Guide to the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme - 2022 update

ETS reforms

will help us meet our targets;

challenges remain.   

The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS), in operation since 2008, has pioneered several design features suited to the unique national circumstances of Aotearoa New Zealand.

The NZ ETS was reformed substantially in 2020 to make it fit for purpose in helping Aotearoa meet its climate change targets under the 2015 Paris Agreement and 2019 Zero Carbon Act.

This 2022 revision to Motu’s popular 2018 Guide to the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme provides a user-friendly description of the system’s current design features, their rationale and how they have evolved over time. The guide also includes a series of figures illustrating trends in key data over time.