#1
Coal accounts for 7% of New Zealand’s emissions
According to the Ministry for the Environment’s emissions tracker (available here), New Zealand emitted 82,317,880 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents in 2019.
According to Our World in Data, in the same year New Zealand’s emissions from coal in 2019 amounted to 5,780,000 tonnes of CO2e – this works about to about 7%.
If one wishes to use data from New Zealand figures, the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment’s New Zealand energy sector greenhouse gas emissions can be used instead.
Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment figures show in 2019, emissions from the electricity sector’s use of coal totalled 1,642,680 tonnes of CO2e, and coal used as a direct fuel source totalled 2,415,866 tonnes. Both of these figures are sourced from the ministry’s New Zealand energy sector greenhouse gas emissions page, available here. The Excel spreadsheet containing this data can be directly downloaded by clicking here.
This totals 4,058,546 tonnes of CO2e (4.9% of emissions) but does not include steel production. The Ministry for the Environments figures for emissions from iron and steel production show the sector’s emissions in 2019 were 1,661,610 tonnes of CO2e.
In total, figures from the New Zealand government put coal’s emissions for 2019 at 5,720,156 tonnes of CO2e, and Our World in Data’s at 5,800,000 tonnes.
New Zealand’s government figures have coal at 6.95%, if Our World in Data’s are used, 7.04%.
#2
New Zealand’s population has increased by 42% since 1990
This is based on Statistics New Zealand’s data which shows New Zealand’s resident population in March of 1991 as 3,488,000 people, and March 2019’s resident population as 4,965,300. This equals a 42.3% increase.
#3
Growth in gross greenhouse gas emissions since 1990
Ministry for the Environment data shows New Zealand’s gross emissions have gone from 65,129,230 tonnes in 1990 to 82,317,880 tonnes in 2019 – an increase of 26.39%.
This is based on data from the Ministry for the Environment’s emissions tracking tool, available here.
#4
Growth in net greenhouse gas emissions since 1990
Ministry for the Environment data shows New Zealand’s net emissions have gone from 41,114,770 tonnes of CO2e in 1990 to 54,892,790 in 2019 – an increase of 33.5%.
This is based on data from the Ministry for the Environment’s emissions tracking tool, available here.
#5
New Zealand’s gross emissions, 2019
The Ministry for the Environment’s online emissions tracker shows the country’s gross greenhouse gas emissions in 2019 were 82,319,880 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents. This information is available here.
#6
New Zealand’s emissions by gas and changes since 1990
The breakdown of these gross emissions by gas is available on the Ministry for the Environment’s online emissions tracker available here.
In 1990, emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide measured in carbon dioxide equivalents were 25,649,310 tonnes, 32,795,280 tonnes, and 5,754,710 tonnes respectively.
In 2019, emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide were 37,494,50 tonnes, 34,621,290 tonnes, and 8,363,180 tonnes respectively.
This shows from 1990 to 2019, New Zealand’s carbon dioxide emissions increased 46.8%, methane emissions increased 5.3%, and nitrous oxide emissions increased 45.3%,
#7
New Zealand’s carbon dioxide emissions by fuel
Our World in Data breaks down New Zealand’s carbon dioxide emissions by fuel and shows the changes from 1989 to 2019. This information is available here.
#8
Coal consumption in New Zealand over past three decades by sector
The graph showing New Zealand’s coal consumption in major sectors since 1990 is based on data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation, and Employment’s website page on coal statistics.
This page can be found here, and the full Excel spreadsheet can be directly downloaded here.
#9 Carbon dioxide emissions per capita
The chart from Our World in Data simply shows New Zealand alongside other comparatively wealthy nations. This chart can be found online by clicking here.
#10
How we compare with the rest of the OECD for CO2 per capita
Based on a 2020 OECD report, New Zealand ranked 18th out of 36 OECD countries in 2018 on a per capita basis for carbon dioxide emissions. This information can be found on page 8 of the full report, available here.
#11
How we compare with the rest of the OECD for greenhouse gas emissions per capita
Based on a 2020 OECD report, New Zealand ranked 5th highest out of 36 OECD countries in 2017 on a per capita basis for all greenhouse gas emissions. This information can be found on page 6 of the full report, available here.
