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Climate Change
Motu is currently involved in several projects exploring the impact of climate change on the environment and economy. Some of these projects focus on climate change issues in New Zealand, and some consider the effects of climate change overseas.
This page contains a brief description of each project. Click on the headings to go to the project page.
New Zealand Emissions Trading
Motu has been working on the design of a domestic emissions trading system for New Zealand. This includes running a dialogue group, participating in the Climate Change Leadership Forum and writing a number of papers.
Integrated Economics of Climate Change
Integrated Economics of Climate Change is a four-year project to create models of how climate change will affect New Zealand’s economy. The project focuses on issues relevant to climate change policy. It will also explore how policies and institutions affect the ways New Zealand companies and individuals adapt and respond to climate change.
Tropical Deforestation
Motu’s research on tropical deforestation looks at the causes of deforestation and reforestation in Costa Rica. It synthesises evidence on the carbon content of these forests and combines this information to create a ‘carbon sequestration’ supply curve.
Carbon Sequestration on Maori Land
This project addresses the challenge of how to effectively and fairly provide incentives to enhance the regeneration of native forest in order to increase carbon storage and hence mitigate climate change. It focuses particularly on the challenges of engaging with landowners on multiply owned Maori land.
International Emissions Trading
Our international climate change work especially focuses on the design of international emissions trading, compliance regimes and the allocation of liability for non-compliance, and the use of forests to sequester carbon.
- Ma, Hengyun; Les Oxley and John Gibson. 2009. "China's Energy Situation and Its Implications in the New Millennium," Motu Working Paper 09-04.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2009. "How can agriculture be included in an emissions trading scheme? Some thoughts from New Zealand," Australian Farm Institute Conference, Maroochydore, May.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2009. "Climate change policy: stepping back and moving forward," Motu Economic and Public Policy Seminar, May.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2008. "Data challenges in creating LURNZ, an economically-based model of land use in rural New Zealand," presented at Global Land Project workshop on data and model intergration for coupled models and land use change, July.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2008. "Temporal emission trading markets," NBER Summer Institute Egg-timer, July.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2008. "Report on Cluster B case studies," presented to the Climate Change Leadership Forum, August.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2008. "Emissions trading in New Zealand," EPMU Biennial Conference, Auckland, July; and Canterbury Employers Chamber of Commerce, Christchurch, July.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2007. "Key issues in the design of an emissions trading system for New Zealand," Motu Public Policy Seminar, September.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2007. "The economics of deforestation," invited presentation at the International Economics Association Roundtable, Beijing, July 13-14.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2007. "Reports from Cluster B: free allocation of NZ units, and economic modelling," presented to Climate Change Leadership Forum, 4 December.
- Kerr, Suzi and Ralph Chapman. 2007. 'Transiton into and evolution of a New Zealand emissions trading system," paper presented at Climate Change Policy Dialogue, Wellington, 31 July.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2009. "Environmental markets: how can they work for water quality and climate change?" Auckland Public Policy Seminar, April.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2008. "The likely impacts of climate change policy," presented at The Social Impacts of Climate Change Policy workshop, 28 February.
- Roson, Roberto. 2008. "The Economic Impacts of Climate Change," Motu Public Policy Seminar, August.
- Gulati, Sumeet. 2008. "Evaluating Tax Rebates for Hybrid Vehicles," Wellington Public Policy Seminar Series, December.
- Regina Betz, Stefan Seifert, Peter Cramton and Suzi Kerr. 2010. "Auctioning greenhouse gas emissions permits in Australia," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, forthcoming.
- Todd, Maribeth and Suzi Kerr. 2009. "How Does Changing Land Cover and Land Use in New Zealand relate to Land Use Capability and Slope?" Motu Working Paper 09-17.
- Kerr, Suzi and Wei Zhang. 2009. "Allocation of New Zealand Units within Agriculture in the New Zealand Emissions Trading System," Motu Working Paper 09-16.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2009. "Comments to select committee," invited independent specialist advice on the Climate Change Response (Moderated Emissions Trading) Amendment Bill.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2009. "New Zealand ETS: Submission to the select committee," Speaking notes, Monday 11 May, Wellington.
- Ma, Hengyun; Les Oxley and John Gibson. 2009. "China's Energy Situation and Its Implications in the New Millennium," Motu Working Paper 09-04.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2009. "Intensity-based regulation versus output-based free allocation: a clarification of comments to the Select Committee," 17 May.
