Resource Efficiency in New Zealand:
Assessment of Business Sectors

The Ministry for the Environment’s resource efficiency policy work looks at how to foster improved productivity while reducing the negative environmental impacts of producing and consuming goods and services.

To be able to effectively target policy in this area, the Ministry is building an evidence base on resource use and efficiency.

This report is third in a series of reports contracted by the Ministry from Boffa Miskell Ltd.  The previous two reports are:

The two previous reports analyse international approaches and use that evidence to develop a draft resource efficiency framework. This report provides results from testing the framework. 

This report:

  • collates currently available data on the following environmental and economic indicators:
  • water use
  • solid waste produced
  • energy use
  • greenhouse gas emissions
  • wastewater discharges
  • number of employees
  • gross domestic product (GDP)
  • export value
  • production output
  • net sales, and
  • calculates the resources efficiency ratios for these sectors:
  • agriculture
  • finance, insurance, property and business services
  • New Zealand-based manufacturing (excluding food and beverage)
  • food and beverage manufacturing including agricultural products
  • retail
  • tourism
  • building and construction.

Resource efficiency ratios are calculated where there is data for at least one environmental indicator and one economic indicator for a single sector. This report also identifies the available data and current gaps in information necessary to apply the framework, in relation to each industry sector.

 

Updated December 2010