Stats NZ’s latest figures released this week shows a big increase in renewable electricity generation and a decrease in the use of fossil fuels for electricity resulted in a 3.5% decline in greenhouse gas emissions in the September quarter, on a seasonally adjusted basis.
The biggest contributor was a 29% increase in hydroelectric generation in the September quarter, compared with the June quarter.
Manufacturing emissions declined a further 8.6% after reaching a record low for the series in June 2022.
Quarterly emissions from primary industries – agriculture, forestry, fishing,and mining – have been relatively stable over the last five quarters, holding at just under 11,000 kilotonnes per quarter, while transport and household emissions continued to increase.
Over the June and September 2022 quarters, transport emissions rose by 9.9 and 9.3%, respectively. Household emissions rose by 3.% in the September 2022 quarter, driven by a 3.3% increase in private transport emissions.
