Over recent years there has been a global surge in trying to reduce the carbon footprints of businesses, cities and individuals alike. People across the world are making numerous changes to their everyday lifestyle, to try and improve the environment and the way we live. With the current health pandemic happening across the world, it has seen a significant reduction in the amount of carbon emissions being emitted across the globe; with a huge part of this being down to fewer vehicles on the roads and minimal numbers of planes in the sky.
Prior to the pandemic though, many cities across the UK and further afield were being criticised for the amount of carbon emissions they were producing on a daily basis. To put this into perspective, Utility Bidder conducted a study which looked in depth at the carbon emissions of six UK cities in 2017. Some of the cities featured within the study include London, Belfast and Glasgow, all of which can be looked at in more detail below.
London
As the capital of England and one of the most popular cities across the world, it comes as no surprise that London was at the higher end of the scale for the amount of carbon emissions the city produces on a daily basis. The study reports that during 2017, London produced a staggering 81,394 tonnes of carbon emissions. To put this into perspective, that weight alone is enough to fill a 354m tall cube, which is taller than the majestic Shard building at 310m tall.
Belfast
The Irish city of Belfast is popular amongst locals and tourists alike, but surprisingly, the amount of carbon emissions the city produces is at the lower end of the scale. During the year the carbon emissions were recorded, Belfast only produced 4,198 tonnes, which is considerably lower than London. 4,198 tonnes would be enough to fill a 132m tall cube, compared to the famous Titanic Belfast which is 38m tall.
Glasgow
In comparison to London, the Scottish city of Glasgow also has a relatively low number of daily carbon emissions it produces. It was reported that during 2017, the city produced around 7,175 tonnes of emissions each day, enough to fill a 157m tall cube. To understand the scale of this, Glasgow Tower is the tallest building in Scotland and stands at around 127m tall. We’ve only outlined three of the six cities mentioned in Utility Bidder’s study, but when comparing the amount of carbon emissions the cities produce against their famous buildings and landmarks, you can start to understand the true scale of the issue.
