United Kingdom

Key Statistics

Cumulative CO2 Emissions from Energy (1990-2005)

Global Rank

8th
Per Capita Global Rank

25th
Percent Global total

2.35%
Tons Per Person
144.8T

Kyoto Goals and Status

Kyoto Target, Compared to 1990

-12.5%
Emissions Change (1990-2007)

-17.8

Key Negotiators

Map

Copenhagen Positions

Long Term Temperature Goal

+2 Degrees Celsius
2020 Target

-34% (Compared to 1990 levels)
2050 Target

At least -80% (Compared to 1990 levels)
Annex I 2020 Target

-30%

Historical and Projected Data

1990 2007 2020 2030
Polluter Rank–Per Capita (Annual)1 30th 36th*
Polluter Rank–Gross (Annual)2 9th 7th
Total Annual GHG Emissions (CO2e, millions)3 774.2Mt 640.2Mt
Percent of Global Emissions4 2.4% 1.7%*
Tons of CO2 Per Person (Annual)5 12.5T 10.5T*
Percent of World Population6 1.1% .9% .8% .8%
Population (thousands) and Rank7 57,493/16th 60,776/22nd 63,068/22nd 64,303/23rd
C02 Emissions from Energy Use (CO2e, millions) 574.7Mt8 531.5Mt9 491Mt10
C02 Emissions from Land Use Change & Forestry (CO2e, millions) 2.9Mt11 –1.8Mt12
Responsibility and Capacity Index13 (Percent of Global) 3.21% 2.67%
G-20 Low Carbon Competitive Index14 (Rank/Index) #3/.64

* 2005 Data

  1. Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT) Version 6.0. (Washington, DC: World Resources Institute, 2009), GHG emissions from C02, CH4, N20, PFCs, HFC, SF6, excluding Land-Use Change & Forestry. ↩
  2. Climate Analysis Indicators Tool (CAIT UNFCCC), Version 3.0, GHG emissions from C02, CH4, N20, PFCs, HFC, SF6, excluding Land-Use Change & Forestry. ↩
  3. UNFCCC, Summary of GHG Emissions for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, excluding Land Use Change & Forestry.(pdf) ↩
  4. CAIT, GHG emissions from C02, CH4, N20, PFCs, HFC, SF6, excluding Land-Use Change & Forestry. ↩
  5. Ibid ↩
  6. U.S. Census Bureau, International Data Base (IDB) ↩
  7. Ibid ↩
  8. UNFCCC Annex I Party Common Reporting Format, submission of United Kingdom, GBR-2009-2007-v.1.3.xls, Table 10s1.2. ↩
  9. Ibid ↩
  10. U.K, Department of Energy & Climate Change, UK Low Carbon Transition Plan Emissions Projections. ↩
  11. UNFCCC Annex I Party Common Reporting Format, submission of United Kingdom, GBR-2009-2007-v.1.3.xls, Table 10s1.2. ↩
  12. Ibid ↩
  13. The Greenhouse Development Rights Framework, The Right to Development in A Climate Constrained World (pdf), p.6, September 2008. ↩
  14. G20 Low Carbon Competitiveness Report. (pdf) ↩

International Climate Policy

Going back to Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, the UK has played a key role in the supporting the establishment of international climate policy.    As is the case on many foreign policy issues, the UK often positions itself so that it can serve to bridge differences between the U.S. and Europe on key issues, and has certainly played this role on international climate policy.  In 2005, the UK placed climate change at the top of its agenda for the dual presidencies of the G8 and the EU in 2005, resulting in the establishment of the Gleneagles Dialogue on Climate Change and Sustainable Development.

The UK has already achieved a significant reduction in emissions from 1990 levels, and in December of 2008 adopted the Climate Change Act of 2008, which established 2020 reduction targets of 33% and 2050 targets of 80%. In addition,  Scotland has recently passed legislation that sets targets to greenhouse gas emissions by at least 42% by 2020 and 80% by 2050, with at least 80% of these reductions coming from domestic sources.

Negotiation Bloc: EU
Participant in: G8, G20, Major Economies Forum (MEF)

Recent Negotiation News

Scotland commits to reduce emissions at least 42% by 2020

Scotland wants Minister sent to Copenhagen

Government/NGO/Think Tank Links

Act on Copenhagen (UK Government Copenhagen Talks Site)

Road to Copenhagen (UK Government Case for Global Deal)

U.K. Department of Energy & Climate Change

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