NZ emissions fall third year

New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 4% in 2022 – the third year in a row gross emissions declined.

The Greenhouse Gas Inventory (19902022), published late this week by the Ministry for the Environment, is the official annual report of all “human-induced emissions and removals”. The latest year of measurement – 2022 – recorded a 4% fall, with New Zealand producing 78.4 million tonnes of carbon dixide and equivalent emissions (Mt CO 2-e).

Gross emissions are all the emissions produced by New Zealand, prior to taking off emissions removed “by forests and other land uses”. Net emissions are heavily influenced by forestry and harvesting cycles.

“Forestry and other land uses absorbed 24.5 per cent (19.2 Mt CO 2-e) of total emissions in 2022, slightly less than in 2021. However, as gross emissions were lower than in 2021, net emissions were also lower, at 59.2 Mt CO 2-e,” a statement from the ministry accompanying the report said.

The main reason for the decline was a reduction in emissions in the energy sector, primarily driven by more renewable energy, meaning less coal and gas were used. – as a result of wet conditions that were good for hydroelecticity generation. The other big contributor to the drop was the closure of the Marsden Point refinery, which led to a 76% decrease in emissions for petroleum refining.

The largest emissions-contributing sector was still agriculture, accounting for 53%. Agricultural emissions also decreased by 1.4% on the back of a fall in sheep and beef cattle numbers and less synthetic nitrogen fertiliser use.