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Britain's One Percent of Climate Emissions ?

Politicians who want to undermine climate and environmental responsibility keep on saying that Britain contributes only 1% of climate change emissions, so, by implication, we have very little impact if we cut our emissions and hence it is not worth doing so. Britain should not therefore bother cutting climate change emissions, they imply.

That is factually so in one way, factually incorrect in another but, more importantly, it is disingenuous. Here I want to look more closely at the claim.

A Matter of Responsibility, not just Numbers

1. 1%. The climate change emissions that emerge from the human and other activity in the area of land that is Britain, is indeed a tad less than 1%. [Note: Outsourcing]

2. 0.8%. But the population of Britain is only 0.8% of the world's population. So even if our emissions are only 1%, we are emitting more than our population should. 25% more. That is also factually so.

3. However, we the British people demand a lifestyle for which we import goods. The import of those goods contributes another 1% of global climate change emissions.

4. 2%. That means that the people of Britain contribute around 2% of climate chance emissions overall. In terms of how we British people live, our lifestyle, we people of Britain contribute around 2% of global climate change emissions. The 1% figure is factually incorrect: false. The 2% is more factally correct. Which is more significant: land-area or how we people live and want to live?

5. 150% over-emission. Given that Britain is only 0.8% of the world's population, this means that the people of Britain contribute two-and-a-half times the global average of climate change emissions. That is a 150% over-emission towards climate change. That implies we should cut back.

-- oo O oo --

6. In terms of politics, what should the government do? If the government's responsibility is only for the land-area and not the people, then it could reasonably enact policies and legislation according to the 1%. But if the government has responsibility for and with the British people (which of course it does) then it should at least seek to reduce the two-and-a-half times to parity with the average. It would seem that it should enact policies and legislation that will cut our 150% over-emissions. At least.

7. Surely we should take our fair share of responsibility?!

8. "At least." 150% is comparing ourselves with the global average, assuming that this is OK. In fact the global average is already higher than the Earth can cope with. All the world need to cut emissions. We in Britain need to cut our emissions by more than the 150% over-emission.

9. Someone has to lead the world in this. Britain has been a leader in the past. Why not again?

10. And if the politicians of all parties refuse to take this seriously, then we the people should do so. We the people should take climate and environmental responsibility into our own hands and not wait for government action.

Britain's action is a matter of responsibility, not just numbers.

Fun Challenge: How can we put what is most important in those ten points into a three-word slogan?

Notes

Note on Outsourcing of Our Climate Emissions. Over the past few decades, Britain has outsourced much of its manufacturing, much of which is what generated climate change emissions. That is, Britain has outsourced a lot of the climate change emissions for which it is responsible.

This page, "abxn.org/ccge/one.percent.html", is an expression of part of a project to understand the links between climate change, global economy and other matters including society's beliefs and aspirations. It is designed to stimulate thinking and discourse. Comments, queries welcome.

This page is written on behalf of the CCGE Group by Andrew Basden, but the views expressed herein are his and not necessarily those of the other members of the Group. Written on the Amiga with Protext in the style of classic HTML. Copyright (c) Andrew Basden all dates below, but you may use this material subject to certain conditions.

Created: 12 October 2026 Last updated: