Nitrogen use efficiency in Scotland: annual report 2026

Further information on policies

Since 2021, actions with relevance to improving Scotland’s nitrogen use have been implemented.

Food Production: Agriculture

We continue to take forward actions to deliver the Vision for Agriculture including a phased transitional approach to the new Future Support Framework, as outlined in the updated Agricultural Reform Route Map published autumn 2025.

The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024, in conjunction with the Agriculture (Retained EU Law and Data) (Scotland) Act 2020, provides the powers required to deliver the Agricultural Reform Programme (ARP). The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Act 2024 includes the facilitation of on-farm nature restoration, climate mitigation and adaptation as an overarching objective of Scottish agriculture policy.

In March 2026, we published the Rural Support Plan, a strategic framework to guide the transition of agricultural support through the ARP. The “Code of Practice on Sustainable and Regenerative Agriculture” was also published in March 2026 and offers guidance on actions or measures which can help farmers and crofters contribute to sustainable and regenerative farming. It encourages practices which can improve nitrogen-use efficiency including using nitrogen-fixing legumes, precision application of nutrients, and minimum tillage.

We have introduced the Whole Farm Plan (WFP) to help businesses understand their current performance and identify opportunities for improvement. From 2025, it is part of the conditionality requirements for the Basic Payment Scheme with businesses now required to undertake two from five baseline audits and plans: Animal Health and Welfare Plan, Biodiversity Audit, Carbon Audit, Integrated Pest Management Plan or Soil Analysis. By 2028 at the latest, all businesses will need to have all relevant plans and audits that are applicable to their business in place, including Nutrient Management Plans which are being added to the WFP by 2028. These plans and audits help farmers understand their current performance and identify opportunities for improvement. The carbon audit, soil analysis and the nutrient management plans can support farmers and crofters to identify actions to improve their nitrogen use efficiency.

Claimants for Greening payments must complete an annual nitrogen fertiliser and lime plan for permanent grassland. Changes to rules for Enhanced Greening in 2026 mean that more farmers and crofters will be required to manage some of their land as Ecological Focus Areas (EFAs), and the percentage EFA area on individual farms and crofts has been increased. Several of the available EFA options will increase efficiency of nitrogen use, or reduce the need for artificial nitrogen, for example, Nitrogen-fixing Crops, Catch Crops, Herb and Legume Rich Pastures.

In addition, the “Preparing for Sustainable Farming” (PSF) scheme (which supported carbon audits, soil analysis, and animal health interventions) was extended, with activities performed in 2025 still eligible for funding until February 2026.

Slurry is an important resource to supply nutrients on farm as well as a significant source of methane and nitrogen emissions. Changes to application and management practices can support improved nitrogen use efficiency. The Agriculture Modernisation Fund (AMF) supports the agricultural sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve efficiency, and enhance Scotland’s natural environment through the period of transition.

In 2025, the AMF delivered the Future Farming Investment Scheme (FFIS) which supported investments that improve business efficiency and enhance the environment, including by reducing nitrogen application losses and greenhouse gas emissions. Equipment funded via FFIS which supports improved nitrogen use efficiency includes:

• Seed drills, sprayers, and fertiliser spreaders to optimise nitrogen application rates.
• Mobile or fixed slurry separators to reduce slurry volume, and slurry store covers to reduce nitrogen loss.
• Models designed for integration with GPS guidance systems that support variable rate application, border spreading, and headland management.
• Camera-guided inter-row sprayers that reduce chemical usage.

In 2021, the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 were amended to require the use of precision equipment to apply slurry and liquid digestate by 2023. There are transitional arrangements which provide that precision equipment to apply slurry is not required to be used until 1 January 2027. These transitional provisions do not apply to some large farms and contractors, as mentioned below. The requirements in the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 continued when they were replaced by amendments made to the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR) with effect from 1 November 2025. EASR (as amended) continue to ban the use of splash plates and rain guns to apply slurry. EASR (as amended) also continues to require that contractors who apply slurry and any farms with more than 100 milking cows, or 200 beef cattle livestock units, or pig units with more than 800 fattening pigs or 800 sows, must only apply slurry to land using precision equipment capable of low emission, accurate application such as dribble bars, trailing hose, trailing shoe or direct injection.

