Residential buildings greenhouse gas emissions in the UK 2021, by construction period
Regardless of the construction period, rural residential buildings in the England and Wales had higher carbon footprint than urban buildings in 2021. Unsurprisingly, newly built housing had lower per square meter carbon emissions: For example, the annual carbon dioxide emissions of urban residential units built between 1930 and 1949 were 53.9 kilograms per square meter, while a unit built after 2007 had half the emissions. Although emissions from the housing sector have decreased since 1990, they are forecast to rise slightly until 2040.
