Science Media Centre

An opinion piece from climate scientists due out in today’s journal Nature says that unless major loopholes in the Copenhagen Accord are patched and a more binding agreement urgently made, the likelihood is high that warming will exceed 2 degrees Celsius by 2100. Concerns include the fact that countries are likely to meet the higher [...]

The Australian Science Media Centre rounded up questions on climate science from journalists and put them to leading scientists in the field. Below is the resulting Q&A. 1) There has been conflicting messages about warming in recent years – is it or is it not getting warmer? Professor Steven Sherwood, Climate Change Research Centre at [...]

New Zealand has signed on to the Copenhagen Accord on climate change, despite the accord having been rejected already by China and India. 26 countries, however, have signed on to the Accord, and it is hoped that it will provide a path to a more binding agreement than was reached at the recent talks in [...]

Down to the wire for carbon deal Climate negotiators and heads of states will reconvene in a few hours with the aim of removing the hundreds of square brackets from a draft emissions reduction agreement. If the first week of the COP15 meetings was dominated by the split between the developed and developing nations, week [...]

Fri 18/12 Radio NZ: Compromise offer rejected by Tuvalu NZ Herald/NZPA: NZ has ‘great hope’ for talks, Key tells Copenhagen NZ Herald: Key’s speech at the Copenhagen climate talks NBR: Key tells world leaders time to face reality Stuff: Key’s Copenhagen speech: time for agreement 3 News: Key at Copenhagen – ‘challenging and frustrating’ – [...]

Thu 17/12 NBR/NZPA: PM ditched from international climate debate The Press: Key dumped from climate change debate on BBC NZ Herald: Key dumped from BBC Copenhagen debate The Press: $200m pledged for agriculture research TVNZ/NZPA: NZ to give $45m to climate research 3 News: Key dumped from BBC’s Greatest Debate on Earth Radio NZ: Chaos [...]

Wed 16/12 NZ Herald/NZPA: Smith: Next 48-hours of climate talks crucial Stuff: Last-ditch effort for climate deal Radio NZ: Climate talks moving too slowly – UN3 News: 3 News: China can export wind, solar power technology – Clark Stuff/The press: ‘Extremist tactics’ derail UN climate talks NZ Herald: NZ hopes to make splash with global [...]

Tue 15/12 ODT/NZPA: Key leaves for climate change conference 3 News/Radio Live: Labour MP pays own way to Copenhagen TVNZ/NZPA: Key off to pursue climate change deal 3 News: Govt’s ETS scheme a headache for exporters – report Radio NZ: Walkout at climate conference Dom Post: Environmental activist camp plans action in capital The Press: [...]

Mon 14/12 NZ Herald: Key upbeat on Copenhagen talks NZ Herald: Taking a hard line on climate change NZ Herald: ‘Too soon’ to set binding NZ target 3 News/NZPA: Key heads off to climate talks in positive mood The Press: Hard questions at Copenhagen Stuff/NZPA: Confident Key heads to Copenhagen ODT: Rising sea ‘will pose [...]

Consumer guilt over the distance food travels from paddock to plate is misguided according to a report released at Copenhagen last night by the International Institute for Environment and Development and Oxfam. While the report will please export-orientated producers, New Zealand has been attacked on another front by conservation groups over forestry accounting proposals it [...]