Some investors are turning against the carbon market after the price halved and the Government was forced to make changes.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been one of the most volatile [years] that I鈥檝e seen,鈥 Jarden鈥檚 head of commodities Nigel Brunel told聽Markets with Madison.
鈥淚f it鈥檚 too volatile and too uncertain, people will say 鈥業 can鈥檛 invest in that market鈥 ... There鈥檚 been a little bit of that this year.鈥
The spot price of New Zealand carbon units fell to $34 in July, from about $75 six months ago. It had since recovered to close at $57 last night.
The price of NZ carbon units fell to $34 in July this year. Photo / Jarden
The CO2 Fund on the NZX, which gives investors exposure to the carbon market, was down 34 per cent in the year to the end of June.
The carbon market operates under the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) which puts a price on carbon and requires emitters to give the Government one carbon unit for every tonne of CO2 produced.
Four auctions are held every year, where units are allocated into the scheme. In the past two auctions, almost 9 million units were not cleared because they failed to meet price requirements. They will instead be added to September鈥檚 auction.
Brunel said that did not mean the market was inefficient but it did make the next auction tougher to clear.
鈥淚f people wanted those units, they鈥檇 step up and buy them.鈥
The Government announced changes to the market last month, including altering the supply of units and pricing mechanisms.
鈥淭he number one risk when you come into the ETS is regulatory risk, because the Government can change the rules, and to be fair, they often have to.鈥
Watch Brunel explain what鈥檚 happening in the carbon market, and his forecast for the price of carbon, in today鈥檚 episode of聽Markets with Madison听补产辞惫别.
Get investment insights from the experts on Markets with Madison every Monday and Friday on the NZ Herald.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this programme is of a general nature, and is not intended to be personalised financial advice. We encourage you to seek appropriate advice from a qualified professional to suit your individual circumstances.
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Madison Reidy is the host of New Zealand鈥檚 only financial markets show Markets with Madison. She joined the Herald in 2022 after working in investment, and has covered business and economics for television and radio broadcasters.
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