Our water and natural resources group focuses on environmental research and economic reform, with skills including policy analysis, qualitative and quantitative research, model-based forecasting and stakeholder engagement. Our services often involve development of independent reports for internal or public use and/or provision of expert testimony.
We are fully independent. Our reputation is based on our work not being compromised by any expressed ideology or political position.
Our work often crosses the environment-water-energy nexus. Our recent research includes decision-making around water use and its relationship with nationally significant public policy objectives concerning energy security, energy reliability and emissions reduction. We advise on the economic dimensions of water resources management and other water-related decisions and policies including efficiency, equity, production, allocation, and pollution. We have provided extensive advice on the regulation, valuation and pricing of water in New Zealand and Australia. We have presented expert testimony on allocation disputes, provided review of forecasts for urban water demand and prepared regulatory impact statements for water catchment regulation. We have a strong interest in research at the intersection of climate change and economic transformation, with a focus on the regulatory instruments needed to ensure more sustainable economies, and the changes needed in the energy, government and financial sectors to support the low-carbon transition. We have assessed the future supply and demand balance in the NZ ETS to inform investment decisions concerning carbon assets, provided advice on improving price discovery in the NZ ETS market and have prepared long range forecasts of the possible effects of global warming on biosecurity risk.
