However, the provisional data for 2021 reveals that climate pollution remained more than 5 per cent below 2019 levels, reflecting the ongoing impact of Covid-19 restrictions.
Total greenhouse gas emissions were up 4.7 per cent in 2021 on 2020 levels, reaching 424.5 million tonnes, but were 5.2 per cent lower than 2019.
Pollution from key greenhouse gas carbon dioxide was up 6.3 per cent year-on-year, with increases in all sectors, led by a 10 per cent jump in transport emissions, the statistics from the Business Department (Beis) show.
Looking over the long term, greenhouse gas emissions in 2021 were 47 per cent below what they were in 1990.
The biggest driver of the long-term fall in emissions is a decrease in pollution from power stations, as electricity generation shifts away from coal towards gas and renewables.
Separate data from Beis shows a drop in renewable generation from a record high in 2020, due to less favourable weather conditions.
Overall...