Committee on Climate Change

The latest inventory emission data for Scotland is currently for 2009. This shows that Scotland accounted for  9% of UK emissions, slightly higher than its population and GDP shares (8%). 

Scotland’s targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions include emissions from international aviation and shipping. On that basis, the latest data show that 51.0 MtCO₂e in 2009, and are 29% lower than in 1990.  Excluding international aviation and shipping, emissions fell 30% from 1990 (to 48.1 MtCO₂e), which is slightly further than the UK average (28% reduction from 1990). 

Scottish emissions targets are also set on a net basis (i.e. after accounting for trading in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS)). In 2009 emissions after adjusting for trading were 52.0 MtCO₂e, (i.e. slightly above gross emissions, suggesting Scotland was a net seller of European Union Allowances in 2009), a 28% reduction from the 1990 base year.

With the exception of transport, emissions have fallen in all sectors overall since 1990. In 2009 emissions in Scotland fell by 7% overall, and in every sector:

• The energy supply sector (which is dominated by power generation) is the largest emitter of GHGs in Scotland, at 18.2 MtCO₂e in 2009. This is an 18% reduction from 1990 levels, including a 7% drop in 2009.
   
• Emissions in the residential sector were 7.3 MtCO₂e in 2009 (14% of Scotland’s total emissions). Emissions were 10% lower in 2009 than in 1990 and fell 6% in 2009 which was likely due to a combination of recessionary impacts, increasing gas prices, relatively mild temperatures for most of 2009 and some implementation of insulation measures.
   
• Emissions from the public and business sectors were 3.8 MtCO₂e in 2009, down from 4.4 MtCO₂e in 2008 (this covers emissions from public and commercial sector buildings, and from non-energy intensive industry (i.e. non-traded emissions outside the EU ETS) . Much of this 15% reduction is likely to have resulted from recession-related reduction in demand (e.g. commercial output fell by 3% in 2009, and industrial output by 6%).
   
• Total transport emissions in 2009 amounted to 13.6 MtCO₂e, the majority (9.5 MtCO₂e) of which was from road transport. Overall, emissions (including international aviation and shipping) have increased 4% since 1990 and within that:
  -  Road transport emissions increased 4% from 1990 levels
  -  International shipping emissions were 14% lower in 2009 than in 1990
  -  International aviation emissions were 144% higher in 2009 than in 1990
   
•  Emissions from the agriculture and related land use sector stood at 10.6 MtCO₂e in 2009, accounting for 21% of total Scottish GHGs:
  - Since 1990, agriculture and related land use emissions have fallen 27%, due to a reduction in livestock numbers in that time and a reduction in emissions associated with agricultural land use.
  - In 2009 emissions from agriculture accounted for 10.6 MtCO₂e, having stayed flat from 2008.
  - Agriculture-related land use emissions stood at 2.8 MtCO₂e in 2009, falling 4% from 2008 due to lower emissions from land converted to cropland and an increased sink from grassland.
   
• The forestry sector in Scotland is a net sink for emissions. The size of the sink has increased between 1990 and 2009, from -8.3 MtCO2e to just under -10 MtCO₂e in 2009. However, since 2004, the forestry sink has seen a slight decrease due to a drop off in historic planting rates
   
• Waste sector emissions in Scotland stood at 2.1 MtCO₂e in 2009, accounting for 4% of total GHGs. Emissions in 2009 were 68% below 1990 levels, with the reduction over this period due mainly to an increase in methane recovery systems at landfill sites.

The latest disaggregated emission inventories for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are available from the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory.

*Note: we present Scotland’s estimated share of international aviation and shipping emissions as these emissions are included in Scotland’s emission reduction targets. International aviation and shipping emissions are reported separately as memo items in the NAEI and are not included in the totals for Wales and Northern Ireland reported elsewhere on these pages*