The New Zealand government announced significant changes to the Emission Trading System (ETS) to create a more credible market.
Due to oversupply, auctions for New Zealand emission units, each representing one metric ton of carbon dioxide or its equivalent in other greenhouse gases, have been unsuccessful, resulting in a loss of confidence in the system over the past year.
As part of a plan to restore confidence in the emissions trading scheme market, the New Zealand government said it would more than halve the number of units it makes available to offset carbon emissions between 2025 to 2029.
The plan is to reduce the number of units available from 45 million to 21 million.
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According to Climate Change Minister Simon Watts’ statement, the government has been definite about adopting an ETS-led approach to reduce emissions.
He emphasized that the changes reflect the government’s commitment to using a strong ETS to drive down emissions and achieve the nation’s climate goals.
Simon Watts said, “As it stands, there is an oversupply of units held by participants, which has contributed to a depreciated price of carbon. This has led, in part, to the failure of recent auctions to clear, and poses a risk to achieving our climate targets and emissions budgets.”
He added, “Reducing the number of units will likely see the carbon price rise. We need the carbon price to encourage businesses and individuals to reduce their emissions to meet our climate targets.
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Besides the changes, the government has kept certain aspects the same.
The current minimum auction price, cost containment reserve price, and reserve quantities for New Zealand units under the Emissions Trading Scheme are to remain unchanged.