27324 (2025). Hon Dr Deborah Russell to the Minister of Climate Change

27324 (2025). Hon Dr Deborah Russell to the Minister of Climate Change: Why did he proceed with including the Kapuni Carbon Capture project in the Emissions Reduction Plan before a regulatory regime was in place, and what risks, if any, did officials highlight?

Hon Simon Watts: Analysis for the Second Emissions Reduction Plan, based on the information from Todd Energy, indicated that some uptake of carbon capture and storage was likely in the next 10 years, including consideration of commercial viability. Officials advised me that uncertainty existed regardless of whether the 'no uptake' or 'uptake by one operator' scenario was selected for inclusion in the Plan.