New Zealand Annual Gross Emission Reaches Lowest Level Since 1999

New Zealand on Thursday said in 2022 its annual gross emission reached their lowest since 1999 following the government's efforts to promote clean energy.

In a written statement, the country's Climate Change Minister Simon Watts said the latest Greenhouse Gas Inventory (1990-2022) report shows gross emissions fell to 78.4 million tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2-e) in 2022, 4% lower than in 2021.

"The data shows higher renewable energy was a key contributor to lower gross emissions in 2022, being down four per cent, which is the lowest level since 1999," said Watts.

"We want New Zealanders to benefit from affordable, clean energy. Nearly 90 per cent of New Zealand's electricity in 2022 came from renewable sources, making us one of the best in the world. But we still have more to do," he added.

He added that their government already announced an ambitious target to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions aligned with their Net Zero 2050 goal.

"At the end of this year, the Government will deliver its second Emissions Reduction Plan which will set out how we will meet our emissions budgets for the second half of this decade. It's a critical milestone on our journey to Net Zero 2050," he said.

Last year New Zealand's government announced that it will remove all remaining coal boilers from hospitals and tertiary institutions in the country by the end of 2025, as part of their efforts to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid -