Scottish agriculture greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen use: methodology
Methodology for Scottish agriculture greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen use publications.
Last updated: 9 June 2026.
Introduction
This report provides information on the methodology for estimating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for Scottish agricultural subsectors and GHG emission and nitrogen use estimates for average Scottish farms by farm type. Information is included about estimation methods and limitations.
Estimates of GHG emissions for the Scottish agriculture sector are as reported in the Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics 2024. Methodology for these results is available alongside the publication.
Estimates of GHG emissions by agricultural subsector are created by allocating total GHG emissions, as reported in the Greenhouse Gas Statistics 2024, to agricultural subsectors. More information is available in Agricultural subsector estimates methodology.
Average farm GHG emissions and nitrogen use estimates are produced using data collected in the Farm Business Survey. Information about the methodology used to produce these estimates is available in Farm level GHG emissions estimates methodology and Farm level nitrogen use estimates methodology. Methodology and quality information about data collected in the FBS and its headline measure of income, Farm Business Income (FBI), is available in the Scottish farm business income: annual estimates: methodology.
Methodology improvements to farm GHG emission estimates are applied from 2021-22 onwards. These results for are not directly comparable to previous years and a break in the timeseries is displayed. Previous years have not been revised as not all data are available. More information is available under Changes to methodology.
Details about GHG emissions and nitrogen use estimates are included here in line with the European Statistical System (ESS) quality framework. This covers areas of statistical:
- Relevance
- Accuracy and reliability
- Timeliness and punctuality
- Accessibility and clarity
- Coherence and comparability
An Official Statistics in development publication for Scotland
These statistics are official statistics in development. Official statistics in development may be new or existing statistics, and will be tested with users, in line with the standards of trustworthiness, quality, and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics.
Scottish Government statistics are regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.
We wish to involve users in our assessment of suitability and quality. If you use this data we would like to hear from you. Please give us your feedback in this short survey, or alternatively please get in touch with us at agric.stats@gov.scot.
Developing these statistics
Management practices, agricultural and environmental activities all influence emissions. Farms are complex businesses, taking part in a variety of activities.
Estimates of whole-farm emissions are available as absolute gross emissions per hectare. This helps with comparing businesses of different sizes.
In previous releases, whole-farm emission intensity was reported as absolute gross emissions per kilogram of output. From the 2023-24 release, whole-farm emission intensity estimates were replaced with average farm emission intensity estimates for the primary product of beef, sheep, milk and cereals enterprises. These enterprise-level data will support users to make better distinctions between different activities on farm.
Enterprise level emission intensity estimates are made from a small sub-sample of results and may be limited in scope for representing the June Agricultural Census population. As such, estimates are provided as unweighted sub-sample averages for the main enterprises of farm types in the Farm Business Survey. Emission intensity estimates for beef and sheep enterprises are provided for 2023-24 and 2024-25 only. There is increased uncertainty in results for 2022-23 due to limitations in data collection under the Agrecalc Web methodology.
Pausing farm level average emission estimates
We are pausing farm level average emission and emission intensity estimates after the 2024-25 release while we explore other data sources to improve coverage and better meet user needs. This affects both gross emissions per hectare and emission intensity estimates (the carbon footprint of the main product of an activity or enterprise). We welcome your thoughts in this feedback survey.