Greenhouse Gas Emissions By Region: Year Ended 2023

Regional greenhouse gas emissions statistics include regional emissions by industry, households, and emissions intensity (emissions in relation to regional GDP). They are based on consistent classifications and concepts used in economic statistics.

Key facts

Regional greenhouse gas emissions estimates for the year ended 2023 compared with the year ended 2022 show:

• total regional emissions decreased 1.8 percent (1,440 kilotonnes) to 76,809 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂-e)
• the largest decrease in emissions was in Waikato, down 772 kilotonnes (5.3 percent), and the largest increase was Canterbury, up 404 kilotonnes (3.3 percent)
• industry emissions decreased 2.2 percent (1,545 kilotonnes), largely due to electricity, gas, water, and waste services in Waikato, down 20 percent (541 kilotonnes), and manufacturing in Northland, down 27 percent (254 kilotonnes)
• household emissions increased 1.3 percent (105 kilotonnes).

Over the period 2007 to 2023, total regional CO₂-e emissions decreased 8.6 percent.

Total emissions by region

Total regional emissions decreased by 1.8 percent (1,440 kilotonnes) to 76,809 kilotonnes in 2023 compared with 2022.

The largest changes in total regional emissions in 2023 compared with 2022 were:

• Waikato, down 772 kilotonnes (5.3 percent)
• Canterbury, up 404 kilotonnes (3.3 percent)
• Bay of Plenty, down 358 kilotonnes (10.2 percent).

In 2023, Southland had the highest total emissions per capita at 60.1 tonnes CO₂-e per capita. Taranaki had the second highest at 44.0 tonnes CO₂-e per capita. Auckland and Nelson both had the lowest total emissions per capita, at 5.8 tonnes CO₂-e per capita.

Note: Total regional emissions are lower than the total emissions reported in Stats NZ's national emissions accounts. This is because the regional emissions account does not include international aviation due to allocation issues. Please see the bridging table in Table 3 of the Excel tables under Download data and Regional greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): Sources and Methods.

Household emissions by region

Household emissions accounted for 11 percent of total regional emissions in 2023. Household transport emissions were 89 percent of total household emissions. Heating and cooling contributed 8.1 percent, and 'other' (household emissions from, for example, inhalers, septic tanks, etc) contributed 2.9 percent to total household emissions. Note: Household emissions consist of direct (production) based emissions only. 

The largest changes in regional household emissions in 2023 compared with 2022 were: 

• Canterbury, up 40 kilotonnes (3.9 precent) 
• Northland, up 25 kilotonnes (7.2 percent) 
• Manawatū-Whanganui, up 17 kilotonnes (4.1 percent) 
• Bay of Plenty, down 13 kilotonnes (2.0 percent).

The Auckland region is home to 33 percent of the population, who emitted 2,492 kilotonnes (29 percent) of New Zealand's household emissions in 2023. Total household emissions in the Auckland region were relatively unchanged, decreasing by 3 kilotonnes (0.1 percent) between 2022 and 2023, while the population increased 2.8 percent, resulting in a decrease in household emissions per capita for the Auckland region to 1.4 tonnes of CO₂-e per capita in 2023.

Households in the West Coast region emitted the most household emissions per capita, at 2.5 tonnes of CO₂-e per capita. The West Coast region emitted 83 kilotonnes (1.0 percent) of New Zealand's household emissions and made up 0.6 percent of New Zealand's population in 2023. Population in the West Coast region has been stable since 2020.

Households in the Waikato region were the second largest emitters, at 2.3 tonnes of CO₂-e per capita. Households in the Nelson region were the smallest emitters at 1.3 tonnes of CO₂-e per capita.

As a comparison, total household emissions per capita (for all regions) was 1.7 tonnes of CO₂-e per capita in 2023. 

Household emissions are mostly composed of household transport emissions. At the total regional level, household transport emissions increased 83 kilotonnes CO₂-e (1.1 percent) and accounted for 89 percent of total household emissions in 2023.

Total industry emissions

The largest changes in industry emissions in 2023 compared with 2022 were from: 

• Waikato, down 784 kilotonnes (5.9 percent), driven mainly by decreases in electricity, gas, water, and waste services, down 541 kilotonnes, and agriculture, forestry, and fishing, down 211 kilotonnes
• Northland, down 373 kilotonnes (11 percent), driven by decreases in manufacturing, down 254 kilotonnes, and agriculture, forestry, and fishing, down 111 kilotonnes
• Canterbury, up 364 kilotonnes (3.3 percent), driven by increases in agriculture, forestry, and fishing, up 352 kilotonnes, and transport, postal, and warehousing, up 61 kilotonnes. 

