Scotland‘s battle against greenhouse gas emissions faced a new challenge last year, as official statistics released by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) revealed an uptick in emissions.

The data, part of the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) for 2022, unveiled that greenhouse gas emissions from Scottish industry increased when compared to 2021 figures.

However, it’s important to note that emissions remained lower than those recorded in 2019.

Specifically, the global warming potential of these emissions, measured in carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e), saw a 2.7% increase, equivalent to 0.30 megatonnes (Mt) CO2e, between 2021 and 2022.

This rise followed two years of reductions primarily attributed to temporary site closures due to pandemic restrictions and shifts in production levels.

Carbon dioxide emissions, the dominant contributor to greenhouse gases, rose by 4.1% compared to 2021 but still remained 7.3% lower than 2019 figures, according to the report.

The energy sector emerged as the highest emitter in Scotland, accounting for 44.7% of overall greenhouse gas emissions.

A 7.2% increase in emissions in 2022 was attributed to production demand and throughput.

Notable changes occurred at facilities like the Grangemouth refinery and Peterhead Power Station due to higher refinery throughput and commercial electricity requirements.

Article source: https://www.energylivenews.com/2023/09/27/energy-sector-leads-in-scotlands-emissions/