UK’s CO2 emissions have fallen 29% over the past decade

Mar 9, 2020

The country's emissions dropped by an estimated 2.9% in 2019. Image: Unsplash/Anthony Rosset

Simon Evans

Policy Editor, Carbon Brief

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Annual change in UK CO2 emissions in 2019 and over the past decade

Annual change in UK CO2 emissions Image: Carbon brief

Change in the UK’s CO2 emissions and real GDP since 2010, per cent. Image: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), World Bank and Carbon Brief analysis

Contributions to the change in the UK’s CO2 emissions between 2010 (leftmost column) and 2019 (right) in millions of tonnes of CO2

Contributors of change for the UKs drop in carbon emissions Image: Carbon Brief analysis of data on energy and emissions from BEIS.

The UK’s CO2 emissions 1850-2019, millions of tonnes (blue area) and the level in 2019 (dashed red line). Emissions from coal, oil and gas are shown from 1970 onwards

BEIS, Carbon Brief analysis and the World Resources Institute CAIT data explorer. The CAIT data has been adjusted because it excludes emissions from land use and forestry. Image: BEIS, Carbon Brief analysis and the World Resources Institute CAIT data explorer. The CAIT data has been adjusted because it excludes emissions from land use and forestry.

Contributions to the change in UK CO2 emissions between 2010 (leftmost column) and 2019 (right) in millions of tonnes of CO2. “Cleaner fuels” is shorthand for the carbon intensity of energy and “energy efficiency” is shorthand for the energy intensity of GDP. “Interaction effects” result from changes in one factor, such as energy intensity, influencing the impact of changes in other factors.

Contributions to the change in UK CO2 emissions between 2010 (leftmost column) and 2019 Image: Carbon Brief analysis of data on energy and emissions from BEIS, population data from the World Bank and UK real GDP estimates from the World Bank.

Estimated year-on-year change in UK CO2 emissions versus reported results Image: Carbon Brief

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