Annual emissions of PM2.5 have decreased

There is always a great deal of data that can be presented in different ways by different organisations in making the case for or against different sources of emissions. Overall, the following information is particularly relevant to our industry:

• Annual emissions of PM2.5 have decreased by 88% since 1970, with an estimated 65 thousand tonnes of PM2.5 emitted in 2022 – a 2% decrease from 2021. 
• Annual emissions of PM10 have decreased by 88% since 1970, with an estimated 127 thousand tonnes of PM10 emitted in 2022 – a 1% increase from 2021. 

Particulate emissions from ‘domestic combustion’ fell between 2021 and 2022; there was a 3.9% reduction in PM10 and a 4% reduction in PM2.5, with the latest data showing that PM2.5 emissions from the domestic use of wood fuel specifically fell by 2.7%.