Topics tagged with 'United Nations'
Biofuels not a lasting solution, warns report
4 Apr 2014
By DOUGLAS CRAWFORD-BROWN.- Biofuels alone are unsustainable, but can still help to combat climate change.
Make sure you watch your back when the heat goes on
4 Apr 2014
By ALEX KIRBY.- A warming climate is closely related to political and social instability and a higher risk of conflict, according to American scientists.
No-action Abbott stalls climate policy decisions
4 Apr 2014
By PROF NICK ROWLEY.- In Australia, any sense of the need for an urgent policy response has stalled, despite this week’s reminder from the IPCC of the threats the country faces – not to mention the warming already seen and the increase in extreme climate events.
UN chief praises Pacific islands' climate change actions
4 Apr 2014
THE COMMITMENT of small islands in the Pacific to low-carbon development has been praised by the head of the United Nations.
Not worth it, say international traders
28 Mar 2014
INTERNATIONAL carbon traders say there is little incentive for the private sector to get involved in carbon-sequestering forestry projects.
Time for the Big Three to take Big Action
28 Mar 2014
WITHIN the course of five days, Brussels will play host to Barack Obama and Xi Jinping. As the international community looks to keep global warming under 2°C, these leaders must insist on the same, writes NATALIE ALONSO, of Oxfam.
The air that we breathe is killing one person in eight, says new report
28 Mar 2014
AIR POLLUTION killed seven million people across the globe in 2012, making it the world’s largest single environmental health risk, according to new figures.
Carbon price breach of rights, says Maori leader
21 Mar 2014
Maori Party co-leader Tariana Turia has weighed into the row over low carbon prices, describing the loss of value of credits given to Maori in Treaty of Waitangi settlements as a breach of human rights.
Water is the key in a hungry world
21 Mar 2014
Tomorrow is World Water Day. Foodtank president DANIELLE NIERENBERG says that farmers around the world should be looking to colleagues who have come up with innovative ways of using each drop more efficiently.
BP urges progress on global carbon price
21 Mar 2014
By ED KING .- Oil giant BP says regional and national carbon pricing policies are likely to be the best way to tackle climate change.
EU climate ambitions clouded by calendar issues
21 Mar 2014
European Union heads of states preparing for a summit opening in Brussels today are divided about when to adopt a new climate change target, as the EC’s preferred 40 per cent greenhouse gas reductions goal sails into the distance.
Key downgrades New York climate talks
14 Mar 2014
Holding the general election on September 20 could mean New Zealand doesn’t have a leader in place to attend the United Nations’ Climate Summit in New York.
Asia-Pacific must boost food supply, says UN
14 Mar 2014
Governments in the Asia-Pacific region – which has more hungry people than all the other regions of the world combined – should take some major decisions about ways to increase food production and address undernourishment, says the United Nations.
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.
Is Beehive about to act on low carbon prices?
28 Feb 2014
The Government might be getting ready to finally take action on dismal domestic carbon prices.
Climate laws cover nearly 90% of carbon pollution
28 Feb 2014
By ED KING .-More than 60 countries responsible for 88 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions now have legislation aimed at cutting carbon pollution and promoting green growth.
UN kicks off year of focus on island states
28 Feb 2014
The United Nations has launched the International Year of Small Island Developing States – a chance to address increasing environmental degradation, and social and economic marginalisation in those countries.
Angry Maori take carbon case to UN
21 Feb 2014
Frustrated Maori will take their carbon price grievances to the United Nations next week.
UN presses for action on sustainability crises
21 Feb 2014
The water, sanitation and sustainable energy crises are the among the world’s pre-eminent development challenges, a senior United Nations official has warned.
British farmers keen on Kiwi scientist's no-tillage methods
14 Feb 2014
New Zealand soil scientist and no-till drill manufacturer Dr John Baker says his ideas are being picked up in Britain.
Angry Maori table $600,000 carbon ultimatum
7 Feb 2014
Maori say they will lodge a $600 million Treaty of Waitangi claim if the Government doesn’t move fast to shore up carbon prices.
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.
It's all our own fault, says final UN report
7 Feb 2014
Global warming is unequivocal, the final version of the latest United Nations report on climate change has warned.
Bloomberg takes climate job to rev up cities
7 Feb 2014
Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has been charged with galvanising urban action to reduce greenhouse emissions.
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.
Helen Clark warns of ‘humanity divided’
31 Jan 2014
The widening gap between rich and poor in many countries is unjust and slows human progress, says former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark.
Badlands could cost us a ‘Brazil’, says report
31 Jan 2014
If demand for new land on which to grow food continues at the current rate, by 2050 an area nearly the size of Brazil could be ruined, warns a new report.
