Topics tagged with 'Transport'
Power storage for a renewable-based electric grid could be parked next door
2 Feb 2023
Electric vehicle batteries could be harnessed to provide all the battery storage capacity necessary to stabilize renewable-based electricity grids worldwide in the coming decades, according to a new study.
Best by the rest...
27 Jan 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Dame Anne Salmond on New Zealand’s “fatally flawed” climate strategy; a fact check of claims that Kiwi farms are the greenest; and why the country needs an e-bike rebate.
German transport minister rejects autobahn speed
24 Jan 2023
German transport minister Volker Wissing has renewed his rejection of a general speed limit on the country’s autobahns after a report found that the measure could save almost three times more emissions than previously thought
Government’s hydrogen strategy may sabotage decarbonisation: expert
23 Dec 2022
By Liz Kivi | An international transport expert says the New Zealand Government is wasting time and money on hydrogen for heavy freight, and has bought into fossil fuel industry greenwash that will allow the worst polluters of the industry to keep polluting.
E-volution of the microcar
23 Dec 2022
By Jeremy Rose | Engineer and former local body politician Toa Greening has been banging on about micro-EVs for the best part of a decade.
Railcar start-up promises to cut passenger emissions by 97%
23 Dec 2022
By Jeremy Rose | A Christchurch start-up with plans to build battery-powered railcars says the technology has the potential to slash the emissions per passenger kilometre travelled by 97%.
The future of motoring is quiet, fast, and comfortable – but is it sustainable?
23 Dec 2022
By Jeremy Rose | I’ve driven in the future and it’s quiet, has effortless acceleration, and is supremely comfortable – but it doesn’t make economic or environmental sense for me to buy a Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Swiss Microlino reboots bubble car with electric model
23 Dec 2022
Two Swiss brothers are seeking to put their country back on the carmaking map by reviving a 1950s motoring classic with an electric twist.
Government to end half-price public transport fares despite strong public support
15 Dec 2022
The government has announced half price public transport fares will end on April 1, despite a poll showing 79% of people support making them permanent.
Wellington’s emissions down nearly 10% since 2020
15 Dec 2022
Wellington’s emissions have dropped by 9% since 2020, according to the latest data.
Tiny cars, big opportunity
15 Dec 2022
Do you know your autocycles from your quadricycles? Your golf carts from your LSVs?
EV charging facility owners in Hong Kong can soon make money by selling carbon credits
13 Dec 2022
Hong Kong owners of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure will soon be able to earn revenue by selling carbon credits generated by their facilities through the city’s bourse, according to a local provider of charging equipment and software.
Renewable share of electricity generation at record high
12 Dec 2022
The renewable share of electricity generation for a September quarter is at its highest point since 1980, according to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s (MBIE) most recent data.
Wellington e-bike sharing scheme gets go ahead
9 Dec 2022
Wellington is getting its own e-bike sharing scheme in line with other New Zealand cities in time for the warmer summer weather.
New electric-hydrofoil to ply Hauraki Gulf
9 Dec 2022
Media release - Fullers360, the country’s largest ferry operator, has partnered with Auckland-based sustainable boating designers, Seachange, to bring a premium 10-seater zero-emission hydrofoiling F8 vessel to the Hauraki Gulf from September 2023.
Best by the rest...
9 Dec 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Stuff's Christmas-themed Forever Project magazine is out, featuring an interactive story on the climate impact of food; NZ farmers' global customers demand more climate action; and a booming Nelson ebike company may soon be sending up to 35,000 bikes a year overseas.
New Australian EV tax deals will deliver $20k saving for BYD Atto 3 leases
9 Dec 2022
Australians with an eye to buy one of the country’s most popular electric vehicles (EVs) need to start talking to their boss, as novated leasing and tax deals make BYD’s highly sought after Atto 3 even more attractive.
Indian Railways aims to achieve net zero carbon cmission By 2030
8 Dec 2022
Indian Railways (IR) on Wednesday said it has envisioned to achieve net zero carbon emission by 2030.
No nationwide passenger rail in the near future: minister
7 Dec 2022
Transport minister Michael Wood has told campaigners there will be no nationwide passenger rail in the near future.
GCMD invites proposals for world’s first shipboard carbon capture project
7 Dec 2022
The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation (GCMD)has issued an invitation-for-proposal (IFP) to evaluate the safety, technical and operational requirements for offloading shipboard-captured CO2 during port calls.
