New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions fell by 3.5 percent in 2022's September quarter compared with the previous three months as power generated by renewables led to a dip in the use of fossil fuels, new data shows.
Aotearoa has a target to reach 50 percent below the country's 2005 emissions by 2030, which experts have said will require changes to the agricultural sector as well as how people commute.
"The fall in emissions follows successive increases over the previous three quarters and was driven mostly by significant reductions in the electricity, gas, water and waste services industry, and in the manufacturing industry," Stats NZ said.
New Zealand saw more use of hydro (up 29 percent), wind (+9.7 pct) and geothermal (+2 pct) generated electricity in the September quarter which may have led people to use fewer fossil fuels, the statistics agency said.
Total greenhouse gas emissions were down 696 kilotonnes for the quarter.
Emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, were at 8270kt - 1.9 percent lower than the previous three months.
Newshub.
