Accuracy and reliability

This section discusses how accurately and reliably these statistics portray reality.

These data are designated as official statistics in development as they are still in development, with a potentially wider degree of uncertainty in the resulting estimates as the methods and processes are established and verified.

Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics

Detail about revisions to the GHG Inventory and methodology are available at Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics 2024.

Agriculture subsector estimates

There are limitations to the agriculture subsector emissions estimates methodology. More information is included under Agricultural subsector estimates methodology.

June Agricultural Census area estimates

Farm level emission estimates are weighted using the same method as farm business income, which relies on results from the June Agricultural Census. There may be limitations in applying a weighting methodology that was developed for economic outputs to emissions results. More information is under The Farm Business Survey.

Data quality and assurance measures for the June Agricultural Census are available at Scottish Agricultural Census: results.

The Farm Business Survey

Data quality and assurance measures for the Farm Business Survey and its official statistical outputs are available at Scottish farm business income: annual estimates.

As a sample survey, results are subject to a degree of uncertainty. More detailed breakdowns of the sample result in relatively low sample sizes and an increase in uncertainty. For example in representing overall national averages by farm type.

Farm level GHG emission and nitrogen use estimates

To demonstrate the variability in the data the weighted average (median) result for absolute emissions and nitrogen use is presented along with 95% confidence intervals, upper and lower quartiles of the data. Results are not directly comparable to results published on farm income for the average (mean) farm.

Average (median) estimates for emission intensities are not weighted. Due to small sample sizes, only median estimates are provided.  

There are limitations to the farm level emissions estimate methodology. Different results may be obtained using different carbon calculators or different methods, for example using an inventory approach.  More information is included under Farm level GHG emission estimates methodology.

There are limitations to the farm level nitrogen estimate methodology. Nitrogen estimates are based on standard estimates of nitrogen content in all farm inputs and outputs where possible. Nitrogen estimates are not made for organic farms, which means a small proportion of the sample are excluded. More information is included under Farm level nitrogen use estimates methodology.