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Emission Inventory Report

Emissions Inventory Report: Department of Building and Housing
Prepared by: John Langman In accordance with Part 7.3.1 of ISO 14064 (7.3.1 p)
Date: 25 September 2007
For the period: 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007 (7.3.1 c)

Contents

Emissions Inventory Summary

  1. Introduction
  2. Statement of intent
  3. Organisation description
  4. Persons responsible
  5. Organisational boundaries included for this report period
  6. Emissions sources inclusions
  7. Emission sources exclusions
  8. Base year selected
  9. Data collection
  10. Emission reductions and removals
  11. Uncertainties
  12. Verification of the GHG Inventory (7.3.1 q)
Emissions Inventory Summary (7.3.1 e)
Type of emission Tonnes C02-e*
Direct (Scope 1) emissions  
Petrol use 53.28
   
Total Direct (Scope 1) Emissions 53.28
   
   
Indirect (Scope 2) Emissions  
All purchased electricity in owned buildings and
leased buildings where the agency is the sole tenant
179.61
   
Total Indirect (Scope 2) Emissions 179.61
   
   
Indirect (Scope 3) Emissions  
Transmission and distribution line losses for all purchased electricity 16.92
Air travel 356.04
Business travel in Rental cars / taxis 45.93
Waste to landfill 14.63
   
Total Indirect (Scope 3) Emissions 433..52
   
Total Emissions 666.41
(7.3.1 e)
Area C02 CH4 N20 HFCs PFC’s SF6 C02e
Scope 1              
Petrol use 52.626157 .312489 .35598017       53.2796649
Total              

Summary

No emissions have been excluded from this table other than those listed in item 7.

1. Introduction (7.3.1 p)

This emissions inventory report has been prepared and written in accordance with Part 7.3.1 of ISO 14064-1 and is designed to be used as in the process of becoming carbon neutral by 2012.

2. Statement of intent

The Department of Building and Housing is one of the 28 stage two core public service agencies that will be on the path to carbon neutrality by the year 2012. This programme will be broken down into three key stages which are set out below;

  • Measure emissions
  • Reduce emissions
  • Offset unavoidable emissions1

3. Organisation description (7.3.1 a)

The Department of Building and Housing was established to bring together people and functions from across the government and takes a whole-of-sector approach to New Zealand’s built environment. The Department’s overall desired outcome is that ‘the people of New Zealand have access to quality homes and buildings that meet their needs, reflect our environment and contribute to a sustainable New Zealand’.

The Department is responsible for:

  • administering building and housing sector legislation and its associated work programmes
  • regulating the building sector and rental housing sector
  • delivering effective information, advice and dispute resolution services
  • providing policy advice to the government on the building and housing sectors

To this end the Department employs some 383 full time staff and a number of contractors and assessors at 22 locations throughout New Zealand.

4. Persons responsible (7.3.1 b)

  • The Chief Executive has overall responsibility for the emissions inventory 
  • The Deputy Chief Executive, Corporate, will develop and approve the documents for the carbon reduction and neutrality programme
  • The following people will be involved in the preparation of these documents:
    • Chief Advisor, Finance Planning and Administration
    • Administration Manager
    • Finance Manager

5. Organisational boundaries included for this report period (7.3.1 d)

The Agency uses the financial control based approach to defining organisational boundaries. Due to the legally prescribed nature of the core public service, the application of either the control or equity approach is likely to have the same effect, as government agencies do not have subsidiaries, associate companies in the same manner that private sector companies have group structures, or complex lease arrangements. 

The organisational boundaries of an agency are defined by statute and for the purposes of the GHG inventory include core agency activities only.

6. Emissions sources inclusions (7.3.1 e)

Emission sources were identified with reference to the methodology described in the GHG Protocol and the ISO 14064-1 (2006) standard. Identification of emissions sources was achieved using the specific guidance on Scope 3 factors included in the Cabinet Paper POL (07) 131: Towards a Sustainable New Zealand: Carbon Neutral Public Service. Further guidance was obtained from the Ministry for the Environment.

