The Scottish Government

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Indicators of Sustainable Development for Scotland

Indicator 1. Sustainable prosperity

Index of carbon dioxide emissions divided by GDP (1990=100)

Source: Scottish Executive and NETCEN

Notes: Scottish carbon dioxide emissions were first published in 2000 for 1990 and 1995. Scottish emissions data for 1998 and subsequent years are being published annually. The 1999 figure published in Meeting the Needs… was 80. The difference is due to a revision of GDP.

The relevance of the indicator

Delivering a sustainable economy means decoupling growth from environmental pressure. In this way we can enhance prosperity while reducing our impact on the environment.
In particular we are seeking to reduce the carbon intensity of the Scottish economy.

Detailed definition and source details

This indicator uses data from two sources. The quarterly Gross Domestic Product for Scotland¹ series published by the Scottish Executive is a weighted aggregation of over 250 indices measuring output across the economy. It is produced using a mixture of ONS survey data and other data sources. Carbon dioxide emissions for 1990, 1995, 1998 and 1999 were taken from the report compiled by NETCEN for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the devolved administrations ².

Trends

The index of carbon intensity of the economy has fallen from 100 in 1990 to 81 in 1999, as a result of increasing Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and a reduction of emissions of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere (see Indicator 7 for information on carbon dioxide emissions).

Further disaggregation

No further disaggregation is possible.

Target

No target - the absolute value has no significance, but a reducing trend is desirable.

Action

The Framework for Economic Development in Scotland³ sets out our vision to raise the quality of life of the Scottish people through increasing economic opportunity for all on a socially and environmentally sustainable basis. The role of our Enterprise Networks is to be key partners in delivering our vision. A Smart Successful Scotland: Ambitions for the Enterprise Networks³ sets out our strategy for economic development in the long term. It recognises that while the economy needs to develop so too must we be aware of achieving a sustainable Scotland.

In line with this, Scottish Enterprise has formed a policy group on sustainable development which has developed a programme of specific actions to embed sustainable development principles into its business activities. As these principles are embedded Scottish Enterprise intends that this will have a knock-on effect on the businesses it supports and advises. The nature of the rural economy has meant that sustainable development has a more established place in Highlands and Islands Enterprise activities and is an important part of not only of the network's business development activities but also its specific 'strengthening communities' remit. Highlands and Islands Enterprise is currently working to produce a document which will define their approach to sustainable development and outline a programme of actions.

We published the Scottish Climate Change Programme ⁴ in November 2000 which sets out the measures that will deliver Scotland's contribution to the UK Climate Change Programme, aimed at meeting the UK Kyoto commitment and moving the UK as a whole toward the domestic goal of a 20% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.

We provide funding through the Scottish Energy Efficiency Office ⁵ (SEEO) for the Carbon Trust's ⁶ activities in Scotland. The Carbon Trust runs programmes aimed at encouraging reductions in business energy consumption and fostering research into low carbon technology. The Carbon Trust's Low Carbon Innovation Programme (LCIP) is aimed at assisting the commercialisation of innovative low carbon technologies. This will contribute to reducing the carbon intensity of the economy and assist British businesses capitalise on the large predicted global demand for such products. The Action Energy Programme provided by the Carbon Trust and managed in Scotland by SEEO provides practical assistance to business and public sector organisations to assist them to reduce energy consumption. Recent impact analysis shows that the programme is saving an additional 25,000 tonnes of carbon each year.

Scotland has the highest renewable energy potential in Europe which can be developed to benefit jobs and sustainability. Our current commitment is to achieve 18% of electricity generated by 2010 and support to the market is still necessary to achieve this. However, we believe that our policies and commitment, coupled with Scotland's natural resource and expertise, mean that producing as much as 40% of Scotland's electricity from renewable sources by 2020 is a realistic aim. We are consulting on this.

We have adopted an ambitious approach to the inclusion of sustainable development in all five European Structural Funds programmes for 2000-2006. An integrated methodology has been developed for building sustainable development into project preparation and appraisal systems, and appropriate training has been provided for those responsible for managing programmes. This has led to an increase in the significance of the issue within selection and scoring processes, and is intended to ensure that sustainable development is inherent in projects that are supported, rather than being added on.

We introduced improved Scottish Building Standards, relating to the conservation of fuel and power, on 4 March 2002. All new construction work, including alterations and extensions to existing buildings will need to be more energy efficient. The new standards for housing specify requirements for reduced heat-loss from the fabric and also relate to the energy efficiency of central heating boilers and controls for space heating and hot water. Projections indicate that energy savings of 25% for a typical dwelling will be achieved. There are additionally requirements to improve the commissioning of services in all non-domestic properties and limitations are placed on the use of air conditioning and mechanical ventilation. By the year 2010 the total annual savings resulting from these amendments is estimated to be 60,000 tonnes of carbon.

Sustainability is the cornerstone of our forestry policy. We own almost 40% of Scotland's forests, managed by the Forestry Commission, and all of these forests have been independently certified as sustainably managed through a process recognised by the Forestry Stewardship Council. By locking up carbon, forests help to reduce levels of greenhouse gases - thus contributing to delivery of the Scottish Climate Change Programme.

We need to examine all of our activities to ensure that they contribute to sustainable development. We want action across the whole of the Scottish Executive and throughout those public services and budgets which are devolved. A key part of this was to design our Spending Review in 2002 so that it contributes to sustainable development, ensuring that the very considerable financial resources being deployed really help us to meet the needs of Scotland, combining economic progress with social and environmental justice. The highlights of the Review and our resulting commitments to sustainable development are set out in Building a Sustainable Scotland⁷.

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