Beware ‘blue carbon’ bold, but uncertain claims
Audacious assertions about blue carbon’s potential to combat climate change are not yet matched by reality
CVCF joins $4m round in Hot Lime Labs
Climate VC Fund was proud this month to announce the successful $4m funding round for Hot Lime Labs, the pioneering New Zealand agri-tech firm revolutionising CO2 capture. The capital raise sparked significant interest from international investors and the New Zealand tech, angel investor, and venture capital community, including significant investment from the Climate Venture Capital […]
Five good things about climate action that maybe you didn’t know
By the Climate VC Fund Team It’s easy to get overwhelmed by bad climate news – there’s certainly enough of it. But what about good news – there is some, isn’t there? Indeed so! Here are five things we loved hearing about this month. Actually, six or seven if you look closely. Data from Stats […]
Stay ahead of the tide of greenwashing
Dr. Jodi York makes the case that organisations should use this opportunity to improve their impact management and decision-making to avoid the tide of greenwashing.
New Zealand Government agencies at loggerheads on climate policy
14 April 2023 New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme needs reform, but with differing views from Wellington’s policymakers, it’s unclear if it will move in the right direction. Yesterday saw the latest salvo from the Climate Change Commission. Climate Change Commission vs. Government: A Game of Policy Tennis Back in July, New Zealand’s Climate Change Commission […]
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). […]