Topics tagged with 'United Nations'
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.
UN warns humanity facing threats from space, climate change, but it's not too late to act
26 Oct 2023
Numerous global systems humans rely on for survival are on the precipice of catastrophic tipping points, according to a new report by the United Nations University.
Impact of farming on climate crisis will be a key COP topic – finally
25 Oct 2023
Cop28 will discuss how global food production must become sustainable to stay within 1.5C.
NZ still has a long way to go to meet emission reduction targets: "This ship can sink"
10 Oct 2023
By Robert McLachlan | COMMENT: The 2016 Paris Agreement contains a built-in feedback mechanism to help ensure that its goals are met: the Global Stocktake. Every five years all pledges and progress are assessed and compared to the targets on warming, adaptation, and financing.
‘I wasn’t the obvious choice’: meet the oil man tasked with saving the planet
10 Oct 2023
When COP28 starts next month, Sultan Al Jaber will be front and centre. He is the United Arab Emirates’ choice to head up the climate talks – and he also happens to be head of the national oil company. What’s the problem with that, he asks.
Christchurch to host UN climate adaptation conference
9 Oct 2023
Ōtautahi Christchurch will host the world’s top scientists, Indigenous scholars, and policymakers at a UN climate adaptation conference planned for 2025.
New marine reserves good first step: environmentalists
6 Oct 2023
The government’s announcement yesterday of six new marine reserves in the south-east of the South Island has been universally welcomed. But environmentalists say more needs to be done and to meet the country’s obligations around marine protection, and Māori are calling for a law change.
New UN report previews 'blueprint' for decision on global stocktake at COP28
5 Oct 2023
Media release | A new synthesis report designed to help governments reach a decision on the global stocktake at COP28 has been published by UN Climate Change.
Sweden’s ‘off the rails’ climate policy
3 Oct 2023
A government beholden to the radical right is a warning that the green transition can go into reverse.
The era of climate migration is here, leaders of vulnerable nations say
25 Sep 2023
Heads of climate-vulnerable nations gathered on the sidelines of a United Nations climate summit to call for new policies and agreements to manage the millions of people who are being forced from their homes by extreme weather.
$5 trillion investment needed to reach Sustainable Development Goals by 2030
22 Sep 2023
For the world's 48 developing economies, the shortfall is estimated at US $337 billion annually, if they are to take the required action on climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
Global push for commitment to phase out fossil fuels gathers pace ahead of COP28
13 Sep 2023
A global push to commit to phasing out fossil fuels is gathering new momentum before a crucial UN climate conference this autumn, despite stiff opposition from oil-producing countries.
NZ needs new approach in the face of global inaction on climate
11 Sep 2023
New Zealand needs to work harder at building resilience and adaptation in the face of global failure to meet climate goals, according to an expert.
UN announces ‘climate breakdown’ after record summer heat
7 Sep 2023
Scientists blame ever warming human-caused climate change from the burning of coal, oil and natural gas.
Climate change could bring year-round heatwaves
31 Aug 2023
As Europe and other regions swelter, a U.N. researcher cautioned that climate change was enabling increasingly intense and long-lasting heatwaves, which could soon hit year-round.
Climate issues and the 2023 Election: Is Aotearoa heading in a sustainable direction?
30 Aug 2023
By Ralph Chapman | COMMENT: In the glare of now daily global climate disasters, climate change is taking a higher profile as an election issue in Aotearoa.
IMF warns NZ at risk of failing international emissions obligations
29 Aug 2023
The International Monetary Fund says New Zealand must do more to meet its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) for 2030, and is off track to meet its international obligations.
Fossil fuel subsidies surged to record $7tn in 2022, IMF says
25 Aug 2023
Fossil-fuel subsidies surged to a record $7 trillion last year amid a surge in global energy prices following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and as the global economy rebounded after the Covid-19 pandemic.
UN: South Asian children face highest level of heat in the world
10 Aug 2023
About 460 million children, about 76%, are exposed to extreme heat in South Asia, compared to a third of children globally, UNICEF said.
What would it look like for the NZ ETS to be aligned with 1.5C?
9 Aug 2023
By Christina Hood | The government needs to prioritise gross reductions in long-lived gases much faster to be consistent with 1.5C of warming - with a 90% reduction in gross emissions needed by 2050.
Best by the rest...
4 Aug 2023
In our weekly round-up of the best climate coverage in local media: Experts say the ETS emphasising indigenous forests would benefit public health; Is carbon capture an option for Huntly? And does National’s transport plan add up?
