Topics tagged with 'Transport'
Sails make a comeback to cut shipping’s huge carbon footprint
9 Dec 2024
The international merchant fleet of more than 100,000 ships transports more than 80% of global trade. But it’s also responsible for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
National Party clocks most emissions from air travel
6 Dec 2024
The National Party recorded estimated emissions of 999.16 tonnes for the first half of 2024, the highest among all parties.
Hamilton off-track to reduce emissions
5 Dec 2024
Hamilton City Council is making progress against its 2030 climate targets but Hamilton’s city-wide emissions increased by 6%.
Low-carbon campaigners call for rail-enabled ferries
2 Dec 2024
As the country waits for the government to announce its plans for the interislander ferries, rail advocates fear that losing rail-enabled ferries could threaten the country’s ongoing ability to decarbonise transport.
Public transport hike 'nail in the coffin' for emissions reductions
28 Nov 2024
The government’s plan to hike public transport fares will increase traffic, air pollution, and emissions, according to critics.
Labour slams National Party’s lack of action on climate
28 Nov 2024
Labour leader Chris Hipkins has attacked the National Party’s recent performance on climate, saying National has given up on climate action.
Green’s EV fringe-benefit tax bill voted down
28 Nov 2024
Green MP Julie-Anne Genter had hoped National might consider backing her EV fringe-benefit tax bill because it was once a policy in the party’s 2020 manifesto, but those hopes were dashed.
Princess Cruises confronted by climate protestors
28 Nov 2024
Media release | Climate Liberation Aotearoa gave Diamond Princess cruise ship passengers an informative spirited welcome to Ōtepoti Dunedin on Tuesday.
Lyttelton Port releases first nature-related disclosure
22 Nov 2024
Lyttelton Port Company has released New Zealand's first nature-related disclosure in Aotearoa New Zealand based on the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures framework.
Company merger to electrify marine technology
20 Nov 2024
Marine technology companies ZeroJet and Tectrax, both specialists in electric systems, are set to merge.
Climate science inspires Wellington kids to drive down school-run emissions
20 Nov 2024
Media release | Primary school students at Silverstream and Seatoun schools are busting out their bikes, scooters, and walking shoes in attempt to curb carbon dioxide concentrations outside their school – with a little help from GNS Science atmospheric greenhouse gas sensors.
Why (and how) I’m taking the two tonne challenge
15 Nov 2024
OPINION: By Emily Mabin Sutton | To meet our “fair share” of international climate targets, every person on Earth needs to emit less than 2.5 tonnes of carbon each year by 2030. But what does this look like in reality in New Zealand?
International eyes on Cook Strait ferries
13 Nov 2024
Media release: The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Ferry Taskforce is backing the call for the new Interislander ferries to be publicly-owned and rail-enabled.
The world’s best hope to beat climate change is vanishing
13 Nov 2024
To have a chance against global warming, key economies and industries need to hit crucial emissions targets by 2030. They’re far off track.
Govt could make significant domestic reductions towards second NDC - but needs to hurry up
8 Nov 2024
The government could find much of the needed emissions reductions for its next Paris Agreement pledge at home – but needs to get on with it, says new analysis from the Climate Change Commission.
Are Air New Zealand's biofuel hopes just pie in the sky?
1 Nov 2024
By Liz Kivi | Air New Zealand and LanzaJet say a study shows promising results for turning wood waste into jet fuel. However, experts say that making jet fuel from wood at an industrial scale is challenging and extremely unlikely to result in near-term emissions reductions.
Canterbury locks in more emissions with new diesel ferry
30 Oct 2024
While Wellington and Auckland are cutting carbon with moves to electrify their ferries, Environment Canterbury has locked in at least eight more years of emissions with a brand-new diesel vessel for its only passenger ferry service.
US and European hydrogen stock prices collapse as prospects deflate
30 Oct 2024
Projects face lower than expected demand, regulatory uncertainties and growing investor scepticism.