Change ahead, so business needs to get smart
24 Jan 2014
Smart companies will have clear strategic objectives and flexible tactical responses to deal with on-going disruptive change likely to be caused by carbon policy this year, Westpac’s international carbon desk says.
Time to dump high-carbon investments, says UN
24 Jan 2014
Investors have been urged to accelerate the greening of their portfolios as a crucial step toward a low-carbon economy.
ETS dysfunctional, says forestry academic
20 Dec 2013
Deforesation and a lack of new planting means New Zealand is unlikely to meet its 2030 emissions reduction target, a forestry expert is warning.
Govt releases climate change commitment report
13 Dec 2013
The Government has just released the Sixth National Communication on Climate Change report.
We need climate-smart agriculture, says UN
13 Dec 2013
Agroforestry, diversification of crops with legumes and other practical measures must be scaled up to end hunger, says United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
China’s path to green economy fraught with challenges
6 Dec 2013
China is facing significant environmental and social challenges that must be addressed if it is to achieve its sustainable development goals, the United Nations says.
Wind industry wants gas turned down
6 Dec 2013
The wind energy industry is calling for New Zealand’s baseload gas-fired generation to be retired to converted to peaker plants.
NZ none the wiser after rejecting refugee’s case
29 Nov 2013
New Zealand has dealt with what is claimed to be the world’s first climate change refugee by throwing his case out of court and earmarking him and his family for deportation.
Warsaw wobbles … and now we're off to Paris
29 Nov 2013
Almost 200 countries have signed a deal on climate change in Warsaw, marking the start of a journey toward a binding international agreement at the 2015 UN climate talks in Paris.
COP delegates scrap over who will pay the bills
22 Nov 2013
The UN COP19 climate conference is approaching the critical stage and could be scuttled over who pays for damage from events like Typhoon Haiyan, says Green MP Dr Kennedy Graham.
Take a searching look at our rivers ... and be in the draw to win a copy of this book
22 Nov 2013
DAVID YOUNG has updated his 1986 historical geography Faces of the River. His new book is entitled, Rivers: New Zealand’s Shared Legacy, from Random House. In the politically and ecologically altered landscapes of the past quarter-century, almost nothing remains the same. This is especially true of our river systems, and especially of our lowland rivers. To go in the draw to win a copy of Rivers just email [email protected] with 'rivers' in the subject line.
New-look Christchurch wins accolades at Warsaw
22 Nov 2013
The Christchurch rebuild has been recognised internationally as the best current example of urban regeneration.
Coal industry must radically diversify, says UN
22 Nov 2013
The coal industry must radically transform and diversify to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, a senior United Nations official said in Warsaw, stressing that companies must assess the risks of doing business as usual.
What's going on in world carbon markets
22 Nov 2013
The Carbon Reduction Fund in Australia, backloading in Europe, markets linking in North America and the first carbon auction in China ... Westpac's carbon desk reviews the international carbon markets:
Business needs to back deforestation battle
22 Nov 2013
The REDD scheme alone will not combat deforestation – business needs to step up to the plate, says the author of a new book launched in Warsaw this week.
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.
Here we go again ... still talking
15 Nov 2013
United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification executive secretary MONIQUE BARBUT warns of imminent social chaos if we continue to ignore the impacts of climate change:
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:
Meet Kennedy Graham, green sheep of the family ... and a man business would be wise to watch
8 Nov 2013
By editor ADELIA HALLETT. The irony of an ancestor owning a coal mine is not lost on Dr Kennedy Graham.
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.
Doha decision forced hand on setting 5% emissions target, says Groser
1 Nov 2013
New Zealand’s expulsion from international carbon markets was a factor in the Government’s setting of this country’s 2020 emissions reduction target.
UN launches energy hub … with a plea
25 Oct 2013
The world is at a “tipping point,” and how it produces, distributes and uses energy will determine if sustainable development succeeds, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon believes.
Islands have three-pronged approach to climate change
25 Oct 2013
Carbon Market Solutions chief WAYNE KING continues his analysis of ways in which climate change is being addressed in the Pacific:
NZ part of hidden global deep-sea network beneath the waves
Fri 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.
Does NZ need a national incentive scheme for wetlands?
Fri 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”.
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”.
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.
Is extending Huntly power station to 2035 in consumers’ best interest?
Tue 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?
Greenpeace hails Italy court ruling allowing climate lawsuit against energy company to go ahead
Fri 25 Jul 2025
Italy’s highest court has ruled that a lawsuit brought by climate activists against Italian energy company ENI and its government shareholders can go ahead.
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.
