Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics 2024

In 2024, Scottish net emissions of the basket of seven greenhouse gases were estimated to be 39.0 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e). Emissions reduced by 0.4 MtCO2e compared to 2023; a 1.0 per cent reduction.

• 39.0 MtCO2e in 2024
• Down 50.5% from 1990
• Down 1.0% from 2023

Chart 1: Scottish Greenhouse Gas Emissions, 1990 to 2024.

Between 2023 and 2024, each sector showed relatively modest changes in emissions, with the majority of sectors reducing to some extent.  The largest reduction was seen in Industry which reduced by 0.3 MtCO2e, due to a reduction in fuel use for combustion.  Conversely, International Aviation and Shipping increased by 0.2 MtCO2e and has now returned to pre-COVID levels.  Domestic Transport and buildings showed very slight increases in the latest year but all other sectors showed slightly reduced emissions in the latest year.         

Between 1990 and 2024, there was a 50.5 per cent reduction in estimated net emissions, a 39.7 MtCO2e decrease, with all sectors except International Aviation and shipping falling over the period.  The contributions to this overall reduction, in descending order of significance, were:

• Reduction in Electricity Supply emissions (i.e. power stations) (-13.7 MtCO2e; 92.7 per cent reduction)
• Industrial emissions fell 8.0 MtCO2e (62.8 per cent reduction)
• ‘Land Use, Land Use Change And Forestry’ (LULUCF) reducing its net emissions over the period, reducing by 5.7 MtCO2e since 1990.
• Reduction in Fuel supply emissions (-3.8 MtCO2e; a 57.4 per cent reduction).
• Reduction in Buildings and product use emissions (-3.5 MtCO2e; a 31.7 per cent reduction)
• Reduction in Waste Management emissions (such as Landfill) (-3.1 MtCO2e; a 64.3 per cent reduction)
• Agricultural emissions fell by 1.2 MtCO2e (an 13.7 per cent reduction)
• Domestic transport fell by 1.0 MtCO2e (an 8.6 per cent reduction)

International aviation and shipping emissions increased by 0.3 MtCO2e

More details can be found in Section B.

MtCO2e refers to million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.  This is a consistent measure of assessing the contribution of greenhouse gases to global warming.

The Baseline Period uses 1990 for carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide and 1995 for hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, sulphur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride.

Revisions To Greenhouse Gas Emissions Statistics

Note that as part of this release all of the figures have been revised since the previous publication, to incorporate methodological improvements and new data.  Comparing these  figures with the 1990-2023 figures published a year ago will therefore give a different year-on-year percentage change; one which is incorrect and should not be used. The correct percentage changes are given in this publication and associated tables. Details of these revisions can be found later in this statistical release in Section D.