Resource Efficiency in New Zealand:
Framework for Determining Resource Efficiency

The Ministry for the Environment’s resource efficiency policy work looks at how to foster improved productivity while reducing the negative environmental impacts of producing and consuming goods and services.

To be able to effectively target policy in this area, the Ministry is building an evidence base on resource use and efficiency.

Boffa Miskell Ltd was contracted to develop and test a framework for measuring the resource efficiency of key New Zealand business sectors, based on common or well-tested approaches from overseas.

This report outlines a process for measuring and reporting resource efficiency (the framework) using the following indicators:

  • water use
  • solid waste produced
  • energy use
  • greenhouse gas emissions
  • wastewater discharges
  • number of employees
  • gross domestic product (GDP)
  • export value
  • production output
  • net sales.

The framework was that was developed was based on the analysis of international approaches provided in the first report in this series: Resource Efficiency in New Zealand: Literature Review.

The results of testing and refining the framework is covered in the third report in this series, Resource Efficiency in New Zealand: Assessment of Business Sectors.

 

Updated December 2010