New Zealand’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990–2006: An Overview

• New Zealand’s national greenhouse gas inventory
• Total emissions and removals: 1990–2006
• Emissions by gas
• Emissions by sector
• Agriculture sector
• Energy sector
• Industrial processes sector and solvents and other product use sector
• Waste sector
• Land Use, Land-use Change and Forestry sector

Emissions by sector

Greenhouse gas estimates are based on international guidance established by the IPCC and follow an internationally agreed reporting format that groups emissions and removals into six sectors. The contribution of each sector to total emissions in 2006 is shown in Figure 5. Trends in emissions by sector over the period 1990–2006 are shown in Figure 6. The change in total emissions between 1990 and 2006 for all reported sectors except LULUCF is shown in Figure 7.

• The agriculture sector is the largest source of emissions, contributing 48 per cent (37.7 Mt CO₂-e) of total emissions in 2006. Consequently, New Zealand has a unique emissions profile. In other developed countries, agricultural emissions typically are around 12 per cent of national emissions. In 2006, agricultural emissions have increased 16 per cent (5.2 Mt CO₂-e) from the 1990 level of 32.5 Mt CO₂-e. The agriculture sector contributed 96 per cent (12.8 Mt CO₂-e) of New Zealand’s total nitrous oxide emissions and 90 per cent (24.9 Mt CO₂-e) of total methane emissions in 2006.

• The energy sector was the source of 44 per cent (34.1 Mt CO₂-e) of all emissions in 2006. In 2006, energy emissions have increased 45 per cent (10.6 Mt CO₂-e) from the 1990 level of 23.5 Mt CO₂-e. This growth in emissions is primarily from electricity generation and heat production and transport.

• The industrial processes sector accounts for 5 per cent (4.2 Mt CO₂-e) of total emissions in 2006. Emissions from the industrial processes sector have increased 24 per cent (0.8 Mt CO₂-e) from the 1990 level of 3.4 Mt CO₂-e. The increase is mainly growth in emissions from metal production and consumption of hydrofluorocarbons.

• The solvents and other products sector is a minor contributor to New Zealand’s total direct greenhouse gas emissions, being responsible for 0.05 per cent (0.04 Mt CO₂-e) of total emissions.

• The waste sector accounts for 2 per cent (1.9 Mt CO₂-e) of total emissions in 2006. Emissions from the waste sector have decreased 26 per cent (0.6 Mt CO₂-e) from a 1990 level of 2.5 Mt CO₂-e. This decrease is due to initiatives to improve solid waste management practices in New Zealand.

• Under the LULUCF sector, removals are estimated to be 29 per cent (22.7 Mt CO₂-e) of national emissions in 2006. LULUCF removals have increased 11 per cent (2.2 Mt CO₂-e) from the 1990 level of 20.5 Mt CO₂-e.

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