Climate
Flood, fire, drought and pestilence predicted for Bay of Plenty towns
Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki face flooding, while Kawerau is looking at increased fire risk, a new report says.
Carbon neutral 2050: 'Imperative we get on with it' to prevent cost blowouts, scientist says
It will be more costly for New Zealand to try and become carbon neutral in the future if it does not pick up the pace now, one of the climate change commissioners warns. Audio
Climate Commissioner: 'current pathway will not get us there'
The government needs to take more urgent and bold actions on climate change, or risk missing its own emissions targets for 2026 to 2030 according to the Climate Change Commission. The Commission says… Audio
We can't plant our way out of trouble, Climate Change Commission says
The Climate Change Commission is warning decision makers that we can't plant our way out of trouble.
It's released draft recommendations to the Government for the next Emissions Reduction Plan, and… Audio
Blooming cyclones
Tropical cyclones can cause rampant destruction, but sometimes, these wild weather systems can seed life at sea too. This week we meet a storm-chasing researcher in search of phytoplankton blooms like… Audio
Govt moving too slow on climate action - commission report
The Climate Change Commission says current government policies do not go hard or fast enough on cutting damaging gases.
That's one of the messages from the Commission which today released its draft… Video, Audio
Climate Change Commission urges new targets without forestry in new report
The government's plans to cut emissions will not be enough to meet its own targets, the Climate Change Commission says, once again warning we can't plant our way to success.
Our Changing World – Cyclones and phytoplankton blooms
We know – all too well now – that tropical cyclones can cause huge amounts of destruction in the South Pacific. But might they also be a source of marine life? Audio
Thousands of state houses on flood prone land, and more going up
A sizeable chunk of state housing is on flood prone land, with more builds being put on land expected to flood in the future.
Activists gather for Earth Day, urge action to avoid 'dystopian' future
Earth Day this year followed weeks of extreme weather, with temperatures soaring to record highs in Thailand and a punishing heatwave in India.
A week later, Auckland Council chief fronts up on flood review
Jim Stabback has broken his silence a week on from the release of a damning flood review. Audio
Compensating poorer countries for climate damage: How do we crunch the numbers?
Opinion - Extreme weather events are complex and working out exactly how much damage climate change caused is a tricky task, write climate science experts.
Businesses on edge as Cyclone Gabrielle grants in huge demand
Demand far exceeds the funding available, but none have been given anything close to the per business cap.
Protesters blocking roads could face 14 years jail, police warn
Disruptive protests blocking traffic are dangerous for drivers and protesters and anyone taking part could face up to 14 years in jail, police say.
Aucklanders' carbon impact worse than rest of NZ
Aucklanders' carbon impact is 15 percent higher than average households across the country, according to a report released on Monday.
Sepuloni downplays China tensions at start of tour of Pacific nations
Deputy Prime Minister Carmel Sepuloni is staying quiet on the issue of tensions between China and the West as she begins a five-day Pacific mission. Audio
Health will suffer with increasingly severe storms - experts
Climate and health experts warn storms like Cyclone Gabrielle will have increasingly devastating public health consequences as the world warms.
Why more fertiliser and feed don't mean more farm profits
Analysis - New Zealand is in an unusual position in the developed world when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions.
'It's bad but we will fix it': Deputy mayor fronts after damning report into flood response
The report - which Desley Simpson called "grim reading" - was highly critical of the council's handling of the disaster. Audio
NZ's gross greenhouse gas emissions drop for second year in a row
But net emissions were up due to "historically high harvest rates in our plantation forests".
