UK GHG emissions fell by 4pc in 2024

Market: Agriculture, Electricity, Emissions, Metals, Natural gas, Oil products
27/03/25

The UK's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions fell by 4pc year-on-year in 2024, provisional data released by the government today show, driven principally by lower gas and coal use in the power and industry sectors.

GHG emissions in the UK totalled 371mn t of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) last year, the data show, representing a fall of 54pc compared with 1990 levels. The UK has legally-binding targets to cut its GHG emissions by 68pc by 2030 and 81pc by 2035 against 1990 levels, and to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

The electricity sector posted the largest proportional year-on-year fall of 15pc, standing 82pc below 1990 levels at 37.5mn t CO2e.

The decline was largely a result of record-high net imports and a 7pc increase in renewable output reducing the call on coal and gas-fired generation, as well as the closure of the country's last coal power plant in September, which together outweighed a marginal rise in overall electricity demand, the government said.

Industry posted the next largest emissions decline of 9pc, falling to 48.3mn t CO2e, or 69pc below 1990 levels, as a result of lower coal use across sectors and the closure of iron and steel blast furnaces.

Fuel supply emissions fell by 6pc to 28.4mn t CO2e, 63pc below where they stood in 1990. And emissions in the UK's highest-emitting sector, domestic transport, fell by 2pc to 110.1mn t CO2e, 15pc below 1990 levels, as road vehicle diesel use declined.

Emissions in the remaining sectors, including agriculture, waste and land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF), edged down collectively by 1pc to 67.2mn t CO2e, some 50pc below 1990 levels.

Only emissions from buildings and product uses increased on the year, rising by 2pc as gas use increased, but still standing 27pc below 1990 levels at 79.8mn t CO2e.

UK-based international aviation emissions, which are not included in the overall UK GHG figures, rose by 9pc last year to reach pre-Covid 19 pandemic levels of 26.1mn t CO2e, the data show. But UK-based international shipping emissions edged down by 1pc to 6.2mn t CO2e.

By Victoria Hatherick

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