Emissions associated with electricity generation are allocated based on the region of the generating plant rather than the consumer location, in line with the production approach to measuring emissions and the basis on which gross domestic product (GDP) is measured. 

Industry emissions by region

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing accounted for 63 percent of total regional industry CO₂-e emissions and decreased 2.1 percent in 2023. 

In 2023:

• Canterbury accounted for 21 percent of agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry emissions 
• Waikato was the next largest contributor at 19 percent, followed by Southland at 11 percent.

Between 2022 and 2023:

• Canterbury experienced the largest increase in emissions, up 352 kilotonnes
• Bay of Plenty experienced the largest decrease in emissions, down 290 kilotonnes
• agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry emissions decreased in 12 regions.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing accounted for 13 percent of total regional industry emissions and decreased 3.8 percent in 2023. 

In 2023:

• Auckland, the largest contributor, accounted for 32 percent of manufacturing emissions (2,792 kilotonnes)
• Waikato and Southland were the next main contributors, with 14 percent (1,202 kilotonnes) and 12 percent (1055 kilotonnes) respectively. 

Between 2022 and 2023:

• Northland's manufacturing emissions decreased the most, down 254 kilotonnes
• manufacturing emissions decreased in 12 regions. Taranaki, Marlborough, and Manawatū-Whanganui were the exceptions. Taranaki's manufacturing emissions increased 52 kilotonnes (6.2 percent), Marlborough's increased 2 kilotonnes (4.1 percent), and Manawatū-Whanganui's remained unchanged. 

Electricity, gas, water, and waste services

Electricity, gas, water, and waste services accounted for 10 percent of total regional industry emissions and decreased 3.6 percent in 2023. 

In 2023:

• Waikato, the largest contributor, accounted for 33 percent (2,182 kilotonnes) of electricity, gas, water, and waste services industry emissions
• Taranaki was the next largest contributor with 20 percent (1,354 kilotonnes).

Between 2022 and 2023:

• Waikato had the largest decrease (541 kilotonnes)
• Taranaki had the largest increase (350 kilotonnes). 

Transport, postal, and warehousing

Transport, postal, and warehousing accounted for 5.7 percent of total regional industry emissions and increased 7.7 percent in 2023.

In 2023:

• Auckland, the largest contributor, accounted for 32 percent (1,259 kilotonnes)
• Canterbury was the next main contributor with 16 percent (644 kilotonnes)
• no regions saw a decrease in transport, postal, and warehousing emissions.

Between 2022 and 2023:

• Auckland had the largest increase (109 kilotonnes)
• Tasman's transport, postal, and warehousing emissions remained unchanged. 

Note: These movements do not include international aviation. International aviation is included in the national level transport, postal, and warehousing industry estimates but is not allocated to regions. At the national level, transport, postal, and warehousing (including international aviation) increased by 25 percent in 2023.

Regional emissions by gas

In 2023, emissions from carbon dioxide and methane (in carbon dioxide equivalents) combined were 89 percent of total emissions. Carbon dioxide decreased 367 kilotonnes (1.2 percent) and methane decreased 748 kilotonnes (2.0 percent) from 2022 to 2023. 

Note: All gas types are expressed in comparable units of carbon dioxide equivalents. 

Carbon dioxide emissions decreased in 8 of the 16 regions from 2022 to 2023: 

• Waikato experienced the largest decrease in carbon dioxide, down 542 kilotonnes on the previous year, driven by decreases in emissions from electricity, gas, water, and waste services. 
• Taranaki had the largest increase in carbon dioxide, up 355 kilotonnes on the previous year due to increases in emissions from electricity, gas, water, and waste services. 
• Auckland emitted the largest amount of carbon dioxide, 8,074 kilotonnes, followed by: 
  • Waikato, with 5,220 kilotonnes
  • Canterbury, with 3,723 kilotonnes. 

