Beyond GDP insights – environment, climate and nature, UK: 2025

Annual review of UK progress from an environmental, climate and nature perspective, drawing on a range of official statistics. This article supplements our Measuring progress, well-being and beyond GDP in the UK releases, and our environmental and natural capital accounts.

Main points

• Since the 1980s, the UK climate has been warming at a rate of approximately 0.25 degrees Celsius per decade, and the last three years (2022, 2023, 2024) have all been in the UK's top five warmest on record.
• By 2021, the index of relative abundance of priority species in the UK had declined to 37% of its 1970 baseline value.
• UK residence-based emissions intensity, or emissions per unit of gross value added, fell by 64% between Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 1999 and Quarter 2 (Apr to June) 2025.
• In 2023, the direct turnover of the UK's low carbon and renewable energy economy was an estimated £67.5 billion, up 68% in current prices from 2015, the first comparable figure.
• Between 3 September and 26 October 2025, the most reported ways adults in Great Britain had been affected by climate change in the last 12 months were; heatwaves (55%), strong winds (38%) and drought (26%). 
• Between 2005 and 2023, there was a long-term decrease in total domestic electricity consumption (by 19%) and total gas consumption (by 31%) in Great Britain.