New Zealand: Carbon trader speaks in favor of carbon trading

Reuters AlertNet - INTERVIEW-New Zealand emissions scheme faces bumpy ride

SINGAPORE, Oct 14 (Reuters) - New Zealand's emissions scheme faces a turbulent road before it starts in 2009, bedevilled by hundreds of last-minute amendments, fierce criticism from industry and a national election within less than a month.

But one of the country's top carbon traders and advisers says the scheme will get off the ground, in part because New Zealand must meet its emissions commitments under the Kyoto Protocol.

"I'm sure there's going to be a lot of controversy still but I think the mechanics, and the key framework, are in place," Wayne King, director of Carbon Market Solutions, said on Tuesday. "Everyone is getting used to the idea of an emissions scheme."