Emissions from burning wood or coal for home heating 2006 and 2013

In 2013, 37 percent of homes burned wood and 4 percent burned coal for heating. Burning wood or coal for home heating emits a range of air pollutants. It is the main human-made source of particulate matter and a significant contributor of carbon monoxide. Exposure to these pollutants can damage health, with effects ranging from respiratory irritation to cancer.

The proportions of homes using wood or coal for heating vary around the country. Generally, the use of wood and coal for home heating is greater in the South Island than in the North Island. The West Coast has the highest proportion (72 percent use wood, 56 percent use coal), while in contrast Auckland has lower usage (23 percent use wood and 2 percent use coal). Burning wood or coal for home heating continues to be associated with air quality issues, including high levels of PM10, PM2.5, arsenic, and benzo(a)pyrene at some locations.

This dataset relates to the "Home-heating emissions" measure on the Environmental Indicators, Te taiao Aotearoa website.