Greenhouse-gas emissions (GHGs) declined by 33% across the UK between 1990 and 2014, new data has revealed.
Scotland has led the way. Over the 25-year period, it achieved a 39.5% reduction in GHGs, according to the data, published by government body the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory (NAEI).
Scotland’s performance is even better when its participation in the EU emissions trading system (EU ETS) is taken into account, with a 45.8% reduction recorded against the 1990 baseline. This exceeds its target to reduce GHGs by 42% by 2020.
Scottish climate change secretary Roseanna Cunningham said: ‘It is great news that Scotland continues to show ambition and demonstrates the progress that can be made.’
The Scottish government will now establish a more stretching target for 2020, she added.
GHG emissions across the rest of the UK between 1990 and 2014 decreased by 34.2% in England, 17.9% in Wales and 16.5% in Northern Ireland. These figures do no include reductions under the EU ETS.
Scotland’s emissions in 2014 were 8.6% lower than in 2013, mainly due to a 13.4% cut in emissions from power stations and a 16.4% reduction in GHGs from homes, the data revealed.
In terms of individual gases, the largest reduction between 1990 and 2014 was from methane, which declined in Scotland by 57.5%. This fall was largely driven by the introduction of technologies to capture landfill gas and turn it into energy, according to analysis by the Scottish government.
Meanwhile, carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide declined over the 25-year period by 37.6% and 21.3% respectively. However, emissions from fluorinated gases increased seven-fold, driven by the replacement of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) with hydrofluourocarbons (HFCs) from 1995 onwards. CFCs were banned by the Montreal Protocol due to their impact on the ozone layer.
The data takes into account several changes to the way emissions are measured. For example, the size of the carbon sink from grasslands has increased due to a new emissions factor used in the measurement of drainage from grasslands on organic soils. This resulted in 0.96 MtCO2e decrease in each year across the 25-year timescale, the Scottish government said.
Jim Densham of Stop Climate Chaos Scotland welcomed the country’s performance, but said: ‘Apart from the electricity and waste sectors, it's hard to see a bold fingerprint of Scottish government policy driving the transition to a zero carbon economy.
‘This target has been met because of the loss of heavy industry, warmer winter weather, our changing share of European emissions credits and some government policies.’
