Science Media Centre

It might still be possible to meet the 1.5°C temperature target set by the Paris Agreement, scientists say, but we probably need to strengthen the current pledges for emissions reductions. An international team of researchers, including Victoria Univerity of Wellington’s Professor Dave Frame, assessed remaining carbon emission budgets compatible with limiting warming to 1.5°C above […]

The environment watchdog has proposed that New Zealand should follow the UK by putting climate change action into law. In her report Stepping stones to Paris and beyond, Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Dr Jan Wright advises the Government to start thinking decades ahead to tackle climate change, and to put specific plans for how we […]

In the wake of US President Donald Trump withdrawing the United States from the Paris Agreement, Victoria University of Wellington professors James Renwick and Marc Wilson talk about the psychology of climate change denial, and whether sceptics can be convinced otherwise. An excerpt (read in full): “There’s a very well-documented disinformation campaign,” says Victoria University’s […]

News this morning that US President Donald Trump has decided to pull the USA out of the Paris Agreement was widely anticipated. The USA was one of 195 countries to sign on to the historic agreement, which former President Barack Obama was instrumental in brokering. Trump called the agreement a deal that “hamstrings” the USA while […]

As the world responds to a Trump presidency – experts are already turning their thoughts to what that could mean for science, especially health and climate change. During his campaign, Donald Trump said he would repeal President Obama’s Affordable Care Act and reinforced his stance as a climate sceptic. The Washington Post reported that the […]

A new report from the Morgan Foundation says the Government will change forestry accounting rules to meet the 2030 climate change target. The report claims that a covert plan will allow an estimated 79 million tonnes of excess greenhouse gas emissions, equating to near a year’s worth of emissions being wiped off the books. The […]

The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment Dr Jan Wright released her latest report on Wednesday, this time turning her attention to the issue of agricultural greenhouse gases. Methane and nitrous oxide – dubbed the biological greenhouse gases – make up about half New Zealand’s total emissions, Dr Wright said. If New Zealand had a chance […]

Now that the Government has ratified the Paris Agreement, the clock is ticking on action to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, writes Victoria University Professor of Public Policy Jonathan Boston on stuff.co.nz. An excerpt (read in full): Imagine allocating the remaining global carbon budget of about 260 billion tonnes on a per capita basis. New […]

New Zealand became the 63rd country to ratify the Paris Agreement – getting in ahead of the European Union and within the first 55 per cent of countries required to meet the threshold to bring the agreement into force. New Zealand has pledged to reduce emissions to 30 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030. […]

In its second ‘Climate Cheats’ report, the Morgan Foundation names 12 New Zealand companies that traded in ‘hot air’ carbon credits. The report follows on from Climate Cheats, released in April, which outlined the rise of questionable carbon credits from Russia and Ukraine that New Zealand used to meet climate commitments. The report is available […]