Topics tagged with 'United Nations'
New plan might see climate change minister in court
18 Jul 2024
Lawyers for Climate Action say there are “significant concerns” about whether the government’s new climate plan will achieve its climate targets, and could be in breach of the Climate Change Response Act.
Govt releases emissions reduction plan
17 Jul 2024
Climate change minister Simon Watts has released the second emissions reduction plan for consultation, with proposed changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme including aligning ETS units with emissions budgets and reviewing the free industrial allocation of units.
What does Denmark’s carbon tax mean for NZ?
17 Jul 2024
By Nick Swallow | COMMENT: A few weeks back Denmark announced a proposal to introduce a tax on agricultural greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Climate strategy contradictory - or step in the right direction?
11 Jul 2024
A climate policy expert and IPCC lead author is concerned that progress on climate will be lost if the government doesn’t overhaul the Emissions Trading Scheme and introduce other complementary policies to reduce emissions.
A growing spectre of Azerbaijani irredentism hangs over COP29
10 Jul 2024
Technically a diaspora rights organisation, critics say the Western Azerbaijan Community has become one of Baku’s key instruments for domestic radicalisation.
Jones says he hopes Climate Commission CEO is removed
3 Jul 2024
Minister for Resources Shane Jones says he hopes that the chief executive of the Climate Change Commission will soon be removed from her job.
We must take “all necessary measures” to control greenhouse gases, says International Tribunal
1 Jul 2024
The 21-judge International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea says science must guide efforts to prevent climate change and protect vulnerable people and wildlife.
Global survey reveals consensus for stronger climate action
24 Jun 2024
Media release | The overwhelming majority of people around the world want an end to geopolitical differences when it comes to fighting climate change, the results of a landmark public opinion poll conducted by the UN Development Programme.
Exposing ‘risks hiding in plain sight’ – accounting for offshore carbon credits
20 Jun 2024
Media release | The McGuinness Institute has published a discussion paper on how New Zealand’s commitment to purchase offshore carbon credits under the Paris Agreement should appear in financial statements.
Carbon auction preview: Experts predict likely failure and govt lost revenue “own goal”
18 Jun 2024
Experts are picking tomorrow’s carbon auction will fail, with no incentive for participants to bid at prices more than 20% higher than the current secondary market price.
Bonn climate talks: Key outcomes from UN conference
17 Jun 2024
Climate diplomats have finished another two weeks of intense negotiations in the German city of Bonn, discussing global efforts to cut emissions and protect people from climate hazards.
Bonn bulletin: Fossil fuel transition left homeless
12 Jun 2024
Countries clash over where to negotiate the shift away from dirty energy agreed at COP28, while talks on a new climate finance goal make little progress.
‘No additional warming’ for methane target - but relative to when, asks expert?
7 Jun 2024
Advocates of the government’s methane review will probably be disappointed to learn that aligning the target with “no additional warming” might not give farmers the green light to relax about their methane emissions.
Ban fossil fuel ads to save climate, says UN chief
6 Jun 2024
The world's fossil fuel industries should be banned from advertising to help save the world from climate change, the head of the United Nations said.
Govt looking at policy to restrict forestry in the ETS: Watts
7 May 2024
By Liz Kivi | The government is looking at complementary policies around land use to restrict forestry in the Emissions Trading Scheme, rather than making changes directly to the scheme.
Fast-track Approvals Bill ‘serious risk’ to NZ exporters: Environmental Defence Society
29 Apr 2024
Exporters should be ‘deeply concerned’ that the Fast-track Approvals Bill has not been assessed for consistency with any of New Zealand’s free trade agreements, according to the Environmental Defence Society.
Tzay is right to raise human rights concerns about carbon markets
29 Apr 2024
Media release | Amnesty International’s Advisor on Indigenous Rights, Chris Chapman has reacted to a call by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples to consider a moratorium on carbon markets.
Climate Change Minister now in Cabinet after reshuffle
26 Apr 2024
Climate Change minister Simon Watts now has a seat at the Cabinet table.
NZ to cooperate with Philippines on international climate target, pledges $41 million climate finance to Southeast Asia
23 Apr 2024
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand has made its first tentative step towards forging an international agreement to meet its United Nations climate target by buying offshore offsetting.
