London Energy and Greenhouse Gas Inventory (LEGGI)

The London Energy and Greenhouse Gas Inventory (LEGGI) is an emissions inventory which quantifies greenhouse gas emissions released to the environment from activities in London. It also quantifies emissions removed through Land Use, Land Change and Forestry sector activities.

It is produced on an annual basis to measure progress against the Mayor's emissions reduction targets for London.

The inventory provides emissions in the following five categories:

I. Stationary Energy

II. Transport

III. Waste

IV. Industrial processes and product use (IPPU)

V. Agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU)

Publications earlier than the 2018 LEGGI only included emissions in the first two of these categories. However, LEGGI now provides estimates of these additional sectors for earlier years.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting restrictions introduced in 2020 across London and the UK had major impacts on various aspects of society and the economy, which had a significant impact on greenhouse gas emissions. 2020 statistics should therefore be cited with caution.

In 2022, London’s emissions were 28.40 million tonnes (MtCO 2 e). Over the short-term, emissions went down from 31.94 MtCO 2 e in 2019 (pre-pandemic), to 28.37MtCO 2 e in 2021 and then in 2022 there was a very small ‘pandemic rebound effect’ as emissions increased to 28.40 MtCO 2 e. 

Over the longer term, emissions are 37 per cent lower than 1990 levels and 44 per cent below the peak of emissions in 2000. Despite a 30 per cent increase in population since 1990 and significant economic growth over that period, London’s per capita emissions have reduced by 52 per cent, from 6.7 tCO 2 e in 1990 to 3.2 tCO 2 e in 2022. Compared to the rest of the UK, London has the lowest per capita emissions of any region.