Topics tagged with 'United Nations'
Disasters drain Asia-Pacific economies
1 Jul 2011
Asia-Pacific countries must pull together to overcome natural calamities that have set back the region’s road to economic recovery, a United Nations official told a disaster risk reduction meeting in Bangkok.
NZ spearheads agri-emissions research
24 Jun 2011
The Government has just revealed details of a $25 million fund for international research on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from pastoral farming.
Six things companies need to know about climate change
24 Jun 2011
Most businesses in a global survey have described responding to climate risks or investing in adaptation as a business opportunity.
Why cities are at the business end of climate challenge
24 Jun 2011
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called on United States mayors to help in the worldwide fight against climate change and other energy challenges.
All's not well after Bonn climate talks
24 Jun 2011
A two-week United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting held in Bonn, Germany, this month drew 3500 people representing 190 nations, Carbon Market Solutions reports.
Try incentives for farmers, says broker
17 Jun 2011
A scheme similar to the United Nations Joint Implementation programme should be used to encourage farmers to cut greenhouse gas emissions, says a New Zealand carbon consultant.
WWF calls for countries to act on carbon
17 Jun 2011
Fast and scaled-up support for innovative approaches to developing a low-carbon economy is both possible and essential, says a new WWF report.
Why food and jobs will go as water dries up
17 Jun 2011
A worldwide shortage of water for agriculture will increasingly affect rural jobs and food supplies, says a new survey.
Get rid of soot and smog, urges report
17 Jun 2011
Fast action to curb soot and smog could improve human health, generate higher crop yields, reduce climate change and slow the melting of the Arctic, according to a new report.
Huge benefits in forest spending, says UN
10 Jun 2011
Investing a relatively small amount each year in the forestry sector could halve deforestation, create millions of new jobs and help to tackle the devastating effects of climate change, says a new UN report.
Act now on Cancun pact, urges climate chief
10 Jun 2011
Amid new warnings about the rise in greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere, the top UN climate change official has called on governments to make progress in the fight against global warming.
FORUM: Britain can't do it alone
3 Jun 2011
Climate change is a huge threat to prosperity and security, and the United Kingdom can't tackle it alone, writes British High Commission to New Zealand first secetary Tony Clemson.
Progress on Kyoto forestry rules, says industry
3 Jun 2011
The international forestry and wood products industry is working on the detail of a proposal to have the carbon in wood products recognised in international carbon accounting rules.
Carbon emissions reach record high
3 Jun 2011
Energy-related carbon-dioxide emissions in 2010 were the highest in history, according to the latest estimates by the International Energy Agency.
Go natural, UN tells fashion designers
3 Jun 2011
Fashion designers have been asked by the United Nations to make more use of natural and recycled clothing and fabrics.
Legal eagles look at help for island nations
3 Jun 2011
Legal experts from around the world, joined by UN Ambassadors, have ended a groundbreaking meeting to look for answers to long-term risks for island nations posed by climate impacts.
Metal recycling ‘discouragingly low,’ says UN
27 May 2011
Metal recycling rates worldwide are discouragingly low, according to a new report by the United Nations Environment Programme.
… and mountains of e-waste grow world-wide
27 May 2011
With the mountains of hazardous waste from electronic products growing daily, the United Nations has called for new recycling technologies and regulations to safeguard both public health and the environment.
Watchdog slams new gas calculation rules
27 May 2011
New rules for calculating emission reductions from industrial gas projects undermine the Montreal Protocol and risk carbon leakage, CDM Watch says.
No danger of Australia leading the world
27 May 2011
A common argument used by people in NZ and in other countries to avoid becoming involved in climate change mitigation and carbon pricing is the”why should we lead the world on this issue” argument.
Government eyes fewer NZU allocations
20 May 2011
The Government expects to allocate 25 per cent fewer NZUs under the Emissions Trading Scheme next year than this year.
Why world economies must go green
20 May 2011
The world must radically alter the way it produces and consumes materials if genuinely sustainable development is going to take root, the head of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation said yesterday.
UN hands out six green star awards
20 May 2011
An organisation tackling health-threatening pollution in developing countries and a renowned academic working to make houses safer during earthquakes are among the recipients of UN awards announced yesterday.
Renewable energy can do the job, say experts
13 May 2011
Renewable energy sources such as solar power, wind, biomass and hydropower could meet nearly 80 per cent of the world’s energy supplies by 2050, a United Nations-backed report says.
They are the Champions … of the Earth
13 May 2011
Mexico’s President Felipe Calderon, singer Angélique Kidjo and adventurer Louis Palmer are among this year’s five winners of a United Nations award that honours contributions to the global effort to protect the environment.
