Topics tagged with 'United Nations'
ETS review: Where are emissions reductions?
16 Sep 2011
With each change to the Emissions Trading Scheme, the subsidy regime is expanded and the taxpayer picks up more of the tab, while there is minimal impact on gross emissions, the Sustainability Council says.
Forests failure will cost plenty, says UN
16 Sep 2011
The United Nations and a coalition of financial institutions have warned that huge losses, both financial and environmental, could result from a failure to agree on a climate change agreement that spurs private sector investment in efforts to reduce deforestation and forest degradation.
Well done New Zealand, says Europe
9 Sep 2011
New Zealand has been congratulated by Europe for its emissions trading scheme.
Plan aims to break ship emissions deadlock
9 Sep 2011
A proposed deal to apply a carbon price to international shipping would tackle the huge and growing greenhouse gas emissions from ships, a new report says.
Greens push for Pacific climate action
9 Sep 2011
New Zealand and Australia can, and must, lead on real action to respond to climate change to save the endangered Pacific Island nations, the Green Party says.
Hotel green scheme makes business sense
2 Sep 2011
Hotels will be able to contribute to climate change mitigation while also increasing their profits under a new green scheme.
UN wants clean energy revolution
26 Aug 2011
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has called for a clean energy revolution to help to transform the global economy and put the world on a cleaner, safer, more equitable path.
How investing in ecosystems pays off
26 Aug 2011
Investing in healthy ecosystems can boost food security, improve resilience to climate change and provide economic benefits for poor communities, says a new United Nations report.
Ban puts sustainable development at No 1
19 Aug 2011
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today that sustainable development will remain his top priority during his second term as the head of the United Nations.
UN exhorts academia to find solutions
12 Aug 2011
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has called on the world’s best brains to come up with ideas to promote sustainable development and to find solutions to global hunger and malnutrition.
Ships face new fuel rules in Antarctic
5 Aug 2011
Ships sailing Antarctic waters now face restrictions on the type of fuel they can use.
Tool measures emissions from buildings
5 Aug 2011
A tool developed by the United Nations for measuring energy use and carbon dioxide emissions in homes and offices could lead to the creation of a uniform system for defining the climate impact of buildings.
Countdown begins to sustainable Olympics
29 Jul 2011
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has started a one-year countdown clock for next year’s Olympic Games in London, which have been dedicated to the goal of sustainability.
Youth group makes zero-carbon stand
22 Jul 2011
A new youth-based political movement is calling for today’s carbon bills to be paid today.
UN warns of climate threats to security
22 Jul 2011
Climate change is a real threat to international peace and security, says United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
There must be a better way, says tiny kingdom
22 Jul 2011
A Himalayan kingdom that values happiness over productivity has warned that consumerism is draining the world of key natural resources and is helping to spark or to worsen fuel, water and financial crises.
Govt under fire over southern lignite
15 Jul 2011
The Government came under fire in Parliament this week for supporting plans for a lignite mine in Southland while talking about how the world should phase out subsidies for fossil fuels.
Scientists pinpoint vital role of forests
15 Jul 2011
The world’s established forests remove 2.4 billion tonnes of carbon per year from the atmosphere – equivalent to one third of current annual fossil fuel emissions – according to research published today in the journal Science.
Renewable energy making its mark on the world
15 Jul 2011
The renewable energy sector has continued to perform well despite the global economic slowdown, cuts in incentives, and low natural-gas prices, according to a new United Nations-backed report.
UN to rule on Honduras CDM case
15 Jul 2011
The United Nation's Clean Development Mechanism Executive Board will decide this week whether to register a controversial carbon offsetting project in Honduras linked to serious human rights abuses, CDM Watch says.
Sorry, say experts, it's no longer business as usual
8 Jul 2011
Humanity is close to breaching the sustainability of Earth, and needs a technological revolution greater - and faster - than the industrial revolution to avoid “a major planetary catastrophe,” according to a new United Nations report.
Africa ready for carbon deals, says UN
8 Jul 2011
Africa is ripe for carbon offset projects, United Nations experts this week told a meeting in Morocco.
