Topics tagged with 'Transport'
Ammonia – a fuel of the future?
30 Nov 2020
Like hydrogen, ammonia can play a key role in decarbonising Europe’s heavy industry and transport. So why isn’t it grabbing the headlines in the same way?
WORTH NOTING ...
30 Nov 2020
Parliament sits this week, with the James Shaw’s climate emergency declaration expected in the House on Wednesday.
EU urged to address aviation’s full climate impact, including non-CO2 emissions
27 Nov 2020
The aviation sector’s climate impact is three times bigger than the effect of its carbon dioxide emissions alone, a new study shows, prompting calls for action.
Gas, carbon capture key to emissions cut - BP
26 Nov 2020
By GAVIN EVANS | Natural gas, especially when combined with carbon capture use and storage, can play a critical role meeting the world’s net-zero carbon targets, BP economist Michael Cohen says.
WORTH NOTING ...
26 Nov 2020
The Sustainable Business Network’s Convergence Conference on transitioning to a low-carbon economy over the next decade is on today in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and online.
WORTH NOTING ...
24 Nov 2020
Finding ways to greenhouse gas emissions from farming will dominate discussion at the Primary Industries Summit today.
WORTH NOTING ...
23 Nov 2020
It's back to the office for MPs this week, with Parliament opening on Wednesday and the Speech from the Throne, outlining the new Government’s agenda, on Thursday.
FRIDAY POLITICS: Border tariffs on Govt's to-do list
20 Nov 2020
Carbon tariffs at the border are on the Government's agenda this term to protect the country’s steel, aluminium and cement industries as they decarbonise.
WORTH NOTING ...
20 Nov 2020
Climate activist group Extinction Rebellion says it will target Genesis Energy’s headquarters in downtown Auckland this afternoon.
Cutting carbon will cost tourism and export industries
19 Nov 2020
The tourism and export sectors need to prepare for growing transport costs, Climate Change Commission chair Dr Rod Carr is warning.
UK must stop sales of fossil-fuel cars by 2026
19 Nov 2020
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's plan to bring forward a ban on the sale of new fossil fuel vehicles by 10 years to 2030 will still not go far enough to meet the government’s own legally binding climate targets, according to new research.
Anger as IMO says shipping emissions can keep climbing
19 Nov 2020
Countries have agreed a package of energy-efficiency measures that will allow emissions from global shipping to continue to rise until 2030.
WORTH NOTING ...
19 Nov 2020
The annual Sustainable Business Awards will be held in Auckland tonight.
UK expected to ban fossil-fuel cars by 2030
16 Nov 2020
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson plans to announce a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from 2030, five years earlier than previously planned, the Financial Times reports.
Greek island ditches fossil-fuel cars
13 Nov 2020
For one Greek island the future is green - it's switching from internal combustion-driven transport to electric vehicles.
Collins appoints new climate spokesperson
12 Nov 2020
Kaikoura MP Stuart Smith is National’s new climate spokesperson, replacing Coromandel MP Scott Simpson.
'It's time,' Taylor says ahead of climate event
11 Nov 2020
Environmental Defence Society chief executive Gary Taylor is more optimistic about action on climate change than he has ever been.
No miracle energy sources to replace fossil fuels, says scientist
10 Nov 2020
Radical decarbonisation in line with the Paris Agreement means getting used to living in a world without abundant supplies of energy, ecologist Dr Mike Joy is warning.
Tesla investor defends soaring share price
9 Nov 2020
One of the biggest investors in Tesla has defended the explosive growth in the US electric carmaker’s share price, arguing that it is “far from an aberration”.
Air travel’s date with sustainability draws nearer
9 Nov 2020
Aviation is gearing up for big changes in how the industry is regulated, as climate targets bite. The options available to decarbonise planes are plentiful and the challenge now is to invest enough resources in tech upgrades and regulatory tweaks to get the job done.
Bentleys will be fully electric by 2030
6 Nov 2020
Bentley, the luxury carmaker, will stop making fossil-fuel cars by 2030 and aims to be completely carbon-neutral at the same time, in one of the most ambitious plans of any UK car manufacturer in the transition towards electric vehicles.
Creative book-keeping helps carmarkers meet EU climate code
5 Nov 2020
Car manufacturers are shelling out millions of euros on so-called pooling agreements with rival firms in an attempt to avoid big EU fines for missing CO2 reduction targets. Fiat-Chrysler, Ford, Honda and others have so far brokered deals.
