Topics tagged with 'United Nations'
New report lists advantages of scrapping fossil fuel subsidies
29 Aug 2008
A newly published UN report says scrapping fossil fuel subsidies could play an important role in cutting greenhouse gases while giving a small but not insignificant boost to the global economy.
Deforestation question splits delegates at Ghana conference
26 Aug 2008
Trading carbon emission rights between developed and developing nations has caused a split between delegates at international climate change talks in Ghana, reports AFP.
New UN reports warns of costs of inaction on climate change
26 Aug 2008
Government leaders must take urgent action to ensure that weather-related hazards, which are becoming more intense and frequent due to climate change, do not lead to a corresponding rise in disasters, a new UN-backed report says.
Climate change will deplete fisheries production, warns FAO
26 Aug 2008
Global warming and the consequent changes in climatic patterns will have strong impact on fisheries with far-reaching consequences for food and livelihood security of a sizeable section of the population, a UN agency warns.
UN to set up climate-change centre for Pacific countries
22 Aug 2008
The United Nations and Samoa plan to establish an inter-agency climate change centre to help to coordinate support to Pacific Island countries fighting the impact of climate change.
India accuses UN of bias as climate change talks resume
22 Aug 2008
Sparks could fly at the next round of international climate change negotiations which start today in Accra, Ghana, with India out to stub any attempts by Japan, the EU and the US to firm up an agenda against it and China.
World Bank names countries eligible for forest rewards
22 Aug 2008
The Democratic Republic of Congo and five other African countries have been included in a list of 14 that will take part in the World Bank's controversial Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF).
ETS equals economic upheaval, say heavy emitters
15 Aug 2008
Heavy emitters are warning that the New Zealand economy is in for a roller-coaster ride if the emissions trading scheme comes into force.
UN-backed group takes steps to establish new biofuel standard
15 Aug 2008
A United Nations-backed group of international experts has endorsed a first draft of a new global sustainability standard for biofuels to assess their economic, social and environmental effects.
UN chief urges young people to take active role in climate change fight
15 Aug 2008
Young people, who are adept at spreading new habits and technologies, are well placed to contribute to the fight against climate change, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said as he marked International Youth Day.
New $27 million project will protect the birds and the bees
12 Aug 2008
A new project worth $26.45 million has been launched by the Global Environment Facility to better protect bees, bats and birds that are essential to the world’s crop production.
NZ carbon register tests world-wide connections
8 Aug 2008
New Zealand’s fledgling carbon registry has taken part in trials to test international registry connections.
New UN report suggests how to boost cities’ resiliency to climate change
8 Aug 2008
With eight of the world’s 10 most populous cities situated near rivers or seas and already being exposed to such hazards as flooding, earthquakes and typhoons, a United Nations-backed report just released offers suggestions on how to enhance resiliency to threats emanating from climate change
OPINION: Tackling climate change: who should pay?
1 Aug 2008
Professor Jonathan Boston, acting director of the Institute of Policy Studies at Victoria University, tackles the thorny question of how countries should share the burden of reducing emissions:
South Africa vows to shift energy policy from coal to nuclear
1 Aug 2008
The South African government says it will move away from cheap coal - long the engine of its economic growth - and embrace nuclear and renewable energy in a bid to combat climate change.
Former UN man joins IDEAcarbon
1 Aug 2008
A former under secretary general for economic and social affairs at the United Nations in New York, Nitin Desai, has joined IDEAcrbon as an advisor to its board of directors.
Minister stays mum on support for Biofuels bill
25 Jul 2008
The Government says that its Biofuel bill has the backing of industry, but is not saying whether it has the backing of Parliament.
Hungary joins us in international carbon trading scheme
25 Jul 2008
Hungary has joined New Zealand and three other countries in linking to a carbon trading scheme under the Kyoto Protocol, allowing the country to sell government-level emissions permits, a Hungarian ministry spokesman said.
