Topics tagged with 'United Nations'
Climate experts to brief young ambassadors
28 Aug 2009
Government and academic experts will share their expertise on climate change at the first of three NZ workshops preparing a group of young Kiwis for the international stage.
Scientists and intellectuals key, says UN chief
21 Aug 2009
Scientific and intellectual leadership is the key to creating the new green economy of the 21st century, United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has told an academic forum in Seoul.
How green Denmark got ahead of the pack
14 Aug 2009
In December, all eyes will be on Copenhagen as world leaders gather to negotiate a new international climate change agreement. But how green are the Danes themselves.
Emissions pledges fall short of what’s needed
14 Aug 2009
A climate deal due in December will be a flop unless industrialised nations sharply increase promised cuts in greenhouse gas emissions for 2020, says the chair of a key United Nations group.
Bonn talks making headway, says UN official
14 Aug 2009
Governments are making headway in negotiations aimed at reaching an ambitious and effective global greenhouse gas reduction treaty, the top United Nations climate change official said in Bonn.
GREENPEACE: Target will not go down well with world
10 Aug 2009
The Government cannot expect its emission reduction target range to go down well internationally, says Greenpeace.
You’re not alone – UN climate chief comforts Australia
7 Aug 2009
Australia is not at risk of going it alone on climate change by committing to emissions reduction targets before a global summit later this year, UN climate change chief Yvo de Boer says.
We can do it in Copenhagen, says China
7 Aug 2009
China’s envoy to global negotiations on climate change has expressed optimism that a new agreement to reduce greenhouse gases will be reached this year, and says that his nation’s efforts to curb carbon pollution already had produced results that he called “second to none.”
Forum calls for 80% cut by 2020, not 2050
7 Aug 2009
Greenhouse gases must be cut 80 per cent by 2020, not by 2050 as UN countries propose, to preserve life as we know it, says the head of a global conference.
ANZAC approach needed to tackle climate change, says business group
7 Aug 2009
The upcoming Australia-New Zealand Business Climate Change Conference is an opportunity for the two countries to develop a common voice on climate change issues, say Trans-Tasman Business Circle chief executive John Weiss and the general manager of the Australia and New Zealand Sustainability Circle, Gareth Johnston.
UN chief to visit Arctic ice rim to see for himself
31 Jul 2009
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will head to the Arctic polar ice rim next month as part of his efforts to push for action ahead of a major climate change conference to be held in December in Copenhagen.
Forum: Cool heads still needed on global warming
31 Jul 2009
We're less wealthy than Australia is, so should be setting a lower emissions reduction target, says Business Rountable executive director Roger Kerr.
Maritime chiefs act to cut emissions from ships
24 Jul 2009
The International Maritime Organisation will issue a package of energy efficiency measures for new and existing ships to help to cut the industry’s rising greenhouse gas emissions.
IPCC to elevate plight of poorest countries
24 Jul 2009
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will use its next assessment due in 2014 to look at how the impact of global warming is falling unequally on the poorest developing countries.
Ban to talk climate change on trip to China
24 Jul 2009
Climate change will feature prominently on United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon’s visits to China and Mongolia which begin today.
Tiny Tuvalu: If we can do it, so can you
24 Jul 2009
The Pacific island nation of Tuvalu, already under threat from rising seas caused by global warming, has vowed to do its part for climate change by fueling its economy entirely from renewable sources by 2020.
Indonesia issues first forest-carbon revenue rules
14 Jul 2009
Indonesia's forestry ministry has released what are believed to be the world's first set of revenue sharing rules governing forest carbon projects, a ministry official said.
Greenpeace calls for pressure on rich nations
14 Jul 2009
Greenpeace has called for massive public pressure to demand that the world's wealthiest nations take decisive action on climate change.
UN accuses G8 of doing too little
10 Jul 2009
The world's richest countries are not doing enough to tackle climate change and secure the "future of humanity", the United Nations says.
Obama to seek climate deal in Moscow
7 Jul 2009
United States President Barack Obama will move to seal a deal with Russia for joint action on climate change during his summit in Moscow this week.
