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Motu Research is an independent, public-good focused economics and policy research institute. 

We help Kiwi decision makers grapple with complex social and environmental issues, with our world class economic and public policy research. 
Recent Webinar - Public Policy Seminar

The Warmer Kiwis Study: An impact evaluation of the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme.

The Warmer Kiwis Study focuses on the heat pump component of the Warmer Kiwi Homes programme, and works directly with a group of about 160 homeowners, who have received, or will receive a grant for…

Agricultural economics

How climate affects agricultural land values in Aotearoa New Zealand

Authors: Farnaz Pourzand | Kendon Bell

Working Paper

This paper examines how differences in climate across space influence the value of New Zealand agricultural land.

Updates

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2022-01-19

Motu Research Doctoral Scholarship awarded to Livvy Mitchell

Our congratulations to Livvy Mitchell, who has won the 2021 Motu Doctoral Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to Motu Research…

2021-12-01

Our policy for visitors and COVID-19 vaccination

You must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enter Motu Research premises (93A and 97 Cuba Street, Wellington).

2021-11-25

How international cooperation can help bridge the climate commitment gap in Aotearoa

One success of the latest global climate summit (COP26) held in Glasgow was the completion of a rulebook for international…

Our Research

Environment

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Urban & regional

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Wellbeing & macro-economics

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Population & labour

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Human rights

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Productivity & innovation

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Recent events

November 30, 2021

The role of energy data in enabling climate change mitigation innovation

In this webinar, Gavin Starks provided an introduction to Open Energy: what it is, how it was made and who it is for. He spoke about the Open Energy ecosystem and the relationships and innovation required to establish market-wide standards which can unlock the common data required to help us all address Net Zero. He also covered how opening up the energy sector will impact the wider industrial and financial sectors, enabling the acceleration of low-carbon technologies and de-risking investment in net-zero solutions.

November 1, 2021

Wellbeing and policy, Aotearoa style

Treasury’s Living Standards Framework has been closely aligned with international models such as the OECD for over ten years. Some have said it is too generic and not sufficiently attuned to what wellbeing means in this country. In this seminar we will discuss He Ara Waiora, a mātauranga Māori framing of wellbeing that the Treasury now uses alongside the LSF. We will also discuss some new changes to the LSF that make it work better alongside He Ara Waiora, as well as being better attuned to the topics of child wellbeing and culture.

October 27, 2021

Buildings for net-zero: the European Union experience with sustainable housing regulation and implementation

The recently published report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) signals ‘a code red for humanity and recommends
that greenhouse gas emissions decrease as soon and as quickly as possible. Developed economies like the European Union and Aotearoa New Zealand can help in this effort by leading by example. Reducing our buildings' footprint is an important component to the transition to net-zero, yet many of those buildings that will stand in 2050 are energy inefficient buildings that already stand today.

Featured work

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Individual and group outcomes

Impact of 2018 Families Package Accommodation Supplement area changes on housing outcomes

Authors: Dave Maré | Dean Hyslop

Working Paper

Our research shows there is little evidence the 2018 increases in the New Zealand Government's accommodation support led to stronger increases in rental costs.
Agricultural economics

How climate affects agricultural land values in Aotearoa New Zealand

Authors: Farnaz Pourzand | Kendon Bell

Working Paper

This paper examines how differences in climate across space influence the value of New Zealand agricultural land.
Climate Teams: International Greenhouse Gas Mitigation

Climate Action Teams (CATs)

Authors: Catherine Leining | Suzi Kerr | Ana Pueyo

Article

Researchers (including some from Motu Research) have developed Climate Action Teams (CATs), an innovative way for countries to use the latest global climate summit (COP26) rulebook for international carbon markets — in a way that…
Individual and group outcomes

Do workers share in firm success? Pass-through estimates for New Zealand

Authors: Dave Maré | Corey Allan

Working Paper

Do wages increase when firm performance improves? Yes, but not as much.Aotearoa New Zealand, like many other developed countries, has had a decline in the share of total national income that goes to workers. Workers' wage…
Individual and group outcomes

Rates of driver licence holding in Aotearoa New Zealand

Authors: Isabelle Sin | Hannah Kotula

Note

This note describes the rates which various subpopulations of Aotearoa New Zealand’s population hold licences for motor cars and light motor vehicles.
Climate change mitigation

Methodology for Modelling Distributional Impacts of Emissions Budgets on Employment in New Zealand

Authors: Lynn Riggs | Livvy Mitchell

Working Paper

Efforts to reduce emissions to counter climate change are expected to have both costs and benefits, and these effects are likely to be unevenly distributed across the population. Hence, we developed the Distributional Impacts Microsimulation…
Housing

Housing, Health and the Well-being of Children

Authors: Lynn Riggs | Shakked Noy | Philippa Howden-Chapman | Miranda Devlin

Other

This study investigates the relationship between indoor damp, mould, cold and household crowding and the health outcomes of young children exposed to those conditions in Aotearoa.
Emissions trading

Future Options for Industrial Free Allocation in the NZ ETS

Authors: Catherine Leining | Benjamin Rontard

Working Paper

This new Motu Research paper examines a range of options for reforming industrial free allocation: changing the eligibility criteria, changing the calculation methodology, substituting alternative measures, or accepting and managing emissions leakage. Further research is…
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Wellington 6142, New Zealand

Phone: 64 4 939 4250 (for media queries ph 021 837 966)

Email: info@motu.org.nz