PLANET IN PERIL: Why we must change our financial system
4 Nov 2020
New Zealand can have a sustainable financial system by 2030, driving environmental, social and economic prosperity, a panel of public and private-sector heavyweights says.
Energy sector ripe for govt emissions targets
3 Nov 2020
The Government appears to have emissions from energy in its sights as it seeks to finally make real cuts in the country's emissions.
New Govt unlikely to cut farmers more slack
2 Nov 2020
Speculation the Government may go soft on agricultural emissions without the Green Party in Cabinet ignores Labour’s track record on the issue.
Petronas Asia's first oil company to set zero-emissions target
2 Nov 2020
Malaysian state-owned energy firm Petronas has declared that it will be carbon neutral by 2050
Ford and GM knew about climate change - and covered it up
30 Oct 2020
Exxon knew, Shell knew, coal knew — is it any surprise that top auto manufacturers knew, too?
Electric cars 'as cheap to manufacture' as regular models by 2024
23 Oct 2020
Electric cars will cost the same to make as conventional cars, with internal combustion engines, by 2024, according to new research.
Business makes bid for $7.23 billion
22 Oct 2020
Businesses want the new Government to back $7.23 billion worth of projects they say will cut the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by 5.5 per cent over the next decade.
Businesses talking sustainable procurement
21 Oct 2020
Some of the country’s biggest organisations are working together to figure out how to drive sustainable purchasing by businesses.
Let's cool the ground and keep drilling, says Big Oil
21 Oct 2020
Oil company ConocoPhillips has a problem; it wants to pump 160,000 more barrels of oil each day from a new project on Alaska’s North Slope, but the fossil fuels it and others produce are leading to global heating, and the Arctic is melting.
We need to solve the dry-year problem, says Carr
20 Oct 2020
Electrification of more of the economy to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions will require a resolution to the risk posed by dry years to the hydro-electricity system, says Climate Change Commission chair Dr Rod Carr.
The four who could be our next climate minister
19 Oct 2020
Who will be New Zealand’s next climate minister? Carbon News canvasses the options and comes up with four names.
BHP hears Musk's call for more nickel
16 Oct 2020
Australian resources giant BHP may finally be starting to establish itself as a primary supplier of materials to the battery and electric vehicle markets, confirming that it has started to boost nickel production after Tesla CEO Elon Musk issued a call out for miners to ramp up output of the key material used in the company’s batteries.
National releases its climate policy - at last
15 Oct 2020
Forestry's role under the Emissions Trading Scheme would be reviewed under a National Government and agricultural emissions would not face a carbon price until other countries do the same.
Our greenhouse gas emissions are being pushed by growth
15 Oct 2020
Economic growth is driving New Zealand’s rising greenhouse gas emissions, a new report confirms.
Electric trucks and green hydrogen 'ripe' for investment
15 Oct 2020
Green hydrogen, low-carbon aviation fuel and electric trucks are among 55 clean technologies that can help the European Union to reach its goal of climate neutrality by mid-century, new research shows.
Parker pushes back against pumped-hydro critics
12 Oct 2020
Environment and former climate and energy minister David Parker says he is backing investigations into a pumped-hydro scheme because it has the potential to slash the country’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Exxon’s leaked documents reveal pollution plan
12 Oct 2020
Leaded documents show Exxon plans to increase its carbon production by 17 per cent by 2025 - an increase equivalent to the total annual emissions of Greece.
Lines project first to try covid consent process
9 Oct 2020
A project that could form part of the Government’s pumped-hydro electricity scheme is the first to be considered by an expert panel set up under the Government’s covid-19 fast-tracking consenting process.
Airport appeals court's climate ruling
9 Oct 2020
Heathrow appeared in front of the UK Supreme Court this week in a bid to overturn a judgment that blocked Europe’s busiest airport from expanding.
Labour targets transport and heat in climate policy
8 Oct 2020
A re-elected Labour Government would ban the installation of most new coal-fired industrial boilers and decarbonise the public transport fleet by 2035, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced yesterday.
Refinery closure could boost global emissions
5 Oct 2020
Refining New Zealand has confirmed cost-cutting measures for next year, but says a decision on whether to stop refining operations altogether is still a while away.
Policy could prevent shift to low-emissions tech, says Genesis
1 Oct 2020
The Labour Government’s plan to bring forward its 100 per cent renewable electricity generation target to 2030 is an example of siloed thinking and is likely to be self-defeating, Genesis Energy has told shareholders.
