Cover What happened on Black Monday by Carl Hansen

Research Note: What happened on Black Monday?

Last week, on Monday 9 August, very cold weather over most of the country meant national electricity demand reached a record high. About 35,000 consumers (1.75% of consumers) experienced power outages between 7 – 9 pm. Read more

Carl Hansen, Former Chief Executive of the New Zealand Electricity Authority (2010 – 2018)
Research Note
18 August, 2021
ETS FAQ cover image

The Emissions Trading Scheme FAQ

The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) uses prices to lower emissions. The scheme launched in New Zealand in 2008 and it is now one of the best-designed schemes in the world. Read more

Research Note
30 March, 2021
Risky place to do business cover

Policy Point: A risky place to do business

On Tuesday morning, 23 March 2021, the Government announced a set of housing policies that, among other things would substantially change the tax treatment of interest payments on residential investment properties. The changes to tax policy are substantial. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton
Dr Bryce Wilkinson
Policy Point
26 March, 2021
The Need to Build COVER

The Need to Build: The demographic drivers of housing demand

The political ‘buck passing’ of the responsibility for unaffordable housing by successive governments in New Zealand has created extremely expensive housing markets in cities such as Auckland and Wellington – and a national housing crisis. Auckland is the sixth least affordable city among 92 major global housing markets, according to the 2020 Demographia housing survey. Read more

23 February, 2021
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Policy Essay: Effective and affordable – Why the ETS is sufficient to deal with the climate emergency

Thanks to the work of successive climate change ministers from David Parker to James Shaw, New Zealand has a world-leading Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). We should rely on it to drive down our carbon emissions, argues the Initiative’s executive director Dr Oliver Hartwich. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
Policy Essay
10 December, 2020
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Policy Point: Is climate change a key risk to global financial stability?

At the end of October, governor of the Reserve Bank Adrian Orr boldly asserted in a speech that climate change is “a key risk to global financial stability.” He made the case for urgent “transformation” as an “important, imminent, and personal” issue. Although the Reserve Bank Act does not mention climate change, the RBNZ is responsible for financial stability. Read more

Dr Bryce Wilkinson
Policy Point
2 November, 2020

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