Scotland's Chief Statistician has published Scotland's Carbon Footprint: 1998 – 2010.

The publication provides estimates of the country's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on a consumption basis. That is, emissions that are associated with the spending of Scottish residents on goods and services, wherever in the world these emissions arise together with emissions directly generated by Scottish households.

The key points from the report include:

• Scotland's carbon footprint (including emissions from all greenhouse gases) rose in 2010, after falling from a peak in 2007.

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• Between 2009 and 2010, Scotland's carbon footprint increased by 4%, following a 19% fall in 2009. From 1998, the footprint rose by 15% to a peak of 101.1 million tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e) in 2007, before falling to 78.7 MtCO2e in 2009. In 2010, Scotland's carbon footprint was 82.2 MtCO2e, 6% less than in 1998.

• Similarly, GHG emissions relating to Scottish final consumption of imports rose 34% between 1998 and a peak in 2007. Since 2007, emissions from imports fell to a low in 2009 before increasing in 2010 to a level 4% less than in 1998.

• Emissions relating to Scottish consumption of goods and services produced in the UK, together with Scottish households direct consumption of fuel, decreased by 8% between 1998 and 2010.

• While Scotland's carbon footprint has fallen by 6% between 1998 and 2010, comparable emissions on a territorial basis (Scotland's production emissions) have fallen by 15%.

(JP/MH)