Most parties get a 'fail' on climate and health
30 Sep 2020
Just one political party has policies that comprehensively address the threat climate change poses to the country’s health, a new analysis show.
Toyota reveals plan to turn trucks into emissions-free 'power plants'
18 Sep 2020
Portable emissions-free “power plants” could soon hit the road under plans by Toyota to fit some of the company’s light-duty trucks with hydrogen fuel cells that can generate electricity.
Using rocket science to green transport
15 Sep 2020
French energy company Engie is teaming up with aerospace firm the ArianeGroup to steal a march on its rivals in the hydrogen production business, by drawing on expertise gained through Europe’s space programme.
How the pandemic lockdown slashed our greenhouse gas emissions
11 Sep 2020
New Zealand’s first covid-19 pandemic lockdown slashed the country’s consumption of oil to the lowest level since 1998, taking emissions of greenhouse gases from fuels to their lowest point in more than two decades.
Oxfam calls on Govt to renew climate finance commitments
Today 12:15pm
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government's failure to renew international climate finance commitments has left Pacific nations short at least $100 million a year, with Oxfam Aotearoa linking the funding gap to New Zealand's weakened Emissions Trading Scheme.
'Terrible result': Emissions barely budged in 2024
Fri 5 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions were virtually unchanged in 2024, falling by 0.03%, despite the economy shrinking by ten times that amount during the same period, according to new data.
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A $30 million government package to support regional air routes risks delivering poor value for money while increasing emissions, according to transport strategist Tim Adriaansen.
Europe's green jet fuels see upside in Iran war
Wed 3 Jun 2026
Interest in synthetic propellants is growing as the Iran war pushes Europe to reassess its dependencies, raising hopes of a turnaround for the struggling sector, according to industry experts.
Govt injects $10 million into Auckland predator-free projects
Fri 5 Jun 2026
Conservation projects across Auckland will share in a $10 million Government funding package designed to accelerate predator eradication efforts and restore native biodiversity.
Huntly biomass option no cheap fix, Genesis tells MPs
28 May 2026
Genesis Energy says biomass can be burned in Huntly's Rankine units, but current costs put it in roughly the same price range as imported LNG and extra Rankine capacity would be expensive and could take years.
Carbon auction set to fail while new data suggests sharp decline in stockpile
Today 12:15pm
By Liz Kivi | Tomorrow’s carbon auction is odds-on to fail again, even as the latest figures from the Environmental Protection Authority show the ‘stockpile’ of NZUs continuing to decline.
What to expect from the Bonn climate talks
Today 12:15pm
The annual June climate talks in Bonn are taking place this year against the backdrop of an oil and gas supply crisis tied to the Iran war and deadly heatwaves in Europe, India and the Middle East. Can they produce anything substantial to ease the squeeze on economies and communities around the world?
Media round-up
Fri 5 Jun 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The government must stop delaying decisions on funding climate adaptation, says Gisborne mayor; insurance conference exposes poor preparation for climate change; and Labour questions whether a disappearing climate briefing note was part of a deliberate cover-up.
Lack of demand leads to Bathurst pausing coal mine expansion
Tue 2 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | Bathurst Resources has confirmed it is struggling to find a market for coal from its planned extension of the Rotowaro coal mine in North Waikato, and is putting the project on ‘pause’.
NZ’s sustainable finance credibility gap
Fri 5 Jun 2026
By Manbo He | COMMENT: New Zealand has built serious sustainable finance infrastructure - but risks failing to attract the global capital that infrastructure was designed for, because it lacks the practitioner capability to operate it credibly.
Green building council calls for clean energy policies
18 May 2026
The New Zealand Green Building Council has released its 2026 election manifesto calling for policies to reduce energy waste in buildings, lower household and business energy costs, and improve New Zealand’s energy security.
What Magyar’s defeat of Orbán in Hungary means for climate and energy
21 Apr 2026
Hungary has played a disproportionate role in EU climate and energy policy in recent years, by repeatedly vetoing climate action and by delaying the phaseout of Russian fossil-fuel imports.
Diesel vs LNG – both high cost options for dry year cover
Today 12:15pm
By Pattrick Smellie | ANALYSIS: While last week’s Sapere report – looking at the Government’s proposed LNG terminal for electricity ‘dry year’ cover – says diesel would be better in the short-term, opting for diesel would lead to higher more volatile electricity spot prices in the next few years.
