National Statistics: Final UK greenhouse gas emissions national statistics: 1990-2015

This publication provides the final estimates of UK greenhouse gas emissions going back to 1990. Estimates are presented by source in February of each year and are updated in March of each year to include estimates by end-user and fuel type.

When emissions are reported by source, emissions are attributed to the sector that emits them directly. When emissions are reported by end-user, emissions by source are reallocated in accordance with where the end-use activity occurred. This reallocation of emissions is based on a modelling process. For example, all the carbon dioxide produced by a power station is allocated to the power station when reporting on a source basis. However, when applying the end-user method, these emissions are reallocated to the users of this electricity, such as domestic homes or large industrial users. BEIS does not estimate embedded emissions however the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs publishes estimates annually. The alternative approaches to reporting UK greenhouse gas emissions report outlines the differences between them.

For the purposes of reporting, greenhouse gas emissions are allocated into a small number of broad, high level sectors as follows: energy supply, business, transport, public, residential, agriculture, industrial processes, land use land use change and forestry (LULUCF), and waste management.

These high level sectors are made up of a number of more detailed sectors, which follow the definitions set out by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and which are used in international reporting tables which are submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) every year. A list of corresponding Global Warming Potentials (GWPs) used and a record of base year emissions are published separately.

This is a National Statistics publication and complies with the Code of Practice for Official Statistics. Data downloads in csv format are available from the UK Emissions Data Selector.

Please check our frequently asked questions or email Climatechange.Statistics@beis.gov.uk if you have any questions or comments about the information on this page.