Transport and business sectors are the UK’s largest and third largest contributors of greenhouse gases, according to the most recent data in a new report from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (DfBEIS).
The 2017 UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions report shows the UK emitted 460.2 million tonnes of CO2 in 2017 – and business and transport were among the slowest sectors in reducing their carbon footprint during that year compared with 2016, the Department said.
Furthermore, it said the transport sector saw no reduction in greenhouse gasses, while the business sector registered a two per cent decrease in CO2.
The research also showed that since 1999, HGVs,light-duty vehicles (LDVs) and railway vehicles were actually contributing more CO2 in 2017 than they were in 1999.
HGVs contributed four per cent more CO2 since that year, LDVs have seen a 36 per cent increase, while railways registered an 18 per cent increase since 1999.
At the same time, the agricultural sector increased its CO2 contributions in 2017 versus 2016 by one per cent, or 400,000 tonnes of CO2.
Comparing with 10 years ago, the sector registered a three per cent increase, or 1.2 million tonnes of CO2.
Outside of the greenhouse gases given by livestock, combustion is a large contributor, increasing by nine per cent since 2009 to 4.4 million tonnes of CO2.
But overall, the report found CO2 emissions have reduced by 47 per cent since 10 years ago, when the UK produced 708.2 million tonnes of CO2 – mostly from decreased reliance of coal in the energy supply sector, which used to be the UK’s ‘dirtiest’ sector.
