11 Apr 2014

NZ on track with Kyoto

11:48 am on 11 April 2014

New Zealand is on track to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions despite an increase in greenhouse gases.

The latest inventory shows greenhouse gas emissions increased from 74.4 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2011, to 76 megatonnes at the end of 2012.

The increase was mainly due to rising agriculture emissions followed by energy, including emissions from road transport and electricity production.

There was also a 10 percent decrease in the removal of emissions from the atmosphere through land use changes and afforestation.

Despite this, Climate Change Minister Tim Groser said New Zealand will still comfortably meet its targets as it has a surplus of units under the protocol.

The Green Party says the Government is not taking any meaningful action to reduce emissions.