New Zealand Climate
New Zealand’s national circumstances and unusual emissions profile mean that it is likely to have fewer low-cost abatement options than most other developed countries. This has shaped New Zealand’s approach to action on climate change and emissions reduction. The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme (NZ ETS) is the principal policy tool underpinning New Zealand’s domestic emissions reduction action. It requires emitters that are participants in the scheme to report on their emissions and surrender emissions units that correspond to their obligations.
High levels of agricultural activity mean almost half of New Zealand’s emissions come from agriculture. This compares with an average of 12 per cent in other developed countries. New Zealand already has high levels of renewable energy utilisation and a long history of renewable energy development. Around three quarters of New Zealand’s electricity generation uses renewable resources – primarily hydro generation. Continued development of geothermal and wind generation has seen the amount of electricity generated from these sources more than triple over the last two decades. New Zealand is looking to make further gains in this area and the recently renewed New Zealand Energy Strategy 2011 – 2021 and companion New Zealand Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy 2011 – 2016 reaffirm New Zealand’s commitment to a goal of 90 per cent of electricity generation from renewable resources by 2025. There are few economically viable technologies for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, but New Zealand continues to make improvements in efficiency across the agricultural sector.
New Zealand already has high levels of renewable energy utilisation and a long history of renewable energy development. Around three quarters of New Zealand’s electricity generation uses renewable resources – primarily hydro generation. Continued development of geothermal and wind generation has seen the amount of electricity generated from these sources more than triple over the last two decades. New Zealand is looking to make further gains in this area.
New Zealand has climate zones ranging from subtropical to subantarctic. The climate is heavily influenced by New Zealand’s location in a latitudinal zone with prevailing westerly winds and by the surrounding ocean. It is also influenced by mountain chains that modify the weather systems as they sweep eastward. This leads to more rainfall in the west and drier conditions in the east. The average rainfall in most urban areas is between 600 and 1600 millimeters a year. In the mountain ranges annual rainfall often exceeds 5 meters, and in the Southern Alps annual rainfall can be more than 10 meters a year. However, areas to the east of the main ranges have an average rainfall of less than 600 millimeters a year.
Average annual temperatures range from 10°C in the southern part of New Zealand to 16°C in the north. For the most part, variations between summer and winter temperatures are relatively small. Greater temperature variations (up to 14°C) do occur inland and to the east of the ranges. New Zealand’s average annual temperature has increased by about 1°C over the past century.
Climate change scenarios suggest that New Zealand’s average annual temperature could rise by about 1°C by 2040 and 2°C by 2090, relative to 1990. According to a mid-range scenario, average annual rainfall is expected to increase in the west by up to 5 percent by 2040 and 10 per cent by 2090. It is expected to decrease in the east and north, up to 5 percent less in places, by 2090.
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