Topics tagged with 'Transport'
Emissions up by 4.8% in June quarter
11 Nov 2021
An increase in the use of coal fired electricity is largely responsible for emissions in the electricity, gas, water, and waste services industry hitting an all time high in the June quarter.
Urgent Couriers replaces Auckland car fleet with electric cargo bikes
11 Nov 2021
Media Release - Certified carbon zero courier company Urgent Couriers will take 40 to 50 tonnes of carbon emissions a year out of inner-city Auckland by replacing its city fleet of cars with electric cargo bikes.
NZ’s biggest GHG emitters ranked
10 Nov 2021
For the first time the Environmental Protection Authority has published a list of the country’s biggest greenhouse gas emitters
Greenpeace Germany sues Volkswagen for ‘fuelling climate crisis’
10 Nov 2021
A young German climate activist and the heads of Greenpeace Germany have sued Volkswagen (VW) in a German court for “fuelling the climate crisis”, accusing the carmaker of failing to do its part to combat global warming.
Australasia’s biggest ever electric bus order
9 Nov 2021
Media Release - AUSTRALAISA'S biggest electric bus order has been announced, in a partnership between Auckland Transport (AT) and NZ Bus.
Electric revolution for Christchurch’s Orbiter fleet
9 Nov 2021
Media Release - The popular Orbiter bus route has, from this week, seven new electric vehicles joining its ranks, as Christchurch’s fleet of electric and ultra-low emission vehicles grows.
Climate-friendly Let's Get Wellington Moving options revealed
2 Nov 2021
Media Release - Let’s Get Wellington Moving has officially unveiled four options to help transform the Capital, focused on mass rapid transit, improvements at the Basin Reserve and an extra Mt Victoria Tunnel as part of a multi-billion dollar plan to move more people with fewer vehicles, enable more housing, and help reduce carbon emissions.
Shipping drifts off net-zero course without carbon levy: study
26 Oct 2021
The global shipping industry is on course to see its greenhouse gas emissions rise by around a fifth by 2050 if action including introducing a carbon levy on fuel is not taken, new research backed by industry leaders shows.
With models under $5,000, China accounts for half the world's electric car sales
22 Oct 2021
Soaring sales of electric vehicles (EVs) in China are driving the global trend away from combustion engines, the latest figures show.
Majority of Kiwis believe there's nothing more they can do to cut emissions
21 Oct 2021
ONLY 40% of New Zealanders believe they could do more to cut down on their emissions to help tackle climate change.
E-bike delivery experiment reduced CO2 emissions by 30%
20 Oct 2021
For three months last summer, residents in one Seattle neighborhood received their packages via electric cargo bike rather than a delivery van, as part of a pilot program testing new innovations to urban delivery.
Govt proposes allowing more emissions in the short-term and steeper cuts in the future
13 Oct 2021
THE government is proposing increasing the emissions budget recommended by the Climate Change Commission for the 2022-25 period by 2 megatonnes carbon dioxide equivalents, followed by cuts of 5Mt CO2e for the 2026-30 period, and 11 Mt CO2e in the 2031 – 31 period.
Norway to hit 100% electric vehicle sales early next year
13 Oct 2021
Norway is on track to bid farewell to the sale of new petrol and diesel-powered cars by April 2022, according to new analysis released by the Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF).
Why newer cars aren’t always better for the climate
13 Oct 2021
Is it better for the climate to go out and buy the latest, most fuel-efficient car, or keep driving the fairly decent car you already own for a little while longer? The answer is probably the latter, a new study suggests.
Trade can play pivotal role in tackling climate change: UN
13 Oct 2021
A new United Nations report has underscored an urgent need for economies in the Asia-Pacific region to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, including to maintain their trade competitiveness as carbon taxes at borders become more likely.
KiwiRail signs deal for new locomotives
12 Oct 2021
KiwiRail says the 57 new locomotives they've just ordered from a Spanish firm could potentially cut fleet emissions by 20 - 25%.
