The Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is a tool that puts a price on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Businesses in the New Zealand ETS are required to buy units (NZUs - also known as carbon credits) to cover their emissions.
It is established under the Climate Change Response Act 2002, which is the legal framework that enables New Zealand to meet international obligations with regard to climate change.
In addition, changes to the RMA in 2020 mean that from 31 December 2021, Councils were able to consider the effects of discharges of greenhouse gases on climate change (this was previously excluded) and when preparing plans must have regard to emissions reductions plans and national adaption plans.
The following documents include the relevant submissions and reports that makeup a timeline of work starting in November 2019.
Relevant documents
HortNZ's submission on NZ ETS Unit Settings and Annual Regulatory Updates 2025
June 2025
HortNZ supported building certainty into the ETS by maintaining current price controls and auction volumes.
PDF, 307 KB.
HortNZ's summary of National Direction for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Industrial Process Heat
March 2025
HortNZ summarises the new national rules for process heat.
PDF, 171 KB.
HortNZ's submission on a Proposed regulatory regime for Carbon Capture, Utilisation, and Storage (CCUS)
August 2024
HortNZ described how greenhouse growers use carbon dioxide to boost plant productivity.
PDF, 395 KB.
HortNZ's submission on Climate Change Response (Emissions Trading Scheme Agricultural Obligations) Amendment Bill
July 2024
HortNZ called for further action on agricultural emissions and raised challenges greenhouse growers face with the ETS, including a proposed reduction in the allocative baseline.
PDF, 429 KB.
HortNZ's submission on NZ ETS Unit Settings and Annual Regulatory Updates 2024
June 2024
HortNZ called for the government to take the Climate Change Commission’s advice and establish regulatory certainty for participants in the Emissions Trading Scheme.
PDF, 262 KB.
HortNZ's submission on Deferral of NZ ETS reporting obligations for animals-farmer activities
September 2023
HortNZ supported deferring the ETS backstop for animal farmers.
PDF, 252 KB.
HortNZ's submission on ETS price controls 2023
June 2023
We advocated for the importance of industrial allocations and argued that the government should "let the market decide" on ETS outcomes rather than employing price controls.
PDF, 260 KB.
Summary of HortNZ's submission on the ETS Discussion Document
February 2023
This is a summary of HortNZ's submission supporting a robust market governance framework with a regulator to ensure the efficiency, integrity and confidence in the NZU (New Zealand Units) market.
PDF, 85 KB.
HortNZ's submission on Market Governance of the ETS
February 2023
HortNZ submitted in the best interests of growers.
PDF, 321 KB.
HortNZ's joint submission on reforming industrial allocation in the NZ ETS
September 2021
HortNZ, with Tomatoes NZ and Vegetables NZ, highlighted that greenhouse growing is a resilient growing system important for domestic food supply and proposed alternative approaches to better support greenhouse horticulture.
PDF, 613 KB.
HortNZ's submission on phasing fossil fuels out of process heat
May 2021
HortNZ made a submission on MfE's discussion document along with TomatoesNZ, Vegetables NZ and New Zealand Plant Producers Inc.
PDF, 1.2 MB.
Discussion document on fossil fuels in process heat
May 2021
Ministry for the Environment consulted on a proposal for new national direction relating to the use of fossil fuels in process heat.
HortNZ's submission on accelerating renewable energy and energy efficiency
March 2020
HortNZ submitted in the best interests of growers.
PDF, 635 KB.
HortNZ's submission on NZ ETS Proposed Settings
February 2020
HortNZ submitted in the best interests of growers.
PDF, 551 KB.
Review of industrial allocation in the NZ ETS
November 2019
Ministry for the Environment published a cabinet paper proposing changes to industrial allocation in the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme.
HortNZ's submission on Emissions Trading Reform Amendment Bill 2020
January 2020
HortNZ submitted in the best interests of growers.
PDF, 508 KB.
HortNZ's joint submission on NZ ETS Rules for Auctioning
December 2019
HortNZ, along with Tomatoes NZ and Vegetables NZ, submitted in the best interests of growers.
PDF, 353 KB.