Millions face climate-related hunger, says Oxfam
7 Jul 2009
Shifting seasons are destroying harvests and causing widespread hunger – but this is just one of the multiple climate change impacts taking their toll on the world’s poorest people – says a new report launched from Oxfam.
Security threats from climate change top Pacific agenda
7 Jul 2009
Security threats from climate change must top the agenda of John Key’s tour of Pacific island nations after a recent United Nations Security Council Resolution, says the Green Party.
Split targets on agenda of Nats-Labour ETS talks
3 Jul 2009
Splitting New Zealand’s domestic emissions reduction target is on the table in talks between Labour and National for an emissions trading scheme deal.
Bill positive, says China, but more action needed
30 Jun 2009
China’s chief climate change official says the United States climate change bill is a key step forward but much more action will be needed to reach an agreement during talks on global warming at the end of the year.
Aussie Liberals go soft on climate bill stance
30 Jun 2009
Australia's beleaguered carbon-emissions trading scheme has won a lift by the opposition Liberal Party withdrawing its threat to block enabling legislation passing through parliament.
Ban calls leaders to ‘unprecedented’ climate summit
26 Jun 2009
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has extended an invitation to heads of state and governments to attend an “unprecedented” global summit at the United Nations to spur action towards reaching an ambitious climate change pact later this year.
Myths … and the making of a climate bill
26 Jun 2009
No bill is perfect …certainly not one that contains a thousand pages and seeks to overhaul the way a nation uses energy, says the respected US science watchdog, the Pew Centre.
Welcome to Hopenhagen …
26 Jun 2009
The United Nations and an international coalition of advertising agencies has launched a global marketing campaign for the climate change treaty to be ratified in Copenhagen later this year.
Kiwi climate system takes Manhatten
23 Jun 2009
Climate change modelling software developed in Hamilton is taking on the world, but it has taken winning a contract in New York City for New Zealand to sit up and take notice.
Groser seeks progress on climate agreement
23 Jun 2009
Trade Minister Tim Groser says he’ll be using a series of international meetings to push for an economically efficient climate change agreement.
Australian opposition stalls vote on emissions laws
23 Jun 2009
A vote on the Australian government's emissions trading scheme appears certain to be delayed until August, but the Senate was locked in procedural wrangling for much of yesterday about how to achieve the delay.
Climate lobby wants longer ETS review
23 Jun 2009
The New Zealand Climate Change Coalition wants the Government to extend the time frame for the select committee reviewing emissions trading, and to "clarify its real intentions on this issue."
Big emitters deny overstating carbon scheme cost
19 Jun 2009
Big emitters Woodside Petroleum and Rio Tinto have denied claims by an environmental group they overstated costs of proposed Australian climate change legislation to the public and the government.
Asia set to become biggest climate change driver
19 Jun 2009
Asia's share of global greenhouse gas emissions could rise to more than 40 per cent by 2030, making it the world's main driver of climate change, experts have warned.
UN launches high-level climate and energy group
19 Jun 2009
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has launched a new group consisting of business leaders and experts who will advise him on energy and climate change challenges, particularly in identifying key issues in the run-up to the major United Nations conference in Copenhagen in December.
US forests stand crucial for NZ growers
16 Jun 2009
The United States’ stand on forestry offsetting is being closely watched and could be hugely beneficial to New Zealand.
Global climate agreement in sight, says UN
16 Jun 2009
An ambitious and effective global pact to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is in sight, the top United Nations climate change official said, as the latest round of negotiations wrapped up in Bonn.
Japan under fire for 8% emissions cut target
12 Jun 2009
Japan has said it plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions by the equivalent of 8 per cent from 1990 levels by the end of the next decade, a goal attacked as too little by environmentalists.
Rich countries have ‘moral duty’ to cut emissions
12 Jun 2009
Britain needs to cut greenhouse gases by 45 per cent by 2020 to prevent the world "lurching into climate disaster", according to a report from Oxfam.
