Agriculture subsector total GHG emissions

Total arable emissions rose in 2024

In 2024, arable and other (including pigs, poultry, and non-agriculture) were the only subsectors with increased emissions from the previous year increasing 1.9% and 1.7% respectively. The rise was driven by increased fuel combustion from machinery, which is widely used in arable farming.

Suckler beef, dairy, sheep and dairy beef emissions fell by about 1% each in 2024, compared with the previous year. Falling emissions from agricultural soils and enteric fermentation drove the decrease in emissions for these subsectors.

Suckler beef remains the largest source of total agricultural emissions in 2024

Figure 3: Agriculture GHG emissions in Scotland, by subsector, 2023 and 2024

In 2024, suckler beef accounted for 41.2% (3.1 MtCO2e) of total agricultural emissions and more than 52.3% of enteric fermentation emissions. This makes suckler beef the largest contributor to agricultural emissions.  

The second largest contribution in 2024 was from arable (19.6% or 1.5 MtCO2e), closely followed by dairy (17.5% or 1.3 MtCO2e) and sheep (15.5% or 1.2 MtCO2e).

Dairy beef and other subsectors (including pigs, poultry, and non-agriculture) accounted for a small proportion (around 3% each) of total agriculture emissions in 2024. 

Falling livestock numbers drove the decrease in agricultural emissions from 1990 to 2024

The suckler beef subsector had the largest share of agriculture emissions from 1990 to 2024.

Reductions in emissions from suckler beef have contributed to the largest absolute decrease in total agriculture emissions since the baseline period.

From 1990 to 2024 suckler beef emissions fell by 0.7 MtCO2e (18.8%). This was driven by declining cattle numbers over the same period, from 2.1 million in 1990 to 1.7 million in 2024, a decrease of 21%.

The suckler beef subsector’s contribution to total agriculture emissions fell from 43.8% in 1990 to 41.2% in 2024.

Emissions from arable farming, which has the next largest share of total emissions, increased by 15.1% from 1990 to 2024. This the only subsector with increased emissions compared with 1990, driven by increased emissions from machinery and fertiliser use.  

Dairy and sheep emissions, moderate contributors to total agriculture emissions, fell by 0.3 MtCO2e (18.1% and 19.5% respectively) from 1990 to 2024.     

A breakdown of emission sources by subsector is available to explore on the Agriculture Statistics Hub and to download under Supporting documents.

Table 1: Agriculture GHG emissions in Scotland, by subsector, 1990, 2023 and 2024