KEY POINTS:
New Zealand's output of greenhouse gases continues to rise, with the Government blaming a lack of rain in hydro lake areas for the latest figures.
The Ministry for the Environment today released its Greenhouse Gas Inventory for 2005, showing this country increased its production of greenhouse gases by 2.8 per cent between 2004 and 2005.
That took the country's total emissions in 2005 to 77.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents.
Because of the time taken to collect the data and analyse it, publication of the annual reports lags the period covered by 15 months.
The data shows that emissions resulting from electricity generation were up 37 per cent between 2004 and 2005, while those from transport were down 1 per cent.
The more greenhouse gases produced, the larger the bill New Zealand will be liable for under the Kyoto protocol.
This country will have to pay up if it fails to meet its commitment of reducing average net emissions of greenhouse gases over the protocol's first commitment period, from 2008 to 2012 , to 1990 levels.
In 2005 emissions were 24.7 per cent above the levels of 1990, and Treasury has estimated that at the end of February New Zealand's liability under Kyoto was $567 million.
The National Party claims the figure is actually closer to $1.8 billion.
Climate Change Minister David Parker says the Government is developing policies to help curb the growth of emissions in each sector.
In a statement today, Mr Parker said the increase in greenhouse gas emissions between 2004 and 2005 was largely due to increased use of fossil-fuel thermal generation to produce electricity after a sustained dry period in 2005 caused hydro lake storage levels to drop.
That showed the importance of developing more renewable electricity generation, he said.
Wind power operations now being built would provide 150 megawatts of electricity, while operations that would produce more than 1000 megawatts had consents or were in the consenting process.
Despite Mr Parker's optimism, opposition to wind farms looks to be growing, with local communities battling such projects around the country.
Last month the Environment Court ruled against plans by Hastings energy company Unison to add 37 turbines to 15 already along Te Waka Range skyline on the Napier-Taupo Road, on grounds of visual effects and because they would be against Maori spiritual values.
A proposal by Meridian Energy to erect the country's large wind farm, up to 176 wind turbines with a generation capacity of 630 megawatts, on the Lammermoor Ranges in Central Otago is also running into stiff opposition.
While just over half of 1062 submissions supported the project, a planning report released by the Central Otago District Council recommended it not go ahead, citing in particular the visual impacts of the project.
And in more bad news on the greenhouse emissions front, National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research figures show the amount of water stored in the nation's hydro lakes has been dropping steadily since the beginning of the year, and now stand at only 76 per cent of average.
Weekly inflows into the lakes have not risen above average all year and are now down to 57 per cent of average.
There is also a 50:50 chance of La Nina conditions developing during the next three months.
If that were to happen the summer flows that make up 40 per cent of the water for the southern hydro lakes are likely to be lower.
Electricity and transport combined make up 43.4 per cent of New Zealand's total greenhouse gas emissions.
Today's Greenhouse Gas Inventory shows the sector is the fastest growing, adding 9.9 million tonnes (Mt) to 1990 levels.
Agriculture, which produces 48.5 per cent of total emissions, was up 4.9Mt from 1990, industrial process accounted for 5.6 per cent of the total and were up 1Mt, while waste was actually down 0.6Mt and responsible for 2.4 per cent of emissions.
The largest single source of emissions in 2005 was methane from ruminant animals, accounting for 31 per cent of the total.
Carbon dioxide from road transport was the next biggest source, producing 16.4 per cent of the total, with the total contribution from transport being 18.4 per cent of the total.
- NZPA