Waikato launches vision for energy transition bringing $4.5 billion investment to the region
Today 12:15pm
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Waikato Regional Council has released a strategy aiming to position the region at the centre of New Zealand's energy transition, with plans to boost energy security, cut emissions and unlock billions of dollars in economic opportunities by 2050.
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.
Seven ‘new approaches’ to avoid our Paris commitments: Carr
Thu 4 Jun 2026
Praying for “new approaches” to materialise to meet our international climate obligations isn’t a strategy, writes Rod Carr.
EDS urges MPs to scrap the Fisheries Amendment Bill
5 May 2026
Media release | The Environmental Defence Society today lodged a substantive submission on the Fisheries Amendment Bill.
Nature-based solutions – such as forestry – crucial for carbon removal
Fri 5 Jun 2026
COMMENT: Transitioning from erodible pasture to well-managed forest can yield substantial environmental benefits, writes James Treadwell.
LNG isn’t the best 'dry year' solution – new report
Thu 4 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s proposed LNG import terminal isn’t the best solution for ‘dry year’ electricity security, according to a new report.
Govt legislates for more gas market transparency
Tue 2 Jun 2026
The Government has passed its Gas Market Transparency Bill through all stages under urgency, giving itself stronger powers to see into a gas market where tightening supply is creating significant uncertainty for businesses.
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.”
Sustainable finance taxonomy for energy sector – consultation
Today 12:15pm
The Centre for Sustainable Finance is consulting on the sustainable finance taxonomy’s draft energy sector criteria.
NZ’s ‘light‑touch’ approach to voluntary carbon and nature markets may unlock finance but risks credibility
Tue 2 Jun 2026
By Jennifer Campion, University of Waikato | The government’s recent announcement of support for voluntary carbon and nature markets effectively offers a “warrant of fitness” to signal which markets can be trusted, without directly regulating them.
Why ‘greenhushing’ signals deeper issues with NZ’s climate risk reporting regime
15 May 2026
By Hang Pham, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington | Most of us are familiar with the concept of greenwashing: organisations exaggerating or overstating their environmental credentials. But in New Zealand, there are signs the country’s climate disclosure regime may inadvertently be driving a very different trend: not saying much at all.
Hipkins pans LNG plan as ‘massive step backwards’
19 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Labour leader Chris Hipkins has told a Queenstown audience that a Government he leads would not proceed with a planned LNG import terminal, if elected at November’s election.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
Media round-up
24 Apr 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: What is the real cost of storm-hit infrastructure? Urgency is needed over climate adaptation funding; and a community conservation group has won a legal victory against multinational mining company OceanaGold.
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.
EU sues Ireland over failure to protect carbon-rich bogs
Today 12:15pm
The European Commission is taking Ireland to court over its failure to protect environmentally crucial boglands from commercial turf-cutters.
Changes to emissions factors prompt caution over climate claims
Thu 4 Jun 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Organisations may need to revisit how they calculate and communicate their greenhouse gas emissions after the Ministry for the Environment released an updated version of its Measuring Emissions Guide, incorporating new emissions factors based on New Zealand's latest greenhouse gas inventory.
Climate risks could reshape business finances, new guidance warns
15 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New guidance warns climate change is set to fundamentally reshape financial outcomes for businesses, including difficult-to-model climate “tipping points” – irreversible changes such as ice sheet collapse or ocean circulation shifts – which threaten severe and sudden financial impacts.
Move to block lawsuits could strengthen climate case against Govt
14 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s plan to block climate lawsuits – while potentially fatal for one groundbreaking climate case – could actually bolster claims in another live climate case underway against the Government.
Wetland protections failing to stop losses
28 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New mapping commissioned by the Environmental Law Initiative shows wetlands across New Zealand are still being converted to pasture, forestry and mining despite stronger national protections introduced in 2020, with researchers warning enforcement gaps may be undermining the rules.
Renewables alone won’t fix ‘broken’ electricity prices
Thu 4 Jun 2026
COMMENT: While many people agree the electricity market is broken, simply adding more renewables to a broken system isn’t the fix we need, writes Geoff Bertram.
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.
Deep South marine reserves boost protection by nearly 50%
Wed 3 Jun 2026
Five new marine reserves protecting more than 300 square kilometres of ocean habitat along the Otago and south Canterbury coast will come into force next month, marking one of the largest expansions of mainland New Zealand's marine reserve network in decades.
