The economic implications of national climate change mitigation strategies on the Auckland region

Abstract

To mitigate the effects of climate change, governments around the world have agreed, under the Paris Agreement in 2016, to limit the global average temperature increase to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. To comply with this agreement, the NZ Government enacted the Climate Change Response (Zero Carbon) Amendment Act 2019. The Act established the following Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets:

> reduce emissions from biogenic methane to 24-47% below 2017 levels by 2050, and
> reduce net emissions from all other GHGs to zero by 2050.

The Act also established the Climate Change Commission (CCC) to provide independent expert advice and monitoring to keep Aotearoa-NZ on track to meet these targets. “Ināia tonu nei: a low emissions future for Aotearoa” (CCC, 2021) presents transition pathways to a thriving, climate-resilient and low emissions Aotearoa-NZ. “Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri: Auckland’s Climate Plan” provides an overarching Tāmaki Makaurau response to climate action, focusing on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets, and preparation for the impacts of climate change.

In this study for Tātaki Auckland Unlimited, we assess the economic consequences of the proposed pathways considered under Ināia tonu nei and Te Tāruke-ā-Tāwhiri on Auckland region and the rest of Aotearoa-NZ.