Greenhouse gas emissions by region (industry and household): Year ended 2021

Regional greenhouse gas emissions statistics include regional emissions by industry, households, and emissions intensity (emissions in relation to regional GDP). They are based on consistent classifications and concepts used in economic statistics.

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How are my region's emissions tracking? visually presents key measures of the 16 regional emissions profiles.

Key facts

Regional greenhouse gas emissions estimates for the year ended 2021 compared with the year ended 2020 show:

• total regional emissions decreased 0.3 percent (198 kilotonnes) to 78,437 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂-e)
• industry emissions decreased 0.4 percent (283 kilotonnes), largely due to decreases in Taranaki (down 715 kilotonnes), Northland (down 223 kilotonnes), and Southland (down 141 kilotonnes)
• household emissions increased 1.1 percent (85 kilotonnes), largely due to increases in Northland (up 26 kilotonnes), Bay of Plenty (up 23 kilotonnes), and Waikato (up 23 kilotonnes).

Over the period 2007–2021, total regional CO₂-e emissions decreased 2.6 percent.

Total emissions by region

The largest changes in total regional emissions in 2021 compared with 2020 were:

• Taranaki, down 721 kilotonnes (13 percent)
• Canterbury, up 413 kilotonnes (3.6 percent)
• Waikato, up 324 kilotonnes (2.0 percent).

In 2021, Southland had the highest total emissions per capita at 60 tonnes CO₂-e per capita. Taranaki had the second highest at 40 tonnes CO₂-e per capita. Auckland had the lowest total emissions per capita, at 5.7 CO₂-e per capita.

Household emissions by region

Household emissions accounted for 10 percent of total regional emissions in 2021. Just over 88 percent of total household emissions came from transport. Heating and cooling contributed 8.5 percent, and ‘other’ (household emissions from, for example, inhalers and septic tanks) contributed 3.0 percent to total household emissions. Note: Household emissions consist of direct (production-based) emissions only.

The largest changes in regional household emissions in 2021 compared with 2020 were:

• Northland, up 26 kilotonnes (8.4 precent)
• Wellington, down 23 kilotonnes (3.2 percent)
• Bay of Plenty, up 23 kilotonnes (3.9 percent).

The Auckland region is home to 33 percent of the population, who emitted 2,402 kilotonnes (30 percent) of New Zealand’s household emissions in 2021. This was 0.4 percent down on the previous year.

Households in the West Coast region emitted the most per capita, at 2.4 tonnes of CO₂-e per capita. Households in the Waikato region were the second-largest emitters, at 2.2 tonnes of CO₂-e per capita. Households in the Nelson region were the smallest emitters at 1.2 tonnes of CO₂-e per capita. As a comparison, total household emissions per capita (for all regions) was 1.6 tonnes of CO₂-e per capita in 2021.

The changes in household emissions were largely driven by transport emissions, which accounted for just over 88 percent of total household emissions for all regions in 2021. Nationally, household transport emissions increased 1.4 percent (up 97 kilotonnes CO₂-e) in 2021.

Total industry emissions

The largest changes in industry emissions in 2021 compared with 2020 were from:

• Taranaki, down 715 kilotonnes (13 percent), driven mainly by decreases in electricity, gas, water, and waste services, down 445 kilotonnes, and manufacturing, down 175 kilotonnes.
• Canterbury, up 418 kilotonnes (3.9 percent), driven by increases in agriculture, forestry, and fishing, up 315 kilotonnes, and transport, postal, and warehousing, up 60 kilotonnes.
• Waikato, up 302 kilotonnes (2.0 percent), driven by increases in electricity, gas, water, and waste services, up 246 kilotonnes, and agriculture, forestry, and fishing, up 38 kilotonnes.

Emissions associated with electricity generation are allocated based on the region of the generating plant rather than the consumer location, in line with the production approach to measuring emissions and the basis on which GDP is measured.