Total emissions up 1.1 percent in June quarter
23 Oct 2024
Increase in the use of fossil fuels for electricity generation was the main driver behind a rise in total GHG emissions for the June quarter, according to Stats NZ.
Public EV chargers are good for business as well as the planet
23 Oct 2024
Research shows that businesses with charging stations nearby see an economic boost.
Slight increase in EV sales - but uptake lagging behind other countries
22 Oct 2024
Electric vehicle sales staged a modest revival along with a mild increase in overall vehicle sales, according to an analysis by Forsyth Barr.
Toronto and Montreal move ahead with fossil fuel ad restrictions on transit
22 Oct 2024
The motions are backed by federal anti-greenwashing laws aiming to stem the tide of misinformation produced by Canada’s oil and gas industry.
Legal action filed against minister of transport over Clean Car Standard
14 Oct 2024
The Better New Zealand Trust, with the support of Lawyers for Climate Action NZ Inc, is taking the Government to court over what it says is an unlawful decision to weaken the Clean Car Standard.
Companies that fought climate action now accused of price gouging Hurricane Milton evacuees
14 Oct 2024
For years, United, American, and other airlines have led massive lobbying efforts against regulations to prevent climate change.
Genesis deal with ChargeNet gets mixed reaction
10 Oct 2024
Genesis Energy last week announced its intention to take a 65% shareholding in ChargeNet, New Zealand’s largest public electric vehicle (EV) charging network.
Exported gas produces far worse emissions than coal, major study finds
8 Oct 2024
New research challenges the idea that sending liquefied natural gas around the world is a cleaner alternative to burning coal.
Barcelona is turning subway trains into power stations
4 Oct 2024
Barcelona is using its subways’ regenerative braking to power trains, stations and neighbourhood EV chargers. Could other cities do this?
$27 million subsidy for low emissions heavy vehicles
24 Sep 2024
Last week the government announced $27.75 million for the Low Emissions Heavy Vehicle Fund, to subsidise the purchase price of low and zero-emissions heavy vehicles.
Surprise benefit of London's fines for high-polluting cars: More active kids
23 Sep 2024
Four in 10 London children stopped driving and started walking to school a year after the city's clean air zone went into effect.
Norway sees electric cars outnumber petrol models
20 Sep 2024
Norway, one of the world's largest exporters of oil, now has more electric cars on its roads than petrol-driven vehicles.
‘Grave concerns’: experts plead with govt not to increase speed limits
17 Sep 2024
A coalition of experts is urging the government to drop its plan to increase speed limits, in an open letter arguing it will lead to more deaths and higher health costs as well as increased emissions.
Climate shouldn't be politicised: Carr
17 Sep 2024
By Shannon Williams | Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr said it "defies belief" that the climate is a political debate.
Zespri looks at NZ-Belgium low-emissions shipping corridor
12 Sep 2024
Zespri and shipping partner ANL/CMA CGM have launched a feasibility study into a possible low-emissions shipping corridor between between Tauranga and Zeebrugge in Belgium, via the Panama Canal.
NZTA agrees to cover $100m of Sounds roads recovery
10 Sep 2024
By Maia Hart, Local Democracy Reporter | Repair work in the Marlborough Sounds will “accelerate” after the NZTA board approved $100m in funding, although not everything the council asked for has been signed off.
Transport plan will accelerate emissions: Green Party
3 Sep 2024
The Green Party has slammed the coalition government’s new National Land Transport Programme, saying it marks “another missed opportunity” to take action to fight the climate crisis.
Kiwi electric motorbike maker signs major deal with Australia Post
2 Sep 2024
Tauranga-based electric utility bike maker UBCO has signed a deal with Australia Post to provide a new fleet of custom electric motorbikes.
