach to electrifying the economy" as one of ten priorities for the next decade.
Empty emergency reserve forces $6.1m flood repair loan
Mon 2 Mar 2026
By Kira Carrington, Local Democracy Reporter | A depleted emergency fund has forced Marlborough to borrow $6.1 million to repair damage from last year's floods.
Study finds warming world increases days when weather is prone to fires around the globe
20 Feb 2026
The number of days when the weather gets hot, dry and windy — ideal to spark extreme wildfires — has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, with the trend increasing even higher in the Americas, a new study shows.
Western Australian communities want mandatory payments from new renewable developments
Fri 6 Mar 2026
The West Australian government wants to make new wind and solar farms pay into community funds, but host towns say more work needs to be done to make sure the payments actually happen.
