Work out your natural gas emissions
= 19.54 tonnes CO2e in 2026 (Scope 1)20.13 tonnes including gas network losses
Each kWh × 0.1954 kg CO2e, the Ministry for the Environment's 2026 figure (Natural Gas (kWh)).
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Natural gas emission factors in the 2026 guide
| Factor (as the Ministry names it) | Unit | kg CO2e | CO2 | CH4 | N2O |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Natural Gas (kWh)Stationary Combustion of Fuels › Commercial Use | per kWh | 0.1954 | 0.1949 | 0.0004536 | 0.00008586 |
| Natural Gas (GJ)Stationary Combustion of Fuels › Commercial Use | per GJ | 54.29 | 54.14 | 0.126 | 0.02385 |
| Natural Gas (kWh)Stationary Combustion of Fuels › Industrial Use | per kWh | 0.1951 | 0.1949 | 0.00009072 | 0.00008586 |
| Natural Gas (GJ)Stationary Combustion of Fuels › Industrial Use | per GJ | 54.19 | 54.14 | 0.0252 | 0.02385 |
| Natural gas used (kWh)Transmission and distribution losses › Reticulated Gases | per kWh | 0.005824 | 0.00005068 | 0.005773 | – |
| Natural gas used (GJ)Transmission and distribution losses › Reticulated Gases | per GJ | 1.618 | 0.01408 | 1.604 | – |
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.
The Ministry's notes on these figures
- Uncertainty figures are taken from New Zealand's Greenhouse Gas Inventory.
- Uncertainty: CO2e ±2.0%, CO2 ±2.0%, CH4 ±50.0%, N2O ±50.0%.
Worked example
Take a café, workshop or office heated by reticulated gas using 100,000 kWh a year. 100,000 kWh × 0.1954 kg CO2e = 19.54 tonnes CO2e, reported as Scope 1. Add gas network losses at 0.005824 kg per kWh for another 582.4 kg, reported separately as Scope 3.
How to use it
Use the row in the same unit as your bill, kWh or GJ. Commercial use covers offices, shops, hospitality and similar; industrial use covers manufacturing and process heat. The two differ only in the small methane and nitrous oxide part, so the totals are almost the same.
Gas burned on your premises is Scope 1. The guide also gives a factor for the gas lost from the pipe network on its way to you (reticulated gas transmission and distribution losses). Report that on its own line as Scope 3, not as part of your Scope 1 total.
A common slip is to convert a GJ bill to kWh and then use the GJ factor, or the reverse. One GJ is 277.8 kWh; if you convert, use the factor in the unit you converted to.
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 gas retailer's bills, or the online account, show the energy used in each billing period. If a bill shows an estimated read, use the next actual read to correct the year's total.
Related emission factors
- Electricity (New Zealand): 0.07866 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.