Between 2019 and 2020, the UK’s carbon footprint is estimated to have fallen by 13 per cent. This decrease reflects decreases in emissions from transport direct by UK residents, a decrease in emissions from goods and services produced in the UK, and decreases in emissions from imported goods.
The UK carbon footprint peaked at 959 million tonnes (mt) carbon dioxide equivalents (CO2e) in 2007 and in 2020 was 39 per cent lower than this.
GHG emissions relating to imports rose 72 per cent from 1996 (there is a little uncertainty around the figures in the source data for 1990 - 1995) to a peak in 2007 and in 2020 were 4 per cent higher than 1996. Emissions associated with imports from China also showed a peak in 2007. In 2020 they were 62 per cent higher than in 1996.
In 2020, emissions relating to the consumption of goods and services produced in the UK were 53 per cent lower than in 1996.
The findings indicate that the UK’s carbon dioxide footprint fell by 14 per cent between 2019 and 2020.