Articles from ‘elocal magazine’ in ‘Climate Change’

New Zealand's environmental policies are facing an unprecedented test under its free trade agreement with the European Union, after a Dutch environmental organisation lodged the first climate-related complaint through the EU's trade enforcement mechanism. The Government rejects the allegation, but the dispute raises a wider question for New Zealand: how much control over domestic environmental and energy policy was effectively constrained when…

Opportunity's new climate programme proposes billions of dollars in public investment alongside methane trading, carbon pricing and biodiversity markets. But behind the immediate policy announcement lies a larger question for New Zealand: how far should international climate and sustainable-development commitments determine domestic economic, agricultural and energy policy? Report by eLocal · Opportunity has released an ambitious climate…

A new High Court challenge by climate activist Mike Smith has expanded what was already one of New Zealand's most significant climate law cases into a broader constitutional debate about the relationship between Parliament and the courts. Report by elocal · Rather than focusing solely on climate policy, Smith's latest legal action asks a more fundamental question: should the Government legislate to prevent an active court case from proceeding…

It was hailed as ‘a game changer for the clean tech sector’ and a model for the world; less than three years later, BlackRock is walking away from its NZ climate fund by Sam Sachdeva - Caption: BlackRock says "client feedback" and a new acquisition has led to it shutting down a dedicated climate investment fund in New Zealand. File photo: Getty Images · American multinational asset manager BlackRock is closing down a $2 billion climate…

The government has formally rejected every recommendation from the Climate Change Commission to toughen New Zealand’s long-term emissions targets. · Climate Minister Simon Watts confirmed the decision, despite the Commission warning climate impacts are arriving “sooner and more severely than expected” and that New Zealand “can and should be doing more.” · The coalition had already signalled it would soften the methane target. The government has…