Economists agree again

The New Zealand Association of Economists and The New Zealand Initiative have released the results of their second survey of top economists in New Zealand. This was on the economics of climate policy. They found:

• 85% agreed and 0% disagreed that tightening the ETS would be a more cost effective way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions than policies that target emissions already in the ETS.
• 69% agreed and 0% disagreed that paying a carbon dividend (from ETS revenues) to households would be a better way to support poorer households than subsidies.

So the Government isn’t following the (economic) science when it comes to climate change. It is pursuing policies that will cost more and achieve less.