Short musical tribute to the first decade of the NZ ETS

Oct 4, 2018

On 25 September 2018, the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) marked its first decade since entry into law. A new video “The NZ ETS: Beyond the Barricade” has been released in honour of this milestone.

The short, musically inspired video was produced by Catherine Leining, a Policy Fellow at Motu Economic and Public Policy Research. Ms Leining was among the core group of New Zealand government officials who designed the NZ ETS over 2007-2008.

“In its own way, the NZ ETS was quite revolutionary, although it has faced some barricades to progress. Of course, it is hard to tell that whole story in under five minutes,” said Ms Leining.

“I felt that a fresh voice was needed to do justice to the dramatic account of how the NZ ETS has evolved over time.”

Ms Leining has written extensively about the history, evaluation and reform of the NZ ETS. Her work has been documented in a series of Motu Working Papers and a recent Guide to the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme. Her analyses have been included in publications by the World Bank Partnership for Market Readiness and International Carbon Action Partnership, International Emissions Trading Association and Environmental Defense Fund, ICIS, and others. In the past, she has also been an occasional member of the New Zealand Opera Chorus.

“While the video covers the turbulent period when low emission prices undermined the system’s effectiveness, it also carries a message of hope for the future. With strategic reforms backed by cross-party support, the NZ ETS can be a powerful tool for shaping New Zealand’s transition to a successful net-zero-emission economy,” said Ms Leining.

No NZUs were harmed in the making of this video.