In 2022, greenhouse gas emissions from transport in the North East totalled 2,989 kt CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent)
This was just under 33% of total North East greenhouse gas emissions
About 48% of North East transport emissions were from A roads, with 41.5% from minor roads, 7.5% from motorways and the remaining 3% from diesel railways and other transport
Almost half of transport emissions were in County Durham and Northumberland (29% and 20%, respectively). 12% to 13% were in each of Gateshead, Newcastle and Sunderland, with 9% in North Tyneside and 5% in South Tyneside
Taking the resident populations into account, the North East had a lower rate of transport emissions per head than England and the fourth lowest rate among the nine combined authority areas in the north and midlands
Within the North East, transport emissions per head were highest in Gateshead and Northumberland
The relative lack of motorways in the North East means that road transport emissions in 2022 were more likely to be from other road types than was the case nationally or in similar combined authority areas.
North East transport emissions as a % of all emissions
Source: UK local authority and regional greenhouse gas emissions statistics (DESNZ) latest update (2022 data): 27 Jun 2024, next update: summer 2025.
Greenhouse gases in this dataset exclude fluorinated gases which are responsible for around 2% of total UK emissions but are not measured at a sub-national level.
Source: UK local authority and regional greenhouse gas emissions statistics (DESNZ) latest update (2022 data): 27 Jun 2024, next update: summer 2025.
Data information: Combined authority (CA) level data based on sums of local authority level statistics. Kt CO2e: Kilotonnes carbon dioxide equivalent. Greenhouse gases in this dataset exclude fluorinated gases which are responsible for around 2% of total UK emissions but are not measured at a sub-national level.
Source: UK local authority and regional greenhouse gas emissions statistics (DESNZ) latest update (2022 data): 27 Jun 2024, next update: summer 2025.
Data information: Combined authority (CA) level data based on sums of local authority level statistics. Kt CO2e: Kilotonnes carbon dioxide equivalent. Greenhouse gases in this dataset exclude fluorinated gases which are responsible for around 2% of total UK emissions but are not measured at a sub-national level.
Source: UK local authority and regional greenhouse gas emissions statistics (DESNZ) latest update (2022 data): 27 Jun 2024, next update: summer 2025
Data information: Combined authority (CA) level data based on sums of local authority level statistics. t CO2e: tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent.
Greenhouse gases in this dataset exclude fluorinated gases which are responsible for around 2% of total UK emissions but are not measured at a sub-national level. The emissions rate is based on residential population but transport emissions can be produced by non-residents travelling within an area..
Geography: North East combined authority (CA) area, national comparisons, North East local authority areas, CA areas in the North and Midlands with London and West of England for comparisons.
Note:The North East and East and West Midlands CA areas differ from the larger statistical regions of the same name. The West of England LEP area is more consistent with other CA areas than the smaller CA area of the same name.
Source: UK local authority and regional greenhouse gas emissions statistics (DESNZ) latest update (2022 data): 27 Jun 2024, next update: summer 2025.
Data information: Combined authority (CA) level data based on sums of local authority level statistics. Data information: Combined authority (CA) level data based on sums of local authority level statistics.
Geography: North East combined authority (CA) area, national comparisons, North East local authority areas, CA areas in the North and Midlands with London and West of England for comparisons.
Note:The North East and East and West Midlands CA areas differ from the larger statistical regions of the same name. The West of England LEP area is more consistent with other CA areas than the smaller CA area of the same name.
Between 2021 and 2022, transport greenhouse gas emissions in the North East increased by 32 kt CO2e, the second successive annual increase after a much larger rise between 2020 and 2021
The latest rise continued to reflect the impact of the lifting of Covid restrictions after a sharp decrease between 2019 and 2020 when they were introduced
The largest contributor to the North East increase in the latest year was transport on A roads, with emissions from motorway transport actually decreasing
Within the North East, transport emissions in Gateshead, County Durham and Northumberland decreased in the latest year but increased in the other four local authority areas
Despite the increase in the latest two years, the latest North East transport emissions were still 432 kt CO2e lower than in the pre-Covid year of 2019
Falls on emissions from transport on A roads and on minor roads made the largest contributions to the overall decrease in North East emissions since 2019. The fall in emissions in County Durham made the largest contribution to the decrease, geographically.