UN panel wants halt to CDM coal projects
8 Jul 2011
A United Nations panel of technical experts has called for the immediate suspension of coal projects under the Clean Development Mechanisms after an analysis revealed that current rules could lead to millions of artificial carbon credits, the lobby group CDM Watch says.
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.
NZ Govt’s move to halt climate litigation under international scrutiny
Tue 19 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Local and international NGOs have signed an open letter calling on the Government to reconsider its decision to shield major emitters from legal liability for climate-related harm.
Media round-up
Fri 15 May 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The government's move to change climate law removes a key protection for NZ citizens, farmers should be paid to use methane-busting tools, and it's one step forward, three steps back on environment policy.
$30m airline fund risks ‘burning public money’ without lasting benefit – expert
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | A $30 million government package to support regional air routes risks delivering poor value for money while increasing emissions, according to transport strategist Tim Adriaansen.
Europe has 'maybe six weeks of jet fuel left', energy boss warns
20 Apr 2026
Stocks would reach a tipping point in June if Europe was unable to replace at least half of its imports from the Middle East, the organisation said in a report this week.
Govt unveils long-awaited voluntary carbon market guidance
Fri 15 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has released long-awaited guidance for New Zealand’s voluntary carbon and nature markets, as questions continue for the sector despite ministers signalling support for its growth.
Biomass sector asks: where did the love go?
Mon 18 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand has sufficient biomass in its plantation forests to replace natural gas for industrial process heat at lower costs than electrification, but is failing to get the attention it deserves, sector leaders say.
Carbon News updates forward curve
13 May 2026
Carbon News has updated its ten-year NZU forward curve, following a recent rise in spot market prices, with NZUs rallying from about $34 in January to nearly $54 in early May.
Declare climate crisis a global public health emergency, experts tell WHO
Tue 19 May 2026
The climate crisis should be declared a global public health emergency by the World Health Organization, or millions more people will die unnecessarily, leading international experts have said.
Drop in ETS forestry registrations
5 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | ETS forestry registrations have dropped off this year, with the new mandatory emissions return period, new land-use rules, and carbon price volatility all meaning participants aren’t rushing to register forestry in the emissions trading scheme.
Hipkins pans LNG plan as ‘massive step backwards’
Tue 19 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Labour leader Chris Hipkins has told a Queenstown audience that a Government he leads would not proceed with a planned LNG import terminal, if elected at November’s election.
Tairāwhiti deserves better than weakened forestry rules
5 May 2026
OPINION: The government's proposed amendments to forestry standards, released yesterday, ignore the hard lessons learned in our region and ignore the voices that have fought hardest to protect it, writes Manu Caddie.
Green building council calls for clean energy policies
Mon 18 May 2026
The New Zealand Green Building Council has released its 2026 election manifesto calling for policies to reduce energy waste in buildings, lower household and business energy costs, and improve New Zealand’s energy security.
What Magyar’s defeat of Orbán in Hungary means for climate and energy
21 Apr 2026
Hungary has played a disproportionate role in EU climate and energy policy in recent years, by repeatedly vetoing climate action and by delaying the phaseout of Russian fossil-fuel imports.
Conservation land open for voluntary carbon market schemes
12 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government is to open up the Crown-owned conservation estate to private investment in voluntary carbon market projects.
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.
Future big droughts may be worse than we think – NZ’s past shows why
Mon 18 May 2026
By Adam Brown, University of Waikato; Dave Frame, University of Canterbury, and Luke Harrington, University of Waikato | For an agricultural nation like New Zealand, severe drought is one of the most ominous consequences of a warming planet.
EDS urges MPs to scrap the Fisheries Amendment Bill
5 May 2026
Media release | The Environmental Defence Society today lodged a substantive submission on the Fisheries Amendment Bill.
Govt presses ahead with forestry rule changes despite opposition
Thu 14 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is pushing ahead with changes to commercial forestry rules despite most submitters opposing the proposals, with critics warning the reforms will weaken councils’ ability to manage erosion and forestry slash risks in vulnerable regions such as Tairāwhiti.
