CHANGES THAT WE CAN MAKE TO REDUCE OUR PERSONAL AND HOUSEHOLD GHG EMISSIONS

Most of the actions listed below are taken from a United Nations publication “Actions for a Healthy Planet” and the household consumption emission figures are from Stats NZ.

Everything that we buy and use (from a house to paper tissues and including services) has some “embodied” carbon emissions associated with it. They are product specific and are generated in different amounts over the stages involved in a product’s ‘life cycle’ - from the processes used in its manufacture/production, to its transport, storage, use (this can involve other energy sources such as heating a building) and disposal or recycling at the end of its life.

There are a number of frameworks that are used to classify and measure emissions with the intent of understanding their impact on the environment, some of these are considered below.

Disclaimer: The advice provided below is general and indicative in nature and should not be solely relied upon for decisions around the purchase and/or use of items or equipment as household, business and other circumstances can vary widely. Readers are responsible for making these decisions around the specifics of any emission reduction activities or measures they choose to undertake.

It is not necessary to understand the complexities of emission classifications in order to take steps to reduce your household or business emissions. Emissions are reported as the mass - typically kg or tonnes - of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas (GHG) that products produce. [Services also produce emissions and not all CO2 is generated by human activities] Because there are other GHG, the term “carbon dioxide equivalent” (CO2 e) has been coined to standardise the impact of emissions of different GHG on the environment and their contributions to climate change.

The methodology is based on a GHG’s ‘global warming potential’ (GWP), which measures how much heat a GHG traps in the atmosphere compared to CO2 over a specific time period — generally 100 years. The GWP of CO2 is set to 1 and the GWPs of other GHGs are expressed relative to this - for example methane, another major GHG, has a GWP of 28-30, meaning it traps 28-30 times more heat than CO2.

In any event, there is a very good level of understanding about household - and other - level emissions in New Zealand (and many other countries) and the sources and activities that contribute to this. This knowledge, allows, in turn, alternatives to be assessed that produce less emissions and whose adoption will result in a reduction in emissions to the benefit of the environment and New Zealand.

The major emission reduction opportunities for households are in the following areas:

1. Reduce transport emissions from vehicles that burn fossil fuels

   We travel for many reasons, including work, sport, shopping, visiting family and friends, going on holiday and enjoying leisure activities. Different modes of transport (e.g. ICE/EV and hybrid EV cars, cycling, train/bus, walking) produce different levels of emissions.

   Transport emissions account for the largest proportion [33% in 2022, or ~2.5 tonnes CO2 e] of New Zealand household consumption-based emissions. Changes in this area represent one of the biggest potential savings that can be made, though barriers (especially cost and availability of alternative transport modes) exist for some people.

   To reduce emissions walk, cycle (manual or E-bike) or take public transport (trains and buses) where possible AND/OR swap your ICE (petrol/diesel) engined car/ute/SUV/truck/motorcycle for an electric/hybrid vehicle, with a change to an EV having the potential to save several tonnes of emissions a year - more if your ICE vehicle is older and/or a higher emitter of GHG. Walking and cycling will also improve your health.

   A recent article provides an overview of the features and advantages of the different types of hybrid electric vehicles that are available and the benefits of an EV are explained here

   Air travel should be avoided where possible - a process that has been facilitated by advances in teleconferencing - as emissions per passenger can be as high as 2 - 3 tonnes for a long haul (>3000km) trip.

2. Reduce emissions from housing and household utilities (heating, cooling and powering the house)

   Most emissions associated with buildings are operational from the energy used to heat, cool and power them but the embodied emissions of buildings can also be significant. We all need a roof over our heads but the size of the house or other places we live in, the materials used in its construction (e.g. brick, wood, concrete) including insulation and its age will affect the house’s embodied emissions.

   The different types of energy and appliances (eg, solar, gas, electricity)that we use to power, heat and cool our houses (e.g. wood-burners, gas heaters, heat pumps) and to cook and store food produce different levels of operational emissions.

   Collectively, the embodied and operational emissions are significant and produce 12% (~1 tonne CO2 e) of of New Zealand household consumption-based emissions.

   Actions to reduce house associated emissions come in two sizes - the house itself and the ways we power, heat and cool it

   If you are wanting to build/buy a new home, then consider a house that is designed to be more sustainable and energy efficient than the NZ Building Code requires - such as the New Zealand Green Building Council Homestar homes.

