Jersey’s greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 48% between 1990 and 2023, according to a new report. The island produced 357,626 tonnes of greenhouse gases in 2023, compared with nearly 700,000 in 1990. The reduction is largely due to a decrease in emissions from energy supply.
The government’s Carbon Neutral Roadmap aims to make Jersey net zero by 2050 in line with the Paris Agreement, with a public commitment to spend £23 million on measures between 2022 and 2025.
In 2023, the biggest contributors to the island’s total emissions were transport (43%) and heating buildings (33%). Emissions in the transport sector have decreased by 23% since 1990. Emissions from the residential sector accounted for 14% of the 2023 total and have dropped by 55% since 1990. Almost all emissions were from the burning of fuels in homes, mainly for heating and cooking. Switching from fossil fuel-powered heating systems to low-carbon alternatives has a significant impact on emissions.
However, the report noted that overall emission levels were stagnant between 2022 and 2023, with only a 0.2% reduction. To achieve the 2030 target of a 68% reduction from 1990 levels, emissions will need to be reduced by 39% from the 2023 figure, an annual rate of 7%. The report suggests that the target cannot be achieved without significant policy measures to reduce emissions.
The Carbon Neutral Roadmap includes specific sub-targets to be met by 2030, such as ending the registration of new petrol and diesel cars and small vans, decarbonising 67% of vehicles, and decarbonising 75% of domestic and 50% of commercial fossil fuel boilers. As of December 2024, only 3.6% of vehicles were electric, and an incentive scheme to decarbonise boilers has had very little impact.
The government has established a Climate Emergency Fund to support the Carbon Neutral Roadmap, with an anticipated total of £23 million allocated for the first delivery phase (2022–2025). However, it is recognised that the fund is not sufficient to finance all the policies needed to achieve the roadmap, and additional revenue streams are being considered.
Despite the challenges, the government remains committed to its net-zero target by 2050 and continues to implement measures outlined in the Carbon Neutral Roadmap
