Waste in the Emissions Trading Scheme
How is the waste sector affected by the ETS?
Those who operate landfills will have obligations to report their emissions and surrender New Zealand Units (NZUs) under the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). They won’t receive an allocation of NZUs.
Like all New Zealanders, they’re likely to notice a small increase in energy prices due to the ETS. For more information on these effects and how to reduce your energy costs, please see What does the ETS mean for me?
Obligations
Operators of landfills whose waste stream contains some element of household waste will have obligations under the ETS. Emissions from wastewater treatment are not included in the scheme.
Landfill operators will have obligations for the methane emitted through the biodegradation of organic waste. Waste incinerators emit carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide; however the carbon dioxide from combusting organic waste will not be included in the scheme.
Key dates
From 1 January 2011: The waste sector can start reporting their emissions voluntarily.
From 1 January 2012: They will be required to report their greenhouse gas emissions.
From 1 January 2013: They will have obligations to surrender emission units.
Allocations
The waste sector won’t receive an allocation of NZUs because they’ll be able to pass the costs of their ETS obligations on to their customers.
Last updated: 9 August 2010
