Energy-consuming London from a bird's eye view

Welcome to London – a city that consumes more energy than other European countries. From above, the bright lights of the financial district of the City and Docklands seem unusually beautiful, but every year London consumes 150,000 GW of energy – more than enough to light up the whole of Ireland, and also equal to the energy consumption of Portugal and Greece.

Aerial view of North London. (Jason Hawkes / Bar­croft Media)

Photographer Jason Hawkes took a bird's-eye view of London's most famous landmarks at night. 43% of all London's carbon dioxide comes from such commercial buildings. Pictured: the neon lights of Piccadilly Circus. (Jason Hawkes / Bar­croft Media)

Despite improvements in construction methods and an increase in the number of nuclear power plants, 74% of all UK electricity is still generated from fossil fuels, which, when burned, release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It, according to most scientists, significantly accelerates global climate change. Pictured: The Royal Albert Hall. (Jason Hawkes / Barcroft Media)

London's seven million people need 125 times more land to support the 5.9 tonnes of carbon dioxide consumed by one resident per year. Pictured: Stradford and Olympic Park. (Jason Hawkes / Barcroft Media)

But there is also good news for the environment – despite London's growth over the past decade, energy consumption has fallen. Now 44.7 million tons of carbon dioxide are produced, which is 1% less than it was in the 90s. Pictured: Cucumber Tower and Heron Tower. (Jason Hawkes / Barcroft Media)

The Shard London Bridge skyscraper under construction in the City district. (Jason Hawkes / Bar­croft Media)

The same skyscraper is closer. (Jason Hawkes / Bar­croft Media)

The company "Swiss Re" is located in a building that Londoners call "Cucumber". (Jason Hawkes / Bar­croft Media)

Wembley Stadium during a football match. (Jason Hawkes / Bar­croft Media)

Wembley Night Stadium. (Jason Hawkes / Bar­croft Media)

The London Eye is a Ferris wheel. (Jason Hawkes / Bar­croft Media)

Olympic Park at night. (Jason Hawkes / Bar­croft Media)

St. Paul's Night Cathedral. (Jason Hawkes / Bar­croft Media)

City and North London at night. (Jason Hawkes / Bar­croft Media)

Piccadilly Circus at night. (Jason Hawkes / Bar­croft Media)

The city on the other side of the River Thames. (Jason Hawkes / Bar­croft Media)