Baselining inventory for greenhouse gas emissions in the Highlands and Islands

The Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has published a report prepared by ekosgen, part of GC Insight, that examines significant economic opportunities associated with reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the region and provides a baseline that will be used to track progress moving forward.  

The report provides the first ever emissions profile for the region and will be used to inform policy and actions needed to reduce emissions in line with the transition to a net zero economy. 

The Highlands and Islands covers 51% of Scotland’s landmass and is home to 9% of its population. Scotland has some of the most ambitious commitments to net zero and greenhouse gas reduction amongst advanced economies and H&I has a leading role to play in green energy generation in the country.  

“We look forward to integrating these findings into our plans and taking decisive steps towards a sustainable future for our communities," said Keith Masson, HIE’s head of net zero transition. 

Here are a few of the findings from the report:  

• Greenhouse gas emissions for Highlands and Islands (H&I) accounted for 15% of the Scottish total.
• The region’s vast geography and low population density plays a significant role: emissions per km2 were lower than the national average, while emissions per capita were higher than the national rate. 
• Regional emissions declined by 20% between 2005 – 2019, although this lags Scotland’s overall rate of decline of 33%.
• The top two sources of GHG emissions are agriculture (26%) and Land Use, Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF) (22%)
• 63% of agricultural emissions are associated with livestock and 19% from soils.   
  While the region’s large forestry plantations have reduced emissions, they have not balanced out the emissions from other land uses such as cropland, wetland and grassland.