Canadian PM under pressure as major province signs up with US emissions group
22 Jul 2008
The Canadian government faces new pressure to adopt a more aggressive climate-change plan after its largest province threw its considerable political weight behind a North American initiative to tackle global warming.
BBC TV about to air climate change the thriller
22 Jul 2008
Climate change joins mainstream television this week with the screening in Britain of the environmental thriller Burn Up.
Global action needed for food and energy crises - UN Assembly head
22 Jul 2008
Reducing subsidies, lifting tariffs and other trade barriers would stimulate food production and offer a route to development for 180 million small farmers in Africa, UN General Assembly president Srgjan Kerim told member states as the Assembly met to discuss the two global crises.
UN embarks on worldwide survey to assess deforestation
18 Jul 2008
As part of efforts to gain a comprehensive understanding of the world's forests, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation will carry out a global remote sensing survey of the vital ecosystems.
World won't buy ETS dream, top economist tells Aussies
15 Jul 2008
Australians are being told by one of the world’s leading economists that the world will never support an emissions trading regime.
Frustrated scientists hammer home the climate change message
11 Jul 2008
New Zealand scientists have gone on the offensive over climate change, issuing a 1700-word statement setting out the evidence that the climate is changing because of human activity.
G8 good start but fast action needed to tackle global crises, says UN chief
11 Jul 2008
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the Group of Eight’s statement on climate change, food security and development as a good start for addressing the three interrelated global crises, while stressing the need for speedier action in the days ahead.
UN opens first zero-emission community centre in outback Kenya
11 Jul 2008
The first power-generating centre using environmentally friendly hydro and solar power has been inaugurated in a remote Kenyan village by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO).
UN agency says G8 leaders 'missed opportunity'
11 Jul 2008
Commenting on the outcome of the Group of Eight (G8) Summit in Japan, the head of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) said the world's richest countries had shown insufficient leadership on climate change.
Japan summit to test G8 leaders on climate change, world economy and security
8 Jul 2008
The leaders of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations gather in Hokkaido, Japan, today for their annual summit and face the challenge of showing greater resolve to fight global warming, remedying the world economy and easing tensions in the world's hot spots.
China 1: Asian giant must do its bit to solve world problems, says UN chief
4 Jul 2008
The United Nations expects China to be at the forefront of efforts to tackle the world’s biggest challenges, such as the global food crisis, climate change and the quest to slash poverty, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said this week.
China 2: First try at emissions trading exchange falls over
4 Jul 2008
The creation of China's first emissions trading exchange has been postponed indefinitely amid disagreements on foreign ownership in the bourse.
China 3: Foreign governments help to map plans for climate change
4 Jul 2008
A joint initiative by foreign governments and international agencies has been launched in Beijing to assist China's ecologically fragile provinces to map out plans to cope with the climate change.
India unveils eight-part action plan on climate change
4 Jul 2008
Climate change is a challenge that can be overcome only through global, collaborative and cooperative efforts, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh says.
UN chief uses Kyoto to call for new climate change agreement by end of 2009
1 Jul 2008
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said yesterday that the world must galvanise its will and reach a new agreement on measures to fight climate change by the end of 2009.
Tokyo bourse carbon-permit trade hinges on Japan plan
27 Jun 2008
The introduction of carbon permits trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange will hinge on a government plan for compulsory emission curbs, Atsushi Saito, the president of the world's second-largest bourse, said yesterday.
Airlines should pay tax on emissions, Branson says
27 Jun 2008
Aviation is a dirty business and airlines should be willing to pay for the damage they cause to the environment, Virgin Group chairman Richard Branson has told a forum on climate change in Geneva.
Business bosses deliver climate change plan to G8 leaders
24 Jun 2008
Detailed climate change recommendations to the Group of Eight leaders, backed by an influential group of CEOs from many of the world's largest companies, have been delivered to Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, who will host the G8's annual summit next month in Hokkaido.
Poll shock: Most Britons doubt cause of climate change
24 Jun 2008
Climate change campaigners are shocked by the results of a poll which shows that the majority of the British public is still not convinced that climate change is caused by humans.