We continue to provide extensive guidance and advice for Scottish farmers and crofters to improve their nitrogen use efficiency:

• Scotland’s Farm Advisory Service provides guidance and advice on precision farming and nitrogen use efficiency as well as advice on mandatory measures as part of the Action Programme for Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs).
• Farming and Water Scotland provides guidance and advice to farmers and crofters on diffuse pollution and the water environment, including ‘Know the Rules’ guidance on slurry spreading requirements in EASR (as amended).
• The Scottish Government provides guidance for farmers with holdings within NVZs to help them comply with the Action Programme for Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (Scotland) Regulations 2008.
• The Prevention of Environmental Pollution from Agricultural Activity (PEPFAA) code of good practice was reviewed in 2024 and updated providing practical advice to reduce nitrogen emissions to the environment while benefitting the farm business.

We continue to support research into opportunities to reduce nitrogen emissions and support improved nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) in agriculture:

• Through the Land Use Net Zero Hub, we have commissioned a research project to assess the evidence on the effectiveness of nitrification and urease inhibitors in a Scottish context and develop recommendations on their use to reduce direct N₂O emissions.
• We commissioned ClimateXChange (CXC) to produce a report on “Target setting for nitrogen use efficiency in Scotland” which was published in November 2024. It considered whether the SNBS could be utilised as a data source for developing an NUE target for Scotland. It identified key barriers and opportunities for improving NUE and concluded that a nitrogen use efficiency target for Scottish agriculture is not currently the most appropriate option for Scotland. This is due in part to a lack of alignment between agriculture in practice and as defined through the methodology of the SNBS as well as the complexity of NUE as a concept to communicate compared to, for example, nitrogen waste.

The Environment, natural resources and agriculture – Strategic Research Programme 2022 to 2027 continues to conduct research into how we can reduce emissions from agriculture, including nitrogen emissions. Projects include:

• The Impact of Novel Crops and Farming Technologies on the Scottish Agricultural Landscape. 
• Crop Improvement for Sustainable production in a Changing Environment. 
• Exploring Barley Diversity for resilience and sustainability. 

Food Production: Aquaculture

The Scottish Government’s Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture to 2045, published in July 2023, sets out how the sector can contribute to our Blue Economy and net zero ambitions, while remaining globally recognised as innovative, productive, and sustainable. The Vision is supporting the sector to continue to thrive whilst placing an emphasis on environmental protection and community benefit, and sets the future direction for the sector where it can achieve net zero and adapt to the challenges arising from climate change.

Scotland’s aquaculture website includes data on annual levels of nitrogen emitted from fish farms, provided by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) as part of monitoring and reporting it sets out in authorisations in line with requirements under Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR) (as amended) which came into force from November 2025. The raw data is available on Scotland’s aquaculture website on a site by site basis but is not drawn out in terms of wider reporting or collated data sets. This is published annually. SEPA release annual figures that show the emissions of pollutants including nitrogen and its compounds to air, land, water and wastewater, and offsite waste transfers reported by operators through the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI). These figures can be accessed on SEPA’s SPRI Publications page. From 26 March 2026, under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 and EASR, SEPA are responsible for regulating discharges from marine pen fish farms in the 3 – 12 nautical mile zone, in addition to those within 3 nautical miles.

Under SEPA’s regulatory framework, fish farm operators have to ensure that concentrations of nitrogen in the waterbody or local sea area in which the farm is situated will not exceed the relevant environmental standard for Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (DIN) in Scottish coastal waters as defined in the River Basin District Standards Directions (2024). Operators must also ensure concentrations of un-ionized ammonia do not exceed the Environmental Quality Standard of 0.021 mg/l expressed as an annual average^[1].

