Environmental accounts

Environmental accounts show how the environment contributes to the economy (for example, through the extraction of raw materials), the impacts that the economy has on the environment (for example, energy consumption and air emissions), and how society responds to environmental issues (for example, through taxation and expenditure on environmental protection). This site also hosts the development of natural capital accounts, more information is available in the Methodology section.

Highlights

UK environmental accounts: 2016

What's in the bulletin?

  • Energy consumption from renewable and waste sources has been increasing since 1990; reaching a record high of 14.4 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2014. These sources contributed 7.1% of total energy consumption.
  • Emissions of greenhouse gases have decreased since 1990; peaking in 1991 at 845.2 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent and falling to 608.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2014. This is the lowest level since 1990.
  • The amount of material resources consumed (per person) has decreased by 30.4% between 2000 and 2014, falling from 12.5 tonnes per person to 8.7 tonnes per person.
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Related bulletins

  • UK environmental accounts: 2016

    Satellite accounts to the main UK National Accounts measuring the contribution of the environment to the economy, the impact of economic activity on the environment, and society's response to environmental issues.

  • UK natural capital: monetary estimates, 2016

    Natural assets provide a wide range of environmental services that make human life possible. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have been developing methods to value these services, aiming to highlight the relative importance of services provided by the UK’s natural assets. This bulletin contains a snapshot of our progress.

  • UK environmental goods and services sector (EGSS): 2010 to 2014

    First estimates of the UK environmental goods and services sector for 2013-2014 and revised estimates for 2010-2012. Included are estimates of output, gross value added, and employment.

View all related statistical bulletins

Articles

  • Environmental taxes: 2014

    An examination of the size and composition of environmental taxes between 1993 and 2014. Including an analysis by type of environmental tax, a consideration of who pays the taxes and a comparison with other European countries. Main findings show that environmental taxes raised £44.6 billion in the UK in 2014, providing 7.5% of all revenue from taxes and social contributions

  • Greenhouse gas emissions: 2013

    Estimates of greenhouse gas emissions in 2013, for which UK residents and UK-based businesses are directly responsible (whether in the UK or overseas). These estimates have been produced on a consistent basis with the UK's national accounts and provide an important indicator for the environmental pressure caused by the UK's economic activities. Main findings show that greenhouse gas emissions in 2013 were estimated to be 2% lower than in 2012, and 23.6% lower than in 1990.

  • UK Natural Capital Freshwater Ecosystem Assets and Services Accounts

    This paper is a first attempt by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to develop initial experimental statistics on UK freshwater ecosystem assets and ecosystem services. Selecting a number of indicators, this paper shows the condition of UK freshwaters between 2008 and 2012. On an experimental basis, ONS also estimates that the monetary value of UK freshwaters was £37 billion in 2012, 26% higher than in 2008. This is mainly due to an increase in the monetary value of UK open waters. It is important to emphasise this monetary value is based on a limited number of ecosystem services that are covered by these accounts. The methodology to develop these indicators and monetary estimates remains under development and the estimates reported should be considered experimental. Further work will be undertaken to develop and improve them.

  • UK Natural Capital Land Cover in the UK

    We take a look at land cover ecosystem accounts for the United Kingdom (UK). The land cover accounts based on data from the Countryside Survey show that the land cover changed significantly in the UK between 1998 and 2007.

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Methodology related to Environmental accounts

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