The UK is the first major economy to halve its emissions – having cut them by 50% between 1990 and 2022, while also growing its economy by 79% – new governemnt statistics have revealed. This compares to a 23% reduction in France and no change in the USA between 1990 and 2021.
With renewables now accounting for more than 40% of the country’s electricity – up from just 7% in 2010, this shows the UK leading the way on cleaner energy.
These reductions are largely due to cutting emissions from energy generation, through the shift away from using coal to using renewables. In 2012, coal provided almost 40% of UK electricity, but later this year, this will be zero.
Energy Security Secretary Claire Coutinho said: ‘The UK is the first major economy – of the top 20 countries – to halve its emissions. This is an enormous achievement by itself but also because we have done this in a pragmatic way – growing our economy by 80% at the same time and protecting family finances.
We have also increased our renewables electricity generation from just 7% in 2010 to nearly 50% now.
With some of the most ambitious targets in the world, we should be proud that we’ve over-achieved on our carbon budget for the third time in a row. We will continue to meet out targets but in a pragmatic way that doesn’t clobber extra costs onto hard working families.
The publication covers greenhouse gas emissions statistics up to 2022, and show total greenhouse gas emissions were 50% lower in 2022 than in 1990. Despite rises in some sectors from 2021 levels, as the UK continued to recover from COVID-19, 2022 saw an overall fall in greenhouse gas emissions in the UK – with a decrease of 3.5% from 2021, and 9.3% lower when compared to 2019, the most recent pre-pandemic year.
Renewable heating specialist Alpha has welcomed this emissions reduction news, while highlighting the further progress that can be made to push the nation even closer towards its 2050 net zero goal.
Dan Wilden, Alpha’s renewable product manager said: “For the majority of existing UK housing stock, it is proposed that heat pumps are the best solution; however misleading information means that heat pumps are not being shown in the best light and are sadly driving homeowners away from exploring this renewable energy source. In addition, the associated costs are making them unattainable for some households in the current economic climate.
“The government’s Boiler Upgrade Scheme goes part of the way to supporting homeowners with the cost aspect, however many consumers often aren’t ready to take that plunge and invest, without fully understanding the new technology.
“At Alpha, we are advising homeowners to consider purchasing a hybrid model – which will allow them to keep the familiarity of the gas boiler combined with heat pump technology, to reduce emissions and bills now. In a hybrid system, the heat pump can provide the heating while the boiler produces hot water on demand.