Each UK resident is responsible for an average of 12.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide being emitted each year, when one takes into account international air travel. Furthermore, this total has been increasing recently as a result of increased personal travel. About half of this comes directly from activities like running our homes, and our travel. The other half is accounted for by the goods and services we buy,
construction, and heating and lighting our offices.
This compares with a global average of just over 1 tonne per person. So in the UK we are each responsible for more than 10 times the global average of greenhouse gas emissions.
Estimates vary as to the target we should be setting ourselves for reducing emissions of carbon dioxide over the next 20 to 30 years. One thing is clear however: the reduction will need to be big, and we need to make it quickly. Agreement is converging around a level of emissions between a quarter and one fifth of today's levels. This would mean we should aim to emit only about 3 tonnes each per year. This will mean some major changes to the way we live.
Nobody has yet created a realistic plan to get us to this target. However, there are simple steps that we can all take to move us in the right direction. And every tonne of carbon dioxide we can cut today really does make a difference. Our Home Page lays out the main changes you can make to cut your own personal contribution to Climate Change.
Typical Household and Personal CO2 Emissions
The table below is designed to give you a rough idea of the amount of carbon dioxide emissions that you are directly responsible for by running your house and through your personal travel. However, these figures are only part of the story. The average UK individual is responsible for another 6 tonnes per year in addition to the amounts shown below. These are emissions which are incurred ‘indirectly' through activities such as heating and lighting offices, construction, and the energy required to make and transport the things that you buy.
| Use of Energy | Average Household Tonnes Carbon Dioxide per Year | Average tonnes of Carbon Dioxide per person per year |
| In the House | ||
| Electricity | 2.0 | 0.9 |
| Gas | 3.4 | 1.5 |
| Travel | ||
| Car Travel | 2.4 | 1.0 |
| Rail Travel | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Bus Travel | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Air Travel | 4.2* | 1.8* |
| Total | 12.4 | 5.4 |
* Note: air travel figures are multiplied by 3 to take account of the extra warming impact of carbon dioxide emissions at high altitude
