Topics tagged with 'Transport'
Wellington mayor gets hands-on with China's electric buses
6 Jun 2014
Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown has taken the wheel of an electric bus.
EU members abandon new-energy plans
6 Jun 2014
Most EU member states are virtually abandoning plans to develop new energy and fuel saving policies that could save the public money and reduce dependency on Russian gas, thanks to weak European climate targets that are likely to be overshot, according to new analysis.
Greens: Climate change biggest issue world has faced
3 Jun 2014
"They used to call climate change the biggest issue of our time; more recently, I've heard it described as the biggest issue of all time." Green Party co-leader RUSSEL NORMAN on why his party will replace the Emissions Trading Scheme with a carbon tax:
Climate change? She'll be right, says Shell
30 May 2014
Shell, the world’s largest oil company, believes that governments will not damage its business by taking rapid action on climate change, and says all its oil reserves will be needed and sold at a profit.
Look, ma, no hands ... Google car could be a threat, says GM
30 May 2014
Google dropped its driverless car on the motor world this week and the concept immediately won praise from a leading industry executive.
Big 10 food companies pollute as much as some countries
23 May 2014
The 10 largest food and beverage companies, if combined, would be the 25th most polluting country in the world, according to a report by Oxfam.
Great potential, but Australia needs to get a move on
23 May 2014
There is an instinctive fear that overhauling the parts of our economies that emit greenhouse gases would spell economic doom and gloom.
Methane hydtrates are a whole new world
23 May 2014
Last year, Japanese scientists announced they had for the first time extracted gas from offshore deposits of methane hydrate, an ice-like substance made of natural gas trapped inside water crystals.
Southland gets nod for wood-fuel hub
9 May 2014
Southland is to become a supply hub for a wood-fuel industry, it has just been announced.
Why Australia has something to worry about
9 May 2014
The state of Australia’s environment is a real worry – the report cards exist to prove it.
Our cities enveloped in dirty air, says report
9 May 2014
Many of the world’s cities are “enveloped in dirty air” that is dangerous to breathe, says the United Nations.
Europe reports fall in CO2 emissions from energy use
9 May 2014
The carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuel combustion decreased by 2.5 per cent across the European Union last year, according to early estimates published this week.
Europe adopts private-public partnerships
9 May 2014
The roll out of a series of public private partnerships worth up to €22 billion over the next seven years has been approved by the European Council.
Plastics industry on right track, says EU
2 May 2014
As the European Commission prepares to review the EU’s waste targets, the plastics industry, a symbol of the EU’s ‘throw-away society’, is one of the focal points in discussions on resource efficiency.
It's time to put non-edible biomass to work
2 May 2014
Bioenergy and biofuels have an important role to play in lowering the use of carbon-intensive fossil fuels – a point underscored by the IPCC report which confirmed the need for further research to improve such technology. By ADAM LEE, Professor of Sustainable Chemistry, and KAREN WILSON, Professor of Catalysis and Research Director, of Aston University, Birmingham.
Aussie Greens gain, but the rest is much the same
24 Apr 2014
The theme of the past 30 days – much like the past 12 months – has been politics, with market focus squarely on the Western Australia Senate election re-run on April 5 and the implications for the balance of power in the new Senate from July 1, says market analyst Reputex.
Climate policy and the need for clarity and certainty
24 Apr 2014
Cutting emissions now makes business sense for industry, writes TAMARYN NAPP, a research associate at Imperial College, London.
On yer bike ... Copenhagen shows the way for European cities
17 Apr 2014
More than 76,600 people could become employed by green transportation businesses, and 10,000 lives would be saved, if major European cities adopted Copenhagen's bicycle sharing system, says a new report.
Our emissions up ... thanks to cars and cows
11 Apr 2014
New Zealanders’ love affair with cars and cows has pushed our greenhouse gas emissions up by 25 per cent.
