Wow. Just, wow! Even if that figure was say 1000% higher - investing $2b for a return of $7-14b savings? Am I missing something or is this just more evidence that this government has been bought and paid for by interested parties?

My last story for the year - the third in a sort of trilogy about the energy crisis. This one is about about the unmanaged, unfunded, messy transition away from gas and the impact on businesses.Feels like a perfect example of where we really really could be doing better www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-dept...

Officials shelved work to see how families in custody battles could be screened for domestic violence!!!

What would it take to meet the NDC domestically? Emissions would need to fall 12% every year to 2030 – more than twice the one-off Covid-19 dip, about equal to the one-off GFC decline. So... five GFCs' worth of emissions cutting. By 2030, NZ would need net zero CO2 and ~30% decline in methane.

84Mt of CO2 is around NZ$38billion of extra damages to the global climate (disasters, lost productivity, failed crops, ...) [w/ US EPA social cost of carbon]. not performative it's deadly serious. Our emissions are a small global share, but they still have a very real impact.

For context: NZ's 2030 target was designed to be met in two parts, with a third domestic emissions savings and a larger contribution fromoffshore credits. Great explainer by @eloisegibson.bsky.social here www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

“Under questioning in the meeting, Willis also confirmed the government had no intention of buying offshore carbon credits to meet the 2030 Paris agreement as part of a "performative awards ceremony" even if that meant it would breach its commitment.” www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

‘Fossil fuel companies were given privileged, insider access to confidential drafts of legislation during a two-year campaign to weaken oil and gas regulation and overturn the offshore exploration ban’ - RNZ My Stuff #cartoon today #nzpol #FossilFuels

New: Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says the Government is no longer committed to advocating for a global phase-out of fossil fuels, marking a significant change in position. newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/26/g...

A captured Government.

"Internal documents show how the sector repeatedly lobbied Resources Minister Shane Jones to dilute New Zealand's clean-up rules for ageing oil fields - rules brought in to protect taxpayers after the 2019 Tui Oil Field collapse left the state burdened with a $300m bill." #NewZealand #nzpol

The Cook Islands allowed over a hundred shadow fleet tankers trafficking sanctioned Russian and Iranian oil. A Big Read from me looking at the curious case of Maritime Cook Islands with an investigation employing big data analysis and fieldwork in Raro. www.nzherald.co.nz/business/com...

Fossil fuel companies were given confidential drafts of legislation during their (successful) two-year campaign to weaken oil and gas regulation and overturn the offshore exploration ban - new reporting from me via the OIA www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

#RailNews: KiwiRail has launched a carbon calculator to meet increasing demand from customers wanting to compare carbon emissions from rail, road and air. Via Travel Weekly: travelweekly.com.au/kiwirail-lau...

#NZpol "We're at a crossroads here. We could have this low-cost renewables future but we're snatching defeat from the jaws of victory," says Fuge. The fuel of ‘last resort’: How imported gas became New Zealand’s first choice RNZ story by @kirstyjohnston.bsky.social: www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Great work @kirstyjohnston.bsky.social on this article, which shines a light on how short-sighted scrapping of good initiatives around energy by this current government led to us being painted into a corner that makes it seem our “only” option is importing gas. #nzpol www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

I looked into importing gas (LNG) as a solution to our energy woes, and almost no one except the domestic gas industry thinks it’s a good idea. So why why is a “last-resort” fuel suddenly the centrepiece of our energy plan? 🔗 www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

"Do you really think (big tech) just accidentally kneecapped the fourth estate and gave themselves the power rich guys have been frothing at the mouth to attain ... the power to control public opinion? If so, then I'm afraid the dummy is you and I'm sorry you had to find out this way."

Mark Mitchell says 36 emails about Jevon McSkimming were kept from him by police

Something I've been thinking about recently is how much time and effort it takes to pick your way through the different vested interests and ideologies and biases when reporting a new subject. I feel like it's getting more and more complicated or maybe I'm simply more aware of the minefield?

now that women have ruined the workplace we should just get rid of it

Ahead of #COP30 a new article from me, unpacking whether New Zealand's 2035 Paris Agreement target (a 51-55% reduction) meets Paris Agreement criteria. TLDR lol no. (outside the paywall, thanks Carbon News!)