Four-wheel e-cargo bike delivering scooter batteries in Wellington
6 Dec 2022
Micro-mobility company Beam is trialling what could well be the country’s first four-wheel e-cargo bike in Wellington.
NZ Post’s purpose-built bikes back in business - temporarily
6 Dec 2022
Last week NZ Post announced there would be delays in deliveries due to “issues” with its Norwegian-built electric Paxster postal buggies.
$350 million government funding to cut transport emissions
5 Dec 2022
Better public transport, new cycle networks and more walkable neighbourhoods are in the offing for 46 different councils as part of a $350 million government funding package.
Parking lots are becoming as important as cars in climate change efforts
5 Dec 2022
It’s not just cars that will be going through energy transition in the years ahead. The parking lots where EVs recharge are a growing focus of construction efforts linked to climate change and carbon reduction.
Best by the rest...
2 Dec 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Hapū and Greenpeace head back to court for stricter hydrogen rules; the moral problem with turning passenger rail into an exclusive luxury; and is cutting transport emissions by 64% still a priority for Auckland under the new mayor?
The climate case against Elon Musk
24 Nov 2022
This newsletter has written a lot about so-called “climate billionaires”—billionaires who claim to be doing a lot for the climate. But we’ve never said much about Elon Musk.
Clean car standards phased in from next week
23 Nov 2022
The government is bringing in new regulations around vehicle imports from next week, which are intended to significantly reduce New Zealand’s light vehicles’ CO2 emissions.
Aussie Greens rule out hybrids in clean car discount scheme
23 Nov 2022
Australian federal government legislation proposing to exempt a range of low emissions vehicles from the fringe benefits tax looks set to prioritise battery electric vehicles, after a deal was struck between Labor, the Greens and independent senator David Pocock.
Govt calls for submissions on Sustainable Biofuel Obligation Bill
22 Nov 2022
The government is calling for submissions on the Sustainable Biofuel Obligation Bill, which is intended to simplify the transition from liquid fossil fuels to low-emissions fuels and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from transport.
Ngāti Whātua to pilot carshare scheme
18 Nov 2022
Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei plans to pilot a carshare service with three EV cars and an EV van in Tāmaki Makaurau.
Best by the rest...
18 Nov 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Dairy land is being converted to other uses at a rate of 1% a year; more of our last remaining wetlands are at risk of wildfire due to climate change; and forestry is once again at the heart of discussions surrounding New Zealand's future.
Australian company to make its entire fleet of 500 utes all electric within five years
18 Nov 2022
Australasian traffic management company Evolution Group plans to make its entire fleet of light utility vehicles (utes) fully electric within five years, with nearly one third of them – mostly the popular Toyota Hilux – to be converted to electric drivetrains.
Environmental groups call to scrap biofuels obligation
15 Nov 2022
Environmental groups are calling on the government to scrap its proposed biofuels mandate, saying it will damage the environment and displace indigenous people and animals, as well as increasing carbon emissions and the cost of fuel and food.
Climate change front and centre in government tourism innovation fund
11 Nov 2022
Cutting carbon emissions, improving sustainability, and climate change mitigation and adaptation are all in the mix in a $54 million dollar tourism innovation fund, announced by the government yesterday.
Auto sales ‘overshoot’ will make it impossible to prevent the worst effects of climate change
11 Nov 2022
Toyota, Volkswagen, Hyundai, and other major automakers are on track to sell 400 million more diesel and petrol vehicles than is feasible to stave off the worst effects of climate change, Greenpeace Germany concludes in a new report.
Campaigners launch petition for half-price public transport
10 Nov 2022
Public transport campaigners have launched a petition calling on the government to permanently halve public transport prices.
Government announces delay to biofuels mandate
9 Nov 2022
The government is delaying the sustainable biofuels mandate by a year, as well as planning to give the Commerce Commission powers to intervene if fuel prices are high, in changes announced today.
E-bike schemes for low income earners among Waka Kotahi grants
4 Nov 2022
Waka Kotahi has given $922,853 in grants to projects aiming to provide “under-served communities” with greater transport options.
