This study first analyses the total energy demand in New Zealand. It then investigates the structural changes in energy consumption. This study analyses structural changes in energy consumption through input–output analysis, structural decomposition analysis (SDA), and an investigation of forward and backward linkages for the years 2006/07, 2012/13, and 2019/20. The results demonstrate that the transportation sector has the greatest direct effect on energy consumption within economic sectors, resulting in a remarkable 25% reduction in energy consumption per NZ$ during the analysed period. The export sector dominates in terms of both direct energy usage and embodied energy across various final demand categories, followed closely by household consumption. According to SDA, energy consumption has decreased across all periods due to decreased energy intensity. Moreover, the decrease has been significantly influenced by factors such as technological progress, the mix effect, and the distributional effect. These factors reduced energy consumption significantly by 318 petajoules, but the final demand effect increased it by around 342.6 petajoules. The assessment of both forward and backward linkages shows a remarkable possibility within the services and transportation sectors. By implementing small adjustments to input and final demand, these industries can greatly contribute to minimizing energy consumption.