These emissions have then been classified into three categories. The definition of each has been adapted from the GHG Protocol; the three types of emissions are;

  • Direct emissions (Scope 1): emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by the agency.
  • Indirect emissions (Scope 2): emissions from the generation of purchased electricity consumed by the agency.
  • Indirect emissions (Scope 3): emissions that occur as a consequence of the activities of the agency, but occur from sources not owned or controlled by the agency. Inclusions of these are determined on case by case basis, and relate to the agency’s aims of the programme.
Emission source Scope of Emission
Petrol for vehicles Scope 1
All purchased electricity in owned buildings and leased buildings where the agency is the sole tenant Scope 2
Purchased electricity for lighting and utility/appliance power in leased space where the agency is not the sole tenant Scope 2
Transmission and distribution line losses for all purchased electricity Scope 3
Domestic air travel Scope 3
International air travel Scope 3
Taxi travel Scope 3
Business travel in rental cars Scope 3
Waste to landfill Scope 3

No biomass is used in the Department of Building and Housing’s operations and therefore no emissions from the combustion of biomass are included. (7.3.1 f)

7. Emission sources exclusions (7.3.1 h)

Emission Source Emission Level Scope
Staff commuting to work in personal cars Indirect (Scope 3)
   

Justification; This is considered to fall under the personal carbon foot print of the employee as the agency has little control over where people choose to live; therefore this is outside the Scope. Work will be undertaken to produce travel plans to help reduce this effect under a further scheme.

For further information see the document ‘Carbon Neutral Public Service Emission Inventory Preparation Guidance’

8. Base year selected (7.3.1 j)

This is The Department of Building and Housing’s first report. The chosen base year calculated for this report is the year from 1 July 2006 to 30 June 2007.

9. Data collection quantification of methodologies (7.3.1 l and n)

The table below details the sources of the relevant data and the emission factors which have been used. All the factors have been approved by the Ministry for the Environment. The amount of C02e has been calculated by multiplying the activity data sourced by the agency by the relevant emission factor. As this is the first year that the agency has produced these figures there have not been any changes in methodology to report. (7.3.1 k)

Emission or Removal Source Data Collection Unit Emission or Removal Factor Factor Source
International travel Km .00011 3
Petrol Litres .0023154 1
Electricity Kilowatt hours .0002091 1
Domestic air travel Km .00018 3
Waste Tonnes to landfill Total waste volume*(((solid waste paper and textiles (%) *0.4)+(garden and food (%) * 0.15)) *3.8178) 5
Taxi and Rental cars Kms travelled .0002373 4
Electricity transmission losses Kilowatt hours .0000197 1
       

References for emission factors

  1. New Zealand Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2006 (Ministry of Economic Development, 2007).
  2. CO2 emission factor sourced from: New Zealand Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2006 (Ministry of Economic Development, 2007).
    CH4 and N2O emission factors sourced from: Calculation Tool for Direct Emissions from Stationary Combustions Calculation worksheets, Non-CO2 Emission Factors Worksheet (WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol Initiative - available from the GHG Protocol website).
  3. Mobile Combustion CO2 Emissions Calculation Tool, Emissions based on distance Worksheet (WBCSD/WRI GHG Protocol Initiative - available from the GHG Protocol website).
  4. New Zealand Energy Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990-2006 (Ministry of Economic Development, 2007). Fuel economy rate sourced from Ministry of Transport (2007).
  5. Emission factor methodology from Ministry for the Environment. Based on data from: New Zealand’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory 1990-2005 (Ministry for the Environment, 2007).

10. Emission reductions and removals (7.3.1 g)

The Department of Building and Housing has achieved no significant emissions reductions for this reporting period as this is the first reporting period and establishes baseline year emissions.

The Department of Building and Housing will have a management plan in place for managing and reducing emissions by early 2008 with the aim to be carbon neutral by 2012.

11. Uncertainties (7.3.1 o)

There needs to be a description of the impact of uncertainties on the accuracy of the GHG emissions and removals data.

Emission Scope Emission Source Uncertainties
Scope 3 Domestic and International flights It is assumed that records supplied by Atlantic Pacific Travel are complete and accurate
Scope 3 Waste to landfill An extrapolation of the data from the waste audited sites has been made to the non audited sites.
Scope 1 Petrol usage As litres were not recorded in this year an average per litre cost was assumed and the fuel account divided by this.
Scope 3 Electricity In some of our premises electricity is included in the rental charge and not identifiable

12. Verification of the GHG Inventory

This inventory has not been verified.

 

Approved

Katrina Bach signature.

Katrina Bach
Chief Executive
Department of Building and Housing

 


 

1 The term “unavoidable emissions” should be understood to include a cost-benefit analysis of the reduction measures.