Work out your New Zealand electricity emissions
= 3.93 tonnes CO2e in 2025 (Scope 2 (location-based))4.23 tonnes including transmission and distribution losses
Each kWh × 0.07866 kg CO2e, the Ministry for the Environment's 2025 figure (Electricity Used - 2025).
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New Zealand electricity emission factor by year
| Year | kg CO2e per kWh | Change | CO2 | CH4 | N2O | Grid losses (kg CO2e per kWh) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.07866 | -20.8% | 0.07613 | 0.002407 | 0.0001228 | 0.005956 |
| 2024 | 0.09936 | +29.8% | 0.09678 | 0.002394 | 0.0001886 | 0.007523 |
| 2023 | 0.07657 | -6.3% | 0.07406 | 0.002431 | 0.00007622 | 0.005736 |
| 2022 | 0.08173 | -33.8% | 0.07888 | 0.002753 | 0.00009394 | 0.006147 |
| 2021 | 0.1234 | +1.6% | 0.1203 | 0.002822 | 0.000255 | 0.009328 |
| 2020 | 0.1215 | +10.1% | 0.1184 | 0.0029 | 0.0001916 | 0.009066 |
| 2019 | 0.1103 | +12.9% | 0.1071 | 0.003036 | 0.0001719 | 0.008169 |
| 2018 | 0.09773 | -5.2% | 0.09421 | 0.0034 | 0.0001203 | 0.007086 |
| 2017 | 0.1031 | +12.7% | 0.09922 | 0.003801 | 0.00008566 | 0.007508 |
| 2016 | 0.0915 | -21.6% | 0.08732 | 0.00411 | 0.00007307 | 0.00669 |
| 2015 | 0.1167 | -4.3% | 0.112 | 0.004534 | 0.0001407 | 0.008314 |
| 2014 | 0.122 | -16.5% | 0.1175 | 0.004325 | 0.000155 | 0.008717 |
| 2013 | 0.1461 | -15.6% | 0.1416 | 0.00423 | 0.0002023 | 0.01078 |
| 2012 | 0.173 | +24.7% | 0.1687 | 0.003981 | 0.0003064 | 0.01307 |
| 2011 | 0.1387 | -7.9% | 0.1348 | 0.003773 | 0.0001871 | – |
| 2010 | 0.1506 | – | 0.1467 | 0.003673 | 0.0001704 | – |
From the Ministry's file: Purchased Electricity, Heat, and Steam › Purchased Electricity › Annual Averages, rows "Electricity Used - [year]"; grid losses from › Transmission and distribution losses › Electricity Consumption, which starts in 2012. CO2, CH4 and N2O are each gas's share in kg CO2e. The 2025 losses figure uses the latest observed ratio of losses to electricity used, as the source data for that year was not available.
Quarterly averages, 2023 to 2025
| Quarter ending | kg CO2e per kWh | Ministry row |
|---|---|---|
| December 2025 | 0.02727 | Electricity Used - Dec-2025 |
| September 2025 | 0.06639 | Electricity Used - Sep-2025 |
| June 2025 | 0.1085 | Electricity Used - Jun-2025 |
| March 2025 | 0.1159 | Electricity Used - Mar-2025 |
| December 2024 | 0.03834 | Electricity Used - Dec-2024 |
| September 2024 | 0.1304 | Electricity Used - Sep-2024 |
| June 2024 | 0.1346 | Electricity Used - Jun-2024 |
| March 2024 | 0.08803 | Electricity Used - Mar-2024 |
| December 2023 | 0.07426 | Electricity Used - Dec-2023 |
| September 2023 | 0.1004 | Electricity Used - Sep-2023 |
| June 2023 | 0.05295 | Electricity Used - Jun-2023 |
| March 2023 | 0.07676 | Electricity Used - Mar-2023 |
The quarters move more than the yearly figures because New Zealand's power comes mostly from hydro, so a dry season means more gas and coal burned.
The Ministry's notes on these figures
- Electricity Used - 2025: Calculated using the latest observed T&D-to-purchased-electricity ratio because source T&D data for this year was not available.
Worked example
Take an office in Auckland using 50,000 kWh a year. 50,000 kWh × 0.07866 kg CO2e = 3.93 tonnes CO2e, reported as Scope 2 (location-based). Add transmission and distribution losses at 0.005956 kg per kWh for another 297.8 kg, reported separately as Scope 3.
How to use it
Multiply the kWh on each site's power bills by the factor for the year the electricity was used. The guide gives a figure for every calendar year from 2010, so a report for 2024 uses the 2024 figure and a restated base year keeps its own year's figure. That is the location-based Scope 2 figure the GHG Protocol asks every report to show.
Grid losses are a separate factor. The power lost on the lines between the power station and your meter is counted under Scope 3 (fuel- and energy-related activities), not Scope 2, so report it on its own line. The Ministry worked out the 2025 losses factor from the latest ratio of losses to electricity used, because the source data for 2025 was not yet available.
The guide also gives an average for each quarter from 2023. These can help when your reporting year does not run January to December, or when you want to see how the mix of hydro, geothermal, wind, gas and coal changed through a dry or wet year. Whichever you use, say so in your report and keep to it every year.
Our other New Zealand electricity page uses Ember's figure, an independent estimate built the same way for every country, which counts lifecycle emissions per kWh generated. This page is the Ministry's own factor per kWh used, New Zealand's official figure for organisations. For a site in New Zealand, use this one.
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
The kWh used is on each power bill and in your retailer's online account. Each connection has an ICP number on the bill, which helps you match bills to sites. For a shared building, ask the landlord for your share of the metered use.
Related emission factors
- Natural gas (New Zealand): 0.1954 kg CO2e per kWh
- Diesel (New Zealand): 2.672 kg CO2e per litre
- Petrol (New Zealand): 2.361 kg CO2e per litre
- 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.