   Information is available to improve the energy performance of existing homes from sources such as Auckland Council’s “Tips to create a healthy, energy-efficient home”. This site also contains information for tenants and landlords and many local authorities also have information available on the subject.

   All houses use energy to run the services and appliances that make the home livable - e..g. for lighting, heating/cooling, cooking, running computers, charging phones. The amount of energy associated with this used will depend on a range of factors, including the design and construction features of both the house and the appliances used - some ways to save money can be found here - but the types of energy we use to power them (e.g. electricity, gas) also affects the level of emissions generated.

   To reduce these emissions use electricity rather than gas, oil or coal for water and home heating and cooking. For example changing from a gas water heater to to a hot water heat pump has the potential to save approximately 0.5 tonnes CO2 e per year and the installation of rooftop solar panels has the advantages of zero operating emissions and the potential for significant cost savings compared to other heating options.

   Note that wood is a biofuel and therefore considered to be a renewable energy source and climate neutral in terms of its CO2 emissions, but wood burners can also emit very small particles that are not good for peoples health so wood burners must meet National Environmental Standards for Air Quality for the amount and type of particulates they produce. [Open fires, multi-fuel burners, pellet burners and wood-burning cooking stoves are not included in the definition of wood burner so are not covered by the wood burner standards.]

3. Reduce emissions from non-alcoholic beverages and - especially - the food that we consume.

   The consumption (and enjoyment) of food and drink is essential for our survival. However the production (growing) and other activities (e.g. storage, distribution, disposal and wastage) of this produces -for many people - 27% (~2 tonne CO2 e) of of New Zealand household consumption-based emissions.

   Emissions from meat - and sheepmeat and beef in particular - are significant though the profile will depend on the production methods used. The cradle to grave footprint of New Zealand sheepmeat is 13.3kg CO2 e/kg meat and of beef is 20.9 kg CO2 e/kg meat.

   The IPCC recommends we consume less meat, milk, cheese and butter - but ideally also eat more locally sourced seasonal food - especially vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds - and throw less of it away. Cutting out meat and dairy products can significantly reduce the emissions from food that we consume, perhaps by 1 tonne or more of CO2e.

   For context, the UK Climate Change Committee in looking at the carbon budget for the period 2038 - 2040 (with a net zero 2050 goal in mind) has suggested that people eat two fewer meat meals per week by 2040.

4. Reduce emissions from consumables and consider other spending
   Many New Zealand households spend significant sums of money on goods such as whiteware, clothing, electronic goods including phones and TV’s , sports equipment etc. In addition we have other expenses such as health and education costs to meet.

   Collectively, these activities contribute 28% (~2 tonnes CO2 e) of New Zealand household consumption-based emissions.

   As consumers we have the choice about the consumables that we buy and use. Buy making informed choices and taking energy efficiency and sustainability (including life-cycle emissions) into account in our purchasing decisions (e.g. in what clothes we buy) we have the potential to make significant household emission savings.

OTHER AREAS THAT CAN BE LOOKED AT TO REDUCE EMISSIONS - WASTE

Minimising waste is important for several reasons:

Methane (a potent GHG) from waste is responsible for nearly 5% of New Zealand’s GHG emissions [It is produced in landfills when organic matter decomposes under anaerobic conditions (in the the absence of oxygen as occurs when buried in a landfill).]

The things that we throw out all took energy and natural resources to produce. While not everything we use can be recycled it is important to keep a focus on sustainability in mind by reducing (minimising the amount of waste we produce) , reusing (use more than once) , recyling (finding a new use for a product rather than throwing it away) in mind.

Things we can do include:

• Reduce food waste. The Ministry for Primary Industries has Information about how to do this safely.

• The Love Food Hate Waste site has a lot of practical tips about changing shopping cooking and eating habits in a way that can reduce your carbon footprint and help create a more sustainable future.

• If you do have leftover food, or food scraps, use the food scrap collection service if your local authority runs one or consider composting, to recycle waste into compost that can be used on gardens.

• If you have the space consider growing (some of) your own vegetables or join a community garden in your area - your Council will have this information - to share in this activity.

• Reduce the amount of packaging that we use and especially plastics, which will take up to hundreds of years to decompose. Use bags that are reusable over bags that are only deigned to be used once. Be careful when purchasing plastic bag alternatives that are sold as being compostable or biodegradable. These items are likely to require commercial processing that generates the right conditions for breakdown to occur and these conditions are not provided if the products are disposed of to landfill.