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Emissions from Scotland’s largest industrial facilities down nearly a quarter since 2019

Greenhouse gas emissions from Scotland’s largest industrial facilities fell by almost a quarter in the past five years, according to new figures published today by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

The Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) shows emissions, measured in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), were 23.5% (2.86 megatonnes) lower in 2024 than in 2019, continuing a long-term downward trend.

Compared with 2023, emissions fell by 3.85% (0.37 megatonnes), equivalent to taking around 210,000 petrol cars off the road for a year. 

The energy sector remains the highest emitting sector, accounting for 38.6% of total industrial greenhouse gas emissions. However, emissions from the sector fell 7.4% in 2024, largely due to changes in production outputs. The sector is responsible for 40.2% of all carbon dioxide emissions, 15,2% of methane, 52.6% of nitrous oxide and 20.1% of hydrofluorocarbons. 

Nathan Critchlow-Watton, Head of Environmental Quality - Data, Evidence and Innovation at SEPA, said:

“There are always a number of factors that can influence reported emissions, from energy generation to industrial output. Part of the reduction we have seen reflects lower production in the chemical industry, with recent surveys showing economic pressures and declining sales in this energy-intensive sector. While these short-term changes drive decreases, they are not the foundation for sustained progress. That can only come through long-term structural changes like decarbonising the energy system that underpins industry, scaling clean technologies and supporting sectors to cut emissions while remaining competitive.
 
“SEPA’s role through the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory is to the provide the evidence of the impacts those trends are having on emissions, but our role extends further. Working with businesses, communities and government to enable innovation, support compliance and regulate fairly so that Scotland’s net zero transition is built on transformation and sustainable economic growth.”

SPRI provides a valuable picture of the amounts of pollutants released in Scotland from SEPA-regulated industrial facilities. It is a publicly accessible electronic database and aims to provide information for policy makers, academics and the public about the pressure Scottish industry puts on the environment through greenhouse gas and other emissions. 

Notes to editor

Sources

Car comparison is based on UK Government greenhouse gas conversion factors (2024), which report average petrol car emissions at around 160 grams CO2e per km. Multiplied by typical annual mileage (around 11,000km) this equates to around 1.8 tonnes CO2 per car per year. Sources: Greenhouse gas reporting: conversion factors 2024 - GOV.UK (BEIS/DESNZ) and Department for Transport/National Travel Survey: Vehicle mileage and occupancy dataset.

The Chemical Industries Association conducted a recent business survey of its members which showed that one third of Britain’s chemical companies experienced falls in sales, production levels and capacity utilisation, which they attributed to the cost of energy and international economic uncertainty. Source: Energy costs and international economic uncertainty attack the core of British industry

Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory

The 2024 SPRI dataset detailing each facility is accessible via SPRI 2024 dataset. Data from 2007 onwards can be accessed via Scotland’s Environment Web. Further information about SPRI is available on SEPA’s website. 

SPRI provides information on the annual emissions of pollutants released or waste transferred by SEPA-regulated facilities. It gives an overview of industrial emissions but should not be used to make direct causal inferences without detailed knowledge of production processes and abatement measures.  

Greenhouse gas figures are reported in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) to reflect the different global warming potentials of the six main greenhouse gases.

Global warming potentials are based on the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5), aligning with Scottish Government greenhouse gas statistics. SEPA have reported greenhouse gas emissions in CO2e since 2017.