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How we track our corporate emissions

Our annual corporate emissions inventory reports identify major emissions sources and track progress.

We annually measure our corporate greenhouse gas inventory and publish a report. This helps us identify major emissions sources, prioritise actions, and track progress toward our interim and 2050 net-zero targets as per our Te Atakura – First to Zero climate action plan.

Council emissions inventory 2024 overview

Our corporate emissions inventory is calculated for each financial year (July to June).

We group emissions sources into three scopes:

  • Scope 1 – Direct: emissions from sources that we directly control such as waste, wastewater, natural gas use, on-road and off-road petrol and diesel use
  • Scope 2 – Indirect electricity use
  • Scope 3 – Indirect value chain

In the financial year (FY) 2023/24, our overall emissions (scope 1, 2, and 3) were 138,806 tCO2e. Scope 1 and 2 accounted for 50,910 tCO2e (37% of the total).

Our scope 1 and 2 emissions in FY 2024 have reduced by 44% from our base year (FY 2021), keeping us on track to achieve a 57% reduction target by 2030.

Our scope 3 emissions, which are associated with areas outside our direct control (such as supply chain), accounted for 63% of our total emissions in FY 2024. Our target is to have two-thirds of our scope 3 emissions by 2028 from suppliers with science-aligned targets. This is currently at 23%.

Like our city inventory, we calculated our ‘gross emissions’ (our total amount of greenhouse gases before accounting for offsets or reductions), which means they are not adjusted for any change in forestry.

Emissions breakdown

Our top 6 emissions sources in FY 2024 were purchased goods and services (34.2%), waste to landfill (28.4%), capital goods (24.6%), wastewater (4%), investments (2.5%) and natural gas use (2.4%).

Pie chart showing a breakdown of the Council’s emissions for the financial year ending 30 June 2024. Scope 1 direct emissions from waste, wastewater, petrol and diesel etc is 35.2%. Scope 2 is the lowest at 1.5% from indirect electricity at 1.5%, while the largest is Scope 3 at 63.3% which refers to the indirect value chain (goods, services, investments etc).

Emissions inventory reports

For in-depth details, view our emissions inventory reports. These are verified by an independent third party.

2020/21 report

This serves as the baseline for the Council’s target of a 57% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030.

Corporate Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report, 1 July 2020–30 June 2021 (815KB PDF)

2021/22 report

The results of this emissions inventory report were influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, with strict restrictions in New Zealand contributing to the outcome.  

Corporate Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report, 1 July 2021–30 June 2022 (733KB PDF)

2022/23 and 2023/24 report

Corporate Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report, 1 July 2022–30 June 2023 and 1 July 2023–30 June 2024 (1.32MB PDF)

2022/23

Audit New Zealand audited the inventory for the first time, replacing PwC. A supplier engagement project was launched to improve the understanding of our scope 3 (supply chain) footprint.

2023/24

Thinkstep emissions factors were used in place of Motu’s, as Motu’s emissions factors have not been updated since 2015. Due to the changes in emissions factors, FY 2021 (the base year) and the FY 2023 inventories were restated.

Council emissions over time (scope 1 and 2)

A line graph showing the reduction of the Council’s scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions between FY 2021 and FY 2024, making progress toward the 2030 target.

Our organisational emissions were 50,909 tCO2-e in FY 2024 (scope 1 and 2), with 77% of the emissions relating to the emissions produced by the Southern Landfill. Between FY 2021 and FY 2024, the Council reduced its scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 44%, making significant progress towards our emissions target of a 57% reduction by FY 2030.