High Level Summary of Statistics Trend Last update: Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Net Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Emissions of greenhouse gases ( GHGs) are having a detrimental impact upon the global atmosphere. It is widely acknowledged that GHGs are contributing to changes in the global climate, with extreme weather conditions becoming increasingly common. By the end of this century Scotland is expected to have warmer, wetter winters, less snowfall and an increased risk of flooding.
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Source: AEA Energy and Environment
The Kyoto Protocol (1997) set legally binding targets under which the UK must reduce emissions of a basket of six GHGs to 12.5% below baselines.
Scotland has a number of targets for reducing GHG emissions. The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 sets a statutory framework for GHG emissions reductions in Scotland with a reduction target of at least 80 per cent for 2050 and an interim 42 per cent reduction target by 2020. Both of these reductions are based upon the 1990 base year (1995 for the F-gases, i.e. hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride). The Scottish Government have also set a short term target within the National Performance Framework to reduce emissions by 2011, compared with a 2006 baseline. These targets include emissions from international aviation and shipping. In reporting emissions reductions against these targets, Scotland is likely to take account of emissions trading through the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS).
In 2007, Scottish GHG emissions, including international aviation and shipping and adjusted to take account of trading in the EU ETS were 56.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent, 19.2% lower than in the 1990 base year. Between 2006 and 2007, such emissions reduced by 1.2% (0.7 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent). Ignoring the effect of trading in the EU ETS, Scottish GHG emissions, including international aviation and shipping, fell by 6.8% between 2006 and 2007 and by 18.7% between the 1990 base year and 2007.
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