Methane emissions decreased in 14 of the 16 regions from 2022 to 2023:

• Bay of Plenty experienced the largest decrease in methane, down 237 kilotonnes on the previous year, driven by decreases in emissions from agriculture, forestry, and fishing.
• Canterbury emitted the largest amount of methane, 7,359 kilotonnes, followed by: 
  • Waikato, with 6,898 kilotonnes
  • Manawatū-Whanganui, with 3,965 kilotonnes
• Regions with high methane emissions are generally intensive farming areas. 

Nitrous oxide emissions decreased 3.8 percent to 6,615 kilotonnes in 2023: 

• Waikato had the largest decrease in nitrous oxide emissions, down 78 kilotonnes. 
• Canterbury had the largest increase, up 30 kilotonnes. 
• Waikato emitted the largest amount of nitrous oxide, 1,495 kilotonnes, followed by: 
  • Canterbury, with 1,334 kilotonnes 
  • Southland, with 883 kilotonnes. 

Fluorinated gases (f-gases) are a family of man-made gases used in a range of industrial applications. In 2023, these gases made up 2.0 percent of total emissions: 

• Southland was the only region to see an increase in emissions of f-gases, up 2 kilotonnes.
• The Auckland region had the largest decrease in f-gases, down 18 kilotonnes. Despite the decrease in 2023, Auckland emitted the largest amount of f-gases, 533 kilotonnes, followed by: 
  • Canterbury, with 178 kilotonnes
  • Wellington, with 146 kilotonnes. 

Emissions and regional economic activity

Emissions intensity is recorded as the amount of industry greenhouse gas emissions reported per unit of GDP.

The industry emissions and economic data in this section have different reference periods - emissions statistics are in December years and regional GDP statistics are in March years. Regional gross domestic product: Year ended March 2023 data is available to the March 2023 year.

For the closest comparison to emissions, we compare the December 2022 year of emissions to March 2023 year for GDP. Note: Intensity is expressed as tonnes per unit of GDP, rather than kilotonnes, and excludes emissions from households. 

Carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂-e) emissions intensity

These emissions intensity metrics are based on current prices and do not account for inflation. They show emissions intensity at a point in time, and are not appropriate for assessing change over time. To see the change in emissions intensity over time at the national level, please see Greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): March 2024 quarter.

In 2022, industry produced 180 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂-e) for every million dollars of GDP. This ranged from a high of 743 tonnes in Southland to a low of 51 tonnes in Auckland.

Southland recorded the highest emissions intensity (industry emissions relative to GDP) for CO₂-e, due to having the highest emissions intensities in methane, nitrous oxide, and f-gases. Southland was second highest for carbon dioxide intensity. 

In 2022, Southland produced 8.8 percent of total industry CO₂-e emissions and contributed 2.1 percent of national GDP. Like other regions dependent on agricultural and manufacturing industries, Southland's economy can be impacted to a greater degree by fluctuations in commodity prices and this can influence emissions intensity without a significant change in emissions. 

Auckland produced 10.9 percent of total industry CO₂-e emissions and 38.2 percent of national GDP in 2022. Auckland's low emissions intensity level is due to a high contribution of services excluding transport, postal, and warehousing industries to its economy.

Emissions intensity, for CO₂-e, tends to increase across regions dependent on significance of agriculture to the regional economy which tend to have high methane and nitrous oxide emissions. 

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions intensity

Carbon dioxide emissions intensity reflects localised emissions-intensive economic units and activities such as mining, manufacturing, and electricity generation. This is seen in the higher carbon dioxide intensities in Taranaki, Northland, Southland, and Waikato.

Variability in carbon dioxide emissions intensity is less pronounced: 

• Taranaki recorded the highest carbon dioxide intensity, at 249 tonnes (CO₂) per million dollars of GDP.
• Wellington recorded the lowest carbon dioxide intensity, at 19 tonnes (CO₂) per million dollars of GDP.
• Carbon dioxide intensity was at a similar level for four regions. Marlborough was 53 tonnes (CO₂) per million, Canterbury was 54.3 (CO₂) per million, Gisborne was 57.6 tonnes (CO₂) per million, and Tasman/Nelson was 58 (CO₂) per million.

Definitions and metadata

Greenhouse gas emissions by region (industry and household): Year ended 2023 - DataInfo+ gives information on the methodology underlying the data and outlines revisions made in this release.

Regional 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 by region (industry and household): Year ended 2023.

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Next release

Greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): June 2024 quarter will be released on 22 October 2024.