WELLINGTON, July 22 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand's greenhouse gas emissions fell 0.2 percent in the March 2026 quarter, marking a fourth consecutive quarterly decline, official data showed on Wednesday.

This photo taken on Sept. 30, 2023 shows Lake Wakatipu in Queenstown, New Zealand. (Photo: Xinhua)

Total emissions from industries and households decreased by 42 kilotons during the quarter, driven by reduced mining activity, Stats NZ environment statistics spokesperson Stuart Pitts said in a statement.

Industry emissions, excluding households, fell 0.3 percent, while gross domestic product (GDP) grew 0.8 percent over the same period, resulting in lower emissions intensity, according to the statistics department.

Industry emissions intensity declined to 235 tons of greenhouse gases per 1 million NZ dollars (580,000 U.S. dollars) of GDP from 238 tons in the December 2025 quarter. It has fallen for six consecutive quarters.

The mining sector's emissions fell 18.4 percent as oil and gas extraction declined. The sector's GDP also fell 11.6 percent, making it the largest downward contributor to New Zealand's GDP in the March quarter, statistics showed.

By contrast, emissions from electricity, gas, water and waste services rose 14.1 percent after a sharp decline in the previous quarter, coinciding with a lower share of renewable electricity generation, according to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

On an annual basis, total greenhouse gas emissions fell 2.8 percent to 75,661 kilotons in the year ended March 2026, Stats NZ said.

Household emissions declined 1.9 percent, mainly due to lower transport-related emissions, while service industries were the only major sector to record an annual increase, it said.

The country's Climate Change Commission has warned that New Zealand is on track to miss all its climate targets, with slow adoption of low-emissions technology undermining emissions reductions and household energy savings.