James Renwick 
The declaration of a climate emergency tells the people of New Zealand, and the international community, that this is who we are and this is where we are going, writes James Renwick, a climate scientist and member of the NZ Climate Commission. Last week Jacinda Ardern tabled in parliament a motion to declare a climate … Read more
While New Zealand may continue to prosper from the tourist dollar for a decade or two yet, there is the very real prospect that the climate crisis will drive international tourism down, writes James Renwick. The headline read “Tourism industry working to ensure a sustainable future” but there was scant evidence of true sustainability thinking … Read more
James Renwick explains why he’s investing prize money from a PM’s science award into bringing artists and scientists together, and how you can be part of it. For me, it was The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell. The book tells the story of the life of Holly Sykes, from the 1980s to the 2040s. The … Read more
Despite all the evidence of climate change and environmental degradation, and the clear need to take action, we just aren’t taking action, writes James Renwick The Ministry for the Environment and Stats NZ have released their latest report on New Zealand’s environment: Environment Aotearoa 2019. It’s great that government agencies are informing us so clearly … Read more
To combat climate change, we essentially need a new industrial revolution, and at last attitudes across the business sector appear to be seriously changing, writes climate scientist James Renwick To make an effective response to climate change, what is required is leadership from both the public and private sectors. So the announcement of a new … Read more
Climate change is not a partisan issue, and the need to take big steps to reduce emissions is urgent. So the opposition support for a Climate Change Commission is very welcome, writes climate scientist James Renwick. In climate policy-land, things are all go here in New Zealand. The coalition government has got its Zero Carbon … Read more
Pressure is mounting on the government to halt oil and gas exploration. If New Zealand can successfully wean itself off fossil fuels, we can only accelerate action in other countries, argues James Renwick The pressure is really going on at a political level in New Zealand these days. The Green Party is pushing to introduce … Read more
I would love for Doug Edmeades to be right, as I would sleep better at night, but the arguments he trots out have been debunked over and over again, writes climate scientist James Renwick. Some memes never die. Every time you shoot them down they just get up again like the zombies they are. “Satellite … Read more
With secretary of state Rex Tillerson in New Zealand on Tuesday, Bill English and Paula Bennett have a chance to strongly condemn the dereliction of international leadership in quitting the Paris deal – and to use the occasion to galvanise action here, writes climate scientist James Renwick This morning we heard President Donald Trump formally state … Read more
From confirmation that 2016 was New Zealand’s warmest year on record to the imminent inauguration of a big-emissions US president, it’s easy to understand desperation in the face of climate change. But we need to channel all our energies into urgent action, writes James Renwick. Climate change and global warming have been in the news … Read more