Resource use and waste generation in Aotearoa New Zealand: A literature review

^{Paul Teysen, Unsplash.}

The Commissioner has begun an investigation into the pressures that economic production and consumption in Aotearoa New Zealand place on the environment. This work will aim to answer two questions:

• How much resource extraction and waste generation is associated with economic activity in New Zealand today?
• How much might that resource and waste footprint increase over the coming decades in response to population, economic and other drivers?

As a first step, the PCE has released a literature review that surveys existing research on resource use and waste generation in New Zealand. It identifies a number of data gaps and proposes a number of possible approaches to fill them. The review aims to help prioritise any future research the PCE may want to commission.

The Commissioner welcomes feedback on this review. Any comments can be directed to pce@pce.parliament.nz.