Climate change fuelling conflict, increased refugees, says UN
20 Jun 2008
Climate change is expected to drive increasing numbers of people from their homes as more conflicts are fuelled by water scarcity and a lack of food, says the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR).
Ships' captains to get the order: Slow ahead and save emission
17 Jun 2008
The captains of ships plying the world’s sea lanes are about to be given the message – slow down and save greenhouse gas emissions.
Latest UN climate change talks end with calls for speedier negotiations
17 Jun 2008
The latest round of United Nations-sponsored global climate change talks ended in Bonn, Germany, with calls to step up the pace of negotiations in the run up to next year's crucial summit in Copenhagen.
Fewer trees unless govt changes policies
13 Jun 2008
Major flaws in New Zealand’s land-use policies will become more obvious as the world food crisis grows, says the NZ Forest Owners Association.
FORUM: Despite global warming gloom, every cloud has a green lining
10 Jun 2008
By Paul Harper. - Current economic and political mindsets need to change in the face of future environmental challenges, according to the head of the United Nations environmental programme.
BBC broadcasts investiation claiming billions wasted in CDM schemes
6 Jun 2008
The BBC has broadcast the results of an investigation on the CDM carbon market and says the scheme is wasting billions.
EU Parliament looks at rules for carbon capture and storage
6 Jun 2008
BACKGROUNDER: The International Energy Agency predict a 70% increase in coal burning by 2030.
Food prices will remain high over next decade, UN report says
6 Jun 2008
In the next 10 years food prices will remain well above the levels of the last decade, according to a report issued by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
Progress on new climate change deal "extremely disconcerting" says UN leader
5 Jun 2008
The director of the UN’s Environment Programme describes current progress in negotiating a new agreement to replace the Kyoto Treaty as “extremely disconcerting”.
Technically hilarious, but Arnie delivers the big bucks benefits message on climate change
5 Jun 2008
California’s Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, told New Zealand business leaders yesterday his state was enjoying a new gold rush of billions of dollars being powered into climate change technology investments.
Bonn post-Kyoto treaty talks get underway
5 Jun 2008
The latest round of UN-sponsored global climate change negotiations is underway Monday in Bonn, Germany.
BT pledges 80% emissions cut
5 Jun 2008
BT has announced plans to cut its carbon emissions by 80 percent by 2020
Heavy emitters group worries over carbon price
5 Jun 2008
Emissions unit prices of $50 a tonne are going to be a huge challenge for New Zealand businesses to absorb and remain profitable, according to the organisation representing heavy emitters.
Local govt bill 'completely misses the point,' passes first reading
Today 11:00am
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.
Expert rejects farmers call to ditch green investment framework
Thu 17 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Scrapping a proposed 'green' finance taxonomy before work on it is even finished would risk New Zealand being left behind in the transition to more sustainable systems, according to an expert.
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
Today 11:00am
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.
‘Ideological sludge’: How NZ is quiet quitting climate action
Thu 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.
EU seeks 'fair competition' with China on green energy
Today 11:00am
The European Union is seeking "fair competition" with China and not a race to the bottom in wages and environmental standards, the bloc's vice president for the clean transition told AFP in Beijing on Monday.
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
Tue 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.
NZ voluntary carbon market’s sad state
Mon 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.
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.
Carbon price grinds higher - where to from now?
30 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price has continued to grind slowly higher since this month’s failed auction, with prices at their highest since March, although still languishing well below this year’s auction floor price.
Importing LNG is feasible, but is it plausible?
Today 11:00am
Importing liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a form of energy supply insurance is technically feasible, but an industry-commissioned report raises questions about whether it is financially plausible.
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.
Media round-up
Today 11:00am
In our round-up of the latest climate coverage in local media: with parts of the country still reeling from flooding exacerbated by climate change, debate heats up over who will pay for managed retreat from at-risk areas.
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.