UAE promises to allow climate protests at COP28
3 Aug 2023
Official permission is required for protests in the Gulf nation, which is hosting UN climate talks this year.
Humanity 'has agency over future': new head of UN climate panel
31 Jul 2023
Jim Skea will bring "a judicious blend of realism and optimism" to his leadership of the UN's climate expert panel, including a firm belief that humanity is not powerless to confront global warming.
How flying can be a climate solution
Today 10:45am
By Paul Callister and Robert McLachlan - Planetary Ecology | How can aviation contribute to tackling climate change when no practicable technology-based solutions are on the horizon?
Forestry consents and relaxed rules in erosion zones sow seeds of future disaster
Fri 13 Jun 2025
OPINION: The government’s move to restrict exotic forestry on our best food-growing soils will push even more forestry investment onto high erosion risk land on the East Coast, with the worst land becoming the only land left for the most intensive and destructive land use, writes Manu Caddie
Greenwashing is rife in Australia, but could its days be numbered?
28 May 2025
COMMENT: Have you ever ticked the box to “fly carbon neutral”, had something delivered via “carbon-neutral shipping” or chosen to pay a bit extra to buy “carbon-neutral gas” from your energy retailer?
Help sustainable aviation fuels take off or delay targets, airlines warn EU
20 May 2025
Earmarked funding, risk-reduction tools, and simplified imports top Airlines for Europe’s wish list for the EU’s upcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan.
'Time is right' for nature credits
Fri 13 Jun 2025
Media release | Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari and Ekos are thrilled to be partnering with central government on the development of a voluntary Nature Credits Market pilot programme, announced by Associate Minister for the Environment Andrew Hoggard yesterday.
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.
Carbon auction odds-on to fail
Fri 13 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | The carbon price has rallied slightly in recent weeks, however with secondary market prices still hovering around the $57 mark, well below this year’s $68 auction floor price, next week’s Emissions Trading Scheme auction looks set to fail.
World leaders’ failure to act is pushing Earth past 1.5°C
Today 10:45am
Based on mounting evidence, some scientists now fear we’ve entered a new era of the climate emergency, characterized by accelerated warming and amplified disasters.
Govt mulls status quo for ETS auction settings
29 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | The government has released its consultation on the Climate Change Commission’s latest advice on Emissions Trading Scheme auction settings and volumes, putting forward the option to ignore the commission’s advice to boost auction volumes from 2028-2030.
China's approvals of coal power plants grow after 2024 decline
Wed 11 Jun 2025
China approved 11.29 gigawatts of new coal power plants in the first three months of 2025, already exceeding the 10.34 GW approved in the first half of 2024.
A credible UN carbon market needs rules that count – we’ve just set them
Wed 11 Jun 2025
COMMENT: The broad standards for a more ambitious market are now in place. But without a steady flow of investment, this progress will remain largely on paper.
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.
Legal experts sue Climate minister over ‘glaring holes’ in climate plan
Wed 11 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Legal experts are taking the government to court over its Emissions Reduction Plan, alleging it fails to fulfil basic requirements of the law – with one of the arguments focussing on an over-reliance on tree-planting.
Electric firebricks: decarbonising high-temperature industrial heat
Fri 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.
Govt budgets $200m for would-be gas investors
23 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | Energy Resources Aotearoa has welcomed the government's plan to co-invest $200 million in fossil gas expansion, while environmental and climate groups have reacted with horror.
Extreme ocean warming engulfed South-West Pacific in 2024
6 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Unprecedented ocean warming engulfed the South-West Pacific in 2024, with extreme heat and rainfall causing deadly and devastating impacts and sea level rise threatening entire islands.
Government undermines regional powers to protect coastal biodiversity
Today 10:45am
Media Release | The Environmental Defence Society opposes the Government’s decision to press ahead with amendments to the Resource Management Act that severely curtail the ability of regional councils to manage the impacts of fishing on coastal marine biodiversity.
UN University report warns against carbon credits from REDD, tree planting, and improved forest management
Fri 13 Jun 2025
But the report stops short of recommending banning the trade in carbon temporarily stored in trees.
Labor accused of ‘gaslighting’ Australians on climate crisis as fossil fuel projects keep getting approved
9 Jun 2025
‘They offer sympathy and then just go and approve massive fossil fuel projects anyway,’ one advocate says.
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.
Electrification challenge for politicians, regulators
27 May 2025
Rewiring Aotearoa is calling for stronger political leadership to bring its vision of a cheaper, cleaner and stronger energy system to life, with the launch of its policy manifesto today.
