Carbon dioxide emissions from the UK business sector climbed 1.4 per cent in 2006 to 196.1m tonnes, according to government figures released last week.

Business was the only major sector of the economy to see its carbon footprint rise with emissions from transport and residential properties remaining at 2005 levels.

The results also showed that business accounted for 35 per cent of overall UK carbon emissions, while emissions from transport and residential properties accounted for 28 per cent and 27 per cent respectively.

The figures are likely to raise questions from environmentalists about UK plc's progress in tackling its carbon footprint.

However, a spokesman for Defra insisted that based on long-term trends, UK business emissions were continuing to fall. He argued that the small increase in emissions posed little cause for concern.

"If it was a larger rise then we would investigate, but the margin of error is one per cent and the overall trend for both the overall economy and the business sector is downwards," he said, adding that the upwards blip was likely to be due to weather conditions during 2006.

The figures were published as the government also released provisional data showing a two per cent drop in UK greenhouse gas emissions during 2007.

Defra said the fall in emissions was the result of "fuel switching from coal to natural gas for electricity generation, combined with lower fossil fuel consumption by households and industry".

According to the new figures, an increase in the price of coal meant it supplied 9.5 per cent less energy in 2006 while energy from gas rose 17 per cent.

The "dash to gas" means that the UK now emits 18 per cent less than it did in 1990 and has comfortably exceeded its Kyoto target to cut emissions by 12.5 per cent.

Environment secretary Hilary Benn said the UK was "on target to go beyond our Kyoto targets", but urged further action to reduce the economy's carbon footprint.

"While the government can provide encouragement and incentives, we also need individuals and businesses to do their bit to cut their carbon footprint because it's only by all of us tackling climate change that we will achieve success," he said.