A recent report from the Swiss based World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has shown that New Zealand has the sixth highest per-capita ecological foot print in the world. An “ecological footprint” measures the amount of resources people use and the waste they generate. In 2006 New Zealand required 5.9 “global hectares” per person, whereas this years report puts the average at 7.7 global hectares. A global hectare is defined as a standardised hectare of land able to produce resources and absorb wastes at world average levels. WWF New Zealand director Chis Howe told the Stuff.co.nz news website

As a country we are in dubious company in terms of our demands on the planet...We are lucky in New Zealand to have a bountiful country with large biocapacity - but if we continue to consume our resources at this breakneck pace, its ability to provide for us will decline.

According to the WWF the most urgent priority in NZ should be given to reducing our carbon emissions. The main growth in carbon emissions since 1990 has come from the energy sector - mainly transport and electricity generation. Currently 70% of electricity generation in New Zealand comes from renewable sources (mostly hydro) and the current government has set a goal to increase that number to 90% by 2025. However both the incumbent Labour party and the opposition National party have came under criticism for supporting large roading projects at a time when high petrol prices and environmental concerns are creating a bigger need for alternative transport, which receives only a small fraction of the state budget compared to roading.