Emissions have more than halved since 1990
From 811 Mt CO₂e in 1990 to 371 Mt in 2024. That’s a 54% reduction — one of the fastest sustained decarbonisation stories in the developed world.
A steady, accelerating decline
After plateauing in the 2000s, the fall steepened from 2012 as coal power was phased out. The UK has cut emissions faster in the last decade than in the previous two combined.
Electricity is the hero
Emissions from electricity generation fell 82% — from 204 Mt to just 38 Mt. The closure of coal plants and the rise of wind and solar transformed Britain’s grid in barely a decade.
Industry has quietly decarbonised too
Industrial emissions fell 69%, from 155 Mt to 48 Mt. Some of this is genuine efficiency gains; some is heavy industry moving offshore. Either way, the sector is a fraction of what it was.
The air we breathe is cleaner
Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) levels have fallen 76% since 1990. From roadside monitors to city centres, the air is measurably, dramatically safer than a generation ago.
Fine particles are falling too
PM2.5 — the tiny particles most dangerous to health — have fallen 42% since monitoring began in 2009. That translates directly into fewer premature deaths and hospital admissions.
The electric vehicle revolution is here
Battery electric vehicle registrations hit 410,000 in 2024 — up from just 11,000 in 2015. That’s a 36-fold increase in nine years. Including plug-in hybrids, total ULEV registrations reached 579,000.
Pure electric is taking over
In 2015, plug-in hybrids outnumbered battery-electrics by 3 to 1. By 2024, BEVs make up 71% of all ultra-low emission registrations. The technology bet is settling decisively in favour of full electric.
Transport has barely moved
Transport emissions fell just 15% since 1990 — from 129 Mt to 110 Mt. More cars, more miles driven, and the slow pace of fleet turnover have offset efficiency gains. This is now the single largest emitting sector.
Buildings and agriculture are stuck
Buildings still depend on gas boilers (80 Mt → 27% cut). Agriculture is the stickiest of all — just 15% lower than 1990. Cows and fertiliser don’t respond to policy the way power stations do.
The easy wins are done
Coal is gone. The grid is mostly clean. Waste emissions have been slashed. But the remaining 371 Mt will be much harder to eliminate — it’s embedded in how we heat homes, move around, and produce food.
The road to net zero
The UK’s legally binding target is net zero by 2050. At the current rate of reduction, Britain would reach roughly 160 Mt by then — still far from zero. Hitting the target requires accelerating cuts in transport, heat, and agriculture simultaneously.