Energy and water consumption in the agricultural sector

You asked

Please provide the following information:

1. Information on the total water consumption of the agricultural sector in the five years to 2018 (actual quantities not percentages)
2. Information on the consumption by agricultural sector in the five years to 2018 (actual quantities not percentages)
3. Information on the total energy consumption of the agricultural sector in the five years to 2018 (actual quantities not percentages)
4. Information on the consumption by agricultural sector in the five years to 2018 (actual quantities not percentages)
5. Information on GHG emissions by agricultural sector (actual quantities not percentages)

We said

Thank you for your request for data relating to the quantities of water and energy used within the agricultural sector, along with GHG emissions (including CO2, methane, NO, and SO2). We have considered your request under the Environmental Information Regulation (EIR) 2004.

We publish data on energy use and air emissions by Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) annually as part of our Environmental Accounts bulletin. Data are available for the agriculture (including hunting and fishing) sector. The latest set of accounts cover include data from 1990 to 2015 and I have provided information relevant to your queries below. We are due to publish the Environmental Accounts 2018, which will include 2016 data, on 12th July. Because part of your request is for material that is still being completed, we find that regulation 12(4)(d) of EIR applies. This exception is subject to consideration of the public interest test. Whilst we recognise the desirability of information being freely available, we also acknowledge that public authorities must have the freedom to be able to determine their own publication timetables. This allows them to deal with the necessary preparation, administration, and context of publication. Furthermore, public interest is best served through the public having confidence that the information published by ONS is accurate and final. Release on an ad-hoc basis would not achieve this aim and will cause unnecessary confusion if they were to be misrepresented. In this case, exempting the information clearly outweighs the public interest in disclosure.

Unfortunately, we do not hold information on water use. In the 2015 Environmental Accounts we included some data on water use and abstraction, relating to 2011. The source of this data was the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and it has not been updated since. In 2011, direct abstraction from freshwater by the agriculture, forestry and fishing sector was 878.7 million cubic metres, just over 20% of total water abstraction. A further breakdown was not included in the accounts but this information may be available from DEFRA.

Energy

Energy consumption (reallocated) for the agriculture sector was 116,873 Terajoules, or 2.79 million tonnes of oil equivalent, in 2015. This was slightly up on 2014, but 8% below 1990 levels. We also publish energy intensity figures, energy use (reallocated) per gross value added (GVA). In 2015, energy intensity for the agriculture sector was 2% higher than in 2014, at 9.8 terajoules per £ million of value added. However, this was 30% below 1990 levels.

Greenhouse gas emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), hydro-flurocarbons (HFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs), sulphur hexafluoride (SF6) and nitrogen trifluoride (NF3). In 2015, greenhouse gas emissions for the agriculture sector were 51,233.8 thousand tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent. This was a very similar level to 2014, but 15% below 1990 levels. Of this total, 7,219.5 thousand tonnes related to carbon dioxide and 27,653.5 tonnes (of carbon dioxide equivalent) related to methane.

Sulphor dioxide and nitrogen oxides are considered indirect greenhouse gasses and are reported separately. In 2015, sulphur dioxide emissions for the agriculture sector were 0.3 thousand tonnes. This was up from 0.2 thousand tonnes in 2014, but 97% below 1990 levels. Nitrogen oxide emissions by the agriculture sector were 16 thousand tonnes of sulphur dioxide equivalent in 2016, down 3% since 2014 and 75% on 1990 levels.

For your convenience, please find a spreadsheet in the associated downloads containing the last four years of available data for the information you have requested. I have also included links to the datasets from which this came below.

In relation to your further question on the Government’s assessment of the environmental services provided by UK Agriculture to the economy, and the risks posed by the UK’s departure from the EU to environmental protection and overall sustainability, we do not hold any information on this. You may be better placed contacting Defra.

Links:
Latest Environmental Accounts bulletin: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/bulletins/ukenvironmentalaccounts/2017

2015 Environmental Accounts bulletin (including 2011 data on water use): https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/bulletins/ukenvironmentalaccounts/2015-07-09#water-use

Reallocated energy use including energy intensity: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/datasets/ukenvironmentalaccountsenergyreallocatedenergyconsumptionandenergyintensityunitedkingdom

Greenhouse gas emissions by sector: https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/datasets/ukenvironmentalaccountsatmosphericemissionsgreenhousegasemissionsbyeconomicsectorandgasunitedkingdom

Acid rain precursors by sector (including SO2 and NOx): https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/environmentalaccounts/datasets/ukenvironmentalaccountsatmosphericemissionsacidrainprecursoremissionsbyeconomicsectorandgasunitedkingdom