Work out your domestic flight emissions
= 1.16 tonnes CO2e in 2026 (Scope 3 (business travel))1.97 tonnes including radiative forcing
Each passenger-km × 0.1159 kg CO2e, the Ministry for the Environment's 2026 figure (National average).
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Domestic flights emission factors in the 2026 guide
| Factor (as the Ministry names it) | Unit | kg CO2e | CO2 | CH4 | N2O |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| National averageDomestic Air Travel › Without Radiative Forcing factors | per passenger-km | 0.1159 | 0.115 | 0.00002251 | 0.0008522 |
| National averageDomestic Air Travel › With Radiative Forcing factors | per passenger-km | 0.197 | 0.1955 | 0.0000383 | 0.001449 |
| Large aircraftDomestic Air Travel › Without Radiative Forcing factors | per passenger-km | 0.1048 | 0.104 | 0.00002036 | 0.0007709 |
| Large aircraftDomestic Air Travel › With Radiative Forcing factors | per passenger-km | 0.1782 | 0.1768 | 0.0000346 | 0.001311 |
| Medium aircraftDomestic Air Travel › Without Radiative Forcing factors | per passenger-km | 0.1211 | 0.1202 | 0.00002352 | 0.0008905 |
| Medium aircraftDomestic Air Travel › With Radiative Forcing factors | per passenger-km | 0.2058 | 0.2043 | 0.00004 | 0.001514 |
| Small aircraftDomestic Air Travel › Without Radiative Forcing factors | per passenger-km | 0.3525 | 0.3405 | 0.002884 | 0.009042 |
| Small aircraftDomestic Air Travel › With Radiative Forcing factors | per passenger-km | 0.5908 | 0.5789 | 0.002884 | 0.009042 |
CO2, CH4 and N2O are each gas's share of the total, in kg CO2e; a dash means the guide gives no figure for that gas. Every figure is from the 2026 guide; it is the only edition we hold, so there is no year-on-year column.
Worked example
Take ten return trips between Auckland and Wellington, about 10,000 passenger-km. 10,000 passenger-km × 0.1159 kg CO2e = 1.16 tonnes CO2e, reported as Scope 3 (business travel). With radiative forcing, at 0.197 kg per passenger-km, it is 1.97 tonnes.
How to use it
Multiply the distance flown by the number of passengers, then by the factor. Use the aircraft size where you know it (small aircraft, such as those on regional routes, emit far more per passenger), and the national average where you do not.
Radiative forcing is the extra warming caused by flying at altitude, beyond the carbon dioxide. The guide publishes factors with and without it. The GHG Protocol does not require it, so say in your report which you used and keep to it every year.
Staff flights are Scope 3 business travel (category 6). Flights in aircraft your business operates are Scope 1; use the aviation fuel factor for those.
Which rules apply in New Zealand
The Ministry's guide is voluntary guidance for organisations measuring their greenhouse gas emissions, and follows the GHG Protocol and ISO 14064-1. Climate reporting entities under New Zealand's climate-related disclosures regime report under the External Reporting Board's Aotearoa New Zealand Climate Standards, and can use these factors for their Scope 1, 2 and 3 figures. Businesses of any size answering a customer's or a bank's request for emissions data can use them in the same way. Cite the guide and its year next to every figure.
UK companies with sites or staff in New Zealand should use these factors for that activity and the UK government factors for UK activity. In Carbon Recycling, set a site's country to New Zealand and its electricity is reported with the Ministry's factor. See reporting overseas sites for how the rest fits together.
Where to find your own figure
Your travel booking tool or agent's report lists each flight's airports. Work out the distance between the airports, or ask the agent: many reports include it.
Related emission factors
- Working from home (New Zealand): 0.8161 kg CO2e per employee day
- Taxi (New Zealand): 0.159 kg CO2e per km
- International flights (New Zealand): 0.09043 kg CO2e per passenger-km
- All New Zealand emission factors
- New Zealand grid electricity (Ember's estimate, every year since 2000)
- UK emission factors and other countries
Source: Ministry for the Environment. 2026. Measuring emissions: A guide for organisations: 2026 emission factors (version 2). Crown copyright, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Carbon Recycling is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Ministry; the sums on this page are ours.