National environmental standards for greenhouse gases from industrial process heat

Changes were made to the RMA in November 2022 to enable regional and local authorities to consider the effects of greenhouse gas emissions on climate change. 

The standards will support councils in their decision-making on discharges to air of greenhouse gas emissions from industrial sectors using process heat.

Process heat makes up 33 per cent of our overall energy use and contributes approximately eight per cent of gross emissions. More than half of process heat is supplied using fossil fuels, mainly gas and coal. 

Together with the National Policy Statement for Greenhouse Gases from Industrial Process Heat they will accelerate New Zealand’s transition to a low emission, thriving, and sustainable economy.

The standards provide nationally consistent policies and requirements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from industries using process heat by:  

• prohibiting discharges of greenhouse gases from new low to medium temperature coal boilers immediately and from existing coal boilers after 2037 (after this date no further consents can be issued)
• requiring resource consent to be held for new and existing fossil fuel boilers that emit 500 tonnes and above of CO2-e per year, per site
• requiring resource consent applicants to prepare and implement greenhouse gas emission plans and set out actions to reduce emissions. 

They work alongside the National Policy Statement for Greenhouse Gases from Industrial Process Heat (NPS).