Climate change stories
Native bird numbers and water quality have improved in Palmerston North after a 16-year community planting effort won national recognition.
Councils across Australia and New Zealand could cut street-light bills by USD $120 million a year as new specs ease LED procurement.
Pacific islands face more floods and droughts as extreme El Niño events are expected to double, even if warming stays at 1.5C.
The revised standard aims to speed approvals for volume builders while reducing compliance costs and lifting the quality of new homes.
Businesses will get more certainty over carbon pricing as ministers move to reshape the emissions scheme ahead of New Zealand’s 2030 target.
Residents on a no-exit road were reconnected within 20 hours after the Waikato District Alliance speeded up emergency roading responses.
Cheaper batteries are set to make electric cars affordable upfront in major markets by 2029, spurring a faster global sales surge.
Upstream spending is rebounding as oil majors push through more low-risk projects, with sanctions set to nearly double to 25 this year.
Raising landfill charges over seven years could lift New Zealand's recycling rate to 60 per cent and add 9,000 jobs, a report says.
Protected conservation land cannot be flooded for the proposed Ruataniwha Dam, leaving Hawke’s Bay Regional Council’s $900 million scheme in doubt.
New threats from climate change, globalisation and genetics could make it harder to keep pests and diseases out over the next 20 years.
Charging networks and low running costs are helping New Zealand’s electric car uptake, as registrations hit a monthly record and sales broadened.
Motu, a small research organisation from New Zealand, has been ranked tenth in the world for their climate change work.
More homebuyers are seeking healthier, more efficient houses, with Homestar registrations rising tenfold in three years to 6,700.
Housing shortages, leaky homes and soaring land costs are forcing New Zealand to rethink design, building methods and quality.
The Brisbane tower’s timber frame is expected to cut carbon emissions and set a new benchmark for large-scale office developments.
Rising housing pressure and ageing assets are forcing councils to seek new funding tools as LGNZ urges election contenders to back infrastructure renewal.
Digital farming could add up to NZD $448 million to New Zealand’s economy as growers face rising costs and tighter regulation.
A government-backed scheme will cut tyre stockpiles, lower fire and pollution risks, and divert millions of discarded tyres into cement works.
A new analysis method could help New Zealand planners avoid costly over- or under-investment as climate risks become clearer over time.
