London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Climate change: Is Greta Thunberg right about UK carbon emissions?

Climate change: Is Greta Thunberg right about UK carbon emissions?

The climate activist Greta Thunberg has claimed the UK overstates how much it has reduced greenhouse gas emissions.

The government says annual emissions have fallen by 44% since 1990.

But she told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme: "For example the UK, one popular thing to say is that you have reduced your emissions by 44% since 1990, and of course that sounds good... but if you look at the actual emissions that's not the case."

So who is right? It all depends on what you count as a country's emissions.

Which emissions does the UK measure?


The UK's 44% reduction refers to 'territorial emissions'.

These measure what happens within a country's borders - including things such as heating and powering homes, transport, domestic industry and agriculture.

But they exclude emissions from international aviation, shipping and imports.

The UK is not unique in producing its figures like this, though.

Each year, countries that are signed up to an international agreement called the Kyoto Protocol submit their overall emissions figures to the UN. That reporting is all done on a territorial basis - so they all exclude international aviation, shipping and imports.

Miss Thunberg has also criticised other countries for using these same methods.

What happens if you factor in other emissions?


The UK's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), produces figures on "consumption emissions" - a measure based on everything the UK uses, including imports.

These take into account emissions associated with producing goods overseas (in places such as China) which the UK then imports. They also include emissions from international aviation and shipping.

These are not used by the government as official figures though.

Greta Thunberg joined a climate protest in London before Cop26

On this measure, Defra estimated the UK's overall carbon footprint in 2018 was about 26% lower than in 1997, when it first published these figures.

The WWF - a non-governmental organisation focused on the environment - has factored in 'consumption emissions' dating back to 1990, and estimates that up until 2016, UK emissions declined by 15%.

The UK says its target of reaching net zero emissions by 2050 will factor in both aviation and shipping following pressure from campaigners.

What about burning biomass?


In her interview, Greta Thunberg also highlighted the burning of biomass in the UK, suggesting it was excluded from the government's territorial emissions.

Burning biomass such as wood and other organic materials is playing an increasing role in the UK's electricity supply, accounting for about 12% of it last year.

The biomass grown and burnt here would be counted as part of the UK's territorial emissions, but any brought in from overseas would not be.

Large amounts of biomass burnt in the UK comes from the US and Canada - and critics argue that importing it from abroad is not sustainable due to the emissions associated with its transport.

UK government research has shown that emissions from the electricity generated from biomass can be higher than those from fossil fuels, depending on factors such as the type of biomass and where it comes from.

Wood pellets from the US and Canada are burnt as biomass in the UK
What emissions figures should be used?


'Consumption emissions' figures - based on everything the UK uses - can be less accurate because tracking the total use of emissions through complex global supply chains is very difficult.

It can lead to some double-counting, although no country currently counts international aviation and shipping in their territorial emissions, so double-counting wouldn't happen from these two sources.

Using 'consumption emissions' also means countries are measuring things they do not always control.

For example, if the UK imports products from China and then China starts making things in a more carbon-intensive way, the UK's consumption emissions would go up, despite consuming the same amount.

'Territorial emissions' can be a clearer measure of how the government is acting to tackle emissions at home.

There are continuing debates about how responsibility for the emissions associated with global supply chains should be shared out between countries, particularly as many developing countries are responsible for manufacturing things then used in more developed countries.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×