At every turn, the Government has opted for whatever would actually lead to more pollution and a warmer world – even if it costs more, jeopardises NZ’s reputation, overturns a campaign promise or clashes with the Government’s other priorities. The long retreat: newsroom.co.nz/2025/11/07/g...

@desmog.com reviewed US tax records which show Bill Gates’ charity has donated more than $3.5 million to a think tank run by Danish academic and climate crisis denier Bjørn Lomborg www.desmog.com/2025/11/05/b...

I mean what’s a little plea deal on a Thursday afternoon

When I wrote this just two-ish months ago, the premise was that the architecture of the CCRA (zero carbon act) remained, but the policies that sustained it had been hollowed out. With the CCRA changes today, I feel like that no longer holds www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-dept...

The Govt quietly announced a loosening of climate rules at 8pm last night: - Decoupling the ETS from Paris - Shifting ETS resets to every 2 years - Delaying the public sector target by 25 years - Removing CCC advice from *before* emission reductions plans: www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...

I just called someone for input on a story and said, "are you busy?" and they said "not too busy to say no comment" and hung up. A+

Things that cost approx $16 billion -Northland road -Lake Onslow power scheme

A stat we don't talk about enough: Newspapers have lost 77% of their jobs over the last 20 year, more than any of the 532 other industries tracked by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This whole bus vs EV situation has reminded me that when we lived in Tauranga if we parked our electric car outside the local pub people would corner us and start yelling about lithium or veganism or the climate hoax or whatever to the point we started taking our petrol car

You know, there’s this pervasive view that people don’t care about climate change / are bored of it / find it overwhelming but I wrote this story this week and social media went crazy over it. People care!!!! They really care are they need a way to channel it www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

thisisfine.gif #ClimateCrisis #nzpol #fossilfools

I wrote this up for RNZ www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

The climate-related disclosures were one of the top points of "significant progress" list in our Biennial Transparency Report under the Paris Agreement. Not any more I guess www.nzherald.co.nz/business/com...

Climate Minister Simon Watts admitted the Government's new methane target may not be consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5C.

Hypothetically if you were a minister of the crown and you were overseas and you sent a staffer to a Very Important Meeting in your absence would you expect them to take notes or ???

Seems like a good time to share this again - given the government's decision to weaken the methane emissions target and not to put a price on agricultural emissions northandsouth.co.nz/2021/10/18/n...

I thought I’d have a go at answering the question: what’s the flow on effect on emissions budgets from the methane cuts? The answer was worse than I had anticipated www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

I thought I’d have a go at answering the question: what’s the flow on effect on emissions budgets from the methane cuts? The answer was worse than I had anticipated www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

If you are fuming about the derailment of climate ambition in AoNZ, how about helping fund an investigation into where this came from 👇

Can’t wait to see the regulatory impact statement that outlines the impact of this decision on everyone who isn’t a farmer www.rnz.co.nz/news/nationa...

Because it’s going so well and all www.nzherald.co.nz/business/com...

"Spain’s rapid renewables build-out means its power prices were set by fossil generation just 19% of the time, down from 75% in 2019. As a result, wholesale electricity was almost a third cheaper than the EU average" Imagine having cheaper power Gift link: www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

“We must stop expecting carbon offsetting to work at scale. […] We have assessed 25 years of evidence and almost everything up until this point has failed.” www.theguardian.com/environment/...

"Data shows in almost all parts of the country, there were more people unemployed than there were jobs available." www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...

I went to speak to Samuel Leason's father, Adi, in Ōtaki. Others from the flotilla have told that "Israeli commandos" have taken 18-year-old Samuel, but neither the New Zealand nor Israeli governments have confirmed this. Nevertheless, Adi is very proud of his son. www.stuff.co.nz/world-news/3...

If you're trying to get your head around the energy market announcement (or non-announcement) this piece by @marcdaalder.bsky.social is great newsroom.co.nz/2025/10/01/g...

Really want to hear predictions on the Fronteir energy market report + reforms dropping tomorrow. The focus on drilling for gas remains perplexing to me given we haven't found anything usable in decades despite spending billions. But will the govt move to ration our remaining gas in some way?

EXC: Plans are underway for a coordinated strike across the public sector on October 23 featuring: - Nurses - Teachers - Doctors - and more If the ballots go ahead it could well be the biggest coordinated strike in NZ history www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...