Historical Emissions

Estimated per person emissions 2010 to 2020

Car Emissions

Van Emissions

Motorbikes, Company Vehicles, and other types

Flights Emissions

Vehicle Purchase

Vehicle Maintaince & Other

Consumption of Goods and Services

Many household carbon emissions stem not from direct activities like buring gas for heating or cooking, but from embodied emissions—the carbon released during the production, transport, and delivery of goods and services we consume. These emissions, often generated abroad, are attributed to the end user in consumption-based carbon footprint models like the PBCC. Because detailed local data on purchasing habits and product origins is scarce, our estimates rely on modelling: synthetic households are created using demographic data and matched with real spending profiles from the Living Costs and Food Survey. While individual matches may be imperfect, aggregating across many households yields a reliable approximation of neighbourhood-level consumption emissions. For more information see the manual

Food and non-alcoholic beverages

This category includes all edible goods purchased for home consumption—fresh produce, meat, dairy, packaged foods, and drinks like juice, tea, and bottled water. The carbon footprint here is shaped by agricultural practices (e.g. livestock farming, fertiliser use), food processing, packaging, refrigeration, and transport. Imported goods and highly processed items tend to have higher emissions. For example, beef and lamb are particularly carbon-intensive due to methane emissions and land use, while locally grown vegetables typically have a lower footprint.

Alcoholic beverages, tobacco and narcotics

This covers purchases of beer, wine, spirits, cigarettes, and other recreational substances. These products often have high embodied emissions due to intensive farming (e.g. grapes, barley, tobacco), fermentation or chemical processing, and packaging. Transport and refrigeration also play a role, especially for imported alcohol. While not consumed in large quantities by all households, their production and distribution chains can be surprisingly carbon-heavy.

Furnishings, household equipment and routine household maintenance

This includes furniture, appliances, cleaning products, tools, and materials for home upkeep. Emissions stem from the extraction and processing of raw materials (wood, metals, plastics), manufacturing, and long-distance shipping. Large appliances like fridges or washing machines have significant embodied carbon, and their energy use over time adds to the footprint. Even routine items like detergents or paint contribute through chemical production and packaging.

Clothing and footwear

This category encompasses garments, shoes, and accessories. The fashion industry is a major source of emissions due to textile production (especially synthetics like polyester), dyeing, finishing, and global logistics. Fast fashion accelerates this impact by encouraging frequent purchases and short product lifespans. Natural fibres like cotton can also be carbon-intensive due to water use and fertilisers. Repairing, reusing, or buying second-hand clothing can significantly reduce emissions in this category.

Information and communication

Includes mobile phones, computers, internet subscriptions, and software services. While daily usage emissions are relatively low, the production of electronics involves mining rare earth elements, complex manufacturing, and global distribution. Devices like smartphones and laptops have high embodied carbon, and frequent upgrades amplify the impact. Cloud services and data centres also contribute, though their footprint is often less visible to consumers.

Recreation, sport and culture

This broad category covers books, games, sports equipment, musical instruments, event tickets, and holidays. Emissions vary widely depending on the activity—digital entertainment has a modest footprint, while international travel or imported sporting goods can be substantial. Cultural consumption like cinema or concerts involves energy use in venues and transport. Leisure choices, especially travel-based ones, can be among the most carbon-intensive aspects of personal consumption.

Restaurants and accommodation services

Includes dining out, takeaways, hotels, and short-term stays. The carbon footprint here comes from food sourcing (often meat-heavy menus), energy use in kitchens and buildings, and waste generation. Accommodation adds emissions through heating, laundry, and cleaning services. Travel to and from these venues also contributes, especially for holidays involving flights or long drives. Choosing plant-based meals or eco-certified lodgings can help reduce impact.

Health

Covers medicines, medical devices, and healthcare services. While essential, the health sector has a notable carbon footprint due to pharmaceutical production, sterilisation processes, and energy-intensive facilities. Personal purchases like over-the-counter drugs or supplements have relatively small emissions, but hospital visits and specialised treatments involve complex supply chains and high energy use. The footprint here is less discretionary but still relevant in aggregate models.

Education services

Includes tuition fees, school supplies, books, and digital learning tools. Emissions are generally modest but come from building energy use, printed materials, and IT infrastructure. For households with children or students, this category reflects both direct spending and the broader carbon intensity of educational institutions. Online learning platforms tend to have lower footprints than traditional classroom settings, though device use and server energy still matter.

Miscellaneous

Gas

Electricty

Other Heating

Housing Other

Number of dwellings by council tax band

This chart shows the number of dwellings in each council tax band from 2010 to the present according to the Valuation Office Agency. The VOA round this data to the nearest 10 dwellings, so minor inconsistencies may exist. Note that the I band is only used in Wales.

Number of dwellings by building type

This chart shows the number of dwellings by building type from 2020 to the present according to the Valuation Office Agency. The VOA round this data to the nearest 10 dwellings, so minor inconsistencies may exist.

Number of dwellings by bedrooms

This chart shows the number of dwellings by the number of bedrooms from 2020 to the present according to the Valuation Office Agency. The VOA round this data to the nearest 10 dwellings, so minor inconsistencies may exist.

Number of dwellings by building age

This chart shows the number of dwellings by building age from 2020 to the present according to the Valuation Office Agency. The VOA round this data to the nearest 10 dwellings, so minor inconsistencies may exist.

Population estimates and number of dwellings

This chart shows estimates of the population, number of dwellings, and number of households for each year since 2010. The number of people living within an area is fundamental variable for many of the calculations within the PBCC. Unfortunately, we only know this with certainty in 2011 and 2021/22 when the Census were performed. Between those dates we use the ONS mid-year population estimates. The stacked bar chart shows the distribution of residents ages.

Council Tax data provides a reasonably accurate record of the number of dwellings (red line) and can be used to track house building and demolition. Unfortunately, the ONS do not estimate the number of households each year and so we have estimated this number based on the know numbers for the 2011 and 2021/22 censuses and changes in the number of adults and dwellings in each year.

Getting the number of households estimated accurately is important as many parts of the carbon footprint calculations are done on a per-household basis and only converted to a per-person basis at the final stage.

This chart also contains adjustments for changes in the boundaries of LSOAs which occurred with each Census. Providing historical estimates of population within the 2021 boundaries.