SEPA screens fish farm development proposals to assess the likelihood of risks to the marine environment from compounds of nitrogen using the Equilibrium Concentration Enhancement (ECE) method described in Gillibrand et al. (2002)^[2] for sites in sea lochs as defined in guidelines prepared by the Marine Directorate. SEPA applies the open water ECE method described in Gillibrand et al. (2006)^[3] to screen sites in open waters out with sea lochs. Where screening indicates there may be little or no capacity for further inputs of nitrogen into a sea area or where sensitive features are present that may be at risk, fish farm businesses wishing to develop or expand farms have to demonstrate, including by means of suitable marine modelling, that their proposals will not lead to adverse impacts. In cases of greatest risk, operators may need to demonstrate that their proposals will not lead to adverse impacts by means of detailed eutrophication modelling.

Transport

In terms of air quality pollutants resulting from compounds of nitrogen (including ammonia and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)), the Scottish Government in July 2021 published the Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 (CAFS2) Strategy, which sets out the policy framework for further air quality improvements over the period 2021-2026 to protect human health and the environment. It is recognised that NO₂ emissions from transport and combustion more generally can have a significant impact on human health, with high concentrations present close to busy roads. CAFS2 contains a wide range of actions across a number of policy areas which will contribute to reductions in NO₂ emissions and builds upon the measures contained in the original CAFS strategy which ran from 2015-2021. This includes our strategic approach to transport through Scotland’s National Transport Strategy (NTS), published in February 2020, which underpins our efforts to deliver additional air quality improvements in CAFS2. Development of a replacement for CAFS2 commenced during 2025 and is continuing during 2026. A further update will be provided in the 2027 Annual Report.

The NTS embeds the Sustainable Travel Hierarchy in decision making by promoting walking, wheeling, cycling, public transport and shared transport in preference to private car use. It further embeds the Sustainable Investment Hierarchy in investment decisions, recognising the need to reduce unsustainable travel and focus on maintaining and safely operating existing assets over investment in targeted infrastructure improvements.

The Strategy’s Delivery Plans outline a range of actions being undertaken by the Scottish Government to deliver our shared vision for transport, including actions that help to drive a transformational shift away from the most polluting vehicles towards zero exhaust emission vehicles and more sustainable travel options, thereby reducing air quality pollutants. The fifth Delivery Plan, published 18 March 2026, sets out actions the Scottish Government has taken in 2025 and planned activities for 2026, as well as contributions from Regional Transport Partnerships and local authorities.

Transport (Road)

Road transport is the largest source of nitrogen emissions in the transport sector, making actions that helps to reduce emissions in this area particularly important.

Operating at a UK-wide level, the four-nation Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes (VETS) Order 2023 is currently the single most significant policy measure for reducing transport emissions in Scotland, mandating an annual escalation in the proportion of sales of new zero emission cars and vans from 22% of cars and 10% of vans in 2024 to 80% cars and 70% vans by 2030. Alongside reducing carbon emissions, increasing the number of zero emission vehicles on the road will help to reduce NOx emissions. Successful implementation of VETs, also requires complementary policy support such as the provision of electric vehicle (EV) charging and support for EV adoption.

In June 2023 the Scottish Government published its vision for a public EV charging network. Today, Scotland has over 12,000 public EV chargers. Our Vision for public EV charging infrastructure in Scotland was published in June 2023 setting the direction and ambition for the public charging network. Our draft Vision Implementation Plan published in December 2024 set out fifteen actions to enable the delivery on our vision and ambition, largely funded and delivered by the private sector.

The Scottish Government began investing in the charging network in 2011, and estimates from the Scottish Futures Trust show that more recently the private sector invested between £25 million and £35 million in 2023, £40 million and £55 million in 2024, and £50 million to £75 million in 2025.

Through our £30 million EV Infrastructure Fund, we are continuing to support local authorities to work in partnership with the private sector to expand public EV charging across Scotland, with public funding prioritising those areas of Scotland less likely to benefit from stand-alone private sector investment in public EV charging infrastructure, including rural and island communities.

