Greenhouse Gases UK emissions resume downward trend

UK emissions of a ‘basket’ of greenhouse gases fell by nearly 15 per cent between 1990 and 2002.

Several gases occur naturally in the atmosphere which keep the Earth at a temperature suitable for life by trapping energy from the Sun - the ‘greenhouse’ effect. Emissions from human activities are increasing the concentrations of several of these gases, causing global warming and climate change.

The UK has a legally binding target under the Kyoto protocol to reduce its emissions of the basket of six major greenhouse gases to 12.5 per cent below 1990 levels by 2008-12. By 2002, emissions were provisionally estimated to be 14 to 15 per cent below 1990 levels, at 177 million tonnes (carbon equivalent).

Despite the overall downward trend, there were slight increases in greenhouse gas emissions between 1999 and 2001. Reasons include an increase in the use of coal (which produces more greenhouse gases when burnt) in power stations as gas prices rose, and lower output from nuclear power stations. Provisional data for 2002 suggest that the downward trend has resumed, as the use of coal in power stations declined again and outside temperatures rose.

There is also a UK domestic goal of a 20 per cent reduction, by 2010, in emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the single most important greenhouse gas. The UK has also announced its intention to put itself on a path towards a reduction in CO2 emissions of 60 per cent by about 2050. CO2 emissions fell by almost 9 per cent between 1990 and 2002, to 150 million tonnes (carbon equivalent).

In terms of end users, households, industry and transport have very similar shares of the total. In 2000, emissions from households totalled 41 million tonnes (carbon equivalent). Emissions from industry were 40 million tonnes and emissions from transport were 39 million tonnes.

Emissions from both domestic and industry end users have been falling since the early 1970s, by 23 and 48 per cent respectively between 1970 and 2000. Conversely, emissions from transport grew by 87 per cent over the same period.