Fast-Track legislation wrong track for climate targets, say lawyers
22 Apr 2024
Fast-Track legislation will take New Zealand further off track from meeting climate change obligations - and places the country at risk of breaching them, according to Lawyers for Climate Action.
NZ agrees to cooperate on carbon markets with Singapore and Thailand
18 Apr 2024
New Zealand has signed separate partnership agreements with Singapore and Thailand, saying the countries will work together on carbon markets as one of several green economy measures.
Emissions down for 2022
18 Apr 2024
Aotearoa New Zealand’s gross greenhouse gas emissions fell by 4% in 2022, according to new figures.
UN climate chief presses for faster action, says humans have two years left ‘to save the world’
12 Apr 2024
Humanity has just two years to make significant changes to reduce heat-trapping emissions and secure the finances for this shift, according to the head of the United Nations climate agency.
At COP29, Azerbaijan must be the anchor for 1.5ºC
27 Mar 2024
OPINION: This week, representatives of Azerbaijan, Brazil and the United Arab Emirates will gather in Copenhagen for the first key meeting of climate ministers since Cop28 in Dubai.
It’s time we include cities and regions as equal partners in global climate negotiations
6 Mar 2024
COP28 made history in Dubai by introducing — for the very first time — language on “transitioning away from fossil fuels in energy systems” in the final version of the negotiated text.
UN body steps up pace to implement carbon crediting mechanism
4 Mar 2024
Media release - The United Nations Body charged with implementing a new carbon crediting mechanism under the Paris Agreement has expedited plans for action at their first meeting since COP28.
UN meeting on climate change kicks off in Nairobi with focus on plastics
28 Feb 2024
World leaders are in Nairobi to debate and make decisions on 19 pressing environmental issues at the world’s largest environmental gathering.
Environmental Defence Society says "radical anti-environment government" could harm NZ's reputation
27 Feb 2024
The Environmental Defence Society says the government’s environmental policies could cause environmental harm as well as threaten New Zealand’s international reputation.
ICC prosecutor wants court to try 'environmental crimes'
8 Feb 2024
The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor told AFP that he wants the tribunal to start trying suspects for "environmental crimes" without having to modify its founding statutes.
EU free trade agreement with “ambitious” climate commitments a step closer
2 Feb 2024
New Zealand’s Free Trade Agreement with the European Union, which carries sanctions if one of the parties doesn’t meet climate commitments, is a step closer. However the country’s climate targets seem to be moving further out of reach.
IPCC: Govts split on ‘accelerated’ climate reports for next UN global stocktake
25 Jan 2024
Governments have decided against adopting a new structure for the next IPCC assessment cycle, committing instead to the traditional set of three “working group” reports and just one “special” report.
Junk offset sellers push to enter new UN carbon market
23 Jan 2024
Renewable energy schemes make up four-fifths of Kyoto-era projects hoping to keep selling offsets under Article 6, sparking concerns over the credibility of the new market.
COP28 president says his firm will keep investing in oil
18 Dec 2023
Sultan Al Jaber says Adnoc has to meet demand for fossil fuels, and hails ‘unprecedented’ Cop deal.
COP28 “frustrating” but some significant breakthroughs - experts
15 Dec 2023
Small island states facing the existential threat of climate change were particularly effective negotiators at the latest UN climate summit, according to a Kiwi expert.
NZ government swimming against the tide of history: Oil Change International
15 Dec 2023
Oil Change International campaign manager David Tong says the COP28 call to move away from fossil fuels shows the New Zealand government is trying to swim against the tide of history.
Watts tells COP28 NZ is committed to "ambitious" NDC
11 Dec 2023
In his first major speech on climate change since becoming the minister, Simon Watts re-stated New Zealand’s commitment to meeting our “ambitious” Nationally Determined Contribution.
Kiwi nature-based solution at COP28
11 Dec 2023
A nature-based climate solution to strategically restore and enhance 2.1 million hectares of Indigenous forest across Aotearoa over the next decade took the stage at the UN’s global climate summit yesterday.
Climate minister confirms commitment to international climate targets
8 Dec 2023
Climate Change minister Simon Watts confirmed New Zealand’s commitment to the Paris Agreement ahead of flying to Dubai for the annual United Nations climate summit.
