Title | Sustainability - greenhouse gas emissions. Purpose Target. |
Associated Target | To reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the period to 2011. To reduce greenhouse emissions by 80% by 2050. |
Brief Description | The global imperative to address climate change demands a focus on harmful emissions. The sustainability indicator on reducing emissions sets an ambitious numerical target over the long term and provides for the setting of an accompanying short term target. These targets support UK, EU and world action to address the challenge of climate change. Sustainability is one of Government's desired characteristics of growth, as set out in the Government Economic Strategy. The Sustainability 'golden rule' is to ensure that economic growth is sustainable. The indicator aims to monitor the contribution that Scotland is making to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. The short term target is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the period to 2011 from an intermediate baseline of 2005 - the primary internationally agreed baseline being 1990. Emissions in 2005 are already below 1990 levels. The exact basis of the long term target will be decided in 2008 after the public consultation on the proposals for the Scottish Climate Change Bill. The consultation will address methodological issues associated with the measurement of the long term target including whether the target should be estimated on the basis of a basket of greenhouse gases or carbon dioxide alone. In the interim between now and the conclusion of the consultation, the long term target will be based on an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from a baseline of 1990. |
Strategic Objective(s) to Which Indicator Relates | This indicator informs progress in relation to all five strategic objectives: Greener;
Wealthier and Fairer;
Healthier;
Safer and Stronger; and
Smarter. The indicator informs progress towards a Greener Scotland by measuring greenhouse gas emissions. The long term target will be mandatory, subject to the consultation on the Scottish Climate Change Bill. The indicator also informs progress towards a wealthier and fairer Scotland since Scottish businesses will benefit by being leaders in the technology to mitigate against climate change. Meeting the target will require introduction of the framework and new powers in the Scottish Climate Change Bill. Global action to stem emissions will also lead to progress towards a healthier, safer and stronger and smarter Scotland. |
More Detailed Definitions |
Definitions of Keywords | Pending a final decision on the nature of the short term target, it will be based on annual figures for net emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases. For the long term target, the definition of emissions used will be confirmed in 2008 after the public consultation on the proposals for the Scottish Climate Change Bill. In the interim between now and the conclusion of the consultation, emissions will be defined in the same way as for the short term target. |
Evidence Source | The short term target will use the disaggregated greenhouse gas inventory. The source of data for the long term target will be confirmed in 2008 once decisions are made following consultation. In the interim between now and the conclusion of the consultation, the greenhouse gas inventory will be used as the source. |
Baseline and Past Trends | For the short term target, trend information on net greenhouse gas emissions is available for 1990, 1995 and 1998-2005. Chart: Emissions of Greenhouse Gases (Mt Carbon equivalent) allocated to Scotland (1990,1995, 1998-2005) 
Source: National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory For the long term target, trend information will be confirmed in 2008 once decisions are made following consultation. It is expected that historic estimates will be available to enable us to track trends. In the interim between now and the conclusion of the consultation 1990 will be used as the base year . |
Methodology | Pending a final decision on the nature of the short term target, the indicator will be the sum of the greenhouse gas emissions allocated to Scotland in the disaggregated greenhouse gas inventory, as tonnes of carbon equivalent. Changes to the methodology in estimating emissions may result in changes to the published emission figures for previous years. Details of the methodology for the long term target will be announced when the draft bill is published in September 2008. |
National Statistics Status and data ownership | To be considered. Pending a final decision on the short term target, the data are those published by AEA(Environment) under contract to Defra, SG, WAG and DOENI. |
Publication of Data | Data will be published in the environment statistics section of the SG website. http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Environment Pending a final decision on the nature of the short term target, the emissions figures will be those published in the disaggregated greenhouse gas inventory on the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory website ( http://www.naei.org.uk/reports.php?list=GHG) |