Why Did Carbon Emissions Decrease by 9% in 2014?

Slashing carbon emissions has been a hot topic for decades yet despite the best efforts of the government attempts have remained disappointing. That is until the recent DECC Carbon Brief analysis revealed that in 2014, UK carbon emissions dropped by over 9%. This makes it the biggest year-on-year reduction since 1880 and is a remarkable feat considering that the economy is currently on the road to recovery. This is an incredibly important turn of events, especially when considering that more EU deaths are caused by illnesses related to air pollution than those as a result of road traffic accidents, according to a new report. 

Long-term goals for CO2 reduction

The 9% drop in carbon dioxide emissions is part of the government’s plan to halve the nation’s greenhouse gas emissions by 2025. By 2050 the target is an 80% reduction which means that the nation has to start acting now to achieve this objective.

Coal use cut by 20%

So what was behind the significant drop in emissions? One of the biggest factors was a 20% fall in the amount of coal being used to generate energy. Amazingly, the 20% drop bought annual consumption rates down to the lowest they had been since the 1850s. As for what exactly caused the drop? With heating chewing up a large chunk of the UK’s energy consumption, record temperature highs are thought to have played a major role in slashing national coal demand. Another factor contributing to the drop in coal use was the forced closure of Ironbridge and Ferrybridge power plants after the buildings were seriously damaged by fires. 

Making the switch to biomass

Biomass is rapidly gaining popularity as the fuel of the future. In 2014 the UK’s second biggest power station made the switch and converted one third of its operations to biomass power. This means that a huge 1.3 gigawatts now runs on organically derived renewable fuel.

Renewables on the rise

As part of the government’s plan to slash CO2 emissions it has focussed on promoting the use of renewable energy. In 2014 this led to an impressive 15% of the nation’s electricity being generated by renewable resources. 

Coal prices creep up

Last year the gradually increasing price of coal has driven enterprises to turn away from carbonized plant matter and opt for gas fired electricity. While in 2011 the falling price of coal boosted its popularity, the trend is now being inverted as wholesale gas prices plummet.

Gas demand down

As well as a decreased demand for coal the nation also cut its gas usage in 2014 by 9.2%. As with coal, this was largely due to the UK experiencing on of the hottest years on record. This nullified the need for constant heating, a process that chews up around 50% of the country’s gas use.

So will the trend continue? With the government committed to its 80% CO2 slash by 2050 the future is definitely looking bright.

Introducing Climate-KIC 

As efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions around the world accelerate, Climate-KIC (UK) has launched a new online CO2 meter to highlight current CO2 levels in the atmosphere, how levels are still rising, and to emphasise the urgency needed to reduce harmful emissions. For more information, read: EU Initiative Launches New Online CO2 Meter to Indicate Carbon Emissions Threat Level.