Greenhouse Gas Emissions: June 2026 Quarter

The quarterly greenhouse gas emissions account provides timely estimates of greenhouse gas emissions generated by New Zealand's industries and households. It integrates environmental and economic information, enabling emissions to be analysed alongside economic activity.

Key facts

Seasonally adjusted total emissions for all industries and households were down 2.9 percent, or 550 kilotonnes (kt) of carbon dioxide equivalent, in the June 2026 quarter.

Figures compare the June 2026 quarter with the March 2026 quarter unless otherwise stated.

• Manufacturing emissions decreased 6.4 percent (126 kt).
• Total household emissions decreased 5.3 percent (106 kt), driven by emissions from transport, which were down 5.7 percent (101 kt).
• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing emissions decreased 0.7 percent (77 kt).
• Transport, postal, and warehousing emissions decreased 3.0 percent (48 kt).
• Mining emissions decreased 13.1 percent (29 kt).
• Construction emissions decreased 2.0 percent (9 kt).
• Services excluding transport, postal, and warehousing emissions increased 9.4 percent (63 kt).
• Electricity, gas, water, and waste services emissions increased 8.4 percent (96 kt).

The following graph shows the change in emissions by industry and households in the June 2026 quarter compared with the March 2026 quarter.

Industry greenhouse gas emissions

In the June 2026 quarter, seasonally adjusted emissions for all industries decreased 2.8 percent, or 472 kt.

The main industry contributors to this decrease were:

• manufacturing (down 6.4 percent, or 126 kt), driven by:
  • petroleum, chemical, polymer, and rubber product manufacturing (down 49.4 percent, or 109 kt)
  • food, beverage, and tobacco product manufacturing (down 13.4 percent, or 91 kt)

• agriculture, forestry, and fishing (down 0.7 percent, or 77 kt), driven by agriculture (down 0.7 percent, or 74 kt)
• transport, postal, and warehousing (down 3.0 percent, or 48 kt), driven by road transport.

Road transport emissions were lower in the June 2026 quarter than in the June 2025 quarter for households and most industries.

The largest reductions occurred in household transport and the transport, postal, and warehousing industry. Smaller declines were observed across other industries, including services excluding transport, postal, and warehousing; construction; electricity, gas, water, and waste services; manufacturing; and agriculture, forestry, and fishing.

The decline in road transport emissions is consistent with the reduced fuel retail sales volumes following higher fuel prices due to the Middle East conflict during the quarter.

Economic snapshot: Households and businesses experience higher fuel prices in the June 2026 quarter has more information.

These decreases were partly offset by increases in:

• electricity, gas, water, and waste services (up 8.4 percent, or 96 kt), driven by electricity generation and gas supply (up 22.2 percent, or 102 kt)
• services excluding transport, postal, and warehousing (up 9.4 percent, or 63 kt).

Industry emissions and GDP

In the June 2026 quarter, industry emissions decreased 2.8 percent (472 kt) and gross domestic product (GDP) increased 0.2 percent.

The overall emissions intensity of the New Zealand economy (industry emissions per unit of GDP) was 41.1 percent lower in the June 2026 quarter compared with the March 2010 quarter.

The relationship between emissions and GDP over time is influenced by several factors, such as the structure of the economy and the emissions intensities of industries.

Household greenhouse gas emissions

Total household emissions decreased 5.3 percent (106 kt) in the June 2026 quarter, driven by lower transport emissions, down 5.7 percent (101 kt).

The decline in household transport emissions was driven by lower emissions from petrol and diesel use as households faced higher fuel prices due to the Middle East conflict.

The 5.7 percent decline in household transport emissions was the second-largest quarterly fall since the end of the COVID-19 lockdown restrictions in late 2021.

The largest decrease during this period was the 7.1 percent decrease in the September 2023 quarter, which was impacted by a sharp increase in fuel prices.

Quarterly fuel monitoring report for the quarter ended 30 September 2023, by the Commerce Commission, has more information.

Household emissions from heating/cooling were down 1.9 percent (3 kt), and emissions from other household sources were down 3.0 percent (2 kt).

Total greenhouse gas emissions by gas type

Between the March 2026 and June 2026 quarters, seasonally adjusted emissions (for all industries and households):

• decreased for carbon dioxide by 395 kt (5.1 percent)
• decreased for methane by 65 kt (0.7 percent)
• decreased for nitrous oxide by 4 kt (0.2 percent)
• decreased for fluorinated gases by 5 kt (1.7 percent).

Note: Emissions from methane, nitrous oxide, and fluorinated gases are expressed in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂-e). Seasonally adjusted emissions values are not additive and therefore do not sum to the total for all industries and households.

Goods-producing industries such as manufacturing, construction, and electricity, gas, water, and waste services were the largest contributors to carbon dioxide emissions.

Primary industries such as agriculture and mining were the main drivers for methane and nitrous oxide emissions.

Annual emissions - year ended June 2026

Total annual emissions were down 2.9 percent (2,211 kt) in the year ended June 2026, compared with the year ended June 2025.

In the year ended June 2026, the downwards drivers were:

• electricity, gas, water, and waste services (down 30.5 percent, or 2,152 kt)
• households (down 3.4 percent, or 278 kt)
• mining (down 20.3 percent, or 247 kt)
• construction (down 2.8 percent, or 49 kt).

In the year ended June 2026, the upwards drivers were:

• services excluding transport, postal, and warehousing (up 14.8 percent, or 358 kt)
• manufacturing (up 1.1 percent, or 86 kt)
• agriculture, forestry, and fishing (up 0.2 percent, or 67 kt)
• transport, postal, and warehousing (up 0.1 percent, or 6 kt).

Emissions from electricity, gas, water, and waste services were down 30.5 percent (2,152 kt), driven by lower emissions from the electricity generation and gas supply industry.

Renewable sources accounted for 93.0 percent of New Zealand's electricity generation in the year ended June 2026, up from 85.6 percent a year earlier.

Electricity statistics reported by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has more information.

Increased generation from hydro, geothermal, wind, and solar reduced the need for coal and gas-fired generation, contributing to lower emissions from electricity generation.

Mining emissions decreased 20.3 percent (247 kt), largely driven by reduced emissions from the oil and gas extraction industry. Annual emissions from mining were down 59.6 percent (1,434 kt) from their peak in the year ended June 2011.

Annual emissions from households decreased 3.4 percent (278 kt) in the year ended June 2026. Household transport emissions accounted for most of the decline, down 3.5 percent (255 kt) to their lowest level since the year ended June 2013. More than half of this decline was in the June 2026 quarter.

Key industry changes and contributions to emissions

The table below summarises key industry contributions to total emissions in the year ended June 2026, the change in industry emissions compared with year ended June 2011 levels, and the average annual growth rates implied by those changes in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂-e).

Definitions and metadata

Greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): June 2026 quarter - DataInfo+ gives information on the methodology underlying the data and outlines revisions made in this release.

Quarterly greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): Sources and methods - DataInfo+ presents the data sources and methods used for producing all the quarterly emissions accounts, including Greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): June 2026 quarter.

Technical enquiries

Environment statistics team
[email protected]
04 931 4600

ISSN 2703-5263

Next release

Greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): September 2026 quarter will be released on 4 February 2027.