Industry emissions by region

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing

Agriculture, forestry, and fishing accounted for 61 percent of total regional industry CO₂-e emissions and decreased 0.2 percent in 2021.

• Canterbury and Waikato accounted for 20 and 19 percent, respectively, of agriculture, forestry, and fishing industry emissions in 2021.
• Manawatū-Whanganui was the next largest contributor at 11 percent.
• Canterbury’s emissions increased the most, up 315 kilotonnes (3.9 percent) between 2020 and 2021, largely due to an increase in the number of dairy cattle.
• Southland had the largest fall, down 186 kilotonnes (4.0 percent). This was mainly due to a decrease in cattle (dairy and beef) numbers.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing accounted for 14 percent of total regional industry emissions and decreased 4.5 percent in 2021.

• Auckland, the largest contributor, accounted for 28 percent of manufacturing emissions (2,864 kilotonnes) in 2021.
• Waikato and Northland were the next main contributors, with 14 percent (1,379 kilotonnes) and 13 percent (1,309 kilotonnes), respectively.
• Northland’s manufacturing emissions decreased the most, down 216 kilotonnes between 2020 and 2021.
• Manufacturing emissions decreased in 10 out of 16 regions between 2020 and 2021.

Electricity, gas, water, and waste services

Electricity, gas, water, and waste services accounted for 12 percent of total regional industry emissions and decreased 0.8 percent in 2021.

• Waikato, the largest contributor, accounted for 55 percent (4,634 kilotonnes) of electricity, gas, water, and waste services industry emissions in 2021.
• Taranaki and Auckland were the next main contributors, with 10.1 percent (853 kilotonnes) and 10.0 percent (846 kilotonnes), respectively.
• Taranaki had the largest decrease (445 kilotonnes), and Waikato had the largest increase (246 kilotonnes) between 2020 and 2021.

Transport, postal, and warehousing

Transport, postal, and warehousing accounted for 5.3 percent of total regional industry emissions and increased 5.4 percent in 2021. Note: These movements do not reflect changes in international aviation. International aviation is included in the national level transport, postal, and warehousing industry estimates but is not allocated to regions.  At the national level (including international aviation), transport, postal, and warehousing fell by 6.3 percent in 2021.

• Auckland, the largest contributor, accounted for 31 percent (1,144 kilotonnes)
• Canterbury was the next main contributor, with 16 percent (611 kilotonnes)
• Canterbury had the largest increase (60 kilotonnes) and Bay of Plenty had the largest decrease (20 kilotonnes) between 2020 and 2021.

Regional emissions by gas

In 2021, emissions from carbon dioxide and methane (in carbon dioxide equivalents) combined were 87 percent of total emissions. Carbon dioxide increased 63 kilotonnes (0.2 percent) and methane decreased 280 kilotonnes (0.8 percent) from 2020 to 2021.

Note: All gas types are expressed in comparable units of carbon dioxide equivalents.

Carbon dioxide emissions increased in 13 of the 16 regions from 2020–2021.

• Waikato experienced the largest increase in carbon dioxide, up 327 kilotonnes on the previous year, driven by increases in emissions from electricity, gas, water, and waste services in 2021.
• Taranaki had the largest decrease in carbon dioxide, down 634 kilotonnes on the previous year due to decreases in emissions from electricity, gas, water, and waste services and manufacturing in 2021.
• Auckland emitted the largest amount of carbon dioxide, 7,923 kilotonnes, followed by Waikato, with 7,785 kilotonnes, and Canterbury, with 3,824 kilotonnes.

Methane emissions decreased in 9 of the 16 regions from 2020–2021.

• Southland had the largest decrease, down 177 kilotonnes and was the fifth-largest methane emitting region in 2021.
• In 2021, Waikato emitted the largest amount of methane, 6,343 kilotonnes, followed by Canterbury, with 6,321 kilotonnes, and Manawatū-Whanganui, with 3,709 kilotonnes.
• Regions with high methane emissions are generally intensive farming areas.

