Carbon Trust map reveals business carbon footprints across the UK
The Carbon Trust has published a map illustrating the carbon emissions from human activity in 33 towns and cities across the UK. Importantly, the map also shows just how much businesses contribute to those emissions. View the map (PDF 1.74MB)
Showing business emissions as percentages of total emissions
Unsurprisingly, the map shows Greater London as the city with the highest total volume of carbon emissions (50,754,000 tonnes), with businesses responsible for 42 per cent of that.
On average, businesses produce 40% of total emissions. However, at the upper end of the scale, businesses in Leicester, Norwich and Sheffield account for 55% of their cities’ total emissions. By contrast, the map shows that businesses in Newry produces the lowest ratio of carbon emissions – just 26 per cent.
An important comparative tool
Tom Delay, Chief Executive of the Carbon Trust, explains: “The carbon map was designed so cities could better analyse their overall carbon footprint and identify areas where more efforts can be made. In some cities, businesses were shown to account for a disproportionate amount of carbon compared to their overall emissions."
“It is imperative that businesses are careful not to become complacent when it comes to the size of their carbon footprint. All cities in the UK can do more to reduce their emission levels and the carbon map reveals that business still has a key role to play in achieving this.”
“There are many low and no cost measures that can be implemented today that will cut carbon and save energy and we urge businesses to contact our free advice line on 0800 085 2005 and take advantage of the help and expertise that is available.”
Find out how your organisation can reduce its carbon footprint through a site survey for businesses with an energy bill above £50,000
The Carbon Map was created by AEA Energy & Environment, as part of the National Air Emissions Inventory (NAEI), and is based upon the tonnes of CO2 emitted by human activity across various sectors per square kilometre. “Human activity” encompasses anything from emissions produced while at home or in the office, to those emitted through the use of transport, through heavy industry, or through general land use.
More detail on how the map was created can be found here.
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