Norway to hit 100% electric vehicle sales early next year
11 Oct 2021
Norway is on track to bid farewell to the sale of new petrol and diesel-powered cars by April 2022, according to new analysis released by the Norwegian Automobile Federation (NAF).
Could low-carbon trains cure Europe’s flying addiction?
7 Oct 2021
A new generation of sleeper cars and short-haul routes are helping railways compete against discount airlines.
The Tongan island using canoes to tackle climate change
6 Oct 2021
A job creation scheme on the Tongan island of 'Eua is not only teaching local youth traditional boat building skills it's helping combat climate change.
Massive inflatable sails could cut shipping's carbon footprint
6 Oct 2021
Michelin’s new wing-sails are getting a lot of attention as new regulations put pressure on the shipping industry to reduce their carbon footprint.
World airlines commit to 'net zero' CO2 emissions by 2050
5 Oct 2021
The world's airlines pledged to reach "net zero" carbon emissions by 2050 on Monday even as a trade group forecast profit losses from the pandemic extending into next year.
Climate change ambassador and lower bus fares among responses to increased emissions news
4 Oct 2021
Local bodies around the motu responded to last week’s news that greenhouse gas emissions had hit all time highs in 2019 with everything from the promised appointment of a climate change ambassador to the possibility of free public transport.
Car dealer imports extra utes to avoid high emissions levy
29 Sep 2021
Auckland car dealership Simon Lucas Mitsubishi put out a press release yesterday saying it had secured a shipment of 2021 Mitsubishi Tritons – allowing people to avoid the high emissions levy due to come into force next year.
World's largest carbon market is set for a historic revamp
29 Sep 2021
The European Union is due to propose an unprecedented overhaul to its carbon market this week, seeking to put a price on shipping emissions for the first time.
Close to 50% of cars will be ICE vehicles in 2050 under current policy settings
28 Sep 2021
Up to 45% of New Zealand’s light vehicle fleet would remain ICE vehicles in 2050 if the government relied on the Clean Car Discount and Standard alone, the minister of transport, Michael Wood, has said in response to a written question from National’s David Bennett.
Getting fuel prices right is key to reducing carbon emissions: IMF
27 Sep 2021
Global fossil fuel subsidies amounted to $6 trillion in 2020, with more than 70 per cent reflecting "undercharging" for environmental costs, which makes it imperative to set the right price for fuels to reduce carbon emissions, the International Monetary Fund has said.
Climate change mitigation reshaping capital’s streets
24 Sep 2021
A commitment to cutting the city’s GHG emissions has seen Wellington City Council greenlight consultation on a plan that will see 147km of cycle paths rolled out over the next 10 years.
Have your say on the Clean Vehicles Bill
24 Sep 2021
Media Release - The purpose of the Land Transport (Clean Vehicles) Amendment Bill is to reduce the overall amount of carbon dioxide produced by cars in New Zealand. It would aim to increase the supply and variety of zero- and low-emission vehicles available to buyers by applying a clean vehicle standard to importers of new and used light vehicles.
Even the Suzuki Swift can’t escape Labour’s tax: National
24 Sep 2021
Media Release - Transport Minister Michael Wood needs to urgently clarify who will be exposed to his Car Tax, National’s Transport spokesperson David Bennett says.
Time to ditch light diesel vehicles: public health experts
23 Sep 2021
An opinion piece published in this month’s NZ Medical Journal calls for the introduction of a scrappage fee for diesel vehicles, bringing forward the year in which ICE vehicle importation is banned, and a ban on advertising of any vehicles that don’t meet the latest European emission standards.
KiwiRail obtains climate certified loan for ferries
23 Sep 2021
KiwiRail is the first company in the world to have a shipping loan certified under the Climate Bonds Initiative Framework – despite having come in for criticism for opting for a hybrid diesel system over a bio-methanol one with lower emissions.
