According to the British Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the United Kingdom decreased by 3% to 456 MtCO2eq in 2017 - CO2 emissions dipped by 3% to 367 MtCO2eq - mainly due to a decline in coal-fired power generation.
Coal-fired power generation dropped by 26% to 21 TWh (7% of the domestic electricity supply) and gas-fired power generation fell by 6%, while renewable based electricity increased by 33% for wind to 41 TWh and by 43% for solar to 2.9 TWh. Overall, energy-related CO2 emissions fell by 8% in 2017.
This is the fifth yearly decrease in a row and CO2 emissions have fallen by 38% since 1990. Therefore, the United Kingdom is on its way to meet the 2050 target to cut its GHG emissions by 80% compared with 1990 levels. By 2025, the country intends to shut down its coal-fired power plants unless they are endowed with carbon capture and storage technologies (CCS).