Scotland emissions fall 1% in 2024 as progress halves
Get the Energy newsletter
Daily energy & climate — solar, EVs, oil, the policy fights and tech bets shaping the transition. Free.
- Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions fell 1% in 2024 versus 2023, roughly half the 2% drop recorded the year before, signaling a continued slowdown in decarbonization
- Industry drove most of the 2024 reduction through lower fuel use, while domestic transport, international aviation, and buildings all saw emissions increase
- Domestic transport is now Scotland's largest emissions source at 28%, ahead of buildings (19.5%) and agriculture (19.3%), and is one of the sectors moving the wrong direction
- Stop Climate Chaos Scotland called the figures "stark confirmation" that climate action is "nowhere near strong enough or fast enough," while Friends of the Earth Scotland's Catrina Randall labeled the decline a "missed opportunity"
- Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin said reductions "must accelerate," pointing to £42.3bn in projected direct financial benefits from Scotland's climate change plan and a net-zero economy supporting around 105,000 jobs
- SNP ministers abandoned annual emissions targets in 2024 in favor of five-yearly carbon budgets, now aiming for average 57% cuts over the next five years, 69% by 2035, and 80% by 2040 versus 1990 levels
- Scotland's total 2024 emissions reached an estimated 39 MtCO2e, while its broader carbon footprint — tied to consumption of goods and services — rose 1.6% between 2021 and 2022
Why it matters: The data shows Scotland's pace of decarbonization is decelerating even as ministers shifted to five-yearly carbon budgets in 2024 after repeatedly missing annual targets — a gap climate groups warn leaves the country's legally binding 2045 net-zero goal harder to reach, particularly with transport emissions still rising.
