Emissions caused by cars, trains and other vehicles in Shropshire fell by a record amount in 2020, new figures show.

Friends of the Earth said though a national drop in transport emissions is not surprising due to successive lockdowns during the first year of the coronavirus pandemic, the Government should do more to encourage people to switch to electric vehicles or ditch their cars entirely as emissions rebound.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy figures show transport – including cars, trains and other modes of travel – caused 601 kilo-tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (ktCO2e) emissions in Shropshire in 2020.

This was down from 743 the year before and the largest decrease since 2005, when records began – that year, transport emissions hit 764 ktCO2e.

Carbon dioxide equivalent determines the amount of CO2 that would need to be emitted to equal the same global warming potential of other produced greenhouse gases.

Road vehicles accounted for 91% of transport emissions, while diesel-powered trains produced a further 2%.

Across the UK, the carbon footprint caused by transport dropped by a record 23,350 ktCO2e (18%), from 130,021 to 106,671.

Friends of the Earth attributed the dramatic fall to the general public travelling less during lockdown.

Nationally, 377,680 ktCO2e of greenhouse gases were emitted in 2020 – down from 416,168 the year prior.

Shropshire's total greenhouse gas emissions fell to 2,642 ktC02e in 2020, down 7% from 2,642 the year before.

Of this, 23% was caused by transport, while commercial emissions accounted for 3%, industry produced 7% and domestic use 18%.

The average person in Shropshire produced eight tCO2e in 2020.