By XANTHA LEATHAM, EXECUTIVE SCIENCE EDITOR
Published: 07:27 EDT, 24 October 2025 | Updated: 07:27 EDT, 24 October 2025
Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions have nearly halved since 1990, official figures show.
Provisional data on emissions for 2024 show a 43.3 per cent decrease in the last 35 years, marking a huge reduction in the amount of harmful fumes being pumped into the atmosphere.
This includes carbon dioxide (CO2) which is released by burning fossil fuels and traps heat from sunlight, contributing to warming the planet.
The reduction also encompasses methane – a gas produced by the fossil fuel industry and by livestock – and nitrous oxide, which is release by synthetic fertilisers.
Other harmful gases that have been slashed are hydrofluorocarbons, primarily produced for refrigeration and air conditioning and which also have high global warming potential.
The figures, provided by the Office for National Statistics, are indicative of a shift away from coal and the expansion of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.
Compared to 2023, the manufacturing sector saw the largest emissions decrease with a reduction of 7.4 per cent.
However transport emissions increased by 4.5 per cent – continuing a general rise that can mainly be attributed to the widespread use of cars.
This graph shows how UK greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 43.3 per cent since 1990 when records began
Between 2023 and 2024 transport emissions increased by 4.5 per cent, the figures revealed. This could mainly be attributed to the widespread use of cars