High Level Summary of Statistics Trend Last update: Thursday, October 16, 2008
Net Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Emissions of greenhouse gases ( GHG's) are having a detrimental impact upon the global atmosphere. It is widely acknowledged that GHG's 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.
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. The Scottish Government has established a short term target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the period to 2011 and a longer term target to reduce greenhouse emissions by 80% by 2050.
Since 1990 (1995 for F-gases, HFCs, PFCs and SF6) net greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland have reduced by 13.4% and in 2006 equalled a total of 59.0Mt of carbon dioxide equivalent. In 2006, net greenhouse gas emissions were made up of 80% carbon dioxide emissions and 20% other GHG(1) emissions. Over the period 1990-2006 emissions of carbon dioxide decreased by 6.8% and emissions of other GHGs decreased by 31.9%. Between 2005 and 2006 net greenhouse gas emissions increased by 5.4%.
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