As methane climate impacts soar, NGOs, scientists, and advocates launch campaign to 'pull the methane emergency brake'
Fri 13 Jun 2025
Media release | International NGOs, scientists, and climate advocates are launching a global campaign calling for deep, rapid, mandatory cuts in methane emissions as the best way to lower near-term global temperature rise.
Govt uses climate change as ‘Trojan horse’ for other objectives
Tue 10 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Waitangi Tribunal has heard that the New Zealand Government’s international trade and investment agreements are failing to meet Tiriti o Waitangi obligations in the context of climate change – prioritising commercial interests while sidelining Māori rights and worldviews.
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.
What happened to the hydrogen economy?
3 Jun 2025
The hydrogen car that was supposed to carry us into a cleaner future is still not in the driveway. In fact, outside of a few test markets, it’s not in anyone’s driveway.
Climate change could drive surge in foreclosures and lender losses, new study finds
22 May 2025
Extreme weather linked to climate change could spell financial ruin for many American homeowners and lead to billions in losses for lenders, a new study finds.
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.
Energy Australia apologises to 400,000 customers and settles greenwashing legal action
22 May 2025
Energy retailer says carbon offsetting ‘not the most effective way’ to reduce emissions.
Could ‘orange’ hydrogen be NZ’s key to net-zero?
30 May 2025
By Liz Kivi | New Zealand could be sitting on resources for a thriving multi-billion-dollar, low-carbon hydrogen economy, which might even be capable of creating a net reduction of carbon dioxide, according to scientists.
Carbon News launches price index
24 Jun 2024
Today’s issue is the first to feature Carbon News’ own carbon price index for secondary market spot prices for NZUs on New Zealand’s compliance market.
Tribunal asked to halt seabed mine fast-track
Today 10:45am
By Craig Ashworth, Local Democracy Reporter | South Taranaki hapū want the Waitangi Tribunal to halt a fast-track bid to mine the seabed off Pātea.
Foresters baulk at restrictions, land ballots
Wed 11 Jun 2025
By Liz Kivi | Forestry groups say that new legislation will introduce further uncertainty for planting plans and poses a threat to climate targets.
Ocean current ‘collapse’ could trigger ‘profound cooling’ in northern Europe – even with global warming
Fri 13 Jun 2025
A “collapse” of key Atlantic ocean currents would cause winter temperatures to plunge across northern Europe, overriding the warming driven by human activity.
Fight over coal mine heats up
30 May 2025
Forest & Bird is calling on the government to create a new scientific reserve covering the Denniston Plateau on the West Coast, which would stop a fast-tracked coal mine.
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.
Legislation introduced to restrict farm-to-forest conversions
Tue 10 Jun 2025
Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay has today introduced a bill to Parliament that he says will put a stop to large-scale farm-to-forestry conversions.
Israel deports activist Greta Thunberg after military seized Gaza Freedom Flotilla ship
Thu 12 Jun 2025
Israel deported activist Greta Thunberg on Tuesday, the country's Foreign Ministry said, a day after the Gaza-bound ship she was on with 11 other people was seized by the Israeli military.
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.
Could Queenstown become the world’s most electric city?
Wed 11 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | Queenstown is set to become the focus of an ambitious initiative aiming to transform it into the world’s most electrified destination.
Climate progress slowing, says Auckland councillor
5 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The devastating cyclone that tore through Tāmaki Makaurau in 2023 left behind more than just broken infrastructure, sparking calls to focus on facts over ideology in the fight against climate change.
Green budget 'ludicrous la-la land' – govt
15 May 2025
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the budget was "clown show economics" and an "absolute circus".
Biochar's negative emissions tech coming to Fieldays
6 Jun 2025
Biochar Network New Zealand will showcase its negative emissions technology biochar at this year's Forestry Hub at Fieldays 2025.
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.
“It’s not the car – it’s how we move” – EECA
3 Jun 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams| New Zealand’s transport emissions conversation has focused heavily on electric vehicles – but Richard Briggs, group manager, delivery and partnerships at the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority, says we’re asking the wrong question.
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.
Govt's RMA overhaul sparks fears for nature and climate
30 May 2025
By Shannon Morris-Williams | The Government has opened public consultation on the biggest overhaul of environmental planning rules in New Zealand’s history, with critics warning it puts nature and climate at risk in favour of fast-tracked development and industry expansion.
Tropical forest loss hit new heights in 2024; fire a major driver in Latin America
23 May 2025
Tropical forest loss skyrocketed in 2024, with vast swaths of primary forest consumed by fire, according to new satellite data.
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.