European parliament moves to mandate EVs by 2035
2 Nov 2022
The EU Parliament has agreed to a set of rules that will see an increase in the number of recharging and alternative refueling stations for cars, trucks, trains, and planes. This is part of the “Fit for 55 in 2030 package” which plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% come 2030.
Inter-regional rail very popular with blokes called Andrew
1 Nov 2022
Nineteen of the 19 Andrews who made submissions to the Parliamentary Inquiry into the Future of Inter-Regional Passenger Rail in New Zealand are enthusiastic supporters of bringing back a comprehensive regional passenger rail network.
NZ’s latest GHG figures confirm no sustained reduction in emissions
28 Oct 2022
Latest figures from Stats NZ confirm New Zealand’s gross greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have shown no sustained reductions compared with 2005.
Best by the rest...
28 Oct 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best local climate coverage: Environmental protests, including a first-hand account from a Wellington school teacher who was part of a group blocking Transmission Gully this week; a loophole in climate law means a steel mill in Auckland will keep burning coal for twenty more years; and a new report has outlined the growing case to invest in natural capital.
UK’s critical infrastructure deemed vulnerable to ‘cascading risks’ from climate change
28 Oct 2022
Urgent action is needed to mitigate the "cascading risks" facing the UK's critical national infrastructure (CNI), according to a new report.
International Chamber of Shipping proposes carbon charge to subsidize emissions cuts
27 Oct 2022
In a departure from the R&D-only framework of its previous carbon charge plan, the International Chamber of Shipping is back with a revised proposal for an IMO "fund-and-reward" program that would charge a fee on carbon and pay shipowners who reduce emissions.
Where you live affects your view of climate crisis: survey
26 Oct 2022
A new survey shows where you live could affect your view of the climate crisis, with Wellington City dwellers more likely to be worried about climate change’s local impacts than people living in Dunedin, Hamilton, or Tauranga.
E-bikes schemes get a boost in Ireland and Denver
26 Oct 2022
A recent report revealed that the New Zealand government has subsidised Tesla drivers to the tune of $30 million so far this year as part of it clean car discount scheme. In contrast the owners of the most popular electric vehicle on our roads, e-bikes, have received nada.
The hard truth about carbon emissions
26 Oct 2022
Scientists and researchers admit despair at the failure of politicians to deliver meaningful climate emission reductions.
Dunedin public transport study into boosting bus use, reducing emissions
25 Oct 2022
Media Release - Dunedin City Council | An eight-month study into the future of Dunedin’s public transport system will be underway shortly - with a long-term emphasis on boosting bus use.
Can charging frequent flyers for their carbon solve aviation’s climate problem?
25 Oct 2022
If you were to design a scheme to deliberately accelerate climate change, you couldn’t do much better than an airline loyalty program. The more you fly, the cheaper and easier your flights become. Now what if that was switched around, and each flight you took in a year was instead more expensive than the last?
Best by the rest...
21 Oct 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best local climate coverage: Where is all the funding for climate change agri-tech? Mount Ruapehu goes into voluntary administration as climate change takes its toll; and pacific activists team up ahead of COP27.
Governments must vote in favour of moratorium on deep sea mining
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Media release - Greenpeace | The 30th session of the International Seabed Authority (ISA) has ended with Greenpeace saying governments are continuing to fall short in protecting the deep sea.
Does NZ need a national incentive scheme for wetlands?
25 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | An expert is calling for a national incentive programme to restore New Zealand’s wetlands and wants to stop schemes to drain these vital carbon-sequestering ecosystems.
NZ Post drops science-based climate target
8 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | NZ Post has dropped its science-based emissions reduction target of 42% by 2030 with no plans to replace it.
Airlines risk legal challenges by advertising jet fuel as “sustainable”, NGO warns
18 Jul 2025
Amid suspected fraud in the production of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), a new report says the airline industry should stop calling all alternatives to kerosene “sustainable”.
Challenges persist in bid to mine the deep sea, even after boost from Trump
Tue 29 Jul 2025
After years of delay, the deep-sea mining plans of Canadian firm The Metals Company (TMC) now appear to be progressing as it pursues a controversial new path to securing a license to mine in international waters under U.S. jurisdiction.
Sustainability claims questioned as renewable diesel surges
14 May 2025
Critics are sceptical about industry claims of renewable diesel life-cycle greenhouse gas emission cuts and warn renewable diesel carbon releases will surge if sourcing is scaled up, triggering tropical deforestation as producers convert forests to energy crops, such as oil palm and soy.
