Derby's carbon emissions
Carbon footprint
A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by a person or organisation’s activities. It is usually measured as tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) to account for other greenhouse gases such as methane.
The total emissions directly generated in Derby are approximately 1,195.5 kt CO2e (from UK Government data for 2021*, published in July 2023). Only emissions that occur within the UK's borders are included, so this does not account for things like aeroplane travel outside of the UK, or for food and product production and transportation into the country from abroad.
| Source of CO2e emissions | Emissions (kt CO2e) | Percentage of overall CO2e emissions |
|---|---|---|
| Industry | 250.2 | 20.92 |
| Commercial | 59.2 | 4.95 |
| Public sector | 91.1 | 7.62 |
| Domestic | 344.7 | 28.83 |
| Transport | 371.8 | 31.09 |
| Land use or change | 2.8 | 0.23 |
| Agriculture | 7.7 | 0.64 |
| Waste management | 68.1 | 5.69 |
Transport
The use of transport has a significant impact on carbon emissions with almost one third (31.09%) of all Derby’s greenhouse gas emissions resulting from transport. These are the emissions caused by using petrol or diesel fuel in vehicles and equipment. It excludes electricity used in electric vehicles. It also excludes aviation and travel by train taking place outside the city boundary.
Homes (domestic)
Homes are the UK’s second largest source of emissions (after surface transport). When looking only at the emissions from electricity, gas, and other heating fuels (such as oil), homes are the second largest source of carbon emissions in Derby, generating 28.83% of all emissions (344.7 kt CO2e).
Industry
The third largest sector for production of emissions is industry, generating 250.2 ktCO2e in 2021, which is 20.92% of the total UK footprint.