The latest official figures show climate emissions for all of 2021 were still down on pre-pandemic levels, while there was less power generated from coal in the second half of last year.
Photo: 123RF
Stats NZ said emissions rose 1.1 percent compared to the same quarter in 2021, while gross domestic product (GDP) was up 3 percent.
That is still the lowest December quarter for emissions in seven years.
Total household emissions increased by 1.6 percent in the December 2021 quarter, mostly due to an increase in household transport emissions (it is the first time household transport statistics have been able to be broken out).
The largest emissions increases in the quarter were in construction and manufacturing - 11 percent and 7 percent respectively.
Meanwhile, less coal being burned and greater use of wind and hydro to make electricity drove a 29 percent drop in the electricity, gas, water and waste services.
Stephen Oakley from Stats NZ said renewable energy as a share of all the total electricity production went up from 84 percent in September 2021 to 91 percent by the end of the year.
Greater use of wind to make electricity contributed to a 29 percent emissions drop in electricity, gas, water and waste services. Photo: 123RF
Comparison pre and post-pandemic paints interesting picture
So while the trend shows climate gases going up in the last quarter, overall for the entire 2021 year emissions were actually about 6 percent below 2019's pre-pandemic levels.
That's likely the ongoing impact of Covid restrictions disrupting industries and supply chain issues.
Between 2019 and 2021, emissions from transport including international aviation (and postal and warehousing) had the largest decrease in emissions, down 36 percent.
Manufacturing emissions had the second largest decrease, then mining.
Total household emissions decreased 9.6 percent between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to a reduction in household transport emissions - again likely from Covid-19 restrictions.
But GDP did not drop correspondingly over the period - GDP and emissions have been bouncing around a little erratically since the pandemic.
Does that mean we are starting to see a decoupling of GDP and emissions?
Emissions are relatively stable and GDP is on an upward trend so the two lines are slowly diverging - but it is too soon to call it yet.
Will have to wait and see what happens once the pandemic wanes.
This snapshot puts the gap mainly due to people taking fewer international trips and greater use of renewables.
Both are fairly contingent on circumstances - New Zealanders are likely get back to their globetrotting ways, and the rain may not always fall and the wind not always blow.
For the first time car trips by households have been separated out in the statistics - and they were a big part of the reason total household emissions were up 1.6 percent in the latest quarter.
It shows the gradual easing of Covid-19 restrictions as 2021 went on.
Meanwhile, Stats NZ says from now on it is using a new system for emissions data which means there is a shorter lag time between the time the information was collected and when it can be released.
It said is among the first in the world to take it up - joining Sweden and the Netherlands.
The system counts gross emissions - and for example Air New Zealand's flights outside New Zealand are included.