Alpha Coal ruling breaks new ground for mining
11 Apr 2014
By MATHEW CURRELL.- This week's court ruling on the future of the $A6.4 billion Alpha coal project in Queensland - set to be one of the biggest coal mines in the world - is of major significance for how mining projects are assessed in Australia.
How sail is catching up with the fossil-fuel ships
11 Apr 2014
Ship transport is energy efficient, but it is also a significant source of emissions because of the globalised world huge transportation needs. In large measure, these vessels are powered with high-sulphur fossil fuels.
Wooden skyscrapers cool idea in a warming world
11 Apr 2014
By TIM RADFORD.- US scientists have a new green solution to urban construction: chop down trees and use the wood for buildings.
Airlines wrestle with demands of climate change
11 Apr 2014
By LYNETTE DRAY.- Although aviation emissions contribute only 3 to 5 per cent of the total impact on the planet’s climate, this is steadily growing and is a surprisingly intractable problem to solve.
Z Energy goes it alone with $21 million biodiesel plant to supply local market
4 Apr 2014
A commercial-scale biodiesel project nearly stymied by the withdrawal of Government support is to go ahead.
Brm, brm ...move over, brick, there's a streamliner coming through
28 Mar 2014
By KIERAN COOKE.- The European Parliament has voted in favour of changing the design of goods lorries throughout the EU - from their present brick shape to a more streamlined-looking vehicle.
Hi-tech's a big job and Britain is doing it well
28 Mar 2014
BRITISH hi-tech engineering is more successful than you think, says JIM PLATTS, lecturer in manufacturing engineering at Cambridge University.
Foreign airlines should pay, say Europe lawmakers
21 Mar 2014
Flights to and from Europe should not be exempted from Europe’s emissions trading scheme, the Environment and Public Health Committee of the European Parliament says.
Why business needs to know climate change laws
21 Mar 2014
The number of climate change laws on the statue books of the world’s leading economies grew from less than 40 in 1997 to almost 500 at the end of 2013 SAM FRANKHAUSER, co-director of the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics, reports:
Our cities need attention, say planners
21 Mar 2014
More collaboration is needed to deal with the country’s burgeoning urban growth issues, says a new report by the New Zealand Planning Institute.
Europe must get serious about cutting back oil
7 Mar 2014
By ALEX KIRBY, London.- Europe has the technology and the raw material to make a big cut in the amount of oil its transport uses, researchers say - but it will fail to reap the benefits on offer unless the European Union comes up with more radical policies.
EU agrees on draft plan for aviation emissions
7 Mar 2014
The European Union has reached a preliminary deal on a law that will exempt long-haul flights from paying for carbon emissions until 2016.
Credibility key selling point for green economy
28 Feb 2014
The idea of the “green economy goes in and out of fashion, not least because it is rarely defined and frequently misunderstood, writes PAUL EKINS, Professor of Resource and Environmental Policy, University College, London.
Turmoil across the Tasman will be felt here
21 Feb 2014
By WAYNE KING. Australia’s media is drip-feeding news and commentary on the economic downturn in Australia - particularly in energy developments, the political turmoil revolving around the current Renewable Energy Target and the current policies related to a price on carbon, through the Carbon Price Mechanism and other initiatives.
Why the big boys are serious about carbon pricing
7 Feb 2014
Several of the largest international oil companies, along with other major companies, are taking the prospect of international carbon pricing seriously, writes BARRY NAUGHTON.
Hang on, isn't carbon-happy China just making stuff for us?
7 Feb 2014
Is it fair that China is blamed for the carbon dioxide emissions it generates to manufacture products destined for the West? asks Glen West, of the Center for International Climate and Environment Research.
Database updates how we use energy
24 Jan 2014
An updated picture of how New Zealanders use energy is now available, showing where and how energy is used and a snapshot of how energy use is changing.
Study shows how to double renewable energy
24 Jan 2014
The global renewable energy share can reach and exceed 30 per cent by 2030 at no extra cost, says a new report.
Airways opens green routes
20 Dec 2013
Seven "green" aviation routes have been introduced across Asia Pacific.
