ONS release of the UK’s provisional Q3 2023 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions finds that emissions fell by 3.8% between July to September 2023 and the same period in 2022 (provisional).
It means that UK emissions stood at 102 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2e) in Q3 2023, 3.8% less than the 117 Mt CO2e emitted in Q3 2022, and 7.8% below the pre-coronavirus pandemic level of 111 Mt CO2e in Q3 2019.
It takes the current provisional levels for Q1 to Q3 2023 to 365 Mt CO2e, marking an encouraging 2% provisional downturn from the 373 Mt CO2e emitted in the same period of 2022.
Diane Crowe, head of sustainability at Reconomy, a leading international circular economy specialist, commented: ‘With greenhouse gas emissions posing a significant obstacle in the fight against climate change, today’s positive data marks another encouraging step in the UK’s efforts thanks to the proactive efforts being made by businesses and households to protect the environment.
‘Pursuing net zero objectives and circularity, adopting greener, low emission forms of energy to limit pollution as well as tweaking day to day habits are just a few of the measures that more and more businesses and individuals are doing to make their contribution to preserve our climate.
‘The effects of the climate emergency are becoming increasingly acute and although we are seeing a downturn in the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, there is a still a long way to go in tackling this problem on a global scale.
‘Over the next decade, we expect the integration and awareness of greener energy, transport and behaviours to shoot up as well as circular resource management coming to foreground as a sustainable and cost effective way to take a stand against climate change and preserve finite resources.’
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