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The carbon footprint refers to emissions that are associated with the consumption spending of UK residents on goods and services, wherever in the world these emissions arise along the supply chain, and those which are directly generated by UK households through private motoring and burning fuel to heat homes. These emissions are often referred to as 'consumption emissions' to distinguish them from estimates relating to the emissions 'produced' within a country's territory or economic sphere. To find out what effect UK consumption has on GHG emissions we need to take into account where the goods we buy come from and their associated supply chains.

Since 1997, the UK economy has continued to move from a manufacturing base towards the services sector. One of the consequences of this is that more of the goods we buy and use are now produced overseas. This statistical release breaks down emissions into: those produced and consumed in the UK; those generated by households directly through heating and motoring; and those emissions relating to imports either from China, USA, Europe or the Rest of the World. It excludes emissions arising from UK produced goods that are exported.