Environmental groups sue Trump administration over approval of new ultra deep-water drilling project
23 Apr 2026
Environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Monday over its approval last month of oil company BP’s ultra deep-water drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico.
Willis touting mysterious ‘new approaches’ to meet Paris Agreement
Tue 2 Jun 2026
By Liz Kivi | Finance Minister Nicola Willis has again said that New Zealand is unlikely to buy significant offshore mitigation to meet the country’s international climate targets.
A real ‘intergenerational equity’ budget would address Australia’s unceasing environmental decline
15 May 2026
Labor has unveiled a budget designed to tackle intergenerational equity in Australia through bold tax reform.
Six NZ climate solutions up for 2026 Earthshot prize
21 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Six New Zealand climate and sustainability initiatives have been nominated for the 2026 Earthshot Prize, with the shortlist showcasing Kiwi-led solutions tackling emissions, plastic waste and ocean restoration.
How campaigners beat industrial farming in Denmark’s ‘pig election’
Today 12:15pm
Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s new government promises overhaul for people – and animals – in home of ultra-intensive farming.
New breed of political prisoner arises in Britain as anti-protest sentences rise
27 May 2026
More people are being jailed in England and Wales as a result of acting to prevent climate breakdown and the war in Gaza, research reveals.
Why China's critical minerals strategy leaves the US behind
Today 12:15pm
The United States cannot realistically recreate that dominance overnight even if the political will existed.
US to ‘kill’ climate disclosure rule
Tue 2 Jun 2026
In the latest action to undo Biden-era regulations on climate change, the Securities and Exchange Commission has proposed repealing a rule that requires some public companies to report their greenhouse gas emissions and the risks they face from global warming.
Australia's greenhouse gas emissions drop as renewable energy, batteries surge
Today 12:15pm
Australia's greenhouse gas emissions have dropped, showing signs of a turning point in the country's most polluting sectors.
‘Landmark’ conservation reform bill – boost or bust for nature?
8 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government has announced an overhaul of the country’s conservation system, which environmental organisation Forest & Bird says will undo the work of many generations of Kiwis to protect public conservation land.
Researchers say this new Trump rule could destroy American science as we know it. They’re fighting back
Today 12:15pm
Scientists across multiple disciplines are sounding the alarm after the White House proposed taking greater control over how scientific research gets funded and allowing political appointees to decide whether to approve scientific grants.
China’s CO2 climbs 2% in early 2026 due to ‘wasted’ wind and solar
Fri 5 Jun 2026
The country used more coal and gas to generate electricity than in the same quarter a year earlier, despite a record amount of new wind and solar capacity being built.
Carbon trading schemes cut more emissions than carbon taxes, according to global study
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Carbon trading schemes are more effective than carbon taxes at reducing emissions, cutting fossil fuel use, and accelerating the shift to renewable energy, a global study has found.
EU wants households to cut peak time energy use as demand from industry and AI soars
Fri 5 Jun 2026
A new law will aim to use artificial intelligence to boost efficient use of power as electricity demand threatens to overwhelm Europe’s grids.
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.
Energy, water use and pollution of AI and data centres rival most countries
Fri 5 Jun 2026
The environmental footprint of data centres already rivals some of the world’s largest countries, according to a United Nations University report, which also predicts their water and energy use and pollution will double in just four years as use of artificial intelligence grows.
Project linking food waste to cutting methane emissions gets underway
27 May 2026
Media release | Kai Commitment is leading a New Zealand-first project to help understand the connection between food waste and methane emissions and identify effective interventions.
Record-breaking heat and dry spring leave parts of England without water
Tue 2 Jun 2026
Thousands of households in southeast England were left without water or facing low pressure during a record-breaking heatwave this week, as high demand followed a dry spring to expose the failings in Britain's ageing infrastructure.
Why is Northern Ireland facing a growing threat from wildfires?
7 May 2026
Figures show that spring drought events are happening more often while there has been a sharp rise in "fire weather" - a mix of warmth, dryness, and wind that allows fires to ignite and spread rapidly. Experts warn this combination, along with climate change, is creating a longer and more volatile wildfire season.
Waves with world's first wind power undersea data center
Thu 4 Jun 2026
China has begun operations of the world's first undersea data center directly powered by offshore wind, as the country races to solve the soaring energy demands of artificial intelligence with greener and more efficient infrastructure.