Carbon prices slide as market awaits ETS decision
Fri 1 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | Volatility has returned to the secondary carbon market, with prices sliding again after plateauing in recent weeks, as the market waits for government decisions on Emissions Trading Scheme settings.
The US is sitting out the most consequential climate summit in a decade. It may offer a victory to China
Fri 1 Aug 2025
The Trump administration fired the last of the US climate negotiators earlier this month, helping cement America’s withdrawal from international climate diplomacy. It may also have handed a huge victory to China.
Bearish sentiment lingers for carbon market
11 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The compliance carbon market could be set for a gradual upward trajectory, however unsold volume from the quarterly Emissions Trading Scheme auctions continues to act as ‘a price ceiling,’ according to an expert.
Coal use drove recent emissions increase
Fri 1 Aug 2025
Increased use of coal for electricity generation was a large driver for an increase in New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions in the last quarter.
Is extending Huntly power station to 2035 in consumers’ best interest?
22 Jul 2025
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: Genesis Energy is proposing a cartel to keep high-emitting Huntly Power Station in business to 2035. If extending Huntly has economic benefits, is a cartel necessary?
What does 'drier' really mean in 'green' homes?
Fri 1 Aug 2025
Media release - Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland | Researchers say green-rating systems could improve clarity and effectiveness by explicitly defining ‘drier’ and using two measures of humidity.
Cuts to climate finance put exports in jeopardy: Lawyers
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has halved international climate finance, a move aid organisations describe as “devastating,” and which lawyers say could put our Paris Agreement commitments and export market access at risk.
NZ voluntary carbon market’s sad state
14 Jul 2025
By John O’Brien | OPINION: A combination of scandals, challenging economic times, and cheaper offshore carbon credits, mean that the domestic voluntary carbon market in New Zealand remains absolutely tiny.
Bill to restart oil and gas exploration clears final hurdle
Fri 1 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government’s Crown Minerals Amendment Bill is set to become law after passing its third reading in parliament last night, with critics calling it humiliating for the climate minister and an embarrassment to New Zealand's international reputation.
Key orange roughy population on verge of collapse, govt considers closure
9 Jul 2025
Media release - Deep Sea Conservation Coalition | New data reveals that New Zealand’s main orange roughy fishery, accounting for half of the country’s total catch, is on the brink of collapse, with one model showing it may have reached that point already, and the government’s considering closing it.
Warmer than usual weather ahead, wetter in north and east, as La Niña signals strengthen
Fri 1 Aug 2025
Media release – Earth Sciences New Zealand | Seasonal Outlook Climate August to October 2025 suggests warm, damp weather, with La Niña’s possible return.
Latest trawl bycatch numbers 'a grim wake-up call'
24 Jun 2025
Media release – Greenpeace | The latest fisheries bycatch data paints a grim picture, with trawlers hauling up thousands of kilograms of coral and killing hundreds of fur seals and seabirds over a 12 month period.
Wilding pines threaten Molesworth Station
Mon 28 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Without increased support, the unchecked spread of wilding pines will continue to creep across Marlborough’s high country – putting iconic landscapes and one of New Zealand’s top five biodiversity hotspots at serious risk, according to an expert.
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
Thu 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.
A modest geothermal strategy
Thu 31 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has unveiled a far more modest geothermal energy strategy than its primary backer, Resources Minister Shane Jones, had sought.
European Central Bank to consider 'climate factor' when lending to banks
Thu 31 Jul 2025
The European Central Bank will add climate change considerations to its lending operations from late 2026, raising pressure on banks to channel financing towards greener sectors as the euro zone seeks to reduce its carbon footprint.
NZ part of hidden global deep-sea network beneath the waves
25 Jul 2025
Media release - Earth Sciences New Zealand | A world-first study of marine life, including sea creatures found in New Zealand's dark, cold, pressurised ocean depths, has revealed that deep-sea life is surprisingly more connected than previously thought.
‘Ideological sludge’: How NZ is quiet quitting climate action
17 Jul 2025
New Zealand once stood out as a world leader on climate change. In June it became the first country in the world to abandon a commitment to phase out oil, gas and coal.
