The revolution in agri-tech is finally happening – but it’s still too slow
Agriculture is facing a huge problem with climate change. It’s also facing opportunities for growth and leadership. So what’s the hold up, asks Rohan MacMahon. As I write these words Cyclone Gabrielle’s hefty impact on New Zealand is fully evident. Houses have been wrecked and businesses destroyed. Lives have been lost, and many are still […]
Mind the gap: a global race for offsets means NZ’s emissions reductions will have to come from NZ
There’s a growing squeeze for land but not for what you think. It’s not for housing or agriculture or factories. It’s for offsets. By Dr Jez Weston and Lucie Greenwood The “Land Gap” report by researchers from the Universities of Melbourne, Copenhagen, Lund and others, summarised the overall demand for offset across the globe. It’s bad news […]
With COP27 a fizzler, where can we find hope? Jez Weston wonders if it’s in finance
A friend’s parents are dying. He is providing full-time palliative care. This is, of course, physically taxing and emotionally brutal. He says that part of the challenge is, during the rare moments when he can step away from 24-hour care-giving, that the world surrounding him appears to be sleeping in our lack of awareness of […]
Why we’re backing Zincovery for zinc recycling without coal
We’ve just made our fourth investment – in Christchurch-based Zincovery. The Climate VC Fund has joined Icehouse Ventures and Outset in a NZ$3m seed round to rapidly accelerate Zincovery’s coal-busting tech. Zincovery is building an alternative to the carbon-intensive zinc recycling process. It has been on our radar since it spun out of the University […]
What would $30b buy New Zealand?
By Jez Weston Under current projections, by 2030 the New Zealand government has committed to buy up to $30 billion in offshore carbon credits to make up the difference between the country’s gross greenhouse gas emissions and the amount we have signed up to emit under the Paris Agreement – our Nationally Determined Commitment (NDC). […]
Climate VC Fund invests in Liquium’s green ammonia for fuel and fertiliser
Ammonia – the acrid-smelling chemical in cleaning products – is most widely used as an ingredient in fertiliser. It’s also being picked as a clean-burning alternative to diesel. Clean floors, food and fuel – what’s not to love about ammonia? Emissions. Making ammonia is a costly affair. Global emissions from its manufacture are around 2% […]
Climate Fund backs Cleanery to tidy up emissions
Climate VC Fund is proud to announce its second investment. CVCF is the largest investor in a seed round of $2.34 million for Cleanery, the innovative Kiwi eco-cleaning and personal care products company. The raise attracted significant interest from the New Zealand business community, including Peter Cullinane, Nicola O’Rourke, and Michael Stiassny (via their company […]
How to judge the Emissions Reduction Plan
It was probably the biggest announcement of the year; maybe second only to the Budget. However you rank it, the Emissions Reduction Plan is a landmark document that will determine climate policy for years to come. Is it any good? Is it good enough? Yes or no seems too binary for such a complex document, […]
Last year set the objectives. Now we must deliver. I’ll start.
Last year was a momentous and uneven year for New Zealand’s climate risk and our response to it. In some ways it was a reset for the country, embedding climate change into government policy and setting international goals. In other ways it was a disappointing business-as-usual year as Covid dominated the headlines and the actions. […]
Puncturing the waterbed – climate policy needs more than the Emissions Trading Scheme
By Dr Jez Weston, Rohan MacMahon The Emissions Trading Scheme sets the carbon price for New Zealand and the price has just gone nuts. September’s auction bashed through the Government’s $50 price cap to $53. December’s auction cleared at $68, nearly doubling the price from just a year ago. This is how markets are supposed […]