In 2025/26, an additional £4.5 million was confirmed to support the continued development of public charging rural and islands communities. In August 2025 Scottish Ministers launched a new ‘cross pavement charging’ pilot scheme open to all local authorities to participate that offers financial support to eligible residents without off-street parking in participating local authority areas.

Low Emission Zones (LEZs) are now fully operational in Scotland’s four largest cities: Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow. Glasgow’s LEZ began in 2018 with a phased approach to improving emissions from buses first and then expanded, with enforcement covering all vehicles from 2023, with limited local grace periods and exemptions.

Evidence from Glasgow demonstrates the impact of the LEZ on air quality. Glasgow City Council’s 2025 annual air quality report showed an average reduction in nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) concentrations of 34% within the LEZ, compared with a 21% reduction at locations outside the city centre. In addition, LEZ‑wide vehicular nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions in Glasgow have decreased from 76 tonnes/year of NOx in 2018 to 23 tonnes/year in 2024, a reduction of 70%.

Aberdeen’s LEZ was introduced at the end of May 2022, followed by a two‑year grace period, with enforcement starting on 1 June 2024. LEZ‑wide vehicular NOx emissions in Aberdeen have decreased from 17 tonnes per year in 2019 to 4 tonnes per year in 2025, a reduction of 76%. This improvement in Aberdeen is due to the introduction of the LEZ and reduced traffic flows within the city centre.

It is expected that vehicular NOx emissions in Dundee and Edinburgh will also have been reduced following the introduction of their LEZs, with confirmation anticipated once emissions data becomes available later in 2026.

Scotland’s Climate Change Plan (2026-2040) includes policies and proposals to support the transition of Scotland’s HGVs to zero emission vehicles, which will reduce emissions relating to combustion engines. These policies and proposals include investment in replacement of vehicles and deployment of charging infrastructure, as well as development of a skilled workforce to support their adoption and use. The UK Government is committed to phasing out the sale of new non-zero emissions HGVs up to 26 tonnes by 2035, and all new non-zero emission HGVs by 2040. This legislation will cover Scotland.

Following the publication of the Heavy Goods Vehicle (HGV) Decarbonisation Pathway for Scotland in March 2024, stakeholders agreed to continue working collaboratively to support shared learning and to find solutions to bring the costs of decarbonising heavy road vehicles down. Following those discussions, we have continued to build and support collaborations between operators, financiers and the energy sector to develop investment opportunities and explore financial solutions for HGV decarbonisation. In July 2025 we launched an HGV Market Readiness Fund, making £2 million available to support consortia in developing proposals for fleet decarbonisation and infrastructure development, as well as helping SMEs conduct technical analysis for the switch to zero emission vehicles.

During 2025-26 we provided £800k, in addition to the £1.2 million invested since 2019, in supporting the development of skills needed in the decarbonisation of HGVs. This included continuing to work with Scotland’s colleges, improving knowledge sharing networks and funding a range of projects addressing the relevant skills and workforce challenges.

In support of a sector that is >90% dependent on haulage, Scottish Forestry continues to fund projects to reduce the social and environmental impacts of timber transport through the Strategic Timber Transport Fund. This includes the modal shift TimberLINK programme that removes 4,000 HGV timber lorries from roads onto ships avoiding 1 million lorry miles and saving 1,700 tCO₂eq annually. In addition, Scottish Forestry is currently supporting a trial of two 44 tonne BEV HGVs for timber haulage which reduce carbon and nitrogen emissions. Having now been in operation for almost three-years and completed 132,309 km (82,213 miles), avoiding 165 tCO₂eq, the BEV HGVs are comfortably avoiding just over 1 kgCO₂eq per mile per lorry.

Policies that help to increase the uptake of active and sustainable travel can help to reduce dependence on fossil fuel combustion across the transport sector.

In March 2026, Scottish Government announced grants to bus operators under the third and final phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB) to deliver projects in 2026-27 and 2027-28. The funding – up to £45 million will support the delivery of approximately 334 battery electric buses and associated charging infrastructure across Scotland – cutting emissions, improving air quality and supporting our just transition and climate goals.

