National Policy Statement for Greenhouse Gas Emissions 2023

National Policy Statement for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Industrial Process Heat (2023)

This NPS sets out the national objective, and supporting policies and implementation requirements, to guide decisions on resource consents required under the National Environmental Standards for Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Industrial Process Heat.

Go to the published NPS legislation on the Ministry for the Environment website

Why it is needed

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 NPS 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.

The NPS together with the NES will accelerate New Zealand’s transition to a low emission, thriving, and sustainable economy.

What it provides

The NPS provides 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.

It works alongside the National Environmental Standards for Greenhouse Gases from Industrial Process Heat (NES)
Go to the NZ Legislation website for more information

As a result of this NPS Council has updated all appropriate planning provisions within the Marlborough Environment Plan to reflect these new objectives.