The Government has boosted the Emissions Trading Scheme’s auction reserve price- and increased the overall price of carbon by 44 percent.

It's also raising trigger prices for the cost containment reserve in the scheme, meaning there will be 17.6 million fewer units to be auctioned.

ACT Environment spokesperson Simon Court says this change is a sign James Shaw is failing to take what's important to New Zealanders into account.

"By adopting the Climate Change Commission's recommendations to jack up the carbon price from $50 to $80 to $100 to even $200 a ton in a short space of time- that's going to add a significant weight to the cost of living."

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