2060 energy modelling shows path to faster decarbonisation

The release of new modelling on what New Zealand’s energy future could look like by 2060, is an invaluable tool, says the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA).

EECA’s chief executive Andrew Caseley says the Business Energy Council’s new energy scenarios BEC2060 will help New Zealand make decisions on fuel use and technology switching.

The modelling – which EECA helped fund - shows two different pathways New Zealand could follow, depending on how fast it moves toward decarbonising the economy.

Under BEC2060’s “Kea” scenario New Zealand prioritises actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while under the “Tui” scenario, it considers climate change to be one of several competing priorities. The modelling makes assumptions about the gross domestic product, carbon pricing, and fuel sources.

Mr Caseley says projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change consistently show how urgently greenhouse gas emissions need to be reduced.

Read the report (BEC2060)