New Zealand Greenhouse gases are dropping

Here is some good news about our environment.

The latest greenhouse gas emissions figures have shown a drop thanks to a reduction in the amount of coal being burned to make power and a record amount of wind generation.

Stats NZ released figures for the quarter up to September 2022 and they showed a quarterly drop of 3.5%. Emissions from electricity, gas, water, and waste manufacturing industries fell by 26% compared to the previous quarter.

The use of renewable energy sources, such as hydro and wind, played a big part in the decrease. Hydro increased by 29%, while wind hit an all-time high of 9.7%. That means we’re using less coal and other non-renewable resources, which is great for the environment.

Manufacturing emissions also dropped to nearly 10-year lows for the second quarter in a row. This is thanks in part to the petroleum, chemical, polymer, and rubber product manufacturing industries making changes to their processes.

The only downside is that transport emissions increased by 9.3%, which is driven by the transport industry. That means we still have a lot of work to do to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels in transportation.

Overall, the reduction in emissions is great news for the planet.  We can all do our part to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using renewable energy sources, reducing our use of fossil fuels, and being mindful of our carbon footprint.