FORUM: It's time to shut up and pay up
6 May 2011
It's time to put our money where our mouths are and stump up with the cash, writes British High Commissioner Vicki Treadwell.
UN aims for world ban on pesticide
6 May 2011
The insecticide endosulfan has been added to the list of persistent organic pollutants to be eliminated worldwide.
Clark urges businesses to go low carbon
29 Apr 2011
Former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark has made an international appeal for businesses to transform their enterprises into low-carbon operations that are environmentally sound and benefit communities.
NZ drags chain in drive for green growth
21 Apr 2011
All over the world, writes British High Commission first secretary TONY CLEMSON in a personal view, countries are going low-carbon and getting ready to reap the financial rewards. But not New Zealand.
We can cut carbon ... so why fudge the figures?
21 Apr 2011
New Zealand has a wealth of carbon-reduction opportunities - so why is it fudging figures to the United Nations, asks Sustainability Council executive director SIMON TERRY.
Carbon pollution climbs in Australia
21 Apr 2011
Carbon pollution is continuing to rise in Australia, according to latest figures from the Department of Climate Change.
Climate-fight billions can be raised, says EU
21 Apr 2011
The European Union says that it is possible to raise the huge amounts of money needed to address climate change in developing countries.
UN spotlight goes on rainforest threats
15 Apr 2011
Officials from more than 35 nations will gather at a United Nations-backed conference next month to discuss the common challenges faced by the world’s three major rainforest regions.
Design a green app and win $10,000
15 Apr 2011
The United Nations has launched a contest that will reward the winner with $10,000 for devising the most innovative “app,” or mobile telephone application, that tackles the subject of climate change.
Green Africa envy of the world, says UN
8 Apr 2011
Africa is well poised to take advantage of a host of opportunities on the continent for building a green economy, says a senior United Nations official.
World gets another chance at Rio 2012
11 Mar 2011
Talks in Rio de Janeiro next year will be an chance for countries to strengthen their commitment to making the transition to a green economy, says a senior UN official.
No-fly Bill catches a slow boat
4 Mar 2011
Australian entrepreneur and philanthropist Bill Liao has taken a slow boat to America.
Climate chief urges action on Cancún accords
4 Mar 2011
The United Nations climate change chief has called on governments to quickly transform the agreements reached in the Mexican city of Cancún last year into tangible action on the ground.
We could be driving on waste toner
4 Mar 2011
Three Kiwi companies are investigating whether waste residue toner from recycled cartridges can be re-used in New Zealand roads.
UN chief calls for a global revolution
18 Feb 2011
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for a “revolution” in how the world defines prosperity and relates to nature.
Sustainability pioneer runs for Kiwi-of-the-year award
28 Jan 2011
A pioneer of sustainable business is in the running to be named New Zealander of the Year.
Dramatic emissions cuts possible, says UN
28 Jan 2011
Dramatic cuts in industrial emissions of greenhouse gas emissions are achievable in developed and developing countries at an acceptable cost, the United Nations says.
PHEW! 2010 warmest year on record, says UN
21 Jan 2011
The year 2010 ranked as the warmest on record – together with 2005 and 1998 – according to the UN World Meteorological Organisation (WMO).
Gap between NZUs and CERs widens
21 Jan 2011
The spot NZU market has weakened slightly this week, trading between $18.90 and $19.30 on about 300,000 tonnes, OMFinancial reports.
CANCUN: Significant step forward
17 Dec 2010
New Zealand climate change minister Tim Groser and Nick Smith say that the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Cancún, Mexico, is a significant step towards a global, legally binding and comprehensive agreement on climate change.
CANCUN: A clearer picture is emerging
17 Dec 2010
A clearer overall framework for global greenhouse gas emissions reductions is emerging - even if more work is needed to develop market mechanisms, writes Business New Zealand energy, enviornment and infrastructure manager John Carnegie from Cancun.
CANCUN: What the scientists are saying
17 Dec 2010
Leading climate scientists from New Zealand, Australia and Britain say progress was made in Cancun - but not enough to prevent dangerous climate warming.
CANCUN: Climate agreements at a glance
17 Dec 2010
Most agree the UN climate summit in Mexico made some progress in the struggle to deal with climate change.
Millions of lives at risk, says shock report
17 Dec 2010
Governments are gambling recklessly with human lives by wilfully underestimating the depth of the emission cuts they must make in the next 40 years, a new study has found.
New hub lists shipping pollution info
10 Dec 2010
Ratings on the greenhouse gas efficiency of more than 60,000 ships is now available free of charge on a new website.