- Todd, Maribeth; Wei Zhang and Suzi Kerr. 2009. "Competition for land between biofuels, pastoral agriculture and scrub lands," in Bioenergy options for New Zealand: analysis of large-scale bioenergy from forestry. Peter Hall and Michael Jack. Scion report. pp. 122-40. Available online at http://www.scionresearch.com/bioenergy+report.aspx.
- Ma, Hengyun; Les Oxley and John Gibson.2009. "Testing for Energy Market Integration in China," Motu Working Paper 09-03.
- Hengyun Ma; Les Oxley; John Gibson and Bongguen Kim. 2009. "China's Energy Economy: Technical Change, Factor Demand and Interfactor/Interfuel Substitution," Motu Working Paper 09-02.
- Kerr, Suzi and Marianna Kennedy. 2009. 'Greenhouse Gases and Water Pollutants: Interactions Between Concurrent New Zealand Trading Systems,' Motu Note #2.
- Kerr, Suzi and Andrew Coleman. 2008. "Economic regrets," Motu manuscript presented to Cluster B of the Climate Change Leadership Forum, 22 May.
- Kerr, Suzi and Andrew Sweet. 2008. "Inclusion of agriculture in a domestic emissions trading system: New Zealand's experience to date," Farm Policy Journal, 5:4, 43-53, November.
- Wratt, David; Brett Mullan, Andrew Tait, Ross Woods, Troy Baisden, Donna Giltrap, Kelly Lock, Joanna Hendy, Suzi Kerr, Adolf Stroombergen and Alek Stojanovik. 2008. "Costs and benefits of climate change and adaptation to climate change in New Zealand agriculture: what do we know so far?" Contract report by EcoClimate Consortium: Integrated Research on the Economics of Climate Change Impacts Adaptation and Mitigation, Wellington, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
- Pfaff, Alexander; Suzi Kerr, Romina Cavatassi, Benjamin Davis, Leslie Lipper, Arturo Sanchez and Jason Timmins. 2008. "Effects of poverty on deforestation: distinguishing behaviour from location" in Economics of Poverty, the Environment and Natural Resource Use, Rob B. Dellink and Arjan Ruijs, Eds. Wageningen University: Environmental Economics and Natural Resources Group.
- Kerr, Suzi and Andrew Sweet. 2008. "Inclusion of agriculture and forestry in a domestic emissions trading system: New Zealand's experience to date," Motu Working Paper 08-04.
- Kerr, Suzi and Ralph Chapman. 2007. "Emissions trading in New Zealand: transition and evolution," paper prepared for New Zealand Climate Change Policy Dialogue, 25 September.
- Small, John and Suzi Kerr. 2007. "Emissions trading in New Zealand: points of obligation," paper prepared for New Zealand Climate Change Policy Dialogue, 24 September.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2007. "Emissions Trading in New Zealand: managing economic risk," paper prepared for New Zealand Climate Change Policy Dialogue, 25 September.
- Greenhalgh, Suzie; Jim Sinner and Suzi Kerr. 2007. "Emissions Trading in New Zealand: options for addressing trade exposure and emissions leakage," paper prepared for New Zealand Climate Change Policy Dialogue, 21 September.
- Kerr, Suzi and Murray Ward. 2007. "Emissions Trading in New Zealand: Introduction and Context," paper prepared for New Zealand Climate Change Policy Dialogue, 20 September.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2007. "Review of proposed New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme," report commissioned by the Emissions Trading Group.
- Pfaff, Alexander; Suzi Kerr, Leslie Lipper, Romina Cavatassi, Benjamin Davis, Joanna Hendy and Arturo Sanchez. 2007. "Will Buying Tropical Forest Carbon Benefit The Poor? Evidence from Costa Rica," Land Use Policy, 24, pp. 600-610.
- Kerr, Suzi; Joanna Hendy, Kelly Lock and Yun Liang. 2007. "Estimating the Drivers of Rural Land Use Change in New Zealand," Paper prepared for the AARES Conference, February 2007, Queenstown, New Zealand.
- Hendy, Joanna and Suzi Kerr. 2007. "Impacts on the pastoral sector from emissions charges on agriculture gases: analysis from the model Land Use in Rural New Zealand version 1: climate," Motu manuscript.
