Translating quantitative evidence into a written account.

What does the information in table 1 and 2 tell us about the U.K. changing patterns of greenhouse gas emissions, and its ability to meet targets for emission cuts?

Table 1 Emission of greenhouse gases in the U.K, 1990-2001 (million tonnes of carbon equivalent)

Carbon Dioxide  Target  132  1990-164  1991-166 1992-161  1993-157 1994-156  1995-154 1996-159 1997-152
1998-153 1999-151 2000-152 2001-154.

Basket of six greenhouse gases   Target 183  1990-208
1991-208 1992-202 1993-196 1994-194 1995-191 1996-197
1997-191 1998 191 1999-181 2000-181 2001 N/A

Note for 1 the target for carbon dioxide emissions in a UK  government target to be reached by 2010. The target level of emissions for the basket of six greenhouse gases is a target at Kyoto to be met by 2008-12.

Table 2 Estimated emissions of carbon dioxide in the UK by source category, 1970-200 (million tonnes of carbon equivalent
          

----------------------------------Percentage of total
-------------------------------------------2002-------
----------- 1970 1980 1990 1995 2000------------------
Power
stations     57.0 58.3 54.1 44.1 42.0         28

Commercial
public and
agricultural
combustion   12.3 9.9  8.5   8.8  8.4          6

Domestic     26.5 23.2 21.5  21.7 23.4         16

Power
generation
within
industry     45.0 28.0 22.2 20.8 19.5           13

Road
transport    16.3 21.2 29.7 30.1 31.5           21

All other    28.2 23.6 23.2 23.7 22.7           15

Total      185.3 164.2 159.2 149.2 147.5

Note; in the column headed 'percentage of total in 200', each figure is give to the nearest whole number. the column will therefore not add up to 100 due to rounding.

Note: totals of carbon dioxide emitted in 1990-2000 in Table 2 differ by 5m tonnes from those in Table 1 due to different methods of calculation according to different international standards.