New delivery models for active travel introduced by Transport Scotland in 2024 are providing tangible impacts on how sustainable travel interventions are planned and implemented across Scotland. The new delivery models put more control and flexibility in the hands of local authorities and regional transport partnerships through providing more direct funding to them. This funding landscape ensures interventions are geared to effecting a modal shift toward more sustainable forms of transport for everyday journeys in communities across Scotland, supporting a truly nationwide approach to reducing emissions and improving air quality. There is evidence of change in both rural and urban settings, for instance: the B9152 road between Aviemore and Carrbridge saw 53% growth in the number of people cycling over the first three months of 2025 vs the same period in 2024; over the two-day survey period on 24 and 25 September 2025, traffic surveys recorded 5,287 bikes on the South City Way cycle route on Victoria Road in the South of Glasgow. This was out of a total of 32,894 methods of travel recorded, meaning that 16.1% of people cycled their journey – a new record for the South City Way.

The planning and delivery of Active Travel projects can also deliver biodiversity benefits. These are primarily achieved through the creation of green corridors which support nature by reducing pollution and emissions, limiting fragmentation, and enhancing ecological connectivity. This, in turn, can support improved human health potential by better connecting people with nature, leading to mental and physical health and wellbeing benefits.

Transport (Aviation)

Within the transport sector, domestic aviation is the second largest contributor to nitrogen emissions after road transport. International aviation falls outside the scope of the SNBS.

While Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) will be a key technology to support decarbonisation and reduce emissions in the aviation sector in the short to medium term (alongside other measures such as general improvements in the fuel efficiency of existing aircraft), the development of new hydrogen, electric and hybrid aircraft will be particularly important for tackling nitrogen emissions.

Scotland is well suited to leading on zero emission flight, thanks to our strong aviation sector, our renewable skills and our well-developed islands connectivity. Whilst aviation policy largely remains reserved (with the UK Government’s Jet Zero decarbonisation strategy applying across the UK), the Scottish Government has prioritised encouraging collaboration within the sector as far as possible. This is to ensure that as companies continue to develop electric and hydrogen aircraft, the infrastructure required to facilitate this zero-emission transformation has been carefully considered in advance.

To support this, in June 2025 Ministers chaired a roundtable of key stakeholders within the aviation sector. The purpose was to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with facilitating the operation of low and zero emissions aircraft in Scotland.

A key aviation policy set out in the Climate Change Plan (2026 – 2040) – and the Scottish Government’s Aviation Statement – is a commitment, led by Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL), to make the Highlands and Islands a zero-emission aviation region by 2040. Following the publication of its Sustainability Strategy, HIAL continues with its programme of activity to decarbonise airport operations and infrastructure.

Aviation is also included within the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Working with other governments in the UK as part of the ETS Authority, we have set a tighter limit on emissions including from short haul and domestic aviation emissions. This incentivises aircraft operators to reduce their emissions.

Transport (Ferries and shipping)

While domestic shipping contributes less to nitrogen emissions than road transport and aviation, it can be a source of localised emissions, especially while in port and therefore remains a source of emissions to be considered.

UK Government has committed to aim for zero fuel lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in domestic UK maritime to by 2050, with at least a 30% reduction by 2030 and an 80% reduction by 2040, relative to 2008 levels.

We work with individual ports and the British Ports Association to consider a process for encouraging shared best practice initiatives for reducing emissions across the sector. Working with the ports sector and with its statutory consultees through the Harbour Order process to ensure future port developments are environmentally underpinned.

The Scottish Government is increasing the ability of our ferries to utilise low-carbon renewable electricity for their battery charging requirements (where applicable, and for both primary propulsion and for auxiliary purposes). While low carbon solutions can be more costly than conventional technologies, particularly in the shorter term, electrified vessels are increasingly competitive for smaller vessels within the ferry fleet. We have commissioned seven new electric vessels (Small Vessel Replacement Programme – Phase One) for routes across the west coast, currently under construction – first vessel delivery expected 2027. Despite the focus on carbon reduction, electrification also reduces nitrogen impacts through NOx formation from combustion engines.

