Confirmed: How UK emissions fell a record 9.5 per cent during Covid-hit 2020

Michael Holder
clock • 5 min read
Photo of empty M4 motorway in Wales taken at the end of March 2020 | Credit: Seth Whales
Image:

Photo of empty M4 motorway in Wales taken at the end of March 2020 | Credit: Seth Whales

Pandemic drives major downturn in UK greenhouse gas emissions but rebound widely expected in 2021 and beyond

UK greenhouse gas emissions plummeted by a record 9.5 per cent in 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic drove a slowdown across the economy and led to a sharp reduction in road transport as people avoided travel...

To continue reading this article...

Join BusinessGreen

In just a few clicks you can start your free BusinessGreen Lite membership for 12 months, providing you access to:

  • Three complimentary articles per month covering the latest real-time news, analysis, and opinion from Europe’s leading source of information on the Green economy and business
  • Receive important and breaking news stories via our daily news alert
  • Our weekly newsletter with the best of the week’s green business news and analysis

Join now

 

Already a BusinessGreen member?

Login

More on Climate change

COP30: EU agrees 90 per cent emissions cut by 2040 ahead of Belém Summit

COP30: EU agrees 90 per cent emissions cut by 2040 ahead of Belém Summit

Climate ministers agree compromise climate deal, featuring review clause and potential for a larger contribution from carbon credits

Stuart Stone
clock 05 November 2025 • 6 min read
'Emissions Gap': UN admits world will exceed 1.5C goal, 'very likely within the next decade'

'Emissions Gap': UN admits world will exceed 1.5C goal, 'very likely within the next decade'

Latest official analysis of national climate pledges delivers only marginal reduction in projected temperature increases that are set to far exceed 2C goal

James Murray
clock 04 November 2025 • 6 min read
Climate resilience lessons from healthcare

Climate resilience lessons from healthcare

Partner Insight: Equans UK & Ireland explains how it worked with a major hospital in England to carry out a comprehensive climate risk and resilience assessment across its estate

Equans UK & Ireland
clock 04 November 2025 • 1 min read