UK greenhouse gas emissions fell by 5.4% in 2023, mainly due to a reduction in the amount of gas used in power plants, official data published on Thursday showed.
Net emissions of all greenhouse gases are estimated to be 384.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2023, compared with 406.2 million tonnes in 2022, according to government provisional figures.
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UK greenhouse gas emissions fell by 5.4% in 2023, mainly due to a reduction in the amount of gas used in power plants, official data published on Thursday showed.
Net emissions of all greenhouse gases are estimated to be 384.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2023, compared with 406.2 million tonnes in 2022, according to government provisional figures.
Carbon dioxide emissions fell by 6.6 per cent to 302.8 million tonnes per year, representing a 52.7 per cent decline since 1990.
The report said gas use for power generation fell by 21.1% in 2023, “mainly due to increased electricity imports from France and continued declines in UK electricity demand.” .
It added that the decline in demand was primarily due to “increased efficiency due to technological improvements and a decline in the relative importance of energy-intensive industries.”
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Rising energy prices are also likely to be a factor, as less fuel is used to heat buildings and industry, the report said.
In 2023, nuclear power and renewable energy will account for 56.7% of the fuel used for power generation, up from 22.2% in 1990.
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