German automakers sued over climate
22 Sep 2021
German activists have filed a lawsuit against automakers BMW and Daimler for refusing to tighten carbon emissions targets, the first time German citizens have sued private companies for exacerbating climate change
Minister must ditch Clean Vehicle Bill: National
20 Sep 2021
Media Release - The Motor Industry Association’s withdrawal of support for Labour’s Clean Vehicle Bill is yet more reason for Transport Minister Michael Wood to ditch his car tax plan, National’s Transport spokesperson David Bennett says.
Are our spooks driving EVs?
13 Sep 2021
Have you ever wondered whether our spies prefer Teslas to gas guzzlers? Well, keep on wondering - apparently it's a state secret.
Is the price of carbon beginning to bite?
9 Sep 2021
For years critics of the ETS said the price of NZUs were too low to make a difference. With NZUs smashing through the $65 mark, this week, that could be changing.
Greater Wellington welcomes $1.2 billion boost
9 Sep 2021
Media Release - Greater Wellington Regional Council has welcomed Tuesday’s announcement by Minister of Transport Hon Michael Wood of the Government’s transport funding priorities for the next three years contained in the National Land Transport Programme.
Investment in public transport is not enough: Greens
8 Sep 2021
Media Release - The Green Party welcomes the $6 billion being invested in public transport, walking and cycling through the National Land Transport Programme, as announced by the Minister of Transport today, however says it is nowhere near enough.
Less than a third of transport spend goes to emission cutting initiatives
7 Sep 2021
Less than a third of the $24.3 billion being spent by the government on transport services and infrastructure over the next three years will go towards public transport, railways, and improvements to cycling and walking infrastructure.
Shipping industry proposes carbon levy
7 Sep 2021
Leading shipping associations have proposed creating a global levy on carbon emissions from ships to help speed up the industry's efforts to go greener.
Foreign investment to speed up EV charging network roll out
3 Sep 2021
International energy trading company Mercuria has taken a 20% stake in ChargeNet – the country’s leading EV charging network.
Wellington Regional Council looks forward to congestion charging
2 Sep 2021
The Greater Wellington Regional Council is calling on the government to make mode-shift, rather than EVS, the cornerstone of its transport decarbonisation strategy.
Medellin strives to become Latin America’s first ‘eco-city’
1 Sep 2021
The Colombian city, notorious decades ago for its crime and violence, is reinventing itself as an eco-city.
KiwiRail’s potential carbon savings sailing away: unions
30 Aug 2021
Two of the countries largest transport unions claim an “outdated” state-owned enterprise model has seen KiwiRail opt for second-best when it comes to the environment with the purchase of new hybrid-diesel ferries to ply the Cook Strait.
Is the world approaching peak car?
27 Aug 2021
Cars aren’t what they used to be. Sure, they have more horsepower, more features, and require less fuel — but they are losing their power over humanity.
Hamilton to spend $50 million to slash car reliance
27 Aug 2021
A startling 64% of Hamilton’s carbon emissions come from transport, and Hamilton City Council has a plan to change that.
Questions, questions, questions….
26 Aug 2021
Climate change is the existential question of our age, so it’s hardly surprising it generates more than a few parliamentary written questions…. but too often those questions reveal more about the petty political point scoring of New Zealand politics than the climate emergency.
Maersk spends £1bn on ‘carbon neutral’ container ships
25 Aug 2021
The world’s biggest shipping company is investing $1.4bn (£1bn) to speed up its switch to carbon neutral operations, ordering eight container vessels that can be fuelled by green methanol as well as traditional bunker fuel .
New electric buses for Wellington
25 Aug 2021
Metlink is on track to becoming the lowest carbon emissions network in the country, as a new tranche of 10 electric vehicles (EVs) started rolling out on the road this week.
Pacific islands call for zero carbon shipping by 2050
24 Aug 2021
Three climate vulnerable Pacific nations have asked the world’s governments to agree to aim to make international shipping emissions-free by 2050.
Getting Wellington moving will save 1000 tonnes of CO2 per year
20 Aug 2021
Changes proposed for Wellington’s active and public transport systems are predicted to reduce CO2 emissions by 1000 tonnes a year by significantly increasing the uptake of public and active transport
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.
