3. Energy and climate change
Key data
(2016/17)
GHG emissions without LULUCF (2016): 486.3 MtCO2e, -39% since 1990 GHG emissions with LULUCF (2016): 471.726 MtCO2e, -41% since 1990
Energy-related CO2 emissions (2017):
CO emissions from fuel combustion: 358.7 MtCO , -35% since 1990, -33% since 2005 CO emissions by fuel: oil 44.7%, natural gas 43.7%, coal 10.2%, other 1.4%
CO emissions by sector: transport 34.0%, power and heat generation 24.5%, residential 17.6%, industry 10.3%, commercial 6.4%, other energy 7.2%
CO intensity per GDP (PPP): 0.14 kgCO /USD PPP (IEA average: 0.23 kgCO /USD PPP)
Notes: LULUCF = Land use, land use change and forestry. PPP = Power Purchase Parity. Industry includes CO emissions from combustion at construction and manufacturing industries. Other energy includes emissions from oil refineries, blast furnaces and coke ovens.
Overview
The United Kingdom takes comprehensive measures to both evaluate and mitigate climate change and is committed to finance low-carbon solutions. It is a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), a party to the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, and one of the largest global contributors of climate finance, with British pounds (GBP) 3.87 billion between 2011 and 2016 and committed to at least a further GBP 5.8 billion of climate finance up to 2020.
Since its adoption in 2008, the United Kingdom’s Climate Change Act has established a long-term policy based on the target to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 80% by 2050 on 1990 levels. This Act provides the legal framework both to mitigate climate change by reducing GHG emissions and to adapt to the impacts of climate change. Given the dominance of energy-related emissions, the policy measures largely focus on the energy sector. Over the past decade, the United Kingdom made visible strides in reducing energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (reduced by 30% since 1990) and carbon intensity. Although decarbonisation of the power sector is progressing well, the government also targets emissions reductions in other sectors, particularly transport, buildings, heating, and industry, to be on track towards meeting its overall climate change objectives.
33
ENERGY SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION
IEA. All rights reserved.