Greenhouse Gas Emissions: September 2024 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 were down 0.7 percent, or 136 kilotonnes (kt), in the September 2024 quarter.

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

• Manufacturing emissions decreased 6.2 percent (120 kt).
• Transport, postal, and warehousing emissions decreased 2.8 percent (46 kt).
• Agriculture, forestry, and fishing emissions decreased 0.1 percent (13 kt).
• Construction emissions decreased 2.6 percent (12 kt).
• Services excluding transport, postal, and warehousing emissions decreased 2.0 percent (12 kt).
• Electricity, gas, water, and waste services emissions decreased 0.3 percent (8 kt).
• Mining emissions increased 2.3 percent (7 kt).
• Total household emissions increased 0.3 percent (6 kt). Total household emissions were largely driven by emissions from transport, which were up 1.1 percent (21 kt). Emissions from heating/cooling were down 8.3 percent (15 kt) and other household sources were up 0.7 percent (0.4 kt).
• Emissions intensity was 35 percent lower in the September 2024 quarter compared with the March 2010 quarter.

Industry and household greenhouse gas emissions by gas type

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

• decreased for carbon dioxide by 1.4 percent (119 kt)
• decreased for methane by 0.1 percent (13 kt)
• decreased for nitrous oxide by 0.6 percent (9 kt)
• decreased for fluorinated gases by 1.7 percent (6 kt).

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

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.

Emissions and GDP

In the September 2024 quarter, gross domestic product (GDP) fell 1.0 percent and industry emissions, excluding households, fell 1.2 percent (204 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 35 percent lower in the September 2024 quarter compared with the March 2010 quarter.

Annual emissions - year to September 2024

Total annual emissions rose 0.5 percent (416 kt) over the year to September 2024 when compared with the year to September 2023.

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

• electricity, gas, water, and waste services (up 1687 kt or 27 percent)
• transport, postal, and warehousing (up 367 kt or 5.9 percent)
• mining (up 36 kt or 2.9 percent)
• households (up 2 kt or 0.0 percent).

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

• agriculture, forestry, and fishing (down 924 kt or 2.1 percent)
• manufacturing (down 629 kt or 7.2 percent)
• services excluding transport, postal, and warehousing (down 121 kt or 4.9 percent)
• construction (down 3 kt or 0.2 percent).

The increase in emissions from the electricity, gas, water, and waste services industry was driven by an increased use of coal for electricity generation in the year ended September 2024.

Emissions from the transport, postal, and warehousing industry have increased since the year ended September 2023, mainly driven by international aviation. However, these emissions remain 7.4 percent (524 kt) below the September annual peak of 7,088 kt recorded in the year ended September 2019.

The agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry had the largest annual decrease, largely due to decreases from agriculture. The annual emissions from this industry are 8.3 percent (3,821 kt) below their peak recorded in the year ended September 2014.

Key industry changes and contributions to emissions

The table below summarises key industry contributions to total emissions in the year ended September 2024, the change in industry emissions when compared with year ended September 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): September 2024 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 - DataInfo+ presents the data sources and methods used for producing all the quarterly emissions accounts, including Greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): September 2024 quarter.

Technical enquiries

Adam Tipper
04 931 4944
[email protected]

ISSN 2703-5263

Next release

Greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): December 2024 quarter will be released on 8 April 2025.