This progress report to the Scottish Parliament from the UK’s Committee on Climate Change shows that, while Scotland’s overall greenhouse gas emissions fell by 3% in 2017, the Scottish Parliament's 2030 target to reduce emissions by 75% will be extremely challenging to meet.
Chapter 6 focuses on “Agriculture and land use, land-use change and forestry”. Since 1990, total Scottish emissions from this sector has decreased by 75% - largely because of more carbon being stored in trees and a lower rate of conversion of grassland to cropland. Direct agricultural emissions have only declined slowly since 1990. The report calls for continued afforestation, for peatland restoration, and for the Scottish Government to “consider moving beyond a voluntary approach with agricultural greenhouse gas reduction policies”.
Read the full report, Reducing emissions in Scotland – 2019 Progress Report to Parliament, here. See also the Foodsource building block What is land use and land use change?
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