Topics tagged with 'Transport'
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.
Air quality improves as EV bus numbers increase
20 Oct 2022
Media Release - A new report from Greater Wellington’s Environmental Science team shows the positive impact Metlink’s EV buses are having on Wellington’s air quality along the Golden Mile, leading both to positive health benefits and climate change mitigation.
South Africa’s EV dream threatens $8.5 billion in climate aid
19 Oct 2022
South Africa wants to spend billions of dollars fostering an electric vehicle industry, complicating efforts to finalize an $8.5 billion climate aid package before next month’s United Nations climate summit.
Best by the rest...
14 Oct 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best local climate coverage: Stuff fact checks fossil fuel lobby claims; Newsroom crunches the numbers on the government's agricultural emissions proposal; and three unlikely activists have had their charges dropped in court in the name of climate change.
People-centred climate action delivers more for cities, report finds
14 Oct 2022
Cities are responsible for 70% of global greenhouse gas emissions, meaning that shifts in policy and citizen practices in urban areas have the potential to significantly reduce pollution worldwide.
Cities around the world offered chance to win $1m to build cycle lanes
12 Oct 2022
Cities around the world will have the chance to compete for $1m (£902,000) in funding as well as expertise to build new cycling infrastructure under a plan launched by the charitable foundation set up by Mike Bloomberg, who as New York mayor pioneered new bike lanes in the city.
Aotearoa's first locally built e-bus hits the road
11 Oct 2022
Media Release - A brand new New Zealand designed and made electric bus, the E-City, took its first passengers on a trial ride during the Bus and Coach Association Conference in Rotorua yesterday.
Rail protestors disrupt Wellington Motorway
10 Oct 2022
Three people have climbed a gantry above the Wellington Motorway near Bowen St with a large banner saying “Restore Passenger Rail”.
Best by the rest...
7 Oct 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best local climate coverage: The majority of local election candidates have climate action at front of mind; a new research project aims to forecast risks to New Zealand as the world continues to heat; and while there's government assistance for those switching to EVs, e-bikes are yet to catch up.
E-fuels will undermine Europe’s clean car race, if we let them
7 Oct 2022
To decarbonise Europe’s car fleet, internal combustion engines (ICEs) running on synthetic fuels are not a viable alternative to electric cars.
EVs add to electricity demand, but not as much as you might think
6 Oct 2022
California recently asked homeowners to reduce electricity consumption to help avoid blackouts as temperatures soared and the power system struggled to keep up. This specific brush with near-disaster had a new element that caught a lot of attention: a call to electric vehicle owners to avoid charging during peak demand hours.
Ships release invisible contrails that slightly cool the climate
6 Oct 2022
Streaks of invisible air pollution from the world’s shipping industry, which are unseen on satellite imagery, are changing the reflectivity of clouds. This means clouds exposed to air pollution may reflect more of the sun’s light and heat than we thought, which will have to be taken into account for future climate models.
Hawke's Bay to develop emissions reduction plan
5 Oct 2022
Hawke’s Bay Regional Council has voted to develop the region’s first emissions reduction plan, aiming to reach net zero by 2050.
Best by the rest...
30 Sep 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in the local media: A former petrolhead in Dunedin is converting gas guzzling vehicles to electric; children in Vanuatu are taking to the streets to protest climate change; and Keith Woodford dives deep into the how voluntary schemes surrounding carbon sequestration are regulated in the ETS.
Progress continues on future-proofing Auckland’s transport infrastructure
29 Sep 2022
Media Release - Transport minister Michael Wood has welcomed the latest progress on Auckland’s two most transformational transport projects in a generation – Auckland Light Rail and the Additional Waitematā Harbour Connections.
Cars are vanishing from Paris
29 Sep 2022
Bright parasols, wooden sun loungers and expanses of golden sand suddenly appear every summer on what was once a traffic-clogged, 3.3 kilometer road along the banks of the River Seine in the heart of Paris
Christchurch residents want action on climate change
28 Sep 2022
Most Christchurch residents see climate change as a significant issue, according to a recent survey, and this is reflected in election promises as candidates vie for local government positions.