Climate plan risks high future costs
29 Aug 2024
The government’s ‘least cost approach’ to emissions reductions risks passing on significant costs to future generations, according to the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
Relief coming for South Auckland train commuters
19 Aug 2024
By Mary Afemata, Local Democracy Reporter | After two years of disruptions, trains will once again be running along a major stretch of south Auckland's rail line by January 2025.
Hope or hype? NZ needs to be realistic about the clean energy potential of green hydrogen
5 Aug 2024
By Ian Mason and Robert McLachlan | The recent failure of a deal to deliver hydrogen-powered trucks to New Zealand, and the removal of a NZ$100 million government rebate scheme for green hydrogen users in the 2024 budget, make a transition to the much-lauded energy technology increasingly less certain.
Is Air NZ leading the way in dropping its climate target?
2 Aug 2024
News that Air New Zealand is dropping its 2030 emissions target made international headlines this week, and experts are asking whether more businesses will follow suit.
Significant risk Aotearoa will not meet climate targets: Climate Commission
31 Jul 2024
There is a significant risk that New Zealand will not meet future emissions reductions targets, according to a new report from the Climate Change Commission.
Govt not ruling out supporting bill to prevent councils considering climate impacts
26 Jul 2024
Climate change minister Simon Watts has not ruled out supporting a controversial private member’s bill to stop regional councils from considering climate change impacts in consenting decisions.
Agricultural emissions down
25 Jul 2024
New Zealand's emissions were down in the March quarter, 8% lower than their peak in March 2019, partly due to a decrease in agricultural emissions.
Government upgrading Lower North Island commuter rail
25 Jul 2024
Media release | The Coalition Government is investing $802.9 million into the Wairarapa and Manawatū rail lines.
New electric buses for Canterbury
24 Jul 2024
Media release | Canterbury Regional Council is celebrating its 21 newest electric buses, as it looks towards an all-electric future.
Govt drastically weakens vehicle emissions standards
18 Jul 2024
By Robert McLachlan | On 25 June, the Government amended the Clean Vehicles Act, completed in a single day under urgency, so there was no opportunity for public input.
ACT submits bill to stop regional councils considering climate impacts
15 Jul 2024
ACT MP Mark Cameron has lodged a new member’s bill to stop regional councils from considering climate change impacts in consenting decisions.
Watts unveils five-point climate strategy
10 Jul 2024
Climate change minister Simon Watts this morning announced a strategy of “five core pillars” to deliver climate change goals.
How much impact could past choices have on our emissions profile?
8 Jul 2024
By Robert McLachlan | New Zealand's CO2 emissions could have gone down 25% since 1990 - instead of up 25% - if we'd chosen to do things that other countries were already doing.
Govt won’t review transport policy despite legal threat: Brown
5 Jul 2024
By Liz Kivi | Minister of transport Simeon Brown says he won’t amend the government policy statement on land transport, despite Lawyers for Climate Action putting the government on notice that it was breaking the law.
Govt unveils long-awaited voluntary carbon market guidance
Fri 15 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has released long-awaited guidance for New Zealand’s voluntary carbon and nature markets, as questions continue for the sector despite ministers signalling support for its growth.
Media round-up
Fri 15 May 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The government's move to change climate law removes a key protection for NZ citizens, farmers should be paid to use methane-busting tools, and it's one step forward, three steps back on environment policy.
$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 has 'maybe six weeks of jet fuel left', energy boss warns
20 Apr 2026
Stocks would reach a tipping point in June if Europe was unable to replace at least half of its imports from the Middle East, the organisation said in a report this week.
A real ‘intergenerational equity’ budget would address Australia’s unceasing environmental decline
Fri 15 May 2026
Labor has unveiled a budget designed to tackle intergenerational equity in Australia through bold tax reform.
Burning wood for power worse for climate than gas equivalent, report finds
21 Apr 2026
Research casts doubt on plans by the UK government to offer subsidies for carbon capture attached to the power source.
