Britain's carbon emissions fall 4% as industry moves off coal

The UK's carbon emissions fell by 4% last year, according to official figures.

- Damien Gayle

Provisional statistics published yesterday by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) show UK territorial greenhouse gas emissions were 371m tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2024, down from 385 MtCO2e in 2023. Emissions were 54% lower than they were in 1990, the DESNZ said.

Greenpeace UK's policy director, Doug Parr, gave a guarded welcome to the announcement. "This good news is the latest demonstration that the UK's efforts to tackle climate change are working, despite what some politicians on the right might try and make you believe," he said.

He noted though that while emissions were falling, the UK was still dependent on "expensive and polluting gas" for energy.