Transport drives carbon footprint down

Ōtautahi - The carbon footprint of households, which reflects the emissions embodied in households' consumption and lifestyle choices, decreased 6.3 percent (2677 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) during 2020, Stats NZ says.

The decrease in household consumption-based emissions (also known as carbon footprint) was primarily driven by the 26 percent decrease (4019 kilotonnes) in household transport emissions due to pandemic-related restrictions in 2020.

Indirect household transport emissions, which includes emissions from extraction, refining, and transport of fuel, as well as household use of commercial transport modes including air, water, and rail, buses, and taxis, dropped 43 percent (3077 kilotonnes).

Direct household transport emissions, largely resulting from household use of fuel in road transport, dropped 12 percent (941 kilotonnes).

Before covid, household transport was the largest contributor to the household carbon footprint, but following pandemic lockdowns and associated border restrictions, transport emissions fell and contributed a similar proportion as food and non-alcoholic beverages.

The other main contributors to household consumption-based emissions were food and non-alcoholic beverage emissions, which increased 5.7 percent (596 kilotonnes), and housing and household utilities emissions, which increased 3.8 percent (204 kilotonnes).

Households are the largest contributor to New Zealand’s total carbon footprint accounting for 69 percent of emissions. In 2020, New Zealand’s carbon footprint decreased by 5.2 percent from the previous year, to 57,381 kilotonnes.

Tourism consumption-based emissions also dropped in 2020 due to the lack of travel during covid restrictions.

Total tourism consumption-based emissions decreased 39 percent (4665 kilotonnes). Specifically, international tourism emissions dropped 90 percent (4497 kilotonnes).

This coincides with the dramatic drop in international tourist expenditure. International tourism expenditure on air passenger transport plummeted, down 95 percent ($2.5 billion), as covid border closures complicated air travel.

In comparison, domestic tourism emissions, mainly from road transport, dropped 2.4 percent (168 kilotonnes) in 2020.

Direct domestic tourism emissions, from the use of private vehicles, decreased 12 percent (148 kilotonnes), and indirect domestic tourism emissions, from the extraction, refining, and transportation of fuel and use of other commercial transport, decreased 0.3 percent (20 kilotonnes).

Consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions statistics associate emissions from production processes, foreign or domestic, throughout the entire supply chain, with the final consumer. Emissions are reported by the domestic final consumption groups of households, government, non-profit institutions serving households, and investment in physical assets. Consumption-based emissions are often referred to as a nation’s carbon footprint.

Ōtautahi - The carbon footprint of households, which reflects the emissions embodied in households' consumption and lifestyle choices, decreased 6.3 percent (2677 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent) during 2020, Stats NZ says.

The decrease in household consumption-based emissions (also known as carbon footprint) was primarily driven by the 26 percent decrease (4019 kilotonnes) in household transport emissions due to pandemic-related restrictions in 2020.

Indirect household transport emissions, which includes emissions from extraction, refining, and transport of fuel, as well as household use of commercial transport modes including air, water, and rail, buses, and taxis, dropped 43 percent (3077 kilotonnes).

Direct household transport emissions, largely resulting from household use of fuel in road transport, dropped 12 percent (941 kilotonnes).

Before covid, household transport was the largest contributor to the household carbon footprint, but following pandemic lockdowns and associated border restrictions, transport emissions fell and contributed a similar proportion as food and non-alcoholic beverages.

The other main contributors to household consumption-based emissions were food and non-alcoholic beverage emissions, which increased 5.7 percent (596 kilotonnes), and housing and household utilities emissions, which increased 3.8 percent (204 kilotonnes).

Households are the largest contributor to New Zealand’s total carbon footprint accounting for 69 percent of emissions. In 2020, New Zealand’s carbon footprint decreased by 5.2 percent from the previous year, to 57,381 kilotonnes.

Tourism consumption-based emissions also dropped in 2020 due to the lack of travel during covid restrictions.

Total tourism consumption-based emissions decreased 39 percent (4665 kilotonnes). Specifically, international tourism emissions dropped 90 percent (4497 kilotonnes).

This coincides with the dramatic drop in international tourist expenditure. International tourism expenditure on air passenger transport plummeted, down 95 percent ($2.5 billion), as covid border closures complicated air travel.

In comparison, domestic tourism emissions, mainly from road transport, dropped 2.4 percent (168 kilotonnes) in 2020.

Direct domestic tourism emissions, from the use of private vehicles, decreased 12 percent (148 kilotonnes), and indirect domestic tourism emissions, from the extraction, refining, and transportation of fuel and use of other commercial transport, decreased 0.3 percent (20 kilotonnes).

Consumption-based greenhouse gas emissions statistics associate emissions from production processes, foreign or domestic, throughout the entire supply chain, with the final consumer. Emissions are reported by the domestic final consumption groups of households, government, non-profit institutions serving households, and investment in physical assets. Consumption-based emissions are often referred to as a nation’s carbon footprint.