Carbon News updates forward curve
Wed 13 May 2026
Carbon News has updated its ten-year NZU forward curve, following a recent rise in spot market prices, with NZUs rallying from about $34 in January to nearly $54 in early May.
UN members prepare for pivotal vote on landmark ICJ climate justice ruling
Fri 15 May 2026
If the resolution is passed, governments will recognise their legal responsibility to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Drop in ETS forestry registrations
5 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | ETS forestry registrations have dropped off this year, with the new mandatory emissions return period, new land-use rules, and carbon price volatility all meaning participants aren’t rushing to register forestry in the emissions trading scheme.
GIDI-style help cheaper than LNG: MBIE
Mon 11 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Officials advised ministers last July that the lowest-cost way to free up gas for use during dry winters was to assist industrial gas users to switch to electricity.
Tairāwhiti deserves better than weakened forestry rules
5 May 2026
OPINION: The government's proposed amendments to forestry standards, released yesterday, ignore the hard lessons learned in our region and ignore the voices that have fought hardest to protect it, writes Manu Caddie.
Latest emissions inventory: ‘Something has gone very wrong’
16 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 decreased by just 0.1% compared to 2023, in what an expert says is a “terrible result”, compared to faster progress in previous years.
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.
Conservation land open for voluntary carbon market schemes
Tue 12 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government is to open up the Crown-owned conservation estate to private investment in voluntary carbon market projects.
Mercury eyes $1b geothermal expansion near Taupō
Fri 15 May 2026
Mercury is planning the next phase of its geothermal expansion near Taupō, with two proposed projects carrying a potential investment of up to $1 billion and enough new renewable generation to power an additional 125,000 homes.
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.
Labour condemns Govt plan to stop climate litigation
Fri 15 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Labour Party has slammed the Government’s move to block climate lawsuits against big emitters but won’t say if they would repeal the legislation if elected in November.
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.
Govt presses ahead with forestry rule changes despite opposition
Thu 14 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is pushing ahead with changes to commercial forestry rules despite most submitters opposing the proposals, with critics warning the reforms will weaken councils’ ability to manage erosion and forestry slash risks in vulnerable regions such as Tairāwhiti.
Fourth petroleum permit application enters competitive process
Fri 15 May 2026
Media release: New Zealand Government | The fourth petroleum exploration permit application since the removal of the exploration ban late last year has entered the open market competitive process, an encouraging signal of renewed confidence in investing in the country’s sector, Resources Minister Shane Jones says.
Methanexit: writing on the wall for NZ’s biggest gas user
6 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s biggest fossil gas user, Methanex, is expected to stop production by the end of this year, with the company confirming its Motunui methanol operation won’t survive Māui gas field’s closure.
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.”
New funding for low methane farming uptake
29 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government will co-fund projects under an Early Adoption Accelerator scheme announced today to accelerate the uptake of low emissions farming technologies emerging from the AgriZero public-private partnership.
Govt moves to block climate change litigation
Tue 12 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s move to limit lawsuits holding climate polluters accountable for damage is putting the interests of big emitters ahead of communities, according to Lawyers for Climate Action.
Why ‘greenhushing’ signals deeper issues with NZ’s climate risk reporting regime
Fri 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.
‘Formidable’ El Niño expected this winter
29 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Meteorologists are anticipating a significant El Niño influence on weather patterns across the country from winter onwards, with predicted lower rainfall for some areas and heavier rain for others likely to impact multiple sectors of the economy as well as the carbon market.
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.
Move to block lawsuits could strengthen climate case against Govt
Thu 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.
Tehran will never cede control of Strait of Hormuz, senior Iranian politician tells BBC
21 Apr 2026
"Never." That's when a senior Iranian lawmaker says they'll be ready to give up their control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Govt missing tricks to save fuel in crisis
30 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is being urged to shift its response to the fuel crisis away from short-term relief and towards measures that reduce demand, with public health experts warning it is missing an opportunity to boost energy security and lower household costs.