Nitrous oxide emissions increased 0.2 percent to 8,483 kilotonnes in 2021.

• Canterbury had the largest increase in nitrous oxide emissions, up 101 kilotonnes in 2021.
• West Coast had the largest decrease, down 36 kilotonnes in 2021.
• In 2021, Waikato emitted the largest amount of nitrous oxide, 1,910 kilotonnes, followed by Canterbury, with 1,695 kilotonnes and Southland, with 1,086 kilotonnes.

Fluorinated gases (f-gases) are a family of human-made gases used in a range of industrial applications. Emissions from f-gases have been stable since 2019. In 2021 these gases made up 2.0 percent of total emissions.

• Auckland had the largest decrease in f-gases, down 11 kilotonnes and Waikato had the largest increase, up 5 kilotonnes in 2021.
• In 2021, Auckland emitted the largest amount of f-gases, 446 kilotonnes, followed by Canterbury, with 208 kilotonnes, and Waikato, with 180 kilotonnes.

Emissions and regional economic activity

Emissions intensity is recorded as the amount of greenhouse gases reported per unit of GDP. Note that the emissions and economic data in this section have different reference periods. Emissions statistics are in December years and regional GDP statistics are in March years. Regional GDP data is available to the March 2021 year. For the closest comparison to emissions, we compare the December 2020 year of emissions to March 2021 year for GDP. Note: Intensity is expressed as tonnes per unit of GDP rather than kilotonnes.

In 2020, 241 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂-e) were produced for every million dollars of GDP. This ranged from a high of 938 tonnes in Southland to a low of 79 tonnes in Wellington. Auckland, New Zealand’s largest regional economy, emitted 80 tonnes per million dollars of GDP. 

Southland recorded the highest emissions intensity (emissions relative to GDP) for CO₂-e, due to having the highest emissions intensities in methane, nitrous oxide, and f-gases. Southland was fourth-highest for carbon dioxide intensity in 2020.

In 2020, Southland produced 8.0 percent of total CO₂-e emissions and contributed 2.1 percent of national GDP. Like other regions dependent on agricultural and manufacturing industries, Southland’s economy can be impacted to a greater degree by fluctuations in commodity prices and this can influence emissions intensity without a significant change in emissions.

In 2020, Wellington produced 4.1 percent of total CO₂-e emissions and 13 percent of national GDP. Wellington’s low emissions intensity is due to the higher contribution of service industries to its economy.

Auckland produced 12 percent of total CO₂-e emissions and 37 percent of national GDP in 2020. Manufacturing is a main contributor to Auckland’s emissions and GDP. Auckland’s low emissions intensity level is due to a high contribution of services excluding transport, postal, and warehousing industries to its economy.

Emissions intensity, for CO₂-e, tends to increase across regions depending on the significance of agriculture to the regional economy which tends to have high methane and nitrous oxide emissions.

Carbon dioxide emissions intensity reflects localised emissions-intensive economic units and activities such as mining, manufacturing, and electricity generation. This is seen in the higher carbon dioxide intensities in Taranaki, Northland, Waikato, Southland, and West Coast.

Variability in carbon dioxide emissions intensity is less pronounced:

• Taranaki recorded the highest carbon dioxide intensity
• Carbon dioxide intensity was at a similar level for Bay of Plenty, Marlborough, and Canterbury.

Definitions and metadata

Greenhouse gas emissions by region (industry and household): Year ended 2021 – Stats NZ DataInfo+ gives information on the methodology underlying the data and outlines revisions made in this release. 

Regional greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): Sources and Methods – Stats NZ DataInfo+ presents the data sources and methods used for producing all the quarterly emissions accounts, including Greenhouse gas emissions by region (industry and household): Year ended 2021.

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Next releases

Greenhouse gas emissions (industry and household): March 2022 quarter will be released on 20 October 2022.

Greenhouse gas emissions (consumption-based): Year ended 2020 (provisional) will be released on 7 December 2022.