Additional scope for emissions reduction includes potential measures which could lower emissions from vessels using conventional (combustion-engine) propulsion, improvements to port assets and associated operations, and operating our networks as efficiently as possible.

Provision of shore power connections at ports on the ferry network has already commenced. Shore charging facilities at slipway locations will enable the roll-out of our all-electric new smaller vessel fleet. Other decarbonisation initiatives at ports include evaluation and site-specific adoption of appropriate low- and zero-carbon technologies, design standards, and materials. Again, decarbonisation measures can also have a benefit for nitrogen impact reduction.

Transport (Rail)

While its contribution is smaller than other transport modes, rail transport is also a source of nitrogen emissions, largely from diesel trains which emit nitrogen oxides as a by-product of combustion.

The Scottish Government is progressing our commitment to decarbonise Scotland’s railway. In November 2025, we published Rail Recharged: Scotland’s Fleet Transition Strategy, which set out the considerable progress the Scottish Government has made towards electrifying and modernising Scotland’s railway. Our investment in electrification to date means that over three quarters of rail journeys are now made on electric traction.

On 8 December 2025, we completed the electrification and enhancement of the East Kilbride line delivered through £144 million of Scottish Government investment. This followed on from the completion of electrification of Glasgow to Barrhead in December 2023.

We will introduce new electric and battery-electric trains on parts of our Suburban network, namely the Borders, Fife and selected Strathclyde routes. In September 2025 the Cabinet Secretary for Transport announced the start of the procurement exercise to replace the trains operating on these routes. This will be the first time battery-electric trains have been used on the Scottish rail network and will be an important addition to ScotRail’s zero-emission fleet. This procurement will enable the removal of 42 diesel trains, eliminating their NOx emissions.

We will replace our Inter7City train fleet by the end of 2028. These trains serve Scotland’s seven largest cities, and operate at railway stations either within, or within proximity, of Air Quality Management Areas (AQMAs) declared for NO₂ in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee; they are also the largest source of nitrogen emissions for ScotRail. The replacement trains will have considerably lower emissions than the current fleet, reducing nitrogen emissions by circa 50% compared with the current fleet.

Humans and settlements (including waste management)

Moving to a circular economy in Scotland is key to ensuring optimal, sustainable use of nitrogen inputs to the economy. Circular economy and waste policies can support Scotland’s nitrogen objectives in three main ways: by preventing waste, especially food waste, and therefore avoiding unnecessary upstream nitrogen inputs; by reducing nitrogen losses to air, water and land from landfill, incineration, and other treatment routes; and by recovering nitrogen containing resources from organic wastes and waste water where this can be done safely and effectively. Our Climate Change Plan (2026-2040) sets out our vision that by 2045 Scotland’s cultural, social and business norms will be driven by a focus on:

• Responsible production, where a circular economy is embraced by the businesses and organisations that supply products, ensuring the maximum life and value from the natural resources used to make them,
• Responsible consumption, where people and businesses are enabled to make sustainable choices and demand products and services in ways which respect the limits of our natural resources. Unnecessary waste, in particular food waste, will be unacceptable in Scotland, and
• Maximising value from waste and energy, where the environmental and economic value of wasted resources and energy is harnessed efficiently.

To achieve this, we need fundamental changes in the way that resources are produced, consumed and managed. This means accelerating action across society to reduce the demand for raw material in products; encourage reuse and repair through responsible production and consumption; and recycle resources and energy to maximise the value of any waste that is generated, while minimising environmental and climate impacts.

As set out in the section above, the Circular Economy Strategy for Scotland, the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map and Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 complement the existing, wide-ranging measures we have delivered, and set out key priorities to meet our sustainable resource objectives, improve how efficiently nitrogen is used and support our drive to tackle climate change. This is reflected in the waste sector policy package outlined in the Climate Change Plan (2026-2040).

