SoNaRR interim report 2019: Greenhouse gas emissions in Wales

The third annual Well-being of Wales (2019) report gives the following detail about the two sectors in Wales emitting the largest amount of greenhouse gases, energy and transport:

Energy

  • Since 2005, total electricity demand has reduced by 18%

  • Around 22% of electricity generated in Wales is from renewable sources. The amount of renewable electricity generated is the equivalent of 48% of electricity consumed in Wales, a five-percentage point increase compared to 2016

  • At the end of 2017 the installed capacity for renewable energy was 3,683 megawatts. This is 10 per cent higher than the previous year and more than 3 times higher than in 2012

  • New survey data on the energy efficiency of Welsh homes was collected in 2017-18 for the first time since 2008. Although there is evidence that homes in Wales are becoming more energy efficient, only 47% of homes in Wales were considered to have adequate energy performance

Transport

  • As in most other parts of the UK, private road transport remains the dominant mode of travel. It accounts for the overwhelming majority of commuting journeys in Wales

  • In 2017, 81% of commuters in Wales used a car as their usual method of travel, a small decrease since a peak of 84% in 2013

  • The registration of ultra-low emissions vehicles is increasing but this is from a low base. As a proportion of all vehicles registered in Wales, it is the lowest of any UK country or region

  • The proportions of people walking or cycling to work, travelling by rail and using buses have remained stable over the past 15 years

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