28 March 2011: The International Energy Agency (IEA) has released the latest in its series of policy reviews, titled “Energy Policies of IEA Countries – New Zealand 2010 Review.” The report breaks down its investigation into sections on general energy policies, sectoral policies and energy technologies.

The report praises New Zealand’s efforts on increasing the percentage of renewables from an already high 64% in 2008, to 73% in 2009, the third-highest share among members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). The ultimate goal in this regard is to generate 90% of electricity from renewable sources by 2025. Additionally, the report highlights progress on carbon dioxide emissions reductions due to the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS), allowing unlimited trading on the international Kyoto Protocol market for carbon.

Despite these advances, the report notes that policy challenges remain. In particular, the report calls on the Government of New Zealand to create realistic energy efficiency improvement targets and increase investments in electricity infrastructure. [IEA Press Release] [Publication: Energy Policies of IEA Countries – New Zealand 2010 Review] [Executive Summary]