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.
‘Triple whammy of climate chaos’: Why Antarctica's sea ice collapse is no longer a mystery
Mon 11 May 2026
Scientists have finally identified the ‘triple whammy’ behind Antarctica’s dramatic collapse, shedding new light on the chain reaction that has pushed its sea ice to record lows.
Coal mine challenge reaches Aus High Court
Wed 13 May 2026
What climate change impacts should a planning authority have to take into account when assessing a mining project?
Australian operator to run NZ ETS auctions
Mon 11 May 2026
The Government has appointed an Australian company to run its Emissions Trading Scheme auctions, taking over from NZX, which has operated the ETS auctions since they began in 2021.
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-sea mining risks biodiversity loss lasting decades, scientists warn
Mon 11 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The first comprehensive review of deep-sea mining research has found mining could cause ecological damage lasting decades and, in some ecosystems, irreversible biodiversity loss, with New Zealand experts warning the industry poses major risks to fragile ocean environments.
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.
Opposition slams environment ministry merger
Wed 13 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Opposition MPs accused the Government of downgrading climate and environmental protections as legislation to abolish the Ministry for the Environment and merge it into a new mega-ministry passed its second reading in Parliament.
Commission urges Govt action on climate risks
7 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate change currently poses major risks to our water infrastructure with “significant gaps” in readiness to manage risks and increasing hazards, according to the Climate Change Commission.
ESG funds include petrochemical companies, report finds
5 May 2026
Global banks have invested US$133bn into US petrochemical expansion, even as the industry is linked to climate change.
Thousands protest in Germany urging faster shift to renewable energy, amid Iran war
20 Apr 2026
Thousands of people demonstrated across Germany on April 18, urging a faster shift to renewable energy and accusing conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition of putting the brakes on the transition.
Green Party calls for national electrification plan
20 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is calling for a national plan to electrify homes, transport and industry using renewable energy, to reduce fossil fuel dependence in response to the Middle East crisis.
‘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.
Renewable energy hub planned for Scottish coal museum
Thu 14 May 2026
A former 19th Century coal mining 'super-pit' in Midlothian is to be turned into a renewable energy hub providing green electricity for the local community.
Planned coal mine borders internationally significant wetland
30 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Victorian Hydrogen, the company behind plans for a huge coal-to-urea project, has applied for a permit to explore for coal next to an internationally significant wetland in a sensitive catchment in Southland.
Combined climate extremes may prompt carbon budget rethink
Thu 14 May 2026
Media release: Springer Nature | Combined extreme climate events are likely to become more common in the future if carbon emissions continue to rise, a paper in Nature suggests.
Africa secures major clean energy deals as France deepens investment push
Fri 15 May 2026
French and African leaders have announced more than $11 billion in renewable energy investments across Africa, underscoring the continent’s growing importance in the global push for cleaner energy and industrial development.
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.
Why both trees and technology are important in the race to mitigate carbon emissions
4 May 2026
Different carbon‑removal approaches solve different problems, and pitting these technologies against each other could slow progress.
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.
UK halves Green Climate Fund contribution, as it spends more on security
Fri 15 May 2026
After promising £1.6 billion to the UN’s flagship climate fund in 2023, the UK government has now said it will only hand over half as much.
NZ First moves to revive container return scheme
4 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | NZ First is aiming to launch a national container return scheme, which could recycle over a billion wasted containers each year, reviving a policy shelved by the previous Labour-led Government in 2023.
Greens condemn planned coal mine next to protected wetland
4 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party says a new plan for a coal mine and fertiliser plant next to an internationally significant wetland is “ecological vandalism and climate denial.”
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.
Stripy wind turbines could save some birds
8 May 2026
Media release: Royal Society Interface | Preventing birds from colliding with wind turbine blades could be as simple as a few paint stripes, according to international researchers, who say this could help protect wildlife as renewable energy expands.