Tracking climate through ship exhaust
28 Sep 2022
A total of 99,800 commercial ships sail the seas, carrying around 90% of the world’s trade in goods. Their operation is vital—the transport of COVID-19 vaccines, for instance, wouldn’t have been possible without them.
How carbon calculators can help rail customers
27 Sep 2022
Among the freight transportation modes, the railroads are considered to be a more environmentally friendly option for shippers or customers seeking to transport higher volumes of goods while emitting fewer carbon emissions.
Logistics company plans methanol-capable vessel
22 Sep 2022
Freight and logistics company MOVE is hoping to make its coastal operation greener with plans for a new methanol-capable vessel.
Micromobility users want ICE vehicles phased out
21 Sep 2022
Nearly 90% of Kiwi micromobility users want petrol and diesel cars phased out, according to e-scooter and e-bike hire company Beam.
SUVs and utes are overpowering electric cars in Australia’s vehicle emissions results
20 Sep 2022
Australia's surging appetite for large SUVs and diesel utes is countering any improvement in emissions from the growing number of electric cars on roads.
Aotearoa's biggest EV expo set to electrify the garden city
16 Sep 2022
Christchurch residents will have new inspiration to ditch fossil fuels, with the country’s biggest public display of new battery electric vehicles set to hit the city this weekend.
Best by the rest...
16 Sep 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in the local media: Keith Woodford investigates the carbon offset process in New Zealand; data shows that as petrol prices soared this year, sales dipped; and parent-organised 'bike chains' are helping Kiwi kids jump on their wheels to get to school.
Best by the rest...
9 Sep 2022
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in the local media: A proposed 400 megawatt solar power station near Taupō will be pitched for resource consent later this month; experts urge changes in forestry and farming; and wallabies are quickly becoming an invasive species.
45% of Kiwis claim to have switched to a more sustainable transport mode
8 Sep 2022
A survey of more than 2500 Kiwis has found that 45% have made a change to their mode of transport in an effort to live a more sustainable life.
How Indian EV startups are mobilising mass adoption
6 Sep 2022
The Indian automobile industry is the fifth largest in the world, with a goal of becoming the third largest by 2030.
Nearly 150 Spanish cities rolling out low-emission zones in 2023
5 Sep 2022
Spain is getting serious about cleaning up its air, and that’s the case in cities across the country. Due to the Climate Change and Energy Transition Law, most Spanish cities will be implementing low-emission zones within their borders in 2023.
Electric batteries are fueling the shift from petrol-powered bikes in Kenya
2 Sep 2022
Thousands of e-motorcycles have been provided by startup Roam to riders in Kenya, to initiate the move from petrol to electric.
Lotteries big winner in government's decarbonisation grants
29 Aug 2022
The government has announced another $4.8 million dollars in support for decarbonisation in the public sector with a list of 11 projects saving 9943 tonnes of carbon over a 10-year period at a cost of $483 per tonne.
France offers €4,000 e-bike subsidy but there’s a catch
29 Aug 2022
The cities of France are building safe cycling infrastructure as fast as any in the world, including a massive move by Paris. And now the federal government is ensuring those new bike lanes will fill up with clean, green e-bikes after announcing a €4,000 subsidy. But there is a catch.
Climate change could bring back wind as the future power source for ocean cargo ships
29 Aug 2022
The shipping industry accounts for nearly 3% of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions, producing as much manmade carbon dioxide as all the coal-fired power plants in the U.S. combined.
Greater Wellington aims to slash emissions by slashing public transport fares
23 Aug 2022
Off-peak fares on Metlink public transport services could be slashed by up to 50%, and accompanied children will ride for free on weekends and public holidays, as part of a suite of changes recommended to Greater Wellington regional council.
Kansas made transit safer by making it free
22 Aug 2022
Kansas City, Missouri, made national headlines in the fall of 2019 when its city council voted unanimously to become America’s first large city to make public transportation free citywide. Now, two and a half years later, anyone living anywhere in the city can ride buses without paying a fare.
