June 2023 Quarter Sees 0.2% Rise in Greenhouse Gas Emissions

New Zealand's seasonally adjusted greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions increased 0.2 percent (33 kilotonnes) in the June 2023 quarter, after a 0.1 percent increase (26 kilotonnes) in the March 2023 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.

Increases in June 2023 quarter emissions from transport, postal, and warehousing and manufacturing industries were offset by a large decrease in emissions from the electricity, gas, water, and waste services industry.

Stats NZ released emissions statistics for both the March and June 2023 quarters today. As a result, this and future quarterly greenhouse gas emissions statistics are now available earlier.

Transport, postal, and warehousing emissions nearing pre-COVID levels

Transport, postal, and warehousing industry emissions increased 10.1 percent (158 kilotonnes) in the June 2023 quarter after an increase of 6.6 percent (96 kilotonnes) in the March 2023 quarter.

In the June 2023 quarter, emissions from this industry were 1.8 percent lower than their pre-COVID level of 1,753 kilotonnes in the December 2019 quarter.

"As air transport has increased since the end of COVID-related border restrictions, the number of flights and associated emissions from burning aviation fuels have too. As a result, transport, postal, and warehousing emissions have almost returned to pre-pandemic levels," Oakley said.

For the year-ended June 2023, transport, postal, and warehousing emissions increased 38.0 percent (1,695 kilotonnes).

"The increase in transport, postal, and warehousing emissions is over six times greater than the next highest percentage increase from an industry, which was mining at 6.1 percent," environmental-economic accounts manager Stephen Oakley said.

Manufacturing industry emissions increased 6.2 percent (126 kilotonnes) and 6.7 percent (144 kilotonnes) in the March and June 2023 quarters, respectively, primarily driven by an increase in metal product manufacturing.

Electricity, gas, water, and waste services industry emissions rise and then drop

Emissions from the electricity, gas, water, and waste services industry decreased 10.8 percent (166 kilotonnes) in the June 2023 quarter. This was due to a reduction in the amount of fossil fuels being used for electricity generation after increased rainfall led to an increase in hydroelectricity generation (as reported in the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment's New Zealand Energy Quarterly).

This decrease in emissions followed a 27.1 percent increase (329 kilotonnes) in the March 2023 quarter after a record low in the December 2022 quarter.

Annual emissions fall

For the year ended June 2023, total GHG emissions fell 1.8 percent (1,388 kilotonnes). The most significant contributors to this fall were goods-producing industries, down 14.0 percent (2,631 kilotonnes). This was mainly due to decreases in emissions from the electricity, gas, water, and waste services industry, down 21.0 percent (1,503 kilotonnes) and manufacturing emissions, down 12.2 percent (1,207 kilotonnes).

Household emissions increased 3.4 percent (287 kilotonnes) in the year ended June 2023, driven by an increase in household transport, up 4.1 percent (307 kilotonnes). Total household emissions have increased 9.5 percent (753 kilotonnes) since the year ended June 2011.

This release includes additional quarterly data that extends the time series from March 2014 back to March 2010. The full quarterly time series is available in the CSV file 'Greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): March and June 2023 quarters - CSV' under Download data.