New research on climate adaptation as severe weather hits
Mon 16 Feb 2026
As extreme weather batters the country yet again, researchers have published the first ever empirical study of climate adaptation justice in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Outdated land-use system unfit for modern environmental regulation, commissioner warns
Mon 16 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand’s long-standing Land Use Capability (LUC) system is no longer fit for regulatory decision-making, according to a new review from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.
NZ’s government wants tourism to drive economic growth – but how will it deal with aviation emissions?
22 Oct 2025
By Robert McLachlan, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University | Following a brief dip during the COVID pandemic, aviation is back in a growth phase.
Why Trump might be onboard with a UN carbon-offset programme for airlines
Thu 12 Feb 2026
The president’s team has backed the rollout of an initiative that calls for the use of sustainable aviation fuel and carbon credits, even as Trump has pulled back from other international emissions-reduction efforts.
World fight against invasive species comes to Auckland
10 Feb 2026
Media release: University of Auckland | From countering invasive pink salmon in Norway to controlling feral cats in the Cayman Islands, knowledge on eradicating invasive species will be shared by international experts in New Zealand.
Govt launches strategy backing wood-based heat sector
23 Oct 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Forestry biomass could replace as much as 40% of fossil fuel-generated process heat by 2050, but access to supply, regulatory settings and business cases for converting to wood-based heat sources are required, the Government says in a series of documents released yesterday.
Carbon market rallies but auction floor still out of reach
Fri 13 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market has rallied, with secondary market prices up more than 25% in the past two weeks, although current prices in the mid-$40s are still far below this year’s $71 auction floor, with the first auction of 2026 less than three weeks away.
US pressures Vanuatu at UN over ICJ’s landmark climate change ruling
Mon 16 Feb 2026
The United States is urging governments to pressure Vanuatu to withdraw a United Nations draft resolution supporting a landmark International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruling that countries have a legal obligation to act on climate change.
Minister’s letters: Mildly positive or just virtue signalling?
5 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The carbon market was buoyed slightly yesterday, after letters between the Government and the Climate Change Commission were proactively released.
Flawed decision-making around taxing electricity to fund LNG import terminal
Mon 16 Feb 2026
By Simon Orme | COMMENT: The Government's decision to back an LNG import terminal exemplifies an egregious failure in public policy and energy sector governance.
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.
RMA’s successors hinge on two untested bets
17 Dec 2025
Two ideas sit at the heart of the Government’s replacement for the Resource Management Act: regulatory relief and spatial planning.
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.
EU weighing options to support industry in carbon market overhaul
9 Feb 2026
The European Commission is looking at various ways to support industries in an upcoming overhaul of the EU carbon market to prevent them moving to areas with lower pollution standards, the head of the Commission’s climate department said late on Wednesday.
France bets on nuclear in new plan to cut fossil fuel imports
Mon 16 Feb 2026
The French government unveiled a 10-year energy strategy that leans heavily on nuclear power and offshore wind farms to curb fossil fuel dependence. Environmental groups criticised a 'stubborn insistence on believing in the nuclear myth'.
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.
Media round-up
Fri 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?
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.
'Damning' report challenges forestry’s role in Tairāwhiti as sector rejects conclusions
4 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New independent analysis commissioned by Mana Taiao Tairāwhiti challenges long-standing claims that industrial forestry underpins the Tairāwhiti economy.
Explosive risk brings caution call on LNG
Mon 16 Feb 2026
By Craig Ashworth, Local Democracy Reporter | Community energy lobbyists say a Liquified Natural Gas terminal in Taranaki must be built far from homes to protect locals from the risk of catastrophic explosions.
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.”
European Central Bank's green supervision grows teeth, but will banks avoid being bitten?
Fri 13 Feb 2026
After several years of issuing guidance and repeatedly calling on banks to take climate and environmental risk management seriously, the European Central Bank is moving from guidance and expectations to enforcement.
Green Member’s Bill aims to give whales legal ‘personhood’
9 Feb 2026
The Green Party wants to give whales legal rights, including the right to sue.
No such thing as 'clean gas': if advertisers can act, why can’t politicians?
Mon 16 Feb 2026
COMMENT: In the rankings of least trusted professionals, advertising executives usually sit at the bottom along with politicians and real estate agents. But there’s one area where the advertising industry can now justifiably hold itself above politicians – stopping greenwashing by the gas industry.
Govt missing opportunity to slash electricity prices, says expert
Wed 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.
Hydrogen emissions are ‘supercharging’ the warming impact of methane
19 Dec 2025
The warming impact of hydrogen has been “overlooked” in projections of climate change, according to authors of the latest “global hydrogen budget”.
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.
Lawyers seek answers on climate impacts of LNG import facility
Fri 13 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Lawyers for Climate Action has written to Climate Change and Energy Minister Simon Watts warning that the Government's plan for an LNG import terminal could be in conflict with New Zealand’s climate obligations and emissions reduction targets.
