The Government’s accredited official statistics for UK greenhouse gas emissions statistics between 1990 to 2023 co9nfirm at 53 per cent drop, with agriculture overtaking electricity as the major source of emissions for the first time.

In 2023, total greenhouse gas emissions were estimated to be 385 MtCO2e, a decrease of 20 MtCO2e (5 per cent) from the 2022 estimate of 405 MtCO2e and 53 per cent lower than they were in 1990.

In 2023, 29 per cent of net greenhouse gas emissions in the UK were estimated to be from the domestic transport sector (the largest sector), 20 per cent from buildings and product uses, 14 per cent from industry, 12 per cent from agriculture, and 11 per cent from electricity supply.

Decreased gas use in the electricity supply sector made the largest contribution to the total reduction in 2023, falling by 11 MtCO2e (20 per cent), in part due to importing more electricity and thus offshoring some emissions, a continued decrease in UK electricity demand, and an increased share of renewables to meeting remaining demand.

When broken down by gas type, UK emissions are dominated by carbon dioxide, which is estimated to have accounted for around 79 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK in 2023. Methane accounted for 15 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions and nitrous oxide contributed around 5 per cent.

By sector, agriculture now accounts for a higher percentage of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions than electricity supply. The agricultural emissions consist of emissions from livestock, agricultural soils, stationary combustion sources and off-road machinery.

Commenting on the data, Tom Lancaster, land, food and farming analyst at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: “These figures confirm what some had already predicted – that the share of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture has for the first time exceeded electricity supply. Emissions from agriculture and land use have been flat since 2008. As other sectors put in place plans to decarbonise, farming risks becoming one of the biggest emitters in the UK economy.

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