WELLINGTON, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Greenhouse gas emissions decreased in 13 of New Zealand's 16 regions in 2024, the statistics department Stats NZ reported on Thursday.

The largest drop was in Taranaki in the North Island, where emissions fell 12 percent, or 678 kilotonnes, mainly due to reduced manufacturing output caused by a natural gas shortage, said Stats NZ environment statistics spokesperson Tehseen Islam.

Canterbury and Southland in the South Island also saw declines of 1.3 percent and 2.4 percent, respectively, driven by agriculture, forestry, fishing, and manufacturing sectors, Stats NZ said.

Conversely, Waikato in the North Island experienced the biggest emissions increase, rising 7.1 percent, or 960 kilotonnes, primarily due to higher emissions from electricity, gas, water, and waste services, which was linked to a 118 percent rise in coal-fired electricity generation amid reduced hydroelectric supply, it said.

Household emissions across New Zealand remained largely steady, accounting for 11 percent of total emissions, with a slight overall increase of 0.2 percent in regional household emissions, statistics show. ■