EU wants to see China take more ambitious climate action
15 Jul 2025
The world needs China to show more leadership on climate action, highlighting the importance of cutting planet-heating emissions and reducing the Chinese economy's reliance on coal.
Forestry can be a big plus for sheep and beef farmers – but there are caveats
Tue 22 Jul 2025
By Keith Woodford | OPINION: These are good times for sheep and beef farmers with record product prices for meat, which is precisely why now is the time for sheep and beef farmers to be looking again at farm forestry.
Common low-grade clay strengthens low-carbon concrete
5 Jun 2025
Media release | Engineers at RMIT University have converted low-grade clay into a high-performance cement supplement, opening a potential new market in sustainable construction materials.
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.
Media round-up
Fri 25 Jul 2025
In our round-up of the climate coverage in local media: Dairy conversions surge; Gore is hit with a drinking water crisis; meanwhile farming lobby groups Groundswell and Federated Farmers are up in arms about a plan to classify environmental impacts in the agriculture and forestry sector.
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.
Extreme weather events are the new frontline of online climate denial – report
Thu 24 Jul 2025
Climate science deniers are flooding social media with false claims during extreme weather events, drowning out reliable information and putting lives at risk.
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.
‘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.
NZ govt’s fossil fuel plans could break international law
Thu 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.
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.
SBTi releases Net Zero Standard for banks, investors
Thu 24 Jul 2025
The Science Based Targets initiative announced the release of its finalised Financial Institutions Net-Zero Standard, aimed at enabling banks and investors to set net zero-aligned targets for their lending, investing, insurance and capital markets activities.
Local govt bill 'completely misses the point,' passes first reading
18 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government’s bill making changes to the Local Government Act to "refocus" councils on their core functions passed its first reading in Parliament last night, with critics saying it will set back climate resilience.
Methanex closure comes early this year
14 May 2025
The almost-now-annual closure of Methanex has come earlier this year, giving more confidence that the electricity system will get through the winter without a fuel shortfall.
Electric firebricks: decarbonising high-temperature industrial heat
13 Jun 2025
By Ian Mason | A new technology could offer a more cost-effective solution than hydrogen to decarbonise one ‘hard-to-abate’ sector of New Zealand’s economy, as well as having ample potential for demand response as the electricity grid becomes more renewable.
Climate catastrophes are creating a ‘new market reality’ for insurance carriers
Wed 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.
The ICJ’s ruling means Australia and other major polluters face a new era of climate reparations
Fri 25 Jul 2025
By Harj Narulla | OPINION: Australia has found itself on the wrong side of history.
Clear-sighted view to trade-offs crucial to reimagining our relationship with the land
7 Jul 2025
By Nick Swallow | COMMENT: New Zealand could see a 70% drop in the value of dairy land if we pursue our emissions targets for agriculture, according to a new report.
Elation as Whanganui gets voice in fast-track seabed mining decision
Thu 24 Jul 2025
By Moana Ellis, Local Democracy Reporter | A Whanganui District councillor is “elated” her council has been named a relevant authority in the fast-track application process for a seabed mining project off South Taranaki.
Urgent action needed to get on track for climate goals - commission
Fri 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.
Ocean heatwaves may signal climate tipping point
Fri 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.
Markets aren't going to save us – Carr
9 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Consumerism is reaching its ecological and economic limits, and only systemic change - not market tweaks - can steer us away from climate catastrophe, according to former Climate Change Commission chair Rod Carr.
Millions of tons of tiny plastic particles are polluting the ocean, study finds
15 Jul 2025
At least 27 million tonnes of nanoplastics are estimated to be floating in the North Atlantic Ocean, weighing more than all wild land mammals combined.
Another offensive launched in the government’s war on nature
Thu 24 Jul 2025
Media release - Environmental Defence Society | Last week the Minister for Resource Management Reform, Chris Bishop, announced that the government would be intervening, yet again, to prevent councils from progressing environmental protections under the Resource Management Act.
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.
Switching to renewables is ‘smart economics’ - Guterres
Thu 24 Jul 2025
The global energy transition is now “unstoppable” due to “smart economics”, UN secretary-general António Guterres has said in an online speech titled: “A moment of opportunity.”
Root intelligence: How old trees learn to suck more CO2 from the air
Thu 24 Jul 2025
New research finds that centuries-old oaks can dynamically rewire how they absorb nutrients—suggesting forests may be more resilient allies in the climate fight than once believed.
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?
Wed 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.
Fast, sustained phase-out of fossil fuels: best-performing countries in coal and transport sectors
10 Jul 2025
By Robert McLachlan | It’s true that climate change is getting worse – it will continue to get worse until emissions fall to near zero. But is action on phasing out fossil fuels really stalling?
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.