North East transport emissions, change in latest year by sub-sector
Transport emissions in the North East in 2022 were about 22% lower than in 2005
This change was made up of a gradual decrease of 14% between 2005 and 2013; a small (3%) increase between 2013 and 2019; a 19% decrease between 2019 and 2020 and a 8% increase in the latest two years
Emissions from minor roads, diesel railways and other non-road transport all decreased by a similar percentage between 2005 and 2022 (falls of 26% to 28%). The percentage decrease in emissions from A roads was slightly smaller (20%) but for motorways in was much smaller (a fall of only 3%)
Over the same period, transport emissions in each of the five local authority areas in Tyne and Wear decreased by between 26% and 31% but the percentage decreases in Northumberland and County Durham were less than half this.
North East transport emissions by sub-sector, 2005 onwards
Source: UK local authority and regional greenhouse gas emissions statistics (DESNZ) latest update (2022 data): 27 Jun 2024, next update: summer 2025.
"Other transport" excluded from index due to volatility
In the year to 2022, the North East was one of the four combined authority areas in the north and midlands that had increases in transport emissions. It had the third highest percentage increase among these. Locally, the largest percentage increase was in South Tyneside
The percentage decrease in North East emissions between 2019 and 2022 was the fourth smallest among the nine combined authority areas in the north and midlands. Gateshead, Sunderland and Newcastle had the largest percentage decreases within the North East
Over a longer time period (since 2005) the North East had the median percentage decrease in transport emissions among the north and midlands combined authority areas. Newcastle and Sunderland had the largest percentage decreases, locally
The North East percentage decreases since 2005 in transport emissions from minor roads and diesel railways were both larger than the national equivalent. The percentage decreases from motorways and A roads were both smaller than nationally.
Transport emissions index (2005 = 100), North East, England
Source: UK local authority and regional greenhouse gas emissions statistics (DESNZ) latest update (2022 data): 27 Jun 2024, next update: summer 2025.
Geography: North East combined authority (CA) area, national comparisons, North East local authority areas, CA areas in the North and Midlands with London and West of England for comparisons.
Note:The North East and East and West Midlands CA areas differ from the larger statistical regions of the same name. The West of England LEP area is more consistent with other CA areas than the smaller CA area of the same name.
Source: UK local authority and regional greenhouse gas emissions statistics (DESNZ) latest update (2022 data): 27 Jun 2024, next update: summer 2025.
Geography: North East combined authority (CA) area, national comparisons, North East local authority areas, CA areas in the North and Midlands with London and West of England for comparisons.
Note:The North East and East and West Midlands CA areas differ from the larger statistical regions of the same name. The West of England LEP area is more consistent with other CA areas than the smaller CA area of the same name.
Source: UK local authority and regional greenhouse gas emissions statistics (DESNZ) latest update (2022 data): 27 Jun 2024, next update: summer 2025
Geography: North East combined authority (CA) area, national comparisons, North East local authority areas, CA areas in the North and Midlands with London and West of England for comparisons.
Note:The North East and East and West Midlands CA areas differ from the larger statistical regions of the same name. The West of England LEP area is more consistent with other CA areas than the smaller CA area of the same name.
The Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) publishes annual estimates of end-user greenhouse gas emissions for local authority areas in the UK.
The release covers emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O). and the latest edition was published on 27 June 2024 and includes statistics for 2005 to 2022.
The main data sources are the UK National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory and DESNZ local energy consumption statistics. The local estimates do not include emissions from aviation, shipping and military transport, as these have no obvious basis for allocation to local areas. Emissions of fluorinated gases are also excluded. These accounted for about 2% of UK emissions in 2022, but suitable datasets are not available to estimate these emissions at a local level.
This page focuses on emissions from transport and includes estimates of the breakdown of road transport emissions by road type. It includes comparisons of data for theNorth East combined authority (CA) area, with the data for the other eight CA areas in the North and Midlands and in London and the West of England (the Bristol and Bath area).