Govt unveils plans for carbon storage regulations – and ETS rewards
18 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government has released plans to regulate carbon capture and storage in natural geological formations, which include Emissions Trading Scheme incentives, with the aim of introducing related legislation in 2026.
Ministers celebrate fast-track milestone amid criticism
10 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The government is marking the first anniversary of its fast-track approvals regime, saying it is helping “build New Zealand’s future”, despite continued criticism from environmental groups, opposition parties, and industry voices following several controversial project decisions.
Govt looks to Commission for ways to shore up carbon price
4 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government has asked the Climate Change Commission to look at lower auction volumes and an increase in the auction floor price as options to revive the Emissions Trading Scheme, as carbon prices remain weak.
NZ's latest climate target 'weak' – Climate Action Tracker
24 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's new international climate target to 2035 is weak, and could even allow for higher emissions than the 2030 target, according to a global scientific project that tracks government climate action.
Climate change linked to decline in southern right whale
Thu 12 Feb 2026
Scientists in Australia are warning southern right whales are showing signs of climate-related stress, just days after a Green Party Member’s Bill was introduced in New Zealand proposing legal personhood for whales.
Climate ambassador moves on
Fri 13 Feb 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government is on the hunt for a new top climate diplomat, with previous climate ambassador Stu Horne moving on to a posting in Honolulu as New Zealand’s Consul General to Hawai’i.
Commentators slam Govt inaction in aftermath of climate change-fuelled storms
30 Jan 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate action - or inaction - is shaping up to be an election issue, with multiple commentators drawing a line between the Coalition Government’s backsliding on climate targets and the deadly extreme weather events of the past week.
Kiwi startup takes on global plastic pollution
Thu 12 Feb 2026
A New Zealand startup is launching what it says is the world’s first plastic-free effervescent drink tablet, with the ambitious aim of eliminating bottled beverages to reduce global plastic pollution.
Space growth plan sparks climate and ozone warnings
Mon 16 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government’s decision to increase the number of New Zealand's permitted space launches tenfold – from 100 to 1000 – has prompted warnings from scientists about potential impacts on the ozone layer and Southern Hemisphere climate systems.
Australia's Liberals elect net zero opponent as new leader
Mon 16 Feb 2026
Australia's opposition Liberal Party elected as leader on Friday a conservative who lobbied to drop its commitment to net zero emissions, as it seeks to counter an insurgent populist right and rebuild support after a disastrous election loss last year.
Greenpeace set to take UK Government to court over deep-sea mining licences
5 Feb 2026
Environmental NGO Greenpeace has kick-started a legal challenge against the UK Government’s decision to approve the transfer of two seabed exploration licences to a newly-formed mining company with US links.
Critical minerals talks with US questioned in Waitangi Tribunal climate inquiry
9 Feb 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand and the United States' negotiations over critical minerals have raised questions for the Waitangi Tribunal’s long-running inquiry into climate change.
Africa leads growth in solar energy as demand spreads beyond traditional markets, report says
Mon 16 Feb 2026
A report shows that Africa has emerged as the world's fastest-growing solar market even as global growth slowed last year, driven by a 60% surge in imports of solar panels from China.
Solar households to get little-noticed tax break
23 Sep 2025
A provision in the government’s latest tax bill would exempt households from paying tax on income they earn by selling excess electricity back to the grid.
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.
China maximises battery recycling to shore up critical mineral supplies
Wed 11 Feb 2026
Beijing is bracing for a tsunami of spent EV batteries by taking steps to boost recycling – a strategy that could also cut its reliance on imports of clean energy minerals.
EU to ban destruction of unsold clothes and shoes
Thu 12 Feb 2026
The European Commission has adopted new measures that will require medium and large companies to stop discarding unsold clothing and footwear, in the bloc’s latest move to target textile waste.
January floods driven by tropical systems and La Niña conditions
Thu 12 Feb 2026
Record-breaking rainfall across parts of Aotearoa in January was fuelled by tropical moisture and persistent low-pressure systems, with some regions recording more than five times their normal monthly rainfall, Earth Sciences New Zealand says.
Argentina fires ravage pristine Patagonia forests, fueling criticism of Milei’s austerity
4 Feb 2026
The wildfires, among the worst to hit the drought-stricken Patagonia region in decades, have devastated more than 45,000 hectares (174 square miles) of Argentina’s forests in the last month and a half, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents and tourists.
Hydrogen plant to start construction
10 Feb 2026
Construction is set to start this month on Hiringa Energy’s long delayed green hydrogen project in South Taranaki, after years of consenting fights that culminated in the Court of Appeal rejecting Greenpeace’s challenge in late 2023.
