UK releases 2006 greenhouse gas emissions

In 2006, UK emissions of the basket of six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol were estimated to be 652.3m tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent. This was 0.5 % lower than the 2005 figure of 655.5m tonnes.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main greenhouse gas, accounting for about 85 % of total UK greenhouse gas emissions in 2006.

In 2006, UK net emissions of carbon dioxide were estimated to be 554.5m tonnes. This was similar to the 2005 figure of 555.2m tonnes.

“There was a decrease in emissions of 4.0 % from the residential sector, and a decrease of 1.6 % from the business sector.

There was a decrease in emissions of 4.0 % from the residential sector, and a decrease of 1.6 % from the business sector.

There were, however, increases in emissions from the other main sectors including the energy supply sector (1.5 %) and the transport sector (1.3 %) over the same period.

Overall, in 2006 the UK was a net acquirer of allowances in the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). This effectively means that installations between them emitted above their initial allocation under the scheme and either purchased or brought forward more emissions allowances so as to cover the deficit.