Defra has published its latest data on emissions of air pollutants in the UK, with the publication containing statistics on annual emissions for the period 1970 to 2022. The annual publication provides estimates of UK emissions of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen oxides, ammonia, non-methane volatile organic compounds, and sulphur dioxide. These statistics are used to monitor progress against the UK’s emission reduction commitments (ERC) for air pollutants.
Defra has published its latest data on emissions of air pollutants in the UK, with the publication containing statistics on annual emissions for the period 1970 to 2022. The annual publication provides estimates of UK emissions of particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5), nitrogen oxides, ammonia, non-methane volatile organic compounds, and sulphur dioxide. These statistics are used to monitor progress against the UK’s emission reduction commitments (ERC) for air pollutants.
The annual statistics identify:
- Annual emissions of PM2.5 have decreased by 88% since 1970. An estimated 65 thousand tonnes of PM2.5 was emitted in 2022 – a 2% decrease from 2021.
- Annual emissions of PM10 have decreased by 88% since 1970. An estimated 127 thousand tonnes of PM10 was emitted in 2022 – a 1% increase from 2021.
The UK was compliant with international and domestic ERC for all pollutants. PM2.5 emissions were estimated to have decreased by 41% between 2005 and 2022, achieving compliance with ERC by an additional 11%.
Domestic combustion contributed an estimated 29% of total PM2.5 emissions in 2022 – an increase of 2% from 2021, with most emissions coming from households using wood burning stoves or open fireplaces. This follows an increase in 56% of emissions of PM2.5 and PM10 from domestic wood burning between 2012 and 2022 as a result of the growing popularity of domestic solid fuel appliances and the ban on domestic coal burning.