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Land Transport Act 1998

Clean vehicle standard - Clean vehicle standard - Category 1 light vehicle importers: obligations and ways of complying with targets

177: Charges payable by category 1 light vehicle importer if carbon dioxide emissions targets exceeded

You could also call this:

“Paying extra if you bring in cars that pollute too much”

If you import light vehicles into New Zealand, you need to keep track of the carbon dioxide emissions from your fleet. You have a target to meet each year. If the average emissions from your vehicles are higher than the target, you might have to pay charges.

You won’t have to pay if you have enough carbon dioxide credits in your account. You can get these credits by doing better than the target in previous years or by getting them from other importers. You also might be able to delay paying if you meet certain conditions.

If you do have to pay, the charges depend on whether the vehicles are new or used, and when you imported them. From 1 January 2023, you’ll pay $22.50 for each gram of extra carbon dioxide per used vehicle, and $45.00 for each gram per new vehicle. From 1 January 2025, these charges will go up to $33.75 for used vehicles and $67.50 for new vehicles.

The money from these charges will be used for land transport in New Zealand.

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View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=LMS649424.

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Part 13 Clean vehicle standard
Clean vehicle standard: Category 1 light vehicle importers: obligations and ways of complying with targets

177Charges payable by category 1 light vehicle importer if carbon dioxide emissions targets exceeded

  1. If the actual average vehicle carbon dioxide emissions across the fleet of vehicles imported by a category 1 light vehicle importer in an obligation year exceed the category 1 light vehicle importer fleet target, the charges calculated in accordance with subsection (2) apply, unless—

  2. there are sufficient carbon dioxide credits available in the importer’s carbon dioxide account to offset the excess emissions (whether such credits may have resulted from banking overachievement under section 178 or from 1 or more transfers of carbon dioxide credits into the importer’s carbon dioxide account under section 180); or
    1. the importer can defer their obligation under section 179.

      1. The charges are,—

      2. from 1 January 2023,—
        1. $22.50 per gram of carbon dioxide in excess multiplied by the number of used vehicles in the fleet; and
          1. $45.00 per gram of carbon dioxide in excess multiplied by the number of new vehicles in the fleet; and
          2. from 1 January 2025,—
            1. $33.75 per gram of carbon dioxide in excess multiplied by the number of used vehicles in the fleet; and
              1. $67.50 per gram of carbon dioxide in excess multiplied by the number of new vehicles in the fleet.

              2. The charges payable under this section are land transport revenue for the purposes of the Land Transport Management Act 2003.

              Notes
              • Section 177: inserted, on , by section 10 of the Land Transport (Clean Vehicles) Amendment Act 2022 (2022 No 2).