University sends delegation to UN climate talks
8 Dec 2023
The University of Canterbury has sent its first delegation to a UN Conference of the Parties (COP).
Govt under pressure to show 'coherent' climate policy after failing to sign renewables pledge
5 Dec 2023
New Zealand was one of only a few developed countries that didn’t sign a renewables pledge at the international climate summit in Dubai over the weekend. The country is now under “significant pressure” to show it has coherent climate policy consistent with its international obligations, an expert says.
NZ signs sustainable agriculture declaration
5 Dec 2023
New Zealand was one of 134 countries at Dubai’s COP28 UN climate summit to sign the COP28 “UAE declaration on sustainable agriculture, resilient food systems and climate action”.
Scrutiny on global voluntary carbon market and changes to ETS led to Toitū dropping NZUs
1 Dec 2023
By Ann Smith | OPINION: Toitū’s decision last week to transition away from accepting New Zealand carbon credits brought the global voluntary carbon market, and debates about its integrity, into sharp focus.
COP28 climate conference kicks off today
30 Nov 2023
Climate change ministers old and new will represent New Zealand at the UN’s largest ever climate conference, which starts today.
Incoming govt might face $24 billion climate bill
28 Nov 2023
By Liz Kivi | The new government has a major task ahead to deliver on the country’s international obligations for emissions reductions, with implications for international trade if targets aren’t met.
Climate Change Commission in the dock
22 Nov 2023
The Climate Change Commission is back in court defending its advice, with a case brought by Lawyers for Climate Action (LCANZI) starting in the Court of Appeal yesterday.
COP28: Loss-and-damage fund set to disappoint poor countries
17 Nov 2023
A year on from the breakthrough on climate-change funding, poor countries eye disappointment at the Dubai summit.
Countries’ emissions plans put the world ‘wildly off track’ to contain global heating, UN assessment shows
15 Nov 2023
The UN has found that even if countries enact all of their current climate pledges, planet-heating pollution in 2030 will still be 9% higher than it was in 2010.
‘Loss and damage’ deal struck to help countries worst hit by climate crisis
8 Nov 2023
Countries have agreed key measures to supply funds to the world’s most vulnerable people to repair the damage from climate breakdown.
Aotearoa could make a real impact on cutting greenhouse gas emissions internationally: Thomas Pogge
7 Nov 2023
By Jeremy Rose | The director of Yale University’s Global Justice Program, Thomas Pogge, says for a relatively small investment of, say, US$100 million, New Zealand could make a significant impact on cutting the greenhouse gas emissions of the developing world.
Deep divisions ahead of crucial UN climate talks
2 Nov 2023
There are already signs that deep divisions could hamper progress at the UN's crucial COP28 climate summit.
New courses focus on climate action, activism and creating vision
Fri 12 Sep 2025
Media release | Dark Times Academy’s final lineup of courses for 2025, launching in mid-September, will focus on taking action on climate, learning about practical activism, and creating visions for the future.
A revolution is sweeping Europe’s farms: Can it save agriculture?
Fri 12 Sep 2025
Momentum is building for regenerative agriculture, a set of approaches that could help farms to weather the changing climate and make them more profitable.
NZ needs to be part of a regional SAF strategy: Z, Air NZ
Tue 9 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | New Zealand needs to be part of a regional strategic approach to sourcing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with domestic production less the aim than ensuring access to the fuel from one of a number of strategically positioned bio-refineries around the world.
'Non-negotiable' – EU carbon pricing to hit Kiwi exporters, expert warns
Thu 11 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | High carbon exports will inevitably face a high carbon tax at the EU border, possibly in the next five years, and high methane agricultural products might not be exempt, an international expert told a local audience yesterday.
'Reframe' climate conversations - focus on thriving together, says advisor
Thu 11 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | New Zealand must mirror its Covid-19 response if it wants to get buy-in from the public on climate action, according to Ministry for the Environment chief advisor Heather Peacocke.
Air NZ declares surprisingly low SAF prices
3 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Air New Zealand is able to source sustainable aviation fuel at between 1.5 and 2.5 times the price of conventional fossil fuels used for flying, all sourced from the US.