Diesel additive has new outlet
20 Dec 2013
A second truck stop is to sell Z Energy’s low-emissions diesel additive.
UK proposes double-counting on biofuels
13 Dec 2013
Britain has proposed a way to lower the European Union's 2020 target for renewable energy by counting the contribution from biofuels twice, avoiding the need for billions of euros in investment, a document shows.
Stationary fuel cell market set to boom
6 Dec 2013
The stationary fuel cell market is forecast to show massive growth, climbing from $390m in 2012 to $7.52 billion by 2020, a new report shows.
Climate change will have economic impact on Pacific, says bank study
29 Nov 2013
The economic loss suffered by the Pacific region could range from 2.9 per cent to as high as 12.7 per cent of annual GDP by 2100, according to a new study from the Asian Development Bank.
Motoring club takes prize for energy efficiency
29 Nov 2013
An motoring organisation has earned national recognition for leading the way with energy-efficient buildings and cutting carbon emissions in Australia.
EXCLUSIVE: Biofuels pioneer wants to go into production with refinery in NZ
22 Nov 2013
A New Zealand second generation-biofuels company is in the market for funding to build a refinery.
Brownlee talking brainy transport systems
22 Nov 2013
New Zealand is moving to intelligent transport.
CCS will be big, say energy leaders
15 Nov 2013
Carbon capture and storage will be a major part of plans to combat climate change, say the world’s energy and environment ministers.
2013 shapes up as one of the hottest on record
15 Nov 2013
This year is on course to be among the top 10 warmest since modern records began in 1850, according to the World Meteorological Organization.
WANTED: Projects that are changing our lives
15 Nov 2013
The hunt is on for projects that are changing for the better the way New Zealanders use energy.
Why it's important that we do our bit
15 Nov 2013
With COP19 under way in Warsaw, CARBON MARKET SOLUTIONS looks at the background to international climate change agreements:
Young man in a hurry ... all the way to Warsaw
8 Nov 2013
A young man with a commerce degree and an interest in alternate energy will represent New Zealand at COP19 in Warsaw next week.
Is climate law change a first nail in the coffin for Climate Commission?
Thu 6 Nov 2025
The Government’s sweeping overhaul of New Zealand’s climate laws has drawn sharp condemnation, with one expert predicting it's another step towards 'the beginning of the end' for the Climate Change Commission.
NZ off-track for 2030 methane target
Thu 6 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is no longer on track to meet its 2030 methane target, according to the Ministry for the Environment.
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.
Air NZ inks deal for its first internationally verified carbon credits
9 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | Air New Zealand has committed to buying 8000 tonnes of carbon removals by 2030, in partnership with local native forest investment platform My Native Forest.
New Indigenous-led Climate Institute opens at Lincoln University
Thu 6 Nov 2025
Media release | Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University proudly announces a pivotal new chapter in climate resilience with the establishment of the Kāika Institute of Climate Resilience.
Govt launches strategy backing wood-based heat sector
23 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Forestry biomass could replace as much as 40% of fossil fuel-generated process heat by 2050, but access to supply, regulatory settings and business cases for converting to wood-based heat sources are required, the Government says in a series of documents released yesterday.
Does NZ's 2035 NDC meet Paris Agreement obligations?
Fri 7 Nov 2025
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: New Zealand’s 2035 Paris Agreement Target needs strengthening, with multiple reasons the 51 to 55% emissions reduction target does not meet our obligations under the accord.
EU ministers agree to 90% emissions reduction target
Fri 7 Nov 2025
European environment ministers have reached an agreement on a contentious plan to cut the bloc's greenhouse gas emissions but with caveats.
Carbon market tanks off the back of Govt’s proposed climate law changes
Thu 6 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Secondary market prices dropped 20% in early morning compliance carbon trading yesterday, as the market woke up to Tuesday’s late-breaking government announcement of proposed law changes to climate policy.