Watts talks big on energy reform, but barriers persist
29 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Energy and Climate Change minister Simon Watts says the government is doubling down on efforts to boost renewable energy generation, streamline regulation, and drive private sector investment as New Zealand faces mounting energy security and affordability challenges.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
Tue 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.
Climate catastrophes are creating a ‘new market reality’ for insurance carriers
23 Jul 2025
Raging wildfires and severe storms contributed to record-high global insurance losses — totalling an estimated US$84 billion — for the first six months of the year.
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.
Multi-day protest continues at coal mine
Wed 30 Jul 2025
Bathurst Resources has been forced to truck coal from its Stockton mine as climate activists occupy coal buckets at the mine for a third day.
Fund for low emissions transport winds up
Thu 31 Jul 2025
New Zealand’s Low Emission Transport Fund has officially wrapped up, ending a nine-year programme that put hundreds of millions of dollars towards accelerating the country’s shift to cleaner transport.
Urgent action needed to get on track for climate goals - commission
25 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand is making progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but more work is needed – urgently – to set up for future reductions, according to the latest report from the Climate Change Commission.
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.
Toxic algae are turning South Australia’s coral reefs into underwater graveyards
Tue 29 Jul 2025
Since March, a harmful algal bloom, fueled by a marine heat wave, has been choking South Australia’s coastline.
NZ govt’s fossil fuel plans could break international law
24 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government could be breaching international law with its plans to subsidise and expand fossil fuel extraction, following a ruling overnight from the world’s highest court.
Tipping points: Window to avoid irreversible climate impacts is ‘rapidly closing’
11 Jul 2025
In the midst of a record-breaking heatwave in Europe, the UK city of Exeter recently played host to the second international conference on “tipping points”.
‘Total infiltration’: How plastics industry swamped vital global treaty talks
Mon 28 Jul 2025
Petrostates and well-funded lobbyists at UN-hosted talks are derailing a deal to cut plastic production and protect people and the planet.
Activists sue US development bank over $4.6bn loan to massive Mozambique gas project
18 Jul 2025
Environmental groups claim loan is ‘unlawful’ in legal filing.
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.
Tilting at windmills? Trump’s claims about turbines fact-checked
Thu 31 Jul 2025
The US president has taken a swipe at wind power as the blades visible from his Turnberry golf course turn.
Ocean heatwaves may signal climate tipping point
25 Jul 2025
A recent study that tapped into satellite data has revealed that 2023 marked an unprecedented year for marine heatwaves, with record-breaking levels of duration, reach and intensity across the world's oceans.
Climate groups want UK wealth tax to make super-rich fund sustainable economy
17 Jul 2025
Growing number of campaigners urge government to ensure green investment is not done ‘on backs of the poor’.
Can robot taxis solve NZ's transport woes?
23 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Ministry of Transport has tested the idea of driverless taxis as a futuristic fix. But while new modelling explores how "robotaxis" could ease congestion and reduce car ownership, critics say it misses a crucial point – the country’s worsening transport emissions.
United Nations carbon market rules agreed but concerns remain
25 Nov 2024
New carbon market rules agreed at the fractious UN climate summit will be a relief to New Zealand and Singapore, who were leading the negotiations, but concerns about greenwashing and disadvantaging nature-based solutions remain.
The ICJ’s ruling means Australia and other major polluters face a new era of climate reparations
25 Jul 2025
By Harj Narulla | OPINION: Australia has found itself on the wrong side of history.
Waste Levy risks becoming ‘slush fund’ under proposed changes – Commissioner
5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Proposed changes to New Zealand's waste legislation risk undermining public trust in the waste levy scheme, according to Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Simon Upton.
The struggle for control of the Arctic is accelerating - and it's riskier than ever
11 Jul 2025
As the battle for one of the world’s coldest places heats up, an increasingly fragile security balance may be breaking down, leading to an escalating arms race.
UN University report warns against carbon credits from REDD, tree planting, and improved forest management
13 Jun 2025
But the report stops short of recommending banning the trade in carbon temporarily stored in trees.
For the first time, China invests more in wind and solar than coal overseas
29 May 2025
China’s Belt and Road Initiative, long derided for its heavy carbon footprint, was dominated by wind and solar power projects for the first time from 2022 to 2023, according to a new analysis. But coal plants financed in earlier years are still coming online.
