Emissions report shows progress, and the work ahead

The Minister for Climate Change, James Shaw has released the latest annual inventory of New Zealand’s greenhouse gases.

He says “The report gives us the most up to date picture of how much we still have to do to solve climate change. Narrowing the gap between where we are now, and where we need to be, is the difference between handing our children a better world, or more crises in the future."

“Right now, people are understandably worried about their immediate future, which is why we must continue to do everything we can to reduce the economic pressures people and business up and down the country are facing. However, we can do that in a way that also helps the climate,” James Shaw said.

Net emissions fell by 3 percent in 2018 compared to 2017 levels. Gross emissions in 2018 decreased by 1 percent on 2017 levels. However, between 1990 and 2018, gross emissions increased by 24 percent.

A copy of the full inventory report and a snapshot is available here.