The Standard

Environment

Categories under Environment

Local Bodies: The myth of New Zealand’s economic backbone

Written By: - Date published: 10:30 am, June 14th, 2026 - 18 comments

If the farming sector is the ‘backbone of the economy’ then why is it that we are struggling to stand upright economically at the moment? Is it because agriculture is a economic drain on the rest of NZ. It provides 85% of our export revenue. But contributes just 5% of GDP, 5% of the workforce, and 1-3% of tax revenue – which effectively measures the profit to NZ.

National intends to proceed with the LNG terminal and welch on the country’s Kyoto Protocal obligations

Written By: - Date published: 10:19 am, June 12th, 2026 - 12 comments

National, a party of supposed economic geniuses, will spend billions on an LNG terminal that is not needed, billions on roads of National significance whose business cases are appalling, and attack Labour for a policy that is cheap, will help ordinary people, reduce fuel dependancy and greenhouse gas emissions.

The Fast Track Legislation Really is This Bad

Written By: - Date published: 7:00 pm, June 8th, 2026 - 12 comments

There is growing local opposition to the prospect of open cast mining in the Central Otago approved by the Fast Track process.

More fishy than a bait shop

Written By: - Date published: 8:38 pm, May 27th, 2026 - 15 comments

Christopher Luxon has implied that a junior staffer met major polluters and received submissions urging him to sink Mike Smith’s bid to hold them to account which were then hidden. But it was his Chief Policy Advisor.

Doing their master’s bidding

Written By: - Date published: 9:10 am, May 25th, 2026 - 43 comments

Briefing papers from two of the corporates being sued by Mike Smith for damaging the environment urging the Government to change the law to stop the case were received but allegedly lost by Luxon’s office.

Stop This Madness

Written By: - Date published: 10:20 am, May 14th, 2026 - 33 comments

Why is Chris Bishop wanting to review the cost of the City Rail Link while at the same time is happy to proceed with roads of national signficance that are very expensive but provide limited financial return?

Constitutional outrage

Written By: - Date published: 10:01 am, May 12th, 2026 - 26 comments

The Government’s plans to retrospectively change the law to stop a case seeking damages for climate damage caused by heavy emitters is a constitutional outrage and shows not only contempt for the rule of law but also contempt for any action taken by a citizen against climate change.

Smash Left populism, get Right populism

Written By: - Date published: 11:41 am, May 11th, 2026 - 76 comments

That’s Starmer’s achievement, as the local elections show. He always was a muppet puppet; his string-pullers are much more sinister.

“Interest rates, oil and gold”

Written By: - Date published: 4:23 pm, May 7th, 2026 - 11 comments

That RNZ tricolon has always been infuriating fluff. In the real world, analysts warn we are heading for a cliff.

Uncertain Futures and Political Change

Written By: - Date published: 5:54 pm, April 21st, 2026 - 65 comments

The world is turned upside down and challenges progressive politics to change gear.

Luxon is toast

Written By: - Date published: 1:26 pm, April 21st, 2026 - 36 comments

Any time a political leader has to put their position to a vote, they become a dead pigeon. David Lange knew winning the vote didn’t end the matter.

Greens’ State Of The Planet Calls For National Electrification Plan

Written By: - Date published: 6:10 am, April 21st, 2026 - 28 comments

“The plan would electrify homes, transport and industry, ending New Zealand’s dependence on unpredictable global fossil fuel markets, cutting household power bills, and building real energy security at home.”

Without pluralism within the climate movement, we risk handing the future to the far right

Written By: - Date published: 12:28 pm, April 20th, 2026 - 22 comments

“As climate politics enters a critical phase, exclusion is a luxury we cannot afford. We need all hands on deck.”

What We Can Do

Written By: - Date published: 6:50 pm, March 20th, 2026 - 30 comments

In absence of a concrete leadership plan from this government to address the impending oil supply crisis, this post is for us to simply note down what actions we are taking ourselves. 

The oil crisis: “We live in challenging times”

Written By: - Date published: 4:33 pm, March 19th, 2026 - 46 comments

The government has shifted position and is now directly talking about the need to plan and prepare for a potential crisis and doing so for the worst case scenario.

Why scrapping Labour’s climate change policies has made the oil crisis worse

Written By: - Date published: 1:38 pm, March 17th, 2026 - 10 comments

Driven by ideology, this Government has worsened the country’s prospects to reduce oil dependance by axing policies that would have cut greenhouse-gas emissions.

