UK Emissions Edge Down in 2024 as Transport and Household Energy Use Rise

The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions fell marginally last year, but progress remains uneven across sectors, according to new government figures. Provisional data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show total emissions of 476 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO₂e) in 2024 — a 0.5% decline from 2023 and 43% lower than 1990 levels.

The manufacturing sector led the fall, with emissions dropping by 7.4%, from 70 to 65 MtCO₂e, reflecting continued efficiency improvements and lower industrial output in some areas. However, those gains were partly offset by increases elsewhere. Transport emissions rose 4.5% to 77 MtCO₂e, continuing an upward trend since 2021 as travel demand rebounded.

Households remained the UK’s single largest source of emissions, accounting for around a quarter of the total, followed by the transport sector at 16%. The ONS classifies household emissions under “consumer expenditure,” which includes energy use in homes and personal vehicle travel rather than industrial activity. These household emissions rose 1.7% in 2024 — the first increase since the pandemic — driven mainly by a 4% rise in residential gas consumption.

Overall emissions intensity — the amount of greenhouse gas released per unit of economic output — improved slightly, falling from 0.16 to 0.15 thousand tonnes of CO₂e per £ million of gross value added. The data underline both the UK’s long-term progress and the remaining challenge of cutting emissions in everyday life and transport, even as industry and power generation continue to clean up.