Environment - Greenhouse gas emissions by sector 1990–2021

LULUCF: Land use, land-use change and forestry. A greenhouse gas inventory sector that covers emissions and removals of greenhouse gases resulting from direct human-induced land use, land-use change and forestry activities.
CO2: carbon dioxide
CH4: methane
N2O: nitrous oxide
HFCs: hydrofluorocarbons
PFCs: perfluorocarbons
SF6: sulphur hexafluoride
Gross emissions: comprise greenhouse gas emissions from all sectors excluding LULUCF.
Net emissions: comprise greenhouse gas emissions and removals from all sectors including LULUCF. Net emissions are lower than gross emissions because the LULUCF sector currently removes more greenhouse gas from the atmosphere than it emits.

https://environment.govt.nz/publications/new-zealands-greenhouse-gas-inventory-1990-2021

The inventory reports greenhouse gas emissions and removals from five sectors:
- agriculture (e.g. nitrous oxide from fertiliser, methane from livestock digestive systems and manure)
- energy (e.g. emissions from road transport and electricity generation)
- industrial processes and product use (IPPU) (e.g. cement production and refrigeration)
- land use, land-use change and forestry (LULUCF) (e.g. forest land, cropland, grassland, wetlands, settlements, other land).
- waste (eg, solid waste and wastewater).
The most recent inventory report covered the following direct greenhouse gases:
carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6).
Only emissions and removals of these six direct greenhouse gases are included in the national greenhouse gas total.

Emissions from international marine and aviation are reported as memo items and are NOT included in New Zealand’s total emissions.
The inventory also reports indirect greenhouse gases but they are not included in New Zealand’s greenhouse gas total. These gases do not have a direct warming effect, but react with other gases in the atmosphere and increase the concentration of greenhouse gases.
The indirect gases are: oxides of nitrogen (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs).

The continuous improvement of inventory development and reporting is a fundamental requirement under the Kyoto Protocol and the UNFCCC. When inventory improvements are made, it is good practice to recalculate the entire time series to ensure the consistency of emission trends. Recalculated estimates can result from any one improvement or a combination of improvements in activity data, emission factors, methodology or when additional emission sources are identified.

Click on 'Summary emissions data [Excel file (xlsx), 42 KB]' under the 'Supporting information' title to download the file.

New Zealand’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory is the official annual report of all anthropogenic (human induced) emissions and removals of greenhouse gases in New Zealand. The inventory measures New Zealand’s progress against obligations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol.

The 2023 inventory contains the emissions and removals data from 1990 to 2021, major emissions trends, and methodology used by New Zealand for estimating its emissions and removals. The inventory informs the Ministry for the Environment’s policy recommendations on climate change, and it enables us to monitor progress towards our emissions reductions targets.