The UK's territorial greenhouse gas emissions rose five per cent in 2021, after the easing of pandemic-driven restrictions led to an increase in emissions from road transport, power stations, and homes, official statistics have confirmed.
Final figures published by the government yesterday for 2021, the most recent year for which full data is available, show the UK emitted 427 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent in total, marking a sharp rise in emissions following the dramatic fall that resulted during 2020's Covid-19 lockdowns.
The results mark the largest increase in emissions during a single year since the government began tracking the data in 1990, although crucially the figures also confirm that 2021 emissions were still 5.3 per cent lower than they were in 2019, the last year unaffected by Covid-19.
However, the government hinted that 2022 could yet see a further increase in emissions given that Covid-19 restrictions continued to have "a major impact on various aspects of UK society and the economy in 2021".
"Covid-19 will have had a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, particularly from transport and businesses, although less so compared to 2020 as restrictions were gradually eased throughout the year," the government said.
According to the statistics, as much as half of the increase in emissions in 2021 was driven by cars, vans, lorries, and other vehicles, as people returned to the roads following various lockdowns and travel restrictions that were put in place during lockdowns the previous year.
Overall, transport remained the largest emitting sector of the economy, accounting for 26 per cent of total UK greenhouse gas emissions, followed by the energy sector, which accounted for 20 per cent. Businesses emitted 18 per cent of UK emissions, while the residential sector made up 16 per cent of the total, agriculture 11 per cent, and waste management four per cent.
The figures also show that colder 2021 weather compared to the previous year saw emissions from the residential sector rise by 6.4 per cent, while emissions from energy supply also ticked up 2.9 per cent due to increased demand for energy.
More than 77 per cent of UK emissions in 2021 came from the use of fossil fuels, which increased 6.7 per cent in 2020, according to the figures. Carbon dioxide, meanwhile, accounted for 80 per cent of greenhouse gases emitted in the UK that year.
Overall, it means the UK's territorial greenhouse gas emissions have fallen 47.6 per cent since 1990, edging the country closer towards its statutory climate goals. However, delivering on the country's legally-binding emissions goals will require a significant acceleration in the rate of annual decarbonisation over the next decade.
The UK is aiming to reduce emissions by 68 per cent by 2030, and 78 per cent by 2035, compared to 1990 levels, on its journey to achieving net zero by 2050.
The final greenhouse gas emissions statistics supersede provisional figures for 2021 released last March, which had indicated a 4.7 per cent overall rise in territorial emissions compared to 2020, and a 5.2 per cent reduction from 2019.