No bidders front to carbon auction - again
Wed 10 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | Today’s quarterly carbon auction was a non-event yet again, making it the third consecutive auction this year with no bidders, with the secondary market price still limping along at nearly 20% below the auction floor.
Australia’s biggest gas project greenlit to 2070 with ‘partial’ protection for Indigenous rock art
Today 11:30am
Approval met with fury from conservation groups and the Greens, who called it a ‘betrayal’ of Australians who want climate action.
'Atrocious' and 'bizarre': experts slam Act Party's climate policy
3 Sep 2025
By Liz Kivi | The Act Party is promising to challenge New Zealand’s Paris Agreement climate target, while the coalition Government’s other minor partner, NZ First, also says it wants to reevaluate the country’s commitment to the international treaty.
Industry struggles with double-digit power price hikes
Today 11:30am
As power prices surge by double-digit amounts for the second year in a row, industrial users can’t keep absorbing cost increases, the Major Electricity Users’ Group says.
The merchants of doubt are back
3 Sep 2025
OPINION: If you don’t follow climate policy closely, you might not know that the Trump administration is launching an effort to overturn one of the most fundamental pillars of American climate policy.
Milestone for NZ Steel electrification
Wed 10 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | NZ Steel has passed an installation milestone for its new electric arc furnace, which will reduce emissions from the Glenbrook steel mill site by as much as one megatonne (1Mt) a year.
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.”
Wind and solar power fuel over one-third of Brazil's electricity for first time
Today 11:30am
Wind and solar power generated more than a third of Brazil’s electricity in August.
Declining sea-ice is altering Antarctic food webs
Thu 11 Sep 2025
A new study shows a significant change in Antarctic phytoplankton over time that could cascade through the marine food web and affect the ocean’s capacity as a carbon sink.
Study links world’s top oil and gas firms to 200 ‘more intense’ heatwaves
Today 11:30am
Global warming linked to the world’s biggest oil and gas companies made all “major” 21st century heatwaves more intense and frequent.
Marginal drop in last year's regional emissions
27 Aug 2025
Regional greenhouse gas emissions were down slightly last year, with a fall in gas supply leading to a big drop in Taranaki, but more coal burnt leading to higher emissions in Waikato, according to new figures from Stats NZ
Indigenous forest 'islands' could help transition exotic plantations to native bush
Thu 11 Sep 2025
Native forest 'islands' within exotic plantations might be the key to transitioning plantations from exotic to Indigenous, according to new research.
EU considers faster Russian oil and gas exit after US pressure
Today 11:30am
The European Union is considering a faster phase-out of Russian fossil fuels as part of new sanctions.
A modest geothermal strategy
31 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | The Government has unveiled a far more modest geothermal energy strategy than its primary backer, Resources Minister Shane Jones, had sought.
Why mega-polluters have little to fear from the European Central Bank and its new climate policy
Fri 12 Sep 2025
The European Central Bank plans to raise borrowing costs for climate offenders – but a new FTM analysis shows that big polluters such as Shell will barely feel it.
La Niña set to prolong NZ hydro shortfall
Tue 9 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With La Niña favouring a drier-than-normal spring across much of the South Island, hydro lakes are unlikely to recover without substantial rain and late snowmelt – keeping national storage levels below average.
Media round-up
5 Sep 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: The great methane debate; law change scuppers legal challenge to irrigation scheme consent; and what are the energy and climate implications of the $7.5 billion Amazon Web Services data centre deal?
Coal imports up 650%
Fri 12 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams and Liz Kivi | Coal imports are up 650% as generators stockpile the most polluting fossil fuel ahead of next winter.
Hiringa eyes green methanol plant near Whanganui
29 Jul 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Green hydrogen pioneer Hiringa Energy is deep in planning to develop an “eight-to-nine figure” methanol plant near Whanganui, using a combination of biomass and hydrogen produced using renewable energy.
Media round-up
29 Aug 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Changes to road user charges will increase New Zealand's emissions; Climate Change Minister Simon Watts promises better access to hazard data for homeowners; and Kiwis borrow over $1 billion in ‘green loans’ for heat pumps and electric cars.
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.
Apple Watch not a 'CO2-neutral product,' German court finds
28 Aug 2025
Apple can no longer advertise its Apple Watch as a "CO2-neutral product" in Germany, following a court ruling on Tuesday that upheld a complaint from environmentalists, finding that the U.S. tech company had misled consumers.
