LONDON, March 26 (UPI) -- A record decline in Britain's greenhouse gas emissions largely was caused by the recession's effect on industry, officials said.
The amount of carbon dioxide and other gases fell by 8.6 percent in Britain in 2009 -- the largest drop since 1990, when pollution levels were first recorded, The Daily Telegraph reported Friday.
An industrial slowdown blamed on the recession meant less pollution from factories, though government programs aimed at reducing pollution also helped, said Joan Ruddock, Britain's Energy and Climate Change minister.
Every sector, including homeowners, contributed to the drop in pollution, Ruddock said.
Members of the Conservative Party chided Ruddock and other leaders of the Labor Party for touting the decline in emissions as beneficial overall.
"Ministers should be embarrassed that their green claims are based on our broken economy," said Greg Clark, an energy spokesman for the Conservative Party.