How this Dutch design convinces residents to swap car parking for bike racks
22 Aug 2022
A parking spot for a single car can hold as many as 10 bikes—but it’s often a challenge for a city to convince drivers that it’s okay to relinquish car parking space for other uses (witness battles that often ensue when cities add bike lanes next to curbs).
Carbon markets risk penalising Indigenous stewardship, researchers warn
Thu 5 Mar 2026
Carbon markets designed to reward environmental restoration may be unintentionally disadvantaging Indigenous communities who have long protected intact ecosystems, according to new research.
Grasslands and wetlands are being gobbled up by agriculture, mostly livestock
Wed 4 Mar 2026
A new study takes a first-of-its kind look at how farming converts non-forested areas and major carbon sinks into cropland and pasture.
Auckland Airport switches on giant heat pump system to cut gas use
Fri 6 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | While Auckland Airport’s switch from gas to heat pumps is welcome, the emissions savings are dwarfed by ongoing aircraft emissions, which are set to rise, according to a sustainable transport expert.
Air NZ joins Marsden Point SAF project
Tue 3 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand has quietly added its name to a consortium exploring the viability of green hydrogen production for sustainable aviation fuel at Channel Infrastructure’s Marsden Point energy hub.
Half of nations meet UN deadline for nature-loss reporting
Wed 4 Mar 2026
Half of nations have met a UN deadline to report on how they are tackling nature loss within their borders, Carbon Brief analysis shows. This includes 11 of the 17 “megadiverse nations”, countries that account for 70% of Earth’s biodiversity.
Govt’s own modelling shows LNG leads to higher electricity prices than other solutions
19 Feb 2026
By Christina Hood | COMMENT: According to modelling conducted by Concept Consulting for MBIE, either developing the Tariki gas storage facility or managing electricity demand would deliver lower wholesale electricity prices than the Government’s preferred solution of an LNG import terminal.
Unusual scarcity drives early 2026 NZU rally
Thu 5 Mar 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The New Zealand carbon price has recovered since its late 2025 collapse, although the rally is driven by scarcity rather than confidence in market settings.
China sets cautious climate target as carbon deadline looms
Fri 6 Mar 2026
China, the world’s top polluter, set a cautious new climate target for the rest of the decade, frustrating hopes for tighter policy that would accelerate the nation’s work to curb emissions.
Bidders no-show at carbon auction – again
Tue 3 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | As predicted, today’s carbon auction yet again failed to attract any bidders, with NZUs currently trading hands on the secondary market at a 35% discount on this year’s auction floor price.
3,600 times faster: China is shaking up the steel industry
25 Feb 2026
For over a century, making steel meant coal, heat, and hours of waiting. A Chinese research team now reports collapsing that process into just three to six seconds; no coal, near zero emissions, and a vortex lance already moving toward commercial production. The technology is called flash ironmaking, and in February 2026, its implications are still unfolding.
LNG: a rational choice compared to unpalatable alternatives
10 Feb 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | COMMENT: By deciding to underwrite the private construction of a liquefied natural gas import facility in Taranaki, the Government has made a rational choice in favour of energy security and affordability.
Sustainable retail-office project breaks ground under new Green Star framework
19 Feb 2026
Construction is set to begin on a new retail-office development in central Auckland, which is targeting a 40% reduction in embodied carbon and 25% lower energy.
Opposition attacks Govt over fossil fuel phaseout backdown
2 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | Revelations that Resources Minister Shane Jones ruled out New Zealand signing up to a 'road map' away from fossil fuels at last year’s global climate summit show the National Party’s minor coalition partners’ undue influence over the Government, according to Labour leader Chris Hipkins.
Italy calls for suspension of EU carbon market
Mon 2 Mar 2026
The Italian Minister said the Emissions Trading System (ETS) has a "perverse effect" and is condemning European companies from being competitive with other countries, urging other member states to back the suspension.
