UK ‘Europe’s second biggest carbon emitter’ for energy

The United Kingdom was the second largest emitter of carbon dioxide in Europe last year according to new provisional figures for the European Union. The UK’s absolute emissions hit 472 […]

The United Kingdom was the second largest emitter of carbon dioxide in Europe last year according to new provisional figures for the European Union.

The UK’s absolute emissions hit 472 million tons last year, suggest early estimates of CO2 emissions from energy use for 2012 published by Eurostat this week.

The EU fact body says its provisional figures show CO2 emissions fell in 23 Member States in 2012. Malta, the UK, Lithuania and Germany were the only nations whose emissions rose last year. Maltese emissions went up 6.3%, the UK’s by 3.9%, Lithuania saw a rise of 1.7% and Germany’s rose 0.9%.

Altogether however the EU cut its carbon emissions from energy use by 2.1% last year, the estimates suggest, after a fall of 4.1% in 2011.

In 2012, Germany was the Member State with the highest level of CO2 emissions in absolute terms with 728 million tons, followed by the UK, then Italy (366 million tons), France (332 mn tons), Poland (297 mn tons) and Spain (258 mn tons).

These six Member States together accounted for more than two thirds (70%) of the EU27’s total carbon emissions in 2012.

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