NZ’s Climate Change Targets, Projections and Liabilities
New Zealand plans to meet existing commitments to reduce emissions largely through creative carbon accounting. It will make a third emissions pledge in 2015 and the Treasury advises the …
Pressure Mounting on NZ for Real Emissions Reductions
After many years focused on creative accounting, New Zealand is facing pressure to deliver emission reduction results.
Things are different partly because the two biggest carbon polluters, the US and …
Is the EPA a Reliable Guardian of the Environment?
A spectacular fail by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) raises serious questions about its reliability as a guardian of the environment.
At issue was the EPA’s decision to allow GMOs …
High Court Prevents Developers From Bypassing GM Laws
The High Court has quashed a decision by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) that would have allowed developers of genetically modified crops to bypass New Zealand’s GM laws.
The Court …
TPP’s Benefits Less Than a Quarter of Government’s Claim
The TPP’s economic benefits are less than a quarter of those the government has claimed – and the proposed trade deal would impose serious costs.
The government has repeatedly used …
New GM Foods Designed to Escape Regulation
A new generation of genetically modified (GM) foods is in the pipeline and if developers get their way, they won’t be labelled. In fact, they won’t be regulated at …
33% Gap Between Emissions Target and Performance
There is a 33% gap between the government’s new climate change target and New Zealand’s expected performance, all up. The overshoot is greater than previously expected as projected emissions …
Dow Excluded from Precedent Setting Case on GM Law
The High Court has ruled that US multinational Dow cannot intervene in a precedent setting court case concerning whether a new plant breeding technique is covered under New Zealand’s …
Carbon Budgeting: Integrated Planning for Climate Action
The more it is recognised that pricing instruments such as the ETS are simply tools, and the real action lies in how carbon budgets are set, the greater will …
