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- Reviewing progress
- List of indicators
- Indicator 1
Sustainable consumption and
production
Climate change
and energy
1. Greenhouse gas emissions*
Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide emissions, 1990 to 2008
| Greenhouse gas emissions since: | 1990 |
 |
2003 |
|
| Carbon dioxide emissions since: | 1990 |
|
2003 |
|
- Emissions of the ‘basket’ of six greenhouse gases in 2008 were provisionally estimated to be 624 million tonnes (CO2 equivalent), 20 per cent below emissions in 1990.
- Emissions of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, were provisionally estimated at some 532 million tonnes, just over 10 per cent lower than in 1990. Emissions decreased by about 2 per cent between 2007 and 2008.
Carbon dioxide emissions associated with UK consumption, 1992 to 2004
- This is a contextual indicator for the carbon dioxide emissions shown in the previous indicator, which are generated by activities occurring within the UK, i.e. from energy use in the home, transportation and the production of goods and services in the UK.
- The carbon dioxide emissions shown here are those associated with UK consumption of all goods and services, whether or not the emissions were generated within the UK. Such emissions increased by 115 million tonnes (18 per cent) between 1992 and 2004. They include emissions from international travel and the production and transportation of imported goods, but not emissions from production of goods for UK export.
- Increasingly, the UK imports from countries where carbon emissions per product is higher than it would be in the UK, and there has also been an increase in the overall volume and diversity of products being consumed in the UK. (This chart comes from a one-off study and has not been updated.)
Updated: 30 July 2009