Key points

Agricultural sector and subsectors

• In 2024, total GHG emissions from Scottish agriculture were 7.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e). Total agriculture emissions in 2024 were at their second-lowest level since current records began in 1990.
• Scottish agriculture emissions fell by 0.4% in 2024, compared with the previous year.
• An increase in emissions from fuel combustion (15.3%, 0.1 MtCO2e) was offset by reductions across all other emissions sources. Emissions from agricultural soils, enteric fermentation, liming and urea application all fell in 2024. Over the same period, total cattle and sheep numbers fell by 1 and 2% respectively. Fertiliser use also decreased slightly in 2024, with rates remaining lower than pre-2022 levels.
• Total agriculture emissions have been in a long-term decline. Since 1990 agriculture emissions have fallen by 13.7% from 8.7 MtCO2e to 7.5 MtCO2e. Over the same period, net emissions in Scotland fell by 50.5% (from 78.7 MtCO2e in 1990 to 39.0 MtCO2e in 2024).  
• The long-term fall in emissions from agriculture is largely driven by falling livestock numbers. From 1990 to 2024 cattle and sheep numbers have decreased by 21% and 35%, respectively.
• The suckler beef subsector is the largest contributor to total agriculture emissions. In 2024 suckler beef emissions contributed 41.2% of total agriculture emissions. Suckler beef emissions fell by 0.7 MtCO2e (18.8%) between 1990 and 2024. 

Average farm emissions

• In 2024-25 average farm emissions were stable at 4.2 tCO2e/ha. Increased diesel emissions were offset by reduced fertiliser use across most farm types compared with 2023-24.
• Average cereals production emission intensity rose by 14% to 293 kgCO2e/tonne crop on cereal farms and by 6% to 258 kgCO2e/tonne crop on general cropping farms from 2023-24. Increases were partly driven by higher diesel use across arable farm types. Higher fertiliser use on some general cropping farms also contributed to the increase in average cereals emission intensity in 2024-25.   
• Across the livestock farm types included in the FBS, average beef emission intensity was stable compared with the previous year. Average beef emission intensity ranged from 29.2 to 33.4 kgCO2e/kg deadweight in 2024-25.
• In 2024-25, Less Favoured Area (LFA) sheep farms in the FBS sample had the highest average sheep emission intensity at 38.4 kgCO2e/kg deadweight. This is an increase of 5% from 2023-24.

Average farm nitrogen use and efficiency

• Nitrogen balance, the difference between nitrogen inputs and outputs, was 46.1 kg N surplus/ha in 2024-25 for the average Scottish farm. A small increase of 3% from 2023-24 was mostly driven by increased average fertiliser inputs on general cropping farms. Despite the small increase, nitrogen balance remains below pre-2022 levels.
• Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), the ratio of nitrogen outputs to inputs, was stable at around 33% for the average farm in 2024-25.

Results for the agriculture sector, along with national greenhouse gas emissions, were released in the Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics 2024 publication. This report includes subsector analysis based on a methodology developed by SRUC. Subsector analysis allocates total Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics emissions from agriculture to subsectors that align more closely with agricultural enterprises.

Farm level results are calculated from the 2024-25 Farm Business Survey, which covered the 2024 cropping year and the 2024-25 financial year. The Farm Business Survey is an annual survey of approximately 400 commercial farms with economic activity of at least approximately £20,000. Farms which do not receive support payments, such as pigs, poultry and horticulture, are not included in the survey. On-farm emissions are estimated using a life cycle assessment (LCA) based carbon calculator (Agrecalc). Enterprise estimates are not weighted to the 2024 June Agricultural Census and represent sample averages of farms in Farm Business Survey. Nitrogen estimates are based on standard estimates of nitrogen content in all farm inputs and outputs where possible.