this post was submitted on 01 Jul 2023
7 points (88.9% liked)

NZ Politics

565 readers
1 users here now

Kia ora and welcome to the NZ Politics community!

This is a place for respectful discussions about everything that's political and kiwi

This is an inclusive space where diverse opinions are valued, but please don't be a dick

Other kiwi communities here

 

Banner image by Tom Ackroyd, CC-BY-SA

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 

The government is following through on a promised ban on new coal boilers, and phasing out existing ones by 2037.

Other changes announced yesterday include new standards requiring councils to factor in climate change in decisions about consents for furnaces that burn fossil fuels.

Currently more than half of the heat used to process raw material - for example in dairy and paper production - comes from burning fossil fuels.

It accounts for 8 percent of New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions.

Energy and Resources Minister Dr Megan Woods said the changes would reduce emissions equivalent to the exhaust fumes from 100,000 cars a year. [...]

The ban on installing new coal heating devices kicks in from late next month, with the new nationally consistent standards for councils ready for implementation before the end of the year.

The new standards only cover devices used to generate heat for industrial processes.

Stuff had a related story this morning about the last coke-powered foundry in NZ shutting down.

top 2 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] Rangelus 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We could easily be 100% renewable in this country if the government had the stomach to mandate it. Wind and hydro alone would do it I reckon, not to mention other energy sources (geothermal, solar, wave).

[–] RaoulDuke 3 points 1 year ago

Absolutely. Your comment made me realise I'd forgotten to post this up.