Simon Watt
Simon Watt is an Honorary Adviser and former Trustee of the Asia New Zealand Foundation. He is a commercial barrister specialising in climate change law, advises on infrastructure procurement and asset divestment processes, and has four board roles in the energy and health sectors (during the pandemic he led the government’s contract negotiations to procure New Zealand’s portfolio of Covid vaccines).
Simon is the Independent Chair of the Electricity Retailers’ and Generators’ Association of New Zealand, whose members generate 90% of the country’s electricity supply. He is Advisory Chair of Carbon Market Solutions Limited, a carbon trading company operating in the New Zealand and international carbon markets.
Simon advised the New Zealand government on design of the legal framework for the New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and related climate legislation, and has advised on domestic and cross-border carbon trading for the last 25 years. His recent work includes advising the government on negotiation of funding agreements with New Zealand Steel to enable electrification of half its steel production – which will reduce New Zealand’s carbon emissions by 1% – and with the national dairy company, Fonterra, to increase its emissions reduction target to 50% by 2030.
Simon’s international work includes advising the Bangladesh Parliamentary climate change committee on climate change and human rights issues ahead of UN COP conferences and advising the Governor of Aceh Province in Indonesia on the world’s first transaction creating carbon credits for avoided deforestation.