UK CO2 emissions down 7% in 2011

The UK revealed that its greenhouse gas emissions dropped 7 % year-on-year in 2011, mainly due to a higher average temperature which cut the demand for heating and due to an increase in the amount of electricity produced from renewable sources, such as wind, solar and nuclear power generation.

The decline follows a 3% hike registered in 2010, the first one in almost ten years, which green groups called a "wake-up call" that showed government policies weren't enough effective to tackle climate change.

According to figures provided by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), in 2011, the UK emitted 549.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, down 7 % from 2010 levels and down 28 % from emissions in 1990.

Moreover, CO2 emissions have been decreasing across most sectors, with the residential sector down 22%, the business sector down 8% and emissions from the energy supply sector 6.1% lower than in 2010. The transport sector was almost unchanged, with emissions registering a slight decrease of 1.4%.

Renewable energy generation was responsible for 9.5% of all electricity supplied in the UK in 2011, up 35.1% compared to the previous year, when renewable energy accounted for 6.8% of all electricity mix.

From DECC