Nice job
Higher energy use fails to raise greenhouse gas level
By Helen William
Published: 02 June 2007
Greenhouse gas emissions in the UK have stabilised, official figures reveal.
Despite increases in economic activity and energy consumption, emissions for the UK's population stayed at 733.5 million tonnes in 2005, the same as in 2004, the Office for National Statistics confirmed.
Such emissions are 9.3 per cent lower compared with the Kyoto base year of 1990, although little changed since 1999.
There was a 0.8 per cent rise in greenhouse gas emissions from the non-household sector between 2004 and 2005. This was driven by the transport, particularly air transport, and communications sectors, which saw 4.4 per cent increases, along with a 3.1 per cent increase from the construction industry.
These increases have been offset by a drop in household emissions, which account for 21.3 per cent of all emissions. They had a year on year fall of 2.9 per cent, linked largely to a cut in emissions related to household heating and cooking fuels.
Households generated 156 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2005, down 2.9 per cent on the previous year. But emissions from this sector are 10 per cent higher than in 1990. Household travel produced 67.2 million tonnes in 2005 compared with 67.9 in 2004.
Greenhouse emissions from other sources such as heating and cooking amounted to 88.8 million tonnes, 4.2 per cent lower than the previous year.
Households' emissions amounted to 21.3 per cent of all greenhouse gas emissions in 2005 compared with 17.5per cent in 1990.
The non-household sector accounted for 78.7per cent of all emissions in 2005.
The electricity, gas and water supply industry accounted for 25.7 per cent of all emissions in 2005 and was the largest source of non-household emissions.
The manufacturing, transport and communications industries were responsible for 16.3 and 14.2 per cent respectively.
Emissions from agriculture, mining and quarrying and other services have also fallen both year on year and compared with 1990. The transport and communication industries accounted for 104.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2005 compared with 64.8 million tonnes in 1990.
The growth in air transport saw its emissions jump by 9.9 per cent between 2004 and 2005, as the number of flight kilometres by UK operators increased by 11.5 per cent. This meant that air transport was responsible for 87 per cent of the increase in emissions from the transport and communications sector between 2004 and 2005.
The shipping industry's emissions rose from 2.1 per cent in 1990 to 3.7 per cent in 2005.
Less significant increases were noticed from the railways, Tubes and trams and taxis, the ONS said.
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