Rule changes could reshape corporate emissions strategies
Fri 6 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand organisations may need to rethink how they manage and report electricity-related emissions as proposed global accounting changes take shape, according to a new report.
Environmental groups call for ETS reform
20 Feb 2026
Several environmental organisations are calling on political parties to make climate and biodiversity central to the 2026 election campaign, with reforming the Emissions Trading Scheme seen as a key priority.
Global coastal sea-level risks may be underestimated, say scientists
Thu 5 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Coastal communities across the Pacific and Southeast Asia could be facing greater sea-level rise risks than previously estimated, researchers say.
Transport dominates NZ’s rising consumer emissions
10 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Transport pollution was the biggest contributor to an increase in New Zealand’s consumption-based emissions in 2023, with emissions from household travel up 12%, and consumption-based emissions totalling 58.3 million tonnes – up 1.6% from the previous year.
The 15 foods destroying rainforests, in one simple chart
25 Feb 2026
It’s pretty much impossible to live a life free of environmental harm. But there is one thing you could do immediately that would help the planet a heck of a lot: eat less beef.
A gas shock – not an oil shock – from the Iran war looks more threatening
Wed 4 Mar 2026
Europe and Asia will take an economic hit if the supply of Qatari LNG is halted by the closure of the strait of Hormuz.
RMA to speed up fossil fuel consents
18 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | An energy lobby group has welcomed a last-minute amendment to the RMA that puts fossil fuels on the same footing as renewables, however a sustainable energy expert says the move “beggars belief.”
Gaps in adaptation taxonomies hinder climate finance in Asia: report
Thu 5 Mar 2026
Without clearer criteria and metrics in adaptation taxonomies, Asia risks widening its climate financing gap, warns a new report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA).
Surviving on Trump's dangerous planet
Mon 2 Mar 2026
COMMENT: Yet another war, and yet another argument for an end to oil.
Claims that AI can help fix climate dismissed as greenwashing
18 Feb 2026
Tech companies are conflating traditional artificial intelligence with generative AI when claiming the energy-hungry technology could help avert climate breakdown, according to a report.
Govt missing opportunity to slash electricity prices, says expert
11 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s fixation on eliminating the "dry-year risk margin" as a lever to reduce costs misses a much bigger opportunity to lower electricity prices, according to Christina Hood, head of Compass Climate.
Media round-up
13 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Senior UK ministers have asked their New Zealand counterparts to explain new climate policies, National’s LNG blunders are a warning ahead of election campaign, and what are the lessons New Zealand should take from another summer of weather disasters?
Wales council to buy and demolish homes prone to flooding
4 Feb 2026
A row of homes in a village in south Wales is to be bought by a local authority and demolished as they can no longer be protected from flooding caused by the climate crisis.
Climate law change spanner in the works for Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry
19 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s controversial changes to New Zealand’s legal framework for climate policy have thrown a spanner in the works for a long-running Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry into climate change.
EDS puts environmental lawmaking under the spotlight
26 Feb 2026
Media Release |The Environmental Defence Society has launched the first in a series of investigative pieces into how environmental laws are being made in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Climate 'dream team' launches foundation targeting 100 million tonnes in emissions cuts
25 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The New Zealand Climate Foundation, which has the ambitious aim of cutting 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions by 2035, had its official launch on Monday.
China has a new competitor? Kazakhstan reveals huge rare Earth deposit that could power the next tech boom
25 Feb 2026
China’s grip on rare earths might finally see some competition, and the world is already taking notice.
Carbon auction set to be another non-event
Mon 2 Mar 2026
By Liz Kivi | Tomorrow’s Emissions Trading Scheme auction – the first for 2026 – is set to be a non-event, with secondary market prices more than $25 below this year’s $71 auction floor price.
NZ's latest climate target 'weak' – Climate Action Tracker
24 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's new international climate target to 2035 is weak, and could even allow for higher emissions than the 2030 target, according to a global scientific project that tracks government climate action.
