Total Scottish greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture were 7.5 MtCO2e in 2024, the second-lowest level since current records began in 1990. Emissions fell by 0.4% from 2023 as a 15.3% increase in fuel combustion emissions was offset by reductions across all other agricultural emission sources.
Agriculture emissions are in a long-term decline, driven by falling enteric fermentation emissions due to reduced livestock numbers. From 1990 to 2024, cattle and sheep numbers have decreased by 21% and 35%, respectively.
In 2024, arable farming, where machinery use is the main source of fuel combustion emissions, saw a 1.9% increase in emissions to 1.5 MtCO2e. Emissions for suckler beef, dairy, sheep and dairy beef subsectors fell by about 1% each, compared with the previous year. Suckler beef remained the largest source of agriculture emissions in 2024, accounting for 3.1 MtCO2e or 41.2% of total emissions.
In 2024-25 average emission intensity (the carbon footprint) for cereal production on cereal and general cropping farms rose by 14% (to 293 kgCO2e/tonne crop) and 6% (to 258 kgCO2e/tonne crop), respectively. The rise was driven by an overall increase in diesel emissions across arable farms and a rise in average fertiliser use on some general cropping farms.
While nitrogen use efficiency remained stable at around 33% on average, nitrogen balance increased by 3%. Nitrogen balance (input minus output) estimates surplus nitrogen which could be lost to the environment. In 2024-25, nitrogen balance was 46.1 kg N surplus/ha on the average Scottish farm. This increase was mostly driven by increased average fertiliser use on general cropping farms. Despite the small increase, nitrogen balance remains below pre-2022 levels, before fertiliser prices rose sharply.
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Background
The full statistical publication with supporting data tables is available at: Scottish agriculture greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen use 2024-25