Greenpeace on NZ’s Fuel Supply Resiliency Plan

Written By: - Date published: 6:15 am, March 17th, 2026 - 30 comments

“True resilience will not come from stockpiling more finite, fossil fuels, but from reducing our reliance on fossil fuels altogether.” – Greenpeace

The oil crisis – What would Jacinda do?

Written By: - Date published: 11:52 am, March 14th, 2026 - 43 comments

Jacinda Ardern led the country through some of the most taxing international crises imaginable. How would she deal with the potential oil shock caused by the Iranian war and how does this compare to Christopher Luxon’s response?

Will Israel/US wreck the Gulf States & Iran?

Written By: - Date published: 2:59 pm, March 13th, 2026 - 14 comments

We are now in the opening days of what may be the decisive war to determine either the survival of the Iranian state or the expulsion of the US from the Arab lands.

The oil crisis: she’ll be right?

Written By: - Date published: 1:05 am, March 13th, 2026 - 47 comments

“Every emergency plan principle that I’m aware of says you communicate early, honestly and with a plan.” – Nathan Surendran

Why can’t Government Ministers say “climate change”?

Written By: - Date published: 12:36 pm, February 18th, 2026 - 14 comments

In the midst of multiple states of emergency caused by climate change induced rainfall Mark Mitchell and Christopher Luxon have reverted to Oil Industry talking points that what is happening is “just weather” and that “weather changes.”

A comparison between the LNG Terminal deal and the NZ Steel deal

Written By: - Date published: 11:11 am, February 16th, 2026 - 14 comments

A comparison of the LNG Terminal deal and the previous Government’s deal with NZ Steel to replace its coal fired furnace with a renewable energy supplied electric arc furnace clearly shows what this Government’s priorities are.

Think Big 2.0

Written By: - Date published: 2:02 pm, February 12th, 2026 - 34 comments

The Government has responded to a perceived urgency caused by dry years to the country’s power supply by proposing something that is counter intuitive. Instead of rolling out solar it wants to burn imported Liquified Natural Gas. And use enabling legislation to avoid any overview of the proposal.

Despite Denials, US-NZ Minerals Agreement likely to proceed

Written By: - Date published: 10:02 pm, February 8th, 2026 - 9 comments

The NZ government has shrouded US rare minerals discussions in secrecy, refusing to provide information to Kiwis even as the US confirms talks are in progress. The agreement may requires countries to commit to accelerated and extended mining

Fast Track law fails at the first big hurdle

Written By: - Date published: 9:19 am, February 8th, 2026 - 18 comments

Environmental groups have cheered the draft Panel’s decision refusing to allow Taranaki’s continental shelf from being smashed up to extract rare earth minerals. But how will the Government respond?

Are whales people? The Green Party Bill to give whales personhood

Written By: - Date published: 12:10 pm, February 7th, 2026 - 47 comments

Save the whales! (and ourselves)

GOOD NEWS: Fast-Track Seabed mining application rejected

Written By: - Date published: 9:00 am, February 6th, 2026 - 7 comments

TTR were asked to apply for Fast-Track by Chris Bishop after trying and failing for a decade through NZ courts. Yesterday, it looked like they were rejected again

Is Shane Jones really to blame?

Written By: - Date published: 8:37 am, February 3rd, 2026 - 9 comments

NZ First is openly allegiant to commercial fishers, mining (fossil fuels) and tobacco companies, but is it really their fault?

Shane Jones loves fossil fuels

Written By: - Date published: 1:09 pm, February 2nd, 2026 - 9 comments

National has allowed Shane Jones to effectively veto the country signing up to a road map away from the use of fossil fuels supported by much of the world that was consistent with current policy settings.

What does Labour do about Winston?

Written By: - Date published: 2:29 pm, February 1st, 2026 - 61 comments

Current polling suggests that we may witness something that has not happened before, a one term National Government. But this may mean Labour making a deal with Winston Peters. What should Labour do?

The Mount Maunganui disaster and climate responsibility

Written By: - Date published: 11:40 am, January 25th, 2026 - 22 comments

Bryce Edwards’ piece and key mainstream media articles on how the Maunganui disaster happened are the start of a long, complex conversation about New Zealand’s precarity and the urgent need to change.