Greenpeace's new fuel crisis scorecard: Coalition flunks, Labour offers few commitments
Tue 19 May 2026
Media release | As fuel prices remain high and the Budget looms closer, Greenpeace Aotearoa has released a scorecard ranking political parties on practical solutions to cut dependence on imported fossil fuels and shield households from oil and gas price shocks.
RMA to speed up fossil fuel consents
18 Aug 2025
By Liz Kivi | An energy lobby group has welcomed a last-minute amendment to the RMA that puts fossil fuels on the same footing as renewables, however a sustainable energy expert says the move “beggars belief.”
New funding for low methane farming uptake
29 Apr 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | The government will co-fund projects under an Early Adoption Accelerator scheme announced today to accelerate the uptake of low emissions farming technologies emerging from the AgriZero public-private partnership.
A real ‘intergenerational equity’ budget would address Australia’s unceasing environmental decline
Fri 15 May 2026
Labor has unveiled a budget designed to tackle intergenerational equity in Australia through bold tax reform.
Why ‘greenhushing’ signals deeper issues with NZ’s climate risk reporting regime
Fri 15 May 2026
By Hang Pham, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington | Most of us are familiar with the concept of greenwashing: organisations exaggerating or overstating their environmental credentials. But in New Zealand, there are signs the country’s climate disclosure regime may inadvertently be driving a very different trend: not saying much at all.
‘Formidable’ El Niño expected this winter
29 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Meteorologists are anticipating a significant El Niño influence on weather patterns across the country from winter onwards, with predicted lower rainfall for some areas and heavier rain for others likely to impact multiple sectors of the economy as well as the carbon market.
Victorian Hydrogen announces Southland urea fertiliser project using coal
22 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Australian-based Victorian Hydrogen has announced it is developing a new 1.5 million-tonne-a-year urea fertiliser operation in Southland, which it will apply for under fast-track legislation.
Media round-up
24 Apr 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: What is the real cost of storm-hit infrastructure? Urgency is needed over climate adaptation funding; and a community conservation group has won a legal victory against multinational mining company OceanaGold.
Climate law change spanner in the works for Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry
19 Dec 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s controversial changes to New Zealand’s legal framework for climate policy have thrown a spanner in the works for a long-running Waitangi Tribunal Inquiry into climate change.
Labour condemns Govt plan to stop climate litigation
Fri 15 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Labour Party has slammed the Government’s move to block climate lawsuits against big emitters but won’t say if they would repeal the legislation if elected in November.
GIDI-style help cheaper than LNG: MBIE
11 May 2026
By Pattrick Smellie | Officials advised ministers last July that the lowest-cost way to free up gas for use during dry winters was to assist industrial gas users to switch to electricity.
Govt missing tricks to save fuel in crisis
30 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government is being urged to shift its response to the fuel crisis away from short-term relief and towards measures that reduce demand, with public health experts warning it is missing an opportunity to boost energy security and lower household costs.
Climate risks could reshape business finances, new guidance warns
15 Apr 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New guidance warns climate change is set to fundamentally reshape financial outcomes for businesses, including difficult-to-model climate “tipping points” – irreversible changes such as ice sheet collapse or ocean circulation shifts – which threaten severe and sudden financial impacts.
Move to block lawsuits could strengthen climate case against Govt
Thu 14 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government’s plan to block climate lawsuits – while potentially fatal for one groundbreaking climate case – could actually bolster claims in another live climate case underway against the Government.
Coal mine challenge reaches Aus High Court
13 May 2026
What climate change impacts should a planning authority have to take into account when assessing a mining project?
NZ's latest climate target 'weak' – Climate Action Tracker
24 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand's new international climate target to 2035 is weak, and could even allow for higher emissions than the 2030 target, according to a global scientific project that tracks government climate action.
Deep-sea mining risks biodiversity loss lasting decades, scientists warn
11 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The first comprehensive review of deep-sea mining research has found mining could cause ecological damage lasting decades and, in some ecosystems, irreversible biodiversity loss, with New Zealand experts warning the industry poses major risks to fragile ocean environments.