New climate pact ‘unlikely’ in Copenhagen
12 Jun 2009
The UN's top climate official has voiced doubt about the prospects for completing a new pact on global warming in Copenhagen by its much-touted December deadline.
Millions on move as climate changes, warns UN
12 Jun 2009
Climate change has already caused displacement and migration, and could uproot millions more in the future, warns a new United Nations-supported report.
How heifers became the Hummers of agriculture
12 Jun 2009
While most of the world debates penalising vehicle and industrial pollution, a United Nations report has fingered another guilty party - cows.
No need to rush climate laws, says Aust Opposition
9 Jun 2009
Claims by the US that its likely failure to finalise climate change legislation before December will not jeopardise the crucial Copenhagen talks have been seized on by the federal Opposition as evidence that Australia does not need to rush its laws through by the end of the year.
Flights tax could fund climate aid for poor countries
9 Jun 2009
Wealthy countries could be asked to accept a levy on international flight tickets to raise billions of dollars to help the world's poorest nations to adapt to climate change.
Nature best at handling climate change, says UN
9 Jun 2009
Nature is best at controlling the gases responsible for climate change, the UN Environment Programme believes.
Get smart on climate change, urges UN chief
9 Jun 2009
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for multilateralism and “smart solutions” to confront economic and climate challenges that could result in insecurity and upheaval.
$155 billion spent on clean energy, says UN
5 Jun 2009
More than half the $US250 billion invested in new power generating capacity worldwide in 2008 was spent on renewable energy sources, according to a new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report launched yesterday.
High-earning green sector workers feel safe in jobs
5 Jun 2009
Most workers in the thriving climate change sector feel just as safe in their jobs, if not more so, than they did a year ago, a new Reuters survey shows.
Pacific islands win UN vote on climate threats
5 Jun 2009
Small Pacific islands vulnerable to rising sea levels won a symbolic victory at the United Nations this week with the passage of a resolution recognising climate change as a possible threat to security.
Latest round of climate talks ‘progressing well’
5 Jun 2009
The latest round of United Nations climate change talks in Germany are making headway, a spokesperson for the world body said yestetrday.
Call for cross-party agreement on climate risks as NZ stuck in costly disaster cycle
Today 11:45am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | An expert is calling for cross-party ministerial appointments and lasting bipartisan agreement about how to act on significant climate risks the country is facing, in response to the Climate Change Commission’s latest report.
Commission urges Govt action on climate risks
Thu 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.
$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.
‘Landmark’ conservation reform bill – boost or bust for nature?
Today 11:45am
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.
Burning wood for power worse for climate than gas equivalent, report finds
21 Apr 2026
Research casts doubt on plans by the UK government to offer subsidies for carbon capture attached to the power source.
Methanexit: writing on the wall for NZ’s biggest gas user
Wed 6 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s biggest fossil gas user, Methanex, is expected to stop production by the end of this year, with the company confirming its Motunui methanol operation won’t survive Māui gas field’s closure.
Solar and wind with battery storage become more cost competitive, IRENA report shows
Today 11:45am
Solar and wind energy with battery storage are delivering cost-competitive electricity compared with coal and gas, according to a report by the International Renewable Energy Agency on Wednesday.
Drop in ETS forestry registrations
Tue 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.
Greens condemn planned coal mine next to protected wetland
Mon 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.”
Tairāwhiti deserves better than weakened forestry rules
Tue 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.
Latest emissions inventory: ‘Something has gone very wrong’
16 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2024 decreased by just 0.1% compared to 2023, in what an expert says is a “terrible result”, compared to faster progress in previous years.
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.
Govt launches solar red tape review to speed up installations
Today 11:45am
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has launched a review aimed at making residential and small-scale solar installations faster and easier, in a move Rewiring Aotearoa says could help cut costs and accelerate solar uptake across New Zealand.
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.
‘Point of no return’: New Orleans relocation must start now due to sea level, study finds
Today 11:45am
The process of relocating people from New Orleans should start immediately, as the city has reached a “point of no return” that will see it surrounded by the ocean within decades due to the climate crisis, a stark new study has concluded.