Forest carbon stores massive blind spot - study
4 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Aotearoa New Zealand’s planted forests hold significant deep soil organic carbon — with over half of it stored below 30 cm, and much of it over 1,000 years old.
Invites-only fast-track for seabed mine slammed as 'rushed, awful'
Fri 12 Sep 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | With the wider public shut out of submissions, critics including Te Pāti Māori, Kiwis Against Seabed Mining and Greenpeace say the process strips away robust scrutiny and risks setting a dangerous precedent.
‘Pick up the phone’ on climate change action, Hipkins urges Luxon
Tue 9 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Prime Minister Christopher Luxon should reach out to the Labour Party if he wants get a political deal on methane reductions and the Paris agreement rather than his two coalition partners, Labour leader Chris Hipkins says.
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.
Endeavour Fund research to shape NZ’s future
5 Sep 2025
Media release - New Zealand Government | A project that looks to harness the potential of supercritical geothermal energy is amongst 19 ambitious science programmes the Government is backing, Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Dr Shane Reti and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones announced today.
Watts full-throated in National’s support for Paris
Wed 10 Sep 2025
By Pattrick Smellie | Climate Change Minister Simon Watts came to this week’s Climate Change and Business Conference with nothing to announce.
Govt resilience plan 'dangerous fantasy' - thinktank
29 Aug 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | An independent thinktank, whose members include former Prime Minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer and multiple academics, is warning that the government’s long-term resilience strategy ignores physical and energy realities and exposes Kiwi households and businesses to systemic failure.
‘Plastic Cup’ competitions are cleaning up rivers in Hungary
1 Sep 2025
Afloat on DIY boats, teams of volunteers have removed over 450 tons of plastic waste from the Danube and its tributaries.
Trump sends fracking CEO to Europe to sell climate denial—and gas
Today 11:30am
Debunking some of Chris Wright's most egregious lies.
Underestimating support for climate action limits political decision making, study says
8 Sep 2025
Research reveals huge disparity between perceived and actual willingness of public to contribute to fixing climate.
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.
Media round-up
Fri 12 Sep 2025
In our round-up of climate coverage in local media: Climate adaptation discussions descended into political squabbling at a recent conference; New Zealand may find itself no longer trusted by allies if it ditches climate goals; and are we living through the fastest energy transformation in human history?
Polar geoengineering ideas 'dangerous'
Wed 10 Sep 2025
Geoengineering will not save the polar regions from catastrophic meltdown, according to an expert.
Climate groups want UK wealth tax to make super-rich fund sustainable economy
17 Jul 2025
Growing number of campaigners urge government to ensure green investment is not done ‘on backs of the poor’.
Ara Ake backs 13 projects to unlock NZ’s energy flexibility
Thu 11 Sep 2025
Media release | Ara Ake has approved over $600,000 in funding from the National Flex Discovery Fund for 13 flexibility service providers (FSPs).
Last minute change to oil and gas legislation over cleanup costs
31 Jul 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government is expected to repeal the oil and gas ban today, with a last-minute amendment handing discretionary power to two ministers over the controversial issue of decommissioning.
Most EU carmakers on track to meet emission targets: study
Wed 10 Sep 2025
Almost all European carmakers are on track to meet EU emission targets after winning a reprieve this year as electric vehicles (EV) sales pick up, a study showed.
Echo Tech secures growth investment to tackle NZ's e-waste crisis
Today 11:30am
Media release | Echo Tech Limited, New Zealand’s leading provider of e-waste recycling and IT asset recovery services, is proud to announce a strategic investment from growth equity firm Altered Capital.
Gisborne art show highlights weather impact on well-being
3 Sep 2025
By Zita Campbell, Local Democracy Reporter|A Gisborne artist and community researcher is turning a study on how severe weather impacts health and wellbeing into an art exhibition.
Record UK wildfires have burned an area twice the size of Glasgow in 2025
12 Aug 2025
Wildfires have scorched more than 40,000 hectares of land so far this year across the UK – an area more than twice the size of the Scottish city of Glasgow.
Which countries are scaling solar and wind the fastest?
Fri 12 Sep 2025
The leaderboard is quite different depending on what metric you look at.
