National environmental indicators

The national environmental indicator for air provides information on concentrations of the following air pollutants in managed airsheds:

• PM₁₀
• nitrogen dioxide
• carbon monoxide
• sulphur dioxide
• ground-level ozone.

• Air quality (particulate matter PM₁₀)
• Air quality (four pollutants)

There are two national environmental indicators for atmosphere.

The first provides information on emissions and removals of greenhouse gases.

In order to report on this indicator, emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulphur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons and perfluorocarbons into the atmosphere are estimated, as well as the amount of greenhouse gas emissions removed from the atmosphere as a result of absorption by forestry.

• Greenhouse gases (emissions and removals)

• Stratospheric ozone

There are two national environmental indicators for biodiversity.

The first indicator provides information on native land cover.

In order to report on this indicator, the following are measured:

• area of native land cover by Land Cover Database (LCDB) class
• area of native land cover by Land Environments of New Zealand (LENZ) class
• area of native land cover under legal protection.

• Native land cover (protected areas)

The second indicator provides information on the distribution of selected native plants and animals.

In order to report on this indicator, the distribution of the following selected native indicator species is measured:

• lesser short tailed bat
• kiwi
• kaka
• kokako
• yellowhead
• wrybill
• Dactylanthus.

• See Environment New Zealand 2007 for the latest update

Household consumption expenditure is a proxy measure of the pressure that households place on the environment through their consumption. It reports how much money households spend on a variety of goods and services. These goods and services can be grouped into various categories.

The national environmental indicator for household consumption provides information on household consumption expenditure.

In order to report on the indicator, data on expenditure is presented against the following seven expenditure categories:

• food and beverages
• clothing and footwear
• housing
• household goods and services
• transport
• hotels and restaurants
• other goods and services.

• Household consumption expenditure

There are two national environmental indicators for energy.

The first provides information on energy supply. In order to report on the indicator, the following are measured:

• total primary energy supply (by fuel type)
• electricity generation (by fuel type).

• Energy supply and demand

The second indicator provides information on energy demand.

In order to report on the indicator, the following are measured:

• total consumer energy demand (by fuel type and by sector)
• consumer energy demand compared to gross domestic product.

• Energy supply and demand

There are five national environmental indicators for fresh water.

The first provides information on water quality in rivers.

In order to report on this indicator, the following are measured:

• nutrients (total and dissolved concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus including nitrate, ammoniacal nitrogen and dissolved reactive phosphorus)
• bacteria (E. coli)
• visual clarity
• water temperature
• dissolved oxygen
• macroinvertebrates (Macroinvertebrate Community Index (MCI) and/or per cent of pollution sensitive taxa (%EPT)).

• River water quality

The second freshwater indicator provides information on water quality in lakes.

In order to report on this indicator, the following is measured:

Trophic Level Index (TLI) which comprises measurements of:

• total nitrogen
• total phosphorus
• visual clarity
• algal biomass.

• Lake water quality

The third freshwater indicator provides information on water quality in groundwater.

In order to report on this indicator, the following are measured:

• nitrate
• bacteria (E. coli).

• Groundwater quality

The fourth freshwater indicator provides information on water quality at swimming spots in rivers, streams and lakes.

To report on this indicator, sites are given a Suitability for Recreation Grade based on concentrations of bacteria (Escherichia coli) measured over five summers and a sanitary inspection of the catchment.

• Recreational water quality in New Zealand

The fifth freshwater indicator provides information on freshwater demand.
In order to report on this indicator, the volumes of water allocated to human uses are measured. This is also known as total (consumptive) water allocation.

• Freshwater demand

There are four national environmental indicators for land.

The first indicator provides information on land cover across nine land cover classes:

• exotic forest
• exotic shrubland
• native forest
• native vegetation
• other native land cover
• primarily horticulture
• high-producing exotic grassland
• low producing grassland
• artificial surfaces.

• See Enviornment New Zealand 2007 for the latest update

The second indicator provides information on land use across 18 land-use classes and four land-cover classes:

• dairy
• intensive sheep and beef
• hill-country sheep and beef
• high-country sheep and beef
• deer
• other animals
• ungrazed
• urban
• planted forest
• arable crops
• vegetables
• berryfruit
• pipfruit
• grapes
• summer fruit
• tropical fruit
• kiwifruit
• flowers
• tussock
• native forest
• rivers, lakes, snow, and ice
• scrub.

• Land use

The third indicator provides information on soil health.

In order to report on the third indicator, the following chemical, biological and physical soil properties:

• total carbon content
• total nitrogen content
• pH in water
• olsen phosphate
• mineralisable nitrogen
• macroporosity

are measured across seven major land-use categories:

• arable cropping
• mixed cropping
• drystock pasture
• dairy pasture
• tussock grasslands
• exotic forestry
• native forests.

• Soil health

The fourth indicator provides information on hill country areas at risk from soil erosion.

In order to report on this indicator, pasture on erosion-prone hill country is measured, by three categories of erosion potential:

• severe
• very severe
• extreme.

• See Environment New Zealand 2007 for the latest update

There are three national environmental indicators for oceans.

The first indicator provides information on marine areas with legal protection.

In order to report on this indicator, the following are measured:

• the proportion of New Zealand's territorial sea in marine reserve
• the proportion of each class of the Coastal Biogeographic Regions Classification protected by marine reserve.

• Marine Protected Areas

The second indicator provides information on fisheries effort.

In order to report on this indicator, the following are measured:

Fish stocks under the Quota Management System, including:

• total commercial catch (by weight) from fish caught both inside and outside of the Quota Management System
• the status of assessed fish stocks under the Quota Management System.

Seabed trawling in deep waters, including:

• the area 'swept' by commercial trawlers required to report position by latitude and longitude
• the types of fish expected to be found in areas that have been swept.

• Fishing activity (fish stocks)
• Fishing activity (trawling)

The third indicator provides information on water quality at coastal swimming spots.

To report on this indicator, sites are given a Suitability for Recreation Grade based on concentrations of bacteria (Enterococci) measured over five summers and a sanitary inspection of the catchment.

• Recreational water quality in New Zealand

The national environmental indicator for transport provides information on vehicle kilometres travelled (VKT) by road.

In order to report on the indicator, VKT is measured:

• by fuel type (petrol or diesel)
• by vehicle age
• by vehicle type.

• Vehicle kilometres travelled by road

The national environmental indicator for waste provides information on:

• the quantity (by weight) of solid waste sent to landfill
• the composition of solid waste sent to landfill.

• Solid waste disposal