EDS urges MPs to scrap the Fisheries Amendment Bill
Tue 5 May 2026
Media release | The Environmental Defence Society today lodged a substantive submission on the Fisheries Amendment Bill.
Australia to force gas giants to reserve fuel for domestic use
Today 11:45am
Australia will look to stave off energy shortages by forcing major gas companies to reserve 20 percent of their exports for domestic use, Energy Minister Chris Bowen said Thursday.
Māui closure notice narrows the buffer
Mon 4 May 2026
OMV New Zealand's notification that the Māui gas field will cease production by the end of 2026 has brought forward risks the industry had expected to emerge more gradually.
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.
‘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.
Fonterra ‘spins’ greenwashing research for favourable press
1 May 2026
By Liz Kivi | Dairy co-operative Fonterra has managed to ‘spin’ international research intended to highlight greenwashing, instead using it to generate unwarranted positive press, according to researchers behind the recent study into ag industry greenwashing.
Mercury signs major hydro upgrade programme with ANDRITZ
23 Apr 2026
Media release | Mercury has signed a contract with international technology group ANDRITZ as part of a $590 million upgrade of three of the nine hydro stations on the Waikato River.
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.
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.
Tehran will never cede control of Strait of Hormuz, senior Iranian politician tells BBC
21 Apr 2026
"Never." That's when a senior Iranian lawmaker says they'll be ready to give up their control of the Strait of Hormuz.
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.
EU floats making it easy for oil companies to break methane rules
Today 11:45am
Countries would be able to exempt companies from the rules on energy security grounds, even before major disruption occurs, under draft guidelines seen by POLITICO.
Media round-up
1 May 2026
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The environmental cost of cruise ships isn't worth the economic benefit, according to an expert; a Kiwi joins an all-female voyage to tackle plastics in the Pacific; and Greenpeace's Russel Norman said what about oil?
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.
Heat‑resistant corals could help reefs adapt to climate change
Thu 7 May 2026
Scientists are trying to conserve, replicate and reproduce heat-resistant corals before climate change wipes them out.
Pacific Islands call for fossil fuel phase-out, NZ hangs back
23 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Pacific Islands nations have launched a landmark declaration for a Fossil Fuel Free Pacific, calling for a Fossil Fuel Treaty and urgent phase-out of fossil fuels, however New Zealand isn’t rushing to join the call.
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.
ESG funds include petrochemical companies, report finds
Tue 5 May 2026
Global banks have invested US$133bn into US petrochemical expansion, even as the industry is linked to climate change.
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.
Environment ministry straining under pressure of reforms and potential disestablishment
15 Apr 2026
The ministry responsible for New Zealand’s most significant resource management reform in a generation is doing so under institutional strain, compressed timeframes, and an uncertain future – including its own potential disestablishment.
Stripy wind turbines could save some birds
Today 11:45am
Media release: Royal Society Interface | Preventing birds from colliding with wind turbine blades could be as simple as a few paint stripes, according to international researchers, who say this could help protect wildlife as renewable energy expands.
Planned coal mine borders internationally significant wetland
30 Apr 2026
By Liz Kivi | Victorian Hydrogen, the company behind plans for a huge coal-to-urea project, has applied for a permit to explore for coal next to an internationally significant wetland in a sensitive catchment in Southland.
Climate change driving rising stroke risk, experts warn
Thu 7 May 2026
Climate change is increasing the risk of stroke and related deaths, with extreme heat and other environmental factors posing growing threats to brain health, says Professor Anna Ranta of the University of Otago.
Paddocks to power: The rise of small-scale solar farms
1 May 2026
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter | A new, small-scale solar farm has been lit in North Canterbury.
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
Mon 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
Thu 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
Mon 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.
Why is Northern Ireland facing a growing threat from wildfires?
Thu 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 administration to pay two more companies to walk away from US offshore wind leases
29 Apr 2026
Bluepoint Wind and Golden State Wind have agreed to end their offshore wind leases in exchange for reimbursements totaling nearly $900 million. Both companies have decided not to pursue any new offshore wind projects in the United States.
