Fife records 34% drop in carbon dioxide emissions in last decade

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy figures show that CO2 emissions in the area dropped by 8.8% in 2019 – the latest available data – compared to the year before.

Industry was responsible for emitting the largest amount of CO2 in Fife in 2019 – 1.1 million tonnes.

However, emissions from the sector dropped by 34.6% over a decade.

Between 2009 and 2019, overall CO2 emissions in Fife dropped by 33.2%.

The figures also cover household emissions, as well those from the transport, commercial and public sectors.

Across the UK, 360 of 379 local authority areas saw a decrease in emissions in 2019, with an overall drop of 3.6% owing to a change in the fuel mix for electricity generation, greater use of renewables and a drop in the use of coal, according to BEIS.

The Zero Carbon campaign said major policy changes were needed to tackle CO2 emissions from heat, transport and hard to decarbonise industries such as steel and cement.

A spokesman said: "To reach net zero emissions by 2050 and deliver our even more ambitious target to reduce emissions by 78% by 2035, we need to decarbonise much further, faster and across a far greater section of our economy.

"The Government must deliver an economy-wide, net-zero aligned policy programme which protects low-income households from increased costs and emphasises the benefits that will be derived from the low-carbon transition."

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