A first national-scale study on the lifetime impact of New Zealand’s electricity, transport, and heat sources shows road transport is a “prime target” for electrification. Scientists looked at how 15 energy sources affect things like global warming potential, resource scarcity, and cancer-causing toxicity.
The paper is published in the Journal of Cleaner Production.
Even though electrifying road transport would need more resources for batteries, its overall impact is far lower—because reducing fossil fuels in road transport could cut carbon emissions by three-quarters by 2050, lower local air pollution, and use less cobalt and platinum.
Francisco Astorga-Mendoza, lead author of this paper, comments, “New Zealand is often seen as a clean energy leader, but when you look beyond the electricity grid, most of the country’s energy still comes from fossil fuels, especially in transport and industrial heating.
“Our study is the first to examine how all these sectors affect the environment together, from the moment raw materials are extracted, through when energy is actually used, to when the infrastructure is decommissioned.
“We found that renewable sources like hydropower, wind, geothermal, and solar not only have a carbon footprint up to 100 times lower than fossil fuels, but also significantly reduce local air pollution, land use, and oil dependency.
“Similarly, electric vehicles (even accounting for battery manufacturing) outperform petrol cars, and can even reduce the use of precious materials like platinum, used in catalytic converters, and cobalt, consumed in petrol refining.
“The use of biomass (wood) for industrial heat has a low carbon footprint, but it is critical to manage where we source the resource, as its exploitation can damage native forests and ecosystems. The minerals needed to build tomorrow’s clean energy infrastructure remain the main challenge ahead, but technological progress and circular economy practices give us reason for optimism.”
Publication details
Francisco Astorga-Mendoza et al, Environmental impacts and trade-offs for New Zealand’s energy system, Journal of Cleaner Production (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2026.148219
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