As per the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC), UK's carbon dioxide emissions reduced by 1.5% in 2007. The output of all six greenhouse gases, including methane and nitrous oxide, was down 1.7% on 2006 levels. Homes contributed immensely by producing 3.8 million tonnes (4.6%) less carbon dioxide, and businesses, which cut their emissions by 2.4 million tonnes (2.6%). But the transport sector saw rise in the emissions of 1.3 million tonnes.

Extra 1.2 million tonnes were produced from the industrial sector.

The DECC statistics further said that the UK’s output of the six greenhouse gases covered by the Kyoto Protocol, which sets legally-binding targets for countries to cut their emissions, was down 21.7% in 2007.

This figure is a bit less, 18.4%, if it does not include purchasing carbon credits under emissions trading schemes, but still puts the UK well ahead of its target under Kyoto to cut emissions by 12.5% during 2008-2012.

UK has to cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 20% below 1990 levels by 2010 – which it has long been expected to be missed.

Emissions of CO2 were 12.8% less on 1990 levels in 2007, or 8.5% without counting carbon trading.

The Climate Change Act has also set targets to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050, and CO2 by at least 26% by 2020.

Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Miliband said: It’s good to see us making progress towards reducing our greenhouse gas emissions and we are on course to double our Kyoto commitment by 2012.

But we need to reduce emissions even more quickly and I believe the policies we are putting in place now will set us on that path to meet the challenging targets we set ourselves in the Climate Change Act.

World Development Movement (WDM) accused the UK government of creative accounting with the figures that showed significant cuts on 1990 levels of carbon dioxide because they did not count aviation and included emissions trading.

Benedict Southworth, director of WDM said: Today’s figures have been manipulated to include supposed reductions that have taken place outside the UK, not by the UK.

The Government must stop cooking the books and cut carbon emissions in the UK, as well as encouraging cuts around the world, if they are not to be known as the biggest ‘greenwashers’ of all.