Scotland’s agriculture emissions fell by 11.9%, equivalent to one million tonne of carbon dioxide (1.0 MtCO2e), between 1990 and 2022.

The agriculture emissions figure featured in the Scottish Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Statistics 2022 published on Tuesday, June 18.

Between 1990 and 2022, there was a 50.1% reduction in estimated net emissions in Scotland, or a 40.8 MtCO2e decrease, with all sectors except international aviation and shipping falling over the period.

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The contributions to this overall reduction were:

  • Electricity supply emissions fell by 13.0 MtCO2e (88.1% reduction)
  • Industrial emissions fell by 7.2 MtCO2e (56.8% reduction)
  • Land use, land use change and forestry (LULUCF) emissions fell by 5.8 MtCO2e
  • Waste management emissions fell by 4.9 MtCO2e (75.4% reduction)
  • Buildings and product use emissions fell by 3.6 MtCO2e (32.7% reduction)
  • Fuel supply emissions fell by 3.3 MtCO2e (49.9% reduction)
  • Domestic transport emissions fell by 2.0 MtCO2e (15% reduction)
  • Agricultural emissions fell by 1.0 MtCO2e (an 11.9% reduction)
  • Emissions were down 0.1% from 2021 to stand at 40.6 MtCO2e in 2022

Scottish net zero secretary Màiri McAllan said the country’s reduction in emissions are thanks to 'significant decreases' from the electricity generation, waste and industry sectors.

“At the same time our economy has grown by 67% in real terms, demonstrating that tackling climate change and growing our economy go hand in hand,” she said.

“While this is good news, the emissions figures for the year 2022 alone reflect a similar picture to that of UK data overall and underline the scale of our vital but challenging task.

“We are now in the second half of our journey to net zero and our 2045 target is one of the most ambitious in the world.

“Action on climate change will require a genuine transformation across our economy and society, with significant changes in sectors such as heat in buildings, transport, energy and agriculture.”

McAllan said the Scottish government is determinedly working across all sectors to continue driving this progress.

“Indeed, legislation making its way through Parliament right now, including the Agriculture and Circular Economy Bills, will drive down emissions in the years to come.

“These bills complement our ongoing action to unleash Scotland’s potential as a renewables powerhouse, support a 20% reduction in car use by 2030, and decarbonise buildings, including through a Heat in Buildings Bill which the Committee on Climate Change said could be a template for the rest of the UK.

“These are just some examples of our determination to continue driving down emissions while growing our economy and ensuring a fairer, greener society for our people.”