- Funk, Jason and Suzi Kerr. 2007. "Restoring Forests Through Carbon Farming on Maori Land in New Zealand/Aotearoa," Mountain Research and Development, 27:3, pp. 202-205.
- Hendy, Joanna; Suzi Kerr and Troy Baisden. 2006. "Greenhouse Gas Emissions Charges and Credits on Agricultural Land: What Can a Model Tell Us? Motu Working Paper 06-04.
- Hendy, Joanna and Suzi Kerr. 2006. "Land-Use Intensity Module: Land Use in Rural New Zealand Version 1," Motu Working Paper 06-05.
- Kerr, Suzi; Isabelle Sin and Joanna Hendy. 2005. "Taxes vs permits: Options for price-based climate change regulation," New Zealand Treasury Working Paper 05/02.
- Hendy, Joanna and Suzi Kerr. 2005. "Greenhouse Gas Emission Factor Module: Land Use in Rural New Zealand - Climate Version 1," Motu Working Paper 05-10.
- Sin, Isabelle; Emma Brunton, Joanna Hendy and Suzi Kerr. 2005. "The Likely Regional Impacts of an Agricultural Emissions Policy in New Zealand: Preliminary analysis," Motu Working Paper 05-08.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2004. "Efficient Contracts for Carbon Credits from Reforestation Projects," New Zealand Science Review, 61:1, pp. 18-23.
- Kerr, Suzi and Catherine Leining. 2004. "Joint Implementation in Climate Change Policy," in The International Yearbook of Environmental and Resource Economics 2003/04, Tom Tietenberg and Henk Folmer, Eds.
- Kerr, Suzi; Leslie Lipper, Alexander Pfaff, Romina Cavatassi, Benjamin Davis, Joanna Hendy and Arturo Sanchez. 2004. "Will Buying Tropical Forest Carbon Benefit the Poor? Evidence from Costa Rica," ESA Working Paper No. 4-20.
- Kerr, Suzi; Alexander Pfaff, Romina Cavatassi, Benjamin Davis, Leslie Lipper, Arturo Sanchez and Jason Timmins. 2004. "Effects of poverty on deforestation: distinguishing behavior from location," ESA Working Paper No. 04-19.
- Kerr, Suzi; Emma Brunton and Ralph Chapman. 2004. "Policy To Encourage Carbon Sequestration in Plantation Forests," Motu Working Paper 04-05.
- Kerr, Suzi; Joanna Hendy, Liu Shuguang and Alexander Pfaff. 2004. "Tropical Forest Protection, Uncertainty and Carbon Policy Integrity," Motu Working Paper 04-03.
- Kerr, Suzi and Catherine Leining. 2003. "Joint Implementation in Climate Change Policy," Motu Working Paper 03-04.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2003. "Indigenous Forests and Forest Sink Policy in New Zealand," Motu Working Paper 03-15.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2003. "Efficient Contracts For Carbon Credits From Reforestation Projects," Motu Working Paper 03-12.
- Carswell, Fiona; Garth Harmsworth, Suzi Kerr, Rau Kirikiri and Ian Turney. 2002. "A Framework for Engagement of Maori Landowners in 'Carbon Farming' using Indigenous Forest Regeneration," Motu Manuscript and Landcare Research.
- Cramton, Peter and Suzi Kerr. 2002. "Tradeable Carbon Permit Auctions: How And Why To Auction Not Grandfather," Energy Policy 30.
- Kerr, Suzi and Joanna Hendy. 2002. "Regional Employment Impacts of the Kyoto Protocol," paper prepared for the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment, Wellington.
- Kerr, Suzi; Alexander Pfaff and Arturo Sanchez. 2002. "The Dynamics of Deforestation: Evidence from Costa Rica".
- Kerr, Suzi; Brian White, Brian Cox and John Rutherford. 2002. "Renewable Energy and the Efficient Implementation of New Zealand's Current and Potential Future Greenhouse Gas Commitments," prepared for the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment, Wellington.
- Fischer, Carolyn; Suzi Kerr and Michael Toman. 2001. "Using Emissions Trading to Regulate National Greenhouse Gas Emissions" in Climate Change Economics and Policy: An RFF Anthology, Michael A. Toman, Ed. Washington DC: Resources for the Future.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2001. "Seeing the Forest and Saving the Trees: Tropical Land-Use Change and Global Climate Policy," Manuscript in Can Carbon Sinks Be Operational? Resources for the Future Discussion Paper no. 0126.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2001. "Emissions Trading, Project-Based Trading and Joint Implementation," paper written for the New Zealand Ministry of Economic Development, Wellington.
