New Zealand's total greenhouse gas emissions down 0.5 pct in Q4

New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions for industry and household decreased 0.5 percent in the December 2023 quarter, or 105 kilotons, mainly due to a reduction in electricity, gas, water, and waste services emissions, according to the statistics department Stats NZ on Thursday.

"The fall in total quarterly industry emissions was driven by the fall in the amount of natural gas used for electricity generation," said Stats NZ environmental-economic accounts manager Stephen Oakley.

Electricity, gas, water, and waste services industry emissions decreased 18.4 percent, or 356 kilotons, in the December 2023 quarter, following a 39.9 percent increase in the September 2023 quarter, Oakley said.

Over the December 2023 quarter, industry emissions dropped 1.1 percent, or 189 kilotons, he said, adding that by comparison, gross domestic product (GDP) decreased 0.1 percent in the same period.

Household emissions increased 3.2 percent, or 67 kilotons, in the December 2023 quarter, driven by an increase in household transport emissions, up 3.3 percent, or 62 kilotons, statistics showed.