Reports on the Emissions Trading Scheme

This section contains reports commissioned by the Government on various aspects of the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

Economic modelling of New Zealand climate change policy: Report to Ministry for the Environment (PDF, 782 KB)

Emissions Trading Scheme Review Committee’s report. The Review Committee reported back to Parliament on 31 August 2009 with their recommendations for the emissions trading scheme and wider climate change policy.

The Framework for a New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme

The Framework for a New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme - Executive Summary
This framework document explains the design of the emissions trading scheme and the reasoning behind the government’s in-principle decisions. It sets out the rationale, implications and proposed form that emissions trading will take in New Zealand.

Scoping Report for an Environmental Assessment of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme and Closely Related Measures
The Emissions Trading Group contracted a team of independent consultants, led by the Cawthron Institute, to scope an environmental assessment of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. At a high level, the Scoping Report identifies potential environmental effects of the emissions trading scheme and closely related measures, potential response measures, and terms of reference for further work. It helps to draw the linkages between the scheme and New Zealand’s wider climate change and environmental policy initiatives, and identifies areas where it will be particularly important to ensure alignment.

The consultants held a technical workshop on 25 January 2008 to gather information for the report. The workshop summary records input from participants, see Workshop Summary for a Scoping Report on Environmental Assessment of the NZ Emissions Trading Scheme.

Summary of main tax changes in the Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill (PDF, 100 KB) (IRD website).

Māori Impacts from the Emissions Trading Scheme: Detailed Analysis and Conclusions
This report provides detailed analysis and conclusions on the potential economic impacts on Māori related to the emissions trading scheme. It outlines economic opportunities and costs in absolute and relative terms.

Motu Report – Review of the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme
The Emissions Trading Group commissioned internationally-recognised consultant Dr Suzi Kerr, from the Wellington-based Motu Economic and Public Policy Research consultancy, to review the Framework for a New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme.

International Energy Agency comment on the design of New Zealand's emission trading scheme (PDF, 155 KB)
The government invited the Paris-based International Energy Agency to review the ETS framework, following on from that organisation’s in-depth review of New Zealand’s energy policies last year. The IEA monitors and advises on energy policy development among 26 OECD countries.

Deforestation Liabilities – Allocation to Pre-1990 Forests [May 2008] This report analyses the costs and benefits of a number of proposals for the inclusion of pre-1990 forests in the emissions trading system (ETS). Specifically it compares the government’s proposal as included in the Climate Change (emissions Trading and Renewables Preference) Bill with those of PFOlsen and two options proposed by Ngai Tahu.

General Equilibrium Analysis of Options for Meeting New Zealand’s International Emissions Obligations - April 2008
This report draws together the results of general equilibrium modelling undertaken for the Emissions Trading Group since October 2007, previously described in a number of separate papers.

General Equilibrium Analysis of Options for Meeting New Zealand’s International Emissions Obligations Report - October 2007
The Emissions Trading Group commissioned Infometrics economist Adolf Stroombergen to analyse the impact of an emissions trading scheme on emission levels, economic growth and other economic indicators. The report concludes that during the period between 2008 and 2012, the impact of New Zealand meeting its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol on a number of economic indicators is likely to be around 0.0 to 0.3 per cent impact on GDP. In the longer term, the report says, introducing a price on carbon across all sectors of the economy through an emissions trading scheme is clearly a lower cost option than making taxpayers responsible for meeting New Zealand’s likely climate change commitments.

The following reports were prepared by 'Point Carbon', a world-leading provider of independent analysis on carbon markets based in Norway:

Issues in the International Carbon Market 2008-2012 and Beyond
This report examines prices in various carbon markets established under the Kyoto Protocol and the routes to markets available to companies with exposure to carbon price risk.

Functionality in the International Carbon Reduction Project Market: A Briefing Paper
This report examines issues around Clean Development Mechanism Projects and the credits derived from Certified Emissions Reductions, including the emergence of voluntary offset markets.

'Point Carbon' glossary of technical terms

Last updated: 25 June 2010