Agriculture greenhouse gas emissions down, households’ up in latest stats

New Zealand's emissions rose for the year to March but were down in the latest quarter, with agriculture posting the largest decrease.

The agriculture sector can take a bow with New Zealand’s largest quarterly fall in total greenhouse gas emissions in 14 years.

Statistics NZ said seasonally adjusted greenhouse gas emissions for industries and households fell 2.7% in the March 2024 quarter, the largest quarterly decrease since March 2010, excluding pandemic years.

The decrease, equivalent to 541 kilotonnes (kt), was mainly due to lower agriculture, forestry and fishing emissions, said environmental-economic accounts manager Stephen Oakley.

This sector’s emissions fell by 154 kt or 1.4% in the quarter.

Its emissions were now down 8.1% from their peak in March 2019, Oakley said.

The sector also showed the largest annual decrease in the year to March, largely due to agriculture. Annual emissions were down 6% or 2776 kt from their peak in the March 2014 year.

Manufacturing had the second-largest decrease in emissions in the March 2024 quarter, falling 88 kt or 4%. This quarter was the third time in a row that emissions fell for this sector, Oakley said.

The largest increase in emissions in the March quarter came from the electricity, gas, water and waste services industry, up 126kt or 7.7%.

This was attributed to an increase in natural gas used for electricity generation and followed an 18% decrease in emissions from the industry in the previous quarter, Oakley said.

Total household emissions rose 0.6% or 12kt, largely driven by heating and cooling emissions, up 5.7% or 10kt.

Household transport emissions were up 0.1% or 3kt while emissions from other household sources fell 0.5% or 0.3kt.

In the year ended March this year, greenhouse gas emissions rose 0.5% or 396kt. The most significant contributors were the transport, postal and warehousing industry and the electricity, gas, water and waste services sectors.

Annual emissions from the transport, postal and warehousing industry increased 20% or 1116kt on the previous March year but remained 6% or 422kt below the peak of 7011kt in the March 2019 year.

Emissions from the electricity, gas, water and waste services industry were up 3.4% or 227kt in the year ended March.