Scrutiny on energy security
3 Nov 2025
A special debate in Parliament put the Government’s energy security agenda under scrutiny, with parties splitting sharply over the role of gas, the place of an LNG import terminal, and how far to push market reform to ease pressure on power bills.
'Little to be hopeful about' – NZ scientists caution ahead of COP30
31 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Record heat, worsening climate impacts and global backsliding on emission reduction commitments have left some New Zealand climate experts with little optimism as COP30 approaches.
$235 billion worth of NZ buildings exposed to flooding
30 Oct 2025
More than 750,000 New Zealanders live in locations exposed to one-in-100-year floods, according to a nationwide study which shows escalating flood risk.
UN chief scolds nations for failing climate goals ahead of COP30 summit
Fri 7 Nov 2025
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres tore into nations for their failure to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, as Brazil hosted world leaders for a summit ahead of the COP30 climate conference in the rainforest city of Belem.
Why I’m not outraged at the Govt’s latest climate backsliding
Fri 7 Nov 2025
COMMENT: The Government’s latest climate rollbacks underline New Zealand’s long history of a lack of genuine desire to cut emissions, writes Geoff Bertram.
Govt gas expansion 'climate vandalism' – Greens
Fri 7 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Green Party has labelled the Government’s move to broaden the scope of its $200 million fossil gas investment fund as vandalism, accusing Prime Minister Christopher Luxon of breaking trust with New Zealanders.
From nuisance to crisis: New report on pest wasps In Aotearoa
24 Sep 2025
Media release: Moths and Butterflies NZ Trust | Just published is the Final Report of the Pest Wasps Survey carried out by the Moths and Butterflies of NZ Trust (MBNZT) offering a comprehensive look at New Zealanders’ awareness, experiences, and attitudes toward wasps and the growing ecological, health, and social issues associated with them.
Solar geoengineering in wrong hands could wreak climate havoc, scientists warn
Thu 6 Nov 2025
Blocking the sun may reduce global heating – but ‘rogue actor’ could cause drought or more hurricanes, report finds.
NZ marine heatwaves could double in intensity under high-emissions pathway
16 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New projections show marine heatwaves will grow more intense around the North Island and more frequent around the South Island as the climate warms – raising risks for fisheries, aquaculture, coastal ecosystems and tourism.
Govt delays will damage carbon market confidence, experts warn
Tue 4 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Emissions Trading Scheme experts have warned the Government that its move to delay decisions on the country’s emissions budgets will further undermine confidence in an already weak carbon market.
“Dirty and expensive:” City of Sydney bans gas as it votes to electrify all new big buildings
Thu 6 Nov 2025
The City of Sydney has followed the example of the ACT and Victoria governments and voted unanimously to require all newly built residential buildings, medium to large commercial buildings, hotels, and serviced apartment buildings, to be all-electric.
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.”
Bank of England must better address climate risk to tackle inflation
Tue 4 Nov 2025
The central bank is being urged to take a series of actions to better respond to environmental risks.
No major banks have yet committed to stop funding new oil, gas and coal, research finds
24 Oct 2025
‘The objectives of the Paris agreement are slipping further out of reach,’ say researchers.
TotalEnergies loses in Paris court, marking a turning point for fossil fuel truth-in-advertising
Wed 5 Nov 2025
TotalEnergies was found to have misled consumers about its role in the energy transition.
Lake Onslow battery project set for revival?
29 Oct 2025
A newly formed private consortium has emerged with plans to finance and build the massive Lake Onslow pumped-hydro project, despite the coalition government’s decision to abandon the scheme.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
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.
Media round-up
31 Oct 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: A controversial seabed mining project could lead to sediment flows knocking over rigs and damaging wind turbines; weather-related insurance claims climb; and is the government playing Russian Roulette with our future over methane targets?
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.
Z Energy settles greenwashing case over ‘quitting petrol’ claims
Tue 4 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Z Energy has settled a landmark greenwashing case over claims it misled the public about moving away from petrol – a result Lawyers for Climate Action NZ says delivers long-overdue accountability.
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.
