UK emissions drop to lowest level since 1872: Report

By Elif Nur Eryigit

ISTANBUL (AA) - The level of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK last year dropped 3.6% in 2024, to its lowest level since 1872, according to a report published Wednesday.

“Half of the drop in emissions in 2024 was due to a 54% reduction in UK coal demand," stated the report by Carbon Brief, a UK-based climate science website.

One of the biggest factors that contributed to the drop in emissions is a fall of coal demand.

Closing the UK's last coal-fired power station, ending 142 years of using coal, accounted for a significant part of the total reduction, the study said.

It added that coal demand in the UK is now at its lowest level since 1666.

The second-largest factor in the fall of greenhouse gas emissions is the growing use of electric vehicles (EVs), which saw nearly a 40% increase in the UK.

The rise in EVs contributed to a reduced demand for oil and gas, including a 13% drop in gas demand for power generation, leading to a significant drop in emissions in 2024.

As a result, the country's electricity is now the “cleanest ever,” it said.

However, the UK still needs to cut emissions by more each year than it did in 2024 to meet its international climate target for 2035 and its domestic target of net zero by 2050.