Environmental groups sue Trump administration over approval of new ultra deep-water drilling project
23 Apr 2026
Environmental groups sued the Trump administration on Monday over its approval last month of oil company BP’s ultra deep-water drilling project in the Gulf of Mexico.
Opposition slams environment ministry merger
13 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Opposition MPs accused the Government of downgrading climate and environmental protections as legislation to abolish the Ministry for the Environment and merge it into a new mega-ministry passed its second reading in Parliament.
Commission urges Govt action on climate risks
7 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Climate change currently poses major risks to our water infrastructure with “significant gaps” in readiness to manage risks and increasing hazards, according to the Climate Change Commission.
ESG funds include petrochemical companies, report finds
5 May 2026
Global banks have invested US$133bn into US petrochemical expansion, even as the industry is linked to climate change.
Urgent need to rethink tourism says expert
Mon 18 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The post-pandemic recovery has created an urgent need to rethink how tourism operates, who benefits from it, and how it impacts the social and environmental systems it depends on, according to new research.
Thousands protest in Germany urging faster shift to renewable energy, amid Iran war
20 Apr 2026
Thousands of people demonstrated across Germany on April 18, urging a faster shift to renewable energy and accusing conservative Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s coalition of putting the brakes on the transition.
Green Party calls for national electrification plan
20 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party is calling for a national plan to electrify homes, transport and industry using renewable energy, to reduce fossil fuel dependence in response to the Middle East crisis.
China widens its clean energy lead
Mon 18 May 2026
Chinese companies account for more than half of global investments in clean energy manufacturing since 2019, while new U.S. investments declined last year.
‘Landmark’ conservation reform bill – boost or bust for nature?
8 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Government has announced an overhaul of the country’s conservation system, which environmental organisation Forest & Bird says will undo the work of many generations of Kiwis to protect public conservation land.
Combined climate extremes may prompt carbon budget rethink
Thu 14 May 2026
Media release: Springer Nature | Combined extreme climate events are likely to become more common in the future if carbon emissions continue to rise, a paper in Nature suggests.
Africa secures major clean energy deals as France deepens investment push
Fri 15 May 2026
French and African leaders have announced more than $11 billion in renewable energy investments across Africa, underscoring the continent’s growing importance in the global push for cleaner energy and industrial development.
Carbon trading schemes cut more emissions than carbon taxes, according to global study
20 Mar 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Carbon trading schemes are more effective than carbon taxes at reducing emissions, cutting fossil fuel use, and accelerating the shift to renewable energy, a global study has found.
Why both trees and technology are important in the race to mitigate carbon emissions
4 May 2026
Different carbon‑removal approaches solve different problems, and pitting these technologies against each other could slow progress.
Pacific climate response in question as NZ finance remains unclear
19 Dec 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With New Zealand's $1.3 billion international climate finance commitment set to end with no clarity on what follows, the Auditor-General says oversight of that funding remains patchy and long-term outcomes are unclear.
More red lights for cars might mean more green lights for sustainable transport
7 May 2026
Media release: Royal Society Open Science | Reducing the amount of green light time for cars at traffic lights could encourage commuters to switch to more sustainable transport.
NZ First moves to revive container return scheme
4 May 2026
By Shannon Morris-Williams | NZ First is aiming to launch a national container return scheme, which could recycle over a billion wasted containers each year, reviving a policy shelved by the previous Labour-led Government in 2023.
Greens condemn planned coal mine next to protected wetland
4 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | The Green Party says a new plan for a coal mine and fertiliser plant next to an internationally significant wetland is “ecological vandalism and climate denial.”
Why is Northern Ireland facing a growing threat from wildfires?
7 May 2026
Figures show that spring drought events are happening more often while there has been a sharp rise in "fire weather" - a mix of warmth, dryness, and wind that allows fires to ignite and spread rapidly. Experts warn this combination, along with climate change, is creating a longer and more volatile wildfire season.
Trump has hindered offshore wind while China and other countries invest heavily
Mon 18 May 2026
President Donald Trump is stopping offshore wind projects in the United States, just as the industry was poised to grow significantly.