Supermarket fast-track a ‘cynical ploy’, risks climate and environmental protections
Wed 5 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government’s “express lane for supermarkets” announcement has been met with fierce backlash, with critics calling the Fast-track Approvals Amendment Bill a Trojan horse that strips environmental protections, sidelines communities, and hands sweeping powers to ministers at the expense of democracy.
Undermining the ETS is poor policy – Mindful Money
Fri 7 Nov 2025
Politicising settings for the Emissions Trading Scheme creates uncertainty for investors at a time when we need clear and stable policy, says Mindful Money's Barry Coates.
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.
Climate impacts hit NZ with increasing wild weather
23 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand is facing a triple whammy of climate impacts today, with severe winds and rainfall predicted for much of the country while some areas are still dealing with wildfires ignited earlier in the week.
Carbon Finance Program upscales efforts to close climate investment gap in climate vulnerable nations
22 Oct 2025
Media release | The Climate Vulnerable Forum and its V20 Finance Ministers (CVF-V20) will work with the Voluntary Carbon Markets Integrity Initiative (VCMI) to upscale the Carbon Finance Program in reach and impact, supporting more climate-vulnerable countries to host high-integrity carbon projects that yield tangible climate, nature, and sustainable development benefits.
Lobby group launches ‘blueprint’ for ocean management reform
18 Sep 2025
The Environmental Defence Society yesterday released its plan to tackle widespread ecological decline in our oceans.
Judge says Greenpeace must pay $345 million in pipeline lawsuit, cutting jury amount nearly in half
31 Oct 2025
A North Dakota judge has ordered Greenpeace to pay damages of $345 million, reducing an earlier jury award after it found the environmental group and related entities liable for defamation and other claims in connection with protests of an oil pipeline nearly a decade ago.
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.
Here comes the sun: solar surge gathers pace
Tue 4 Nov 2025
More than $700 million of new solar investment advanced last week, underscoring the pace of the renewable buildout.
AgriZero backs first nitrous oxide solution with $1.2m investment
Thu 6 Nov 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A Kiwi ag-tech start-up developing a device for cows to wear to drastically cut nitrous oxide emissions has secured $1.2 million in government-industry funding.
Solar households to get little-noticed tax break
23 Sep 2025
A provision in the government’s latest tax bill would exempt households from paying tax on income they earn by selling excess electricity back to the grid.
Climate scientists and republican lawyers are taking aim at Big Tech’s emissions
17 Oct 2025
Technology companies have long been one of the biggest investors in clean energy, but new accounting rules could upend that.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
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.
Govt climate policy set by vested interests to delay emissions cuts - Carr
Thu 6 Nov 2025
By Liz Kivi | Rod Carr, former Climate Change Commission chair, says the Government’s move to unlink the Emissions Trading Scheme from our international climate target to 2030 undermines the credibility of emissions pricing as a tool for climate action – and is yet another Coalition Government policy designed to benefit vested interests rather than ordinary New Zealanders.
Fix it, don't ditch it: University of Auckland hosts first Repair Cafe
9 Oct 2025
Media release - Auckland University | The University's first-ever Repair Cafe is bringing students and staff together to give broken items a new lease on life, while promoting a culture of repair and reuse.
Council buys dairy farm to help clean up Lake Rotorua
21 Oct 2025
Bay of Plenty Regional Council has bought a 266-hectare dairy farm in the Lake Rotorua catchment and plans to retire it from production to reduce nitrogen entering the lake.
Adaptation plan at odds with public sentiment: survey
21 Oct 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s position on climate adaptation buyouts shows a disconnect with public opinion, according to survey findings from insurer Suncorp NZ.
‘Damp squib’ – Govt energy plan slammed for locking in fossil fuels
2 Oct 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Critics across business, climate groups and the opposition say the Government’s electricity reforms duck structural change, double down on LNG and gas, and offer little relief for soaring power prices – warning of an “expensive white elephant", deeper energy poverty and a missed chance to scale renewables.
