Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of a basket of so-called greenhouse gases linked to climate change and is viewed as the principal gas because it is generated by human activity, in particular the burning of fossil fuels, in by far the greatest quantities.
Suffolk Climate Change Partnership published a carbon footprinting report (PDF 581KB) in February 2007 based on its research to establish a carbon footprint for Suffolk. The study estimated that the carbon dioxide emission for Suffolk in 2004 was approximately 4.8 million tonnes, equating to an emission of 7.7 tonnes per head of population.
The borough has a total CO2 emission of approximately 984,000 tonnes based on a 2007 population of 102,900. This equates to around 9.6 tonnes per head of population. Transport and industrial gas-related emissions dominate the total borough CO2 emission.
The council’s own energy and transport use results in an estimated annual CO2 emission of approximately 3,490 tonnes.
For more information about the council’s Climate Action Plan, phone 01284 757042.
