Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics 2024

9 Jun 2026 01:31 PM

An Official Statistics Publication for Scotland.

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.

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

Background

The full statistical publication 

Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff – more information on the standards of official statistics in Scotland