Tiny, lost and constipated: what a baby turtle told Australian scientists about warming seas
Fri 6 Mar 2026
The arrival of loggerheads in New South Wales shows these ‘sentinels of climate change’ are being forced into unknown territory.
The world’s largest climate finance deal was built to flounder: why funding fails to reach the front‑line
Fri 6 Mar 2026
Adopted in December 2015, the Paris Agreement commits countries to keeping global temperature rise below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
Kiwis overly optimistic about state of environment
27 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New research suggests many New Zealanders believe the environment is in better shape than it really is, with public perceptions often out of step with scientific evidence.
‘They pushed so many lies about recycling’: the fight to stop big oil pumping billions more into plastics
24 Feb 2026
Plastic production has doubled over the last 20 years – and will likely double again. For author Beth Gardiner, metal water bottles and canvas tote bags are not the solution. So what is?
Should we tax the rich to pay for climate costs? Poll says yes
Fri 6 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New polling has found most New Zealanders support higher taxes on the ultra-rich to help fund public goods such as healthcare, housing and climate action.
Families will pay more without clean car standard
Fri 6 Mar 2026
Media release | The Green Party says scrapping the Clean Car Standard will mean New Zealanders end up paying more to run their cars.
Media round-up
20 Feb 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: 'Every tonne matters': The climate scientist who wants to give you hope; Minister says managed retreat is an option; and climate change is here – is New Zealand ready?
Brazil and India agree to boost cooperation on rare earths
24 Feb 2026
Brazil and India sealed a deal Saturday on critical minerals and rare earths, enhancing cooperation on crucial resources between two major countries of the global south as they seek to diversify their trading relationships.
PPA template aims to cut transaction costs and accelerate renewable investment
Fri 6 Mar 2026
Media release – DLA Piper | An energy industry initiative led by BusinessNZ Energy Council, Zeale (formerly EVA Marketplace) and DLA Piper has released New Zealand’s first publicly available, standardised template for corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs), designed to reduce transaction costs and unlock more financing to accelerate renewable energy projects.
High-tech flights tackle climate modelling dilemma
Mon 2 Mar 2026
Media release – University of Canterbury | An ongoing challenge in global climate modelling is being addressed by HALO-South a German-Christchurch collaboration.
DOC trims costs and winds down jobs for nature
10 Nov 2025
The Department of Conservation (DOC) is entering a new phase of tighter budgets and structural change as it winds down the pandemic-era Jobs for Nature programme and reshapes its operations to absorb long-term cost pressures.
NZ-UAE partnership boosts advanced tech
9 Feb 2026
Media release | A new Antarctic science partnership with a leading UAE university will grow New Zealand’s advanced engineering and modelling capability, supporting high-value jobs, encouraging economic growth, and enabling smarter climate risk management, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti says.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
World leaders invited to see Pacific climate destruction before COP31
Tue 3 Mar 2026
The leaders and climate ministers of governments around the world will be invited to meetings on the Pacific islands of Fiji, Palau and Tuvalu in the months leading up to the COP31 climate summit in November.
Infrastructure plan calls for ‘predictable approach’ to electrifying economy
18 Feb 2026
Aotearoa’s first National Infrastructure Plan, introduced to Parliament yesterday, calls for "a predictable approach to electrifying the economy" as one of ten priorities for the next decade.
Empty emergency reserve forces $6.1m flood repair loan
Mon 2 Mar 2026
By Kira Carrington, Local Democracy Reporter | A depleted emergency fund has forced Marlborough to borrow $6.1 million to repair damage from last year's floods.
Study finds warming world increases days when weather is prone to fires around the globe
20 Feb 2026
The number of days when the weather gets hot, dry and windy — ideal to spark extreme wildfires — has nearly tripled in the past 45 years across the globe, with the trend increasing even higher in the Americas, a new study shows.
Western Australian communities want mandatory payments from new renewable developments
Fri 6 Mar 2026
The West Australian government wants to make new wind and solar farms pay into community funds, but host towns say more work needs to be done to make sure the payments actually happen.
