Our greenhouse gas emissions continue to fall

THE amount of carbon dioxide produced in the UK fell by 7 per cent last year, according to official figures.

The most significant factor behind the drop in emissions of the main greenhouse gas was a steep reduction in the use of coal at power stations.

A further factor was the closure of the SSI steelworks at Redcar in September 2015, according to the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Overall, the country’s greenhouse gas emissions have dropped by 42 per cent since 1990, and carbon dioxide output is down 37 per cent in that period.

Emissions from business and industrial processes also dropped last year, but there were slight rises in transport, homes and the public sector.

The data also shows the amount of electricity from renewable sources fell slightly last year to 24.4 per cent of generation. Coal accounted for 9 per cent of generation, down from 23 per cent in 2015.

Gareth Redmond-King, of the charity WWF, said: ‘It’s heartening to see the UK’s carbon emissions continue to fall, demonstrating that it’s possible to cut emissions and build a productive economy.’