By Catherine Leining, Policy Fellow, Motu Economic and Public Policy Research
In the international climate change negotiations, countries agreed to the global goal of limiting warming above pre-industrial levels to not more than 2 degrees C. According to the IPCC’s Fifth Assessment Report, to maintain a 66% chance of achieving that goal, cumulative anthropogenic CO2 emissions starting from the period 1861-1880 must remain below about 1 trillion tonnes of carbon (3.67 trillion tonnes of CO2). That drops to an even more restrictive budget when non-CO2 greenhouse gases are taken into account.
Saturday 26 April 2014
Monday 14 April 2014
Z Energy Biodiesel Press Release
By Luke Harrington
A press release by Z Energy on 3rd April 2014
marks the next step in alternative fuel developments in New Zealand. CEO Mike
Bennetts announced a plan to invest $21 million toward a biodiesel
manufacturing plant in Auckland, with a particular focus on tallow as the
organic derivative of choice. Previous large-scale biofuel generation schemes
have been met with varying levels of success in New Zealand (particularly the foray by Solid Energy in 2007) - this is actually acknowledged by Bennetts in
the statement. Though this latest proposed operation will only make a small
dent in the goliath that is fossil fuel demands for domestic transport,
it is a promising step in the right direction – Z should be applauded for
taking a leadership role in such an area.
Tuesday 8 April 2014
Can New Zealand become a green economy?
By Luke Harrington
On 21 March 2014, the Royal Society of New Zealand (RSNZ) released a panel report, ‘Facing the future: towards a green economy for NewZealand’, discussing the potential opportunities, as well as difficulties, involved with New Zealand moving towards a green economy. The United Nations Environment Program defines a green economy as ‘low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive’. Those all sound like attributes that we as a nation should want to embody, so how do we get there? And what are the hurdles that might make the path a bit tough?
On 21 March 2014, the Royal Society of New Zealand (RSNZ) released a panel report, ‘Facing the future: towards a green economy for NewZealand’, discussing the potential opportunities, as well as difficulties, involved with New Zealand moving towards a green economy. The United Nations Environment Program defines a green economy as ‘low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive’. Those all sound like attributes that we as a nation should want to embody, so how do we get there? And what are the hurdles that might make the path a bit tough?
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