Illegal loggers profit from Brazil’s carbon credit projects
Thu 17 Jul 2025
How a system designed to protect the world’s biggest rainforest is funding businesses with a track record of illegal deforestation.
Climate backtracking could impact trade relationships: Labour
9 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | Labour Party Energy spokesperson Megan Woods says the government needs to be upfront about how its energy policies will impact trade relationships, following revelations New Zealand was warned by other governments that backtracking on climate policies jeopardised its membership of an international alliance.
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.
Farmers slam proposed guidelines for sustainable finance
Wed 16 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | Federated Farmers is calling on the government to scrap its proposed framework for ‘green’ finance, saying it is ideologically driven, unworkable, and risks harming rural communities.
Does Aussie court ruling hold lessons for NZ?
Thu 17 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | A recent Australian court ruling should serve as a warning to New Zealand's decision-makers on how important it is to align climate targets and climate policies with the best available science, according to a climate litigation expert.
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.
‘Significant gaps’ in proposed approach to climate adaptation
10 Jul 2025
A new report into climate adaptation doesn’t suggest how development in high-risk areas should be avoided - an issue that needs urgent action with thousands of homes still being built in hazardous areas, according to the Environmental Defence Society.
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.
Activists sue US development bank over $4.6bn loan to massive Mozambique gas project
Today 11:00am
Environmental groups claim loan is ‘unlawful’ in legal filing.
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.
Rio Tinto urges Albanese govt to reimpose carbon tax, boost green energy subsidies
Thu 17 Jul 2025
The mining giant has used it’s submission to the Productivity Commission ahead of the Albanese government’s economic roundtable to lobby for the re-imposition of a carbon pricing scheme and bolstered green energy subsidies.
Foresters seek time; end to using ETS as a land use tool
Wed 16 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Production and carbon forestry owners have begged the environment select committee to at least give the sector more time to come up with workable rules for legislation intended to cap forest planting on farmland.
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.
Millions of tons of tiny plastic particles are polluting the ocean, study finds
Tue 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.
'Back-to-basics' approach for councils ignores climate risk
11 Jul 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | While ACT is standing local government candidates to oppose councils' attempts to manage emissions and ministers are calling for local authorities to 'get back to basics' - or even suggesting scrapping regional councils altogether - one expert says this narrative is putting communities at risk in the face of climate change.
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.
Microplastics found in sand on dozens of NZ beaches
4 Jun 2025
Scientists have extracted microplastics from the sand of 22 beaches from the Far North to Banks Peninsula.
Feedback sought on national fuel security plan
Wed 16 Jul 2025
Media release - Beehive: The Coalition Government is seeking feedback on a draft Fuel Security Plan that provides a long-term strategy to ensure New Zealanders have reliable access to fuel in times of domestic and global disruption, Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones says.
UK: Thousands lobby MPs to demand climate action
10 Jul 2025
More than 5,000 people from across the UK arrived in Westminster on Wednesday to meet their MPs and demand urgent climate action to protect their communities.
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.
Germany's wind power expansion picks up, but targets still missed, says lobby
Today 11:00am
Germany's onshore wind power sector recorded its strongest half-year since 2017, but the expansion still falls short of the legally mandated targets, the BWE wind power lobby said on Tuesday.
Antarctica Scholarships 2025: Ocean detectives
Thu 17 Jul 2025
Media release – Antarctica New Zealand | Antarctica’s Southern Ocean is full of unanswered questions, and this year’s Antarctica New Zealand scholarship recipients are on a mission to help solve them.
Climate groups want UK wealth tax to make super-rich fund sustainable economy
Thu 17 Jul 2025
Growing number of campaigners urge government to ensure green investment is not done ‘on backs of the poor’.
Kiwi ‘smart panel’ startup aiming to reduce energy bills and emissions
4 Jul 2025
NZ start-up Basis this week launched an ‘intelligent’ panel to replace traditional electrical switchboards in homes, which it says can save the average home $1,200 NZD annually on bills and lead to lower 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.
