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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 were up 1.1 percent, or 224 kilotonnes (kt), in the June 2024 quarter.

Figures compare June 2024 quarter with March 2024 quarter unless otherwise stated.

• Electricity, gas, water, and waste services emissions increased 32 percent (566 kt). This was driven by an increase in the use of coal for electricity generation in the June 2024 quarter.
• Construction emissions increased 8.4 percent (35 kt).
• Transport, postal, and warehousing emissions increased 0.4 percent (6 kt).
• Manufacturing emissions decreased 5.7 percent (118 kt).
• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing emissions decreased 0.6 percent (63 kt).
• Total household emissions decreased 1.2 percent (26 kt). Total household emissions were largely driven by household transport emissions, which were down 2.0 percent (38 kt). Emissions from heating/cooling were up 6.8 percent (12 kt) and emissions from other household sources were down 2.1 percent (1 kt).
• Mining emissions decreased 7.6 percent (25 kt).
• Services excluding transport, postal, and warehousing emissions decreased 1.1 percent (7 kt).
• Emissions intensity was 34 percent lower in the June 2024 quarter compared with the March 2010 quarter.

Industry and household greenhouse gas emissions by gas type

Between the March 2024 and June 2024 quarters, seasonally adjusted emissions (for all industries and households):

• increased for carbon dioxide by 227 kt (2.7 percent)
• decreased for methane by 27 kt (0.3 percent)
• decreased for nitrous oxide by 6 kt (0.4 percent)
• decreased for fluorinated gases by 5 kt (1.3 percent).

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

Methane and nitrous oxide emissions largely come from primary industries (such as agriculture and mining).

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.

Emissions and GDP

In the June 2024 quarter, gross domestic product (GDP) fell 0.2 percent and industry emissions, excluding households, rose 1.7 percent (292 kt).

The relationship between emissions and GDP over time depends on several factors, including the composition of the economy and the emissions intensities of industries. The overall emissions intensity of the New Zealand economy (that is, industry emissions/GDP) is 34 percent lower in the June 2024 quarter compared with the March 2010 quarter.

Annual emissions – year to June 2024

Total annual emissions rose 1.8 percent (1,408 kt) over the year to June 2024 when compared with the year to June 2023.

In the year to June 2024, the upward drivers were:

• electricity, gas, water, and waste services (up 1,775 kt or 30 percent)
• transport, postal, and warehousing (up 773 kt or 13 percent)
• mining (up 9 kt or 0.7 percent).

In the year to June 2024, the downward drivers were:

• construction (down 42 kt or 2.3 percent)
• services excluding transport, postal, and warehousing (down 49 kt or 1.9 percent)
• households (down 135 kt or 1.6 percent)
• manufacturing (down 203 kt or 2.3 percent)
• agriculture, forestry, and fishing (down 721 kt or 1.6 percent).

The most significant contributors to the 1.8 percent increase in the year ended June 2024 were the electricity, gas, water, and waste services industry, and the transport, postal, and warehousing industry.

Emissions from the electricity, gas, water, and waste services industry were up 30 percent, or 1,775 kt, in the year ended June 2024. This was driven by an increase in the use of coal for electricity generation in the year ended June 2024.

Annual emissions from the transport, postal, and warehousing industry have increased 13 percent (773 kt) since the year ended June 2023, but remain 5.7 percent (404 kt) below the June annual peak of 7,035 kt in the year ended June 2019.

The agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry had the biggest annual decrease of 721 kt or 1.6 percent, largely due to decreases from agriculture. The annual emissions from this industry were down 6.6 percent or 3,069 kt from their peak in the year ended June 2019.

Key industry changes and contributions to emissions

The table below summarises key industry contributions to total emissions in the year ended June 2024, the change in industry emissions when compared with year ended June 2011 levels, and the average annual growth rates implied by those changes in carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂-e).

Key industry contributions to emissions and average changes since year ended June 2011

Industry and households				YE June 2024		YE June 2011 to YE June 2024
		March 2024 quarter change (updated) (%)	June 2024 quarter change (%)	Contribution to total (% of total)	Annual change (%)	Average annual change (%)	Absolute change (kt)
		CO2-e
Primary industries		-1.3	-0.7	55.6	-1.6	-0.3	-1,990
	Agriculture, forestry, and fishing	-1.3	-0.6	54.0	-1.6	-0.1	-841
	Mining	1.1	-7.6	1.6	0.7	-4.9	-1,149
Goods-producing industries		-5.1	7.9	22.5	9.3	-0.9	-2,320
	Manufacturing	-4.4	-5.7	10.6	-2.3	-1.2	-1,433
	Electricity, gas, water, and waste services	7.7	32.3	9.6	30.0	-1.4	-1,534
	Construction	-10.9	8.4	2.2	-2.3	3.5	647
Service industries		0.1	-0.5	11.4	8.6	0.1	77
	Transport, postal, and warehousing	1.0	0.4	8.3	13.2	0.5	441
	Services excluding transport, postal, and warehousing	-2.3	-1.1	3.1	-1.9	-1.0	-364
Total all industries		-2.8	1.7	89.5	2.2	-0.4	-4,233
Households		0.8	-1.2	10.5	-1.6	0.4	421
Total		-2.5	1.1	NA	1.8	-0.4	-3,811
Note: March 2024 quarter and June 2024 quarter percentage changes are seasonally adjusted. All calculations are done using carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2-e). Contribution to emissions is based on the June 2024 year. June 2011 is the earliest annual period available when using an annual average calculation. kt – kilotonnes; YE – year ended; NA – not applicable Source: Stats NZ

Definitions and metadata 

gives information on the methodology underlying the data and outlines revisions made in this release.

presents the data sources and methods used for producing all the quarterly emissions accounts, including Greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): June 2024 quarter. 

Technical enquiries

Adam Tipper

ISSN 2703-5263

Next release

Greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): September 2024 quarter will be released on 5 February 2025.