Carbon dioxide emissions
The 2023 total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions figure was 5.9 million tonnes in Lancashire-12. Expressed in terms of per capita (per resident), the total CO2 emissions in Lancashire-12, at 4.7 tonnes in 2023, was above the UK (4.1 tonnes).
Within Lancashire, total CO2 emissions ranged from a low of 291.5 kt in Rossendale to 775.1 kt in West Lancashire. Viewed in terms of CO2 rates per head, the levels range from 3.2 tonnes in Pendle to 11.0 tonnes in Ribble Valley.
Compared to the previous year, total CO2 emissions have fallen by 383.8 kt in Lancashire-12. Per capita emissions have also fallen by 0.4 tonnes compared to 2022. The total and per capita emissions continue a longer-term downward trend, with both having fallen by more than 40% in the past 18 years (in 2005, the total CO2 emissions figure was 10.7 million tonnes and 9.3 tonnes per capita in Lancashire-12).
Emissions by sector
In Lancashire-12, the transport sector was the largest greenhouse gas emissions (2,257.9 kt), followed by the domestic sector (1,462.2 kt), industry (1,213.8 kt), and commercial (449.6 kt).
Transport emissions are estimated based on the distribution of traffic, which includes through traffic, or part of trips into or out of the area whether by residents or non-residents (with the presence of motorway networks contributing to this figure). In Lancashire-12, transport emissions were highest in Lancaster (315.6 kt), Chorley (305.8 kt) and Preston (263.4 kt). In contrast, Ribble Valley (110.4 kt) and Rossendale (116.0 kt) had the lowest transport emissions.
Domestic CO2 emissions were greatest in areas with larger populations, including Preston (165.0 kt) and Lancaster (158.9 kt). In areas with fewer residents, such as Ribble Valley (85.9 kt) and Rossendale (90.0 kt), domestic emissions were lower.
The presence of high-energy using industries which are concentrated in a few areas can have a very large local impact. Within Lancashire, the share of emissions attributable to industry is greatest in districts where energy-intensive industrial activities have a disproportionate representation. Ribble Valley had the largest CO2 emissions (506.1 kt), owing to the presence of manufacturing industries, including cement works which have high emissions.
Emissions from land use/land use change/forestry takes both CO2 emissions and removals into account. The largest net reduction in emissions occurred in Ribble Valley (-48.1 kt). In contrast, West Lancashire (202.1 kt) had the highest emissions in this sector, reflecting the large amount of top-grade agricultural land, the intensive nature of the farming and the use of heating and CO2 supplementation (or enrichment) in the many glasshouses there.
Source: UK local and regional greenhouse gas emissions from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, via LG Inform.
Page updated 1 August 2025
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero publishes annual data on CO2 emissions broken down by local authority, dating back to 2005. Although entitled 'emissions' the totals are actually net values of CO2 emissions and CO2 sunk back into the land through forestry – hence the negative values in the land use/land use change/forestry sector figure for some areas.
CO2 is the principal greenhouse gas believed to be contributing to global warming. The vast majority of man-made CO2 emissions come from the burning of fossil fuels in power generation and in the transport, domestic and industrial sectors. The level of emissions depends on the fuel mix and the fuel consumption data.
Estimates of national emissions have been available for several years from the UK National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI) and help to assess the impact of human activities on the environment and personal health. The NAEI provides much of the information that underlies the figures reported here, in addition to further highly detailed emissions data (dating from 1970 onwards) and maps. This includes an interactive map showing CO2 emissions by local authority area. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs also hosts the UK air information resource (UK AIR) web pages which provide a wealth of information on air quality and air pollution in the UK.
Sources of emissions
The emissions figures by source are estimated based on a number of factors which vary by source. For example, power stations supplying domestic electricity customers via the national grid have their emissions reallocated by domestic usage, rather than from where the emissions are actually released. There is a very strong correlation between domestic emissions and population. This may be largely due to the reallocation of power station emissions, as well as being influenced by the number of households in the area; fuel types used; the type and condition of the housing stock (including its insulation and energy efficiency); the average temperature (urban areas can be warmer and therefore easier to heat than rural areas); average household size; type of household; income and preferences of its occupiers.
Transport emissions include freight and passenger transport, both private and for business purposes. The estimates of road transport CO2 are made on the basis of the distribution of traffic, therefore some of the emissions within an authority represent through traffic, or part of trips into or out of the area whether by residents or non-residents. In some authorities this can be particularly significant and may provide part of the explanation for high figures in areas which straddle the county's motorway network.
In considering per capita ratios, it should be noted that while emissions per resident may be a useful measure for domestic emissions, CO2 levels from industry and road transport are affected by many factors other than the size of the resident population, so these ratios should be interpreted with caution.
Further details on the methodology of how emissions figures are estimated are available on the Office for National Statistics website.
What is carbon dioxide (CO2)?
CO2 is a colourless, odourless gas, denser than air and which is faintly acidic and non-flammable, that occurs naturally in the Earth's atmosphere. It is released in large quantities from natural processes, notably respiration by living organisms. Releases from respiration are balanced by a similar quantity taken up by photosynthesis by ocean-dwelling plankton and land-dwelling biomass, including forests and grasslands (so-called natural "carbon sinks") as part of the carbon cycle. Other natural sources of CO2 include volcanic eruptions, forest fires, decay of dead plant and animal matter and evaporation from seawater.
Man-made releases of CO2 include burning fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) and other fuels containing carbon (e.g. wood) mainly for power generation and transport. Unlike natural sources, CO2 emissions from human activities are not balanced by a corresponding carbon sink and thus accumulate in the atmosphere or are absorbed by seawater.
CO2 has many commercial uses, being valued for its reactivity, inertness and coldness. Common uses are for fire extinguishing systems; carbonisation of soft drinks; freezing and chilling of food products and their transport; in decaffeinating coffee; enhancement of oil recovery from oil wells; a raw material in the production of various chemicals and treatment of alkaline water. A minor use of the solid (frozen) form of CO2 is to produce smoke effects in television, film and theatre. In Lancashire (particularly West Lancashire district) CO2 is used in the glasshouse horticultural business to boost crop growth.
UK net zero target
In 2008, the UK government passed the Climate Change Act which aimed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 compared to 1990. In 2019, the UK committed to bring all greenhouse gas emissions (including CO2) to net zero by 2050. These commitments have driven the national reductions in emissions seen in the data. The Climate Change Act requires that 'carbon budgets' are set which are legally-binding for central government with local authorities expected to contribute towards achieving these goals. Local authorities are supported by local net zero programmes administered by the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero to help households and businesses to reduce emissions. The UK Environmental Accounts produced by the Office for National Statistics provides information on emissions from residents and UK-registered businesses and the impact of environmental issues on economic activity.