![]() The Paris Agreement in 2016 did not set legally binding targets. The UK government subsequently legislated to reduce GHG emissions to 80% of 1990 levels by 2050 in the Climate Change Act 2008. The production of goods and services that the UK imports from other countriesĮstimates on this basis were originally required under the international Kyoto protocol with the UK legally bound to meet a target of reducing 1990 territory-based emissions by 12.5% by 2012. The burning of biomass such as wood, straw, biogases and poultry litter for energy production 1 UK Crown dependencies and overseas territories Land such as forest, crop or grazing land The activities of people that live in the UK as well as non-UK visitors These estimates, known as territorial and which are production-based estimates, include GHG emissions or removals from:īusinesses based in the UK regardless of where in the world they are registered Measuring the UK’s progress to net zeroĮstimates of the UK’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), are used as the baseline for monitoring the Climate Change Act net zero target. However, when peatlands are not left in good condition these long-term carbon stores relatively rapidly return that carbon to the atmosphere.ģ. In near natural condition peatland can continue to slowly absorb carbon over the long-term. Peatlands are rich carbon stores, which have gradually pulled carbon in from the atmosphere over thousands of years. Estimates of other air pollutants removed by vegetation are available in ONS: UK natural capital: Ecosystem service accounts, 1997 to 2015.Ĭentre for Ecology and Hydrology: Implementation of an Emissions Inventory for UK Peatlands. House of Commons library: Legislating for net zero and Net zero emissions: a new UK climate change target?įor further information on progress in reducing UK GHG emissions by different industries and households see Office for National Statistics (ONS): UK Environmental Accounts: 2019 or the Committee on Climate Change: Reducing UK emissions, 2019 progress report to Parliament.Įstimates of CO2 and carbon gases removed by vegetation are available within ONS: UK Environmental Accounts: 2019. Notes for: Net zero can be achieved by emission reduction and removal The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) have reported estimates of carbon dioxide emissions from peatland in the UK as 23 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year 4. However, potential GHG emissions from some areas of the UK’s natural environment that are not in good condition are currently excluded from the definition. Such removals are included and netted off against the UK’s GHG emissions in the Climate Change Act definition of how GHG emissions are measured. In 2017, an estimated 28 million tonnes of CO2 and other carbon gases were removed by vegetation in the UK 3. The amount of greenhouse gas removal or emissions possible from the UK’s natural environment is dependent on how the UK uses its land and the land’s condition. The Committee on Climate Change estimate that in 2050 it is likely that somewhere between 75 to 175 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent will need to be removed by CC(U)S annually in order to meet net zero, given it is unlikely that all sources of GHG emissions can be eliminated. GHG emissions can be removed by the natural environment or by using technologies like carbon capture (usage) and storage (CC(U)S). Reaching net zero would require continuing to reduce emissions from this industry, households and from other industries, in particular those with the highest associated emissions such as transport, manufacturing and agriculture 2. ![]() The continued switch away from coal towards gas and renewable energy by the energy supply industry has resulted in a general reduction in GHG emissions since 1990. This can be achieved by a combination of emission reduction and emission removal. Net zero means that the UK’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions would be equal to or less than the emissions the UK removed from the environment 1. Net zero can be achieved by emission reduction and removal
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