Penk ignores officials' advice on green building regulations

Penk ignores officials' advice on green building regulations
Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk opted for a volunteer approach for green buildings. (Image: NZME)
Cécile Meier
Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk ignored officials’ advice to proceed with planned regulations to slash buildings’ emissions and improve their energy efficiency. New rules mandating the industry to reduce waste, measure buildings' carbon emissions, and give appliances an energy efficiency rating, like fridges, were supposed to take effect next year. Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) officials urged Penk to go ahead with the drafted changes to the building code, which they said wer...

More Climate change

Methane-reducing products to help hit emissions targets
Primary Sector

Methane-reducing products to help hit emissions targets

Fonterra will continue partnering with AgriZeroNZ.

Graham Skellern 29 Sep 2025
Adrian Orr’s first commercial post-RBNZ gig revealed
Economy

Adrian Orr’s first commercial post-RBNZ gig revealed

Orr backs the Māori economy in his first executive gig since quitting.

Pattrick Smellie 12 Sep 2025
NZ should welcome Chinese cleantech expertise: Lord Turner
Climate change

NZ should welcome Chinese cleantech expertise: Lord Turner

The election of Donald Trump meant a ‘wrenching change’ in US climate policy.

Greg Hurrell 10 Sep 2025
Biogenic methane and ‘No Additional Warming’
Primary Sector Opinion

Biogenic methane and ‘No Additional Warming’

Securing a future for NZ agriculture requires ambitious climate action.