Addressing nitrogen losses and reducing demand for nitrogen inputs associated with food production and consumption is a significant challenge, and food waste reduction measures are one aspect of this. Efforts continue to target food waste prevention as part of the overall approach to address nitrogen losses associated with the food system. Work has focused on supporting households and businesses to cut food waste, building on findings from the Review of the 2019 Food Waste Reduction Action Plan and aligning with priorities in Scotland’s Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030.

In 2025, we funded Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) to lead the development of a household behaviour change intervention plan and ZWS has assessed interventions, helped address research gaps, and engaged with partners across the food and drink and household sectors to progress this work. We have also continued to participate in WRAP’s UK Food and Drink Pact to help steer priorities and consider insights from industry on what opportunities and challenges there are for businesses operating across the UK to reduce incidences of food being wasted. Engagement across the four UK nations continued throughout 2025-26, with a focus on sharing information and learning between governments and delivery partners on current or planned measures to reduce food waste, as well as new research.

Reducing the amount of food, and other wastes with a high nitrogen content, sent to landfill can reduce the nitrogen content of landfill leachate, and therefore, reduce the amount released to the environment.

Current measures to divert waste from landfill include the ban on biodegradable municipal waste going to landfill, which came into force from 31 December 2025.^[4] In March 2025 we published a Call for Evidence around the potential to extend the ban on biodegradable municipal waste to landfill to include biodegradable non-municipal wastes.

By reducing food waste sent to landfill we are preventing valuable nutrients from being lost, while processes like composting and anaerobic digestion for organic wastes can help recycle nitrogen back into productive use. Our Recycling Improvement Fund was launched in March 2021, and more than £66 million has been awarded to 27 local authority projects to improve recycling infrastructure. Zero Waste Scotland estimate that projects will benefit more than two-thirds of Scottish households and reduce annual CO₂e emissions by 62,741 tonnes. Projects include funding improvements to food waste recycling across Scotland.

Forests, woodlands and terrestrial semi-natural ecosystems

The UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) is the technical standard for sustainable forest management, which was developed and agreed by the devolved governments of the UK. The UKFS and its associated Practice Guides outline best practices for managing forests to protect water environment, create and manage riparian woodlands, and manage forests in acid sensitive catchments. The guidance aligns and goes beyond legislative requirements to safeguard the water environment. A recent update to the UKFS Practice Guide Managing Forest Operations to Protect the Water Environment reflects the minimum protective buffers outlined in the most recent publication of the UKFS.

The Scottish Government supports tree planting through the Forestry Grant Scheme for which, compliance with the UKFS is required to obtain funding. Applications for Long Term Forest Plans and Felling Permissions are also assessed against the UKFS. Scottish Forestry supports the Forestry and Water Scotland Website which is a collaborative projective to ensure best practice across the sector with a focus on protecting and improving Scotland’s water environment by reducing rural diffuse pollution.

SEPA and NatureScot in partnership with United Kingdom Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) have developed a web application that provides access to the latest modelled estimates of nitrogen deposition and ammonia concentrations at a site level for protected areas. These protected areas include Special Areas of Conservation (SAC), Special Protection Areas (SPA) and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The data presented in the app allow the Scottish agencies to work more collectively towards reducing the impacts of nitrogen on the environment. The app also assists with identifying areas that require specific attention, with promoting mitigation measures and monitoring impacts on our habitats. The app also supports more direct action working with landowners to develop and implement local emission reduction measures to improve protection to sensitive habitats.

The app allows permitting staff to understand the impact of other sources of atmospheric nitrogen around a designated feature and provides information to inform a decision on whether a new proposal can be permitted. SEPA use the app to identify areas where additional sources of atmospheric nitrogen are likely to cause damage to protected sites. This allows SEPA to advise applicants at an early stage that mitigation will be required to bring down the process contribution.

Another web application which assists with understanding the level of atmospheric nitrogen pollution on protected areas is the UK Air Pollution Information System (APIS). This tool provides information on critical load and level data for designated features across protected sites, together with pollutant data for nitrogen and acid deposition and concentration of gases including NH₃ and NOx.