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‘Imported’ emissions increase environmental impact of UK economy

Fresh analysis by the UK’s Office for National Statistics suggests the carbon emissions created by the UK economy peaked 35 years later than conventional estimates indicate.          

Directly produced carbon emissions peaked in 1972. However, once imported emissions – such as those produced when UK imports products that are manufactured abroad – are taken into account, UK emissions actually kept rising for many years and only peaked in 2007.

This finding forms part of
new research published by the Office for National Statistics as part of its work to widen its economic measures beyond GDP to include the impact on people and the environment of UK economic activity.

The biggest source of these imported emissions is China (82mn tonnes in 2015), followed by the EU (45mn tonnes), and the US (24mn tonnes).

When looking at the UK’s directly produced emissions, which continue to fall, the energy generation (–67%) sector, manufacturing (–43%), water supply (–38%), and transport (–33%) saw the biggest falls in emissions between 1990 and 2017.

Commenting on the figures, Senior Economist Amina Syed says: ‘While directly produced UK emissions have been falling for many years, once you take account of the UK importing products from abroad, the picture doesn’t look quite so positive. However, UK-based firms, particularly those in the transport and energy sectors, have made big strides in recent years in reducing their carbon footprints.’

The new analysis on carbon emissions forms part of the ONS’s quarterly
Economic Review.

News Item details


Journal title: Petroleum Review

Countries: UK -

Subjects: Environment, Carbon emissions

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