Britain's greenhouse gas emissions fell 2.2% in 2022
LONDON, March 30 (Reuters) - Britain’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 2.2% in 2022 compared with 2021 levels as warmer temperatures led to a dip in fuel use for heating, provisional government data showed on Thursday.
Britain has a target to reach net zero emissions by 2050, which will require changes to the way people eat and travel, as well as how electricity is produced.
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“Despite rises in some emissions as the UK continued to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022 saw a fall in greenhouse gas emissions... largely due to a reduction in fuel use to heat buildings,” the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said.
Britain saw record high temperatures last year as well as sharp rises in energy prices which may have led people to use less fuel, the department said.
Total greenhouse gas emissions were estimated at 417.1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2022.
Emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), the main greenhouse gas, were estimated at 331.5 million tonnes, 2.4% lower than in 2021.
(Reporting by Susanna Twidale; Editing by Jan Harvey and Christina Fincher)