Seasonally adjusted greenhouse gas emissions for industries and households in Aotearoa New Zealand decreased 2.7 percent in the March 2024 quarter, according to figures released by Stats NZ today.
"This is the largest quarterly decrease since the beginning of our time series in March 2010, excluding the pandemic years," environmental-economic accounts manager Stephen Oakley said.
The 2.7 percent decrease in total emissions, equivalent to 541 kilotonnes (kt), was mainly due to lower agriculture, forestry, and fishing emissions. This industry's emissions decreased by 154 kt (1.4 percent) in the March 2024 quarter.
"Seasonally adjusted figures show that the agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry produced their lowest level of quarterly emissions since our series began. Their emissions are now down 8.1 percent from their peak in March 2019," Oakley said.
The manufacturing industry had the second largest decrease in emissions in the March 2024 quarter, declining 88 kt (4.0 percent). The March 2024 quarter is the third time in a row that emissions have fallen for this industry.
| Industry | Emissions |
| "Agriculture | -154 |
| forestry | -88 |
| and fishing" | -58 |
| Manufacturing | -6 |
| Construction | 4 |
| "Services excluding transport | 12 |
| postal | 15 |
| and warehousing" | 126 |
| Mining | |
| Households | |
| "Transport | |
| postal | |
| and warehousing" | |
| "Electricity | |
| gas | |
| water | |
| and waste services" |
In the March 2024 quarter, the largest increase in emissions came from the electricity, gas, water, and waste services industry, up 126 kt (7.7 percent).
"The increase in electricity, gas, water, and waste services emissions was due to an increase in natural gas used for electricity generation. This follows an 18 percent decrease in emissions from this industry in the previous quarter," Oakley said.
Household emissions rise
Total household emissions increased 0.6 percent (12 kt), largely driven by heating and cooling emissions, which were up 5.7 percent (10 kt).
Household transport emissions were up 0.1 percent (3 kt), and emissions from other household sources were down 0.5 percent (0.3 kt).
Annual emissions rise
In the year ended March 2024, greenhouse gas emissions rose 0.5 percent (396 kt). The most significant contributors to this increase were the transport, postal, and warehousing industry, and the electricity, gas, water, and waste services industry.
Annual emissions from the transport, postal, and warehousing industry have increased 20 percent (1,116 kt) since the year ended March 2023, but remain 6.0 percent (422 kt) below the peak of 7,011 kt in the March 2019 year.
Emissions from the electricity, gas, water, and waste services industry were up 3.4 percent (227 kt) in the year ended March 2024.
The agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry had the largest annual decrease of 839 kt (1.9 percent), largely due to decreases from agriculture. The agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry's annual emissions were down 6.0 percent (2,776 kt) from their peak in the March 2014 year.