- Kerr, Suzi and Elizabeth DeSombre. 2001. "Trade and the Environment: the Risks and Opportunities for New Zealand Associated With the Relationship Between the WTO and Multilateral Environmental Agreements," report produced for the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment, Wellington.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2001. "Enforcing Compliance: The Allocation of Liability in International GHG Emissions Trading and the Clean Development Mechanism" in Climate Change Economics and Policy: An RFF Anthology, Michael A. Toman Ed. Washington DC: Resources for the Future.
- Kerr, Suzi and Catherine Leining. 2000. "Permanence of LULUCF CERs in the Clean Development Mechanism," This paper was written for a presentation at COP-6 in The Hague, November 2000.
- Kerr, Suzi Ed. 2000. Global Emissions Trading: Key Issues for Industrialized Countries, United Kingdom: Edward Elgar Publishing.
- Hargrave, Tim; Ned Helme, Tim Denne, Suzi Kerr and Jurgen Lefevere. 1999. "Design of a Practical Approach to Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading combined With Policies and Measures in the EC".
- Kerr, Suzi. 1999. "Allocation of Greenhouse Gas Reduction Responsibilities Among and Within the Countries of the European Union".
- Kerr, Suzi and Tim Hargrave. 1998. "The Clean Development Mechanism: How Do We Get There From Here?" Paper prepared for the Inter-American Development Bank.
- Fischer, Carolyn; Suzi Kerr and Michael Toman. 1998. "Using Emissions Trading to Regulate US Greenhouse Gas Emissions: An Overview of Policy Design and Implementation Issues," National Tax Journal, 51, pp. 453-464.
- Cramton, Peter and Suzi Kerr. 1998. "A Tax-Cut Auction for the Environment: How and why to auction CO2 emissions permits," Resources for the Future Discussion Paper 98-34.
- Fischer, Carolyn; Suzi Kerr and Michael Toman. 1998. "Using Emissions Trading to Regulate U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: An Overview of Policy Design and Implementation Issues," Resources for the Future Discussion Paper 98-40 (July).
- Kerr, Suzi. 1998. "Enforcing Compliance: The Allocation of Liability in Internation GHG Emissions Trading and the Clean Development Mechanism," Resources for the Future Climate Issue Brief no. 15.
- Kerr, Suzi. 1998. "Alternative Allocation Methods for Greenhouse Permits: Pros and Cons," Unpublished Manuscript.
- Kerr, Suzi. 1995. "Adverse Selection and Participation in International Environmental Agreements" in Suzi Kerr, Contracts and Tradeable Permit Markets in International and Domestic Environmental Protection, PhD Thesis, Harvard University.
- Funk, Jason. 2009 (June). "The Practice of Carbon Farming in New Zealand," PhD Thesis, Chapter 1. California: Stanford University, pp. 1-28.
- Oxley, Les. 2009. "China’s energy economy: substitution possibilities, market integration and some possible environmental implications," Wellington Public Policy Seminar Series, August.
- Climate Change Leadership Forum Cluster B (chaired by Suzi Kerr). "Report 6," Meeting 8, 22 May 2008.
- Submission to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry "PFSI Consultation on Regulation, Cost Recovery Methods and Forest Sink Covenant" prepared by the Tindall Foundation, Tomorrow's Forests Ltd and Jason Funk, 14 May 2007.
- Pfaff, Alexander. 2007. "What Would Have Happened? Reviewing and Improving Estimated Baselines for Tropical Forests and Sequestered Carbon," Accepted for Ecological Applications, (special issue).
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Agricultural and Development Economics Division. 2006. "Will Payments for Reducing Emissions From Deforestation Also Reduce Poverty?" Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Agricultural and Development Economics Division (ESA) Research Brief.
- "Carbon Farming - A New Land-use Opportunity," Motu Research Update, Issue 10 (June 2006), p. 8.
- Funk, Jason. 2006. "Maori Farmers Look to Environmental Markets in New Zealand," The Katoomba Group's Ecosystem Marketplace.
- Kerr, Suzi. 2001. "Ecological Tax Reform," Report for the New Zealand Ministry for the Environment, Wellington.