Greenhouse Gas Emissions: March 2026 Quarter

The quarterly greenhouse gas emissions account provides timely estimates of New Zealand's gross production-based emissions, using estimates from the annual greenhouse gas emissions by industry and household account and indicators to estimate emissions on a quarterly basis.

Key facts

Seasonally adjusted total emissions for all industries and households were down 0.2 percent, or 42 kilotonnes (kt) of carbon dioxide equivalent, in the March 2026 quarter. This quarter records the lowest level of emissions since the time series began in 2010.

Figures compare the March 2026 quarter with the December 2025 quarter unless otherwise stated.

• Mining emissions decreased 18.4 percent (50 kt).
• Services excluding transport, postal, and warehousing emissions decreased 3.2 percent (21 kt).
• Construction emissions decreased 2.9 percent (13 kt).
• Total household emissions increased 0.8 percent (15 kt).
• Total household emissions were largely driven by emissions from transport, which were up 0.6 percent (11 kt). Emissions from heating/cooling were up 2.7 percent (4 kt).
• Transport, postal, and warehousing emissions increased 0.9 percent (15 kt).
• Manufacturing emissions increased 2.1 percent (40 kt).
• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing emissions increased 1.1 percent (118 kt).
• Electricity, gas, water, and waste services emissions increased 14.1 percent (143 kt).

The following graph shows the change in emissions by industry and households in the March 2026 quarter compared with the December 2025 quarter.

Industry and household greenhouse gas emissions by gas type

Between the December 2025 and March 2026 quarters, seasonally adjusted emissions (for all industries and households):

• decreased for carbon dioxide by 138 kt (1.8 percent)
• increased for methane by 102 kt (1.1 percent)
• increased for nitrous oxide by 7 kt (0.4 percent)
• decreased for fluorinated gases by 5 kt (1.6 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.

Industry greenhouse gas emissions

In the March 2026 quarter, seasonally adjusted emissions for all industries were down 0.3 percent, or 51 kt.

The main industry contributors to this decrease were:

• mining (down 18.4 percent, or 50 kt), largely driven by lower emissions from oil and gas extraction
• services excluding transport, postal, and warehousing (down 3.2 percent, or 21 kt)
• construction (down 2.9 percent, or 13 kt).

Emissions from the electricity, gas, water, and waste services industries were up 14.1 percent (143 kt) in the March 2026 quarter. This increase was primarily driven by higher emissions from the electricity generation and gas supply industries (up 45.4 percent, or 146 kt).

Emissions from the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industries increased 1.1 percent (118 kt), due to higher emissions from agriculture (up 1.1 percent, or 117 kt).

Quarterly emissions from the manufacturing industry increased 2.1 percent (40 kt) in the March 2026 quarter compared with the December 2025 quarter.

The main industry contributors to this increase were:

• food, beverage, and tobacco product manufacturing (up 6.3 percent, or 41 kt)
• petroleum, chemical, polymer, and rubber product manufacturing (up 5.8 percent, or 12 kt).

Industry emissions and GDP

In the March 2026 quarter, industry emissions decreased 0.3 percent (51 kt) and gross domestic product (GDP) increased 0.8 percent.

The overall emissions intensity of the New Zealand economy (industry emissions per unit of GDP) was 39.2 percent lower in the March 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.

Annual emissions - year ended March 2026

Total annual emissions fell 2.8 percent (2,183 kt) in the year ended March 2026, compared with the year ended March 2025. Total emissions were the lowest annual total for a March year since the time series began in 2010.

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

• electricity, gas, water, and waste services (down 24.4 percent, or 1,800 kt)
• mining (down 14.3 percent, or 180 kt)
• manufacturing (down 2.0 percent, or 158 kt)
• households (down 1.9 percent, or 155 kt)
• construction (down 2.5 percent, or 46 kt)
• agriculture, forestry, and fishing (down 0.1 percent, or 27 kt).

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

• services excluding transport, postal, and warehousing (up 4.4 percent, or 104 kt)
• transport, postal, and warehousing (up 1.2 percent, or 78 kt).

Electricity, gas, water, and waste services and mining were the main contributors to the 2.8 percent drop in total annual emissions over the year ended March 2026.

Emissions from the electricity, gas, water, and waste services industry were down 24.4 percent, or 1,800 kt, in the year ended March 2026. Annual emissions from this industry were 44.8 percent (4,521 kt) below the annual peak of 10,097 kt in the year ended March 2013.

The mining industry emissions decrease of 14.3 percent, or 180 kt, was largely driven by reduced oil and gas extraction activities. The annual emissions from mining were down 55.6 percent, or 1,344 kt, from their peak in the year ended March 2011. Annual emissions from mining were at their lowest level in the year ended March 2026.

Annual emissions from households decreased 1.9 percent, or 155 kt. This decrease was largely from household transport, down 1.5 percent, or 111 kt.

Key industry changes and contributions to emissions

The table below summarises key industry contributions to total emissions in the year ended March 2026, the change in industry emissions compared with year ended March 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): March 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 presents the data sources and methods used for producing all the quarterly emissions accounts, including Greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): March 2026 quarter.

Technical enquiries

Environmental statistics team
[email protected]
04 931 4600

ISSN 2703-5263

Next release

Greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): June 2026 quarter will be released on 21 October 2026.