Establishing a Scottish Nitrogen Balance Sheet: consultation analysis

2. Introduction

2.1 Background

This report presents analysis of responses to the consultation on Establishing a Scottish Nitrogen Balance Sheet (SNBS).

A Scottish Nitrogen Balance Sheet will be established by March 2022. As part of a programme of engagement, the Scottish Government is consulting on key aspects of approach to shape this new initiative.

The Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019 requires the establishment, via a process of regulations by March 2022, of a national Nitrogen Balance Sheet for Scotland. Nitrogen is a basic building block of life and present everywhere across the economy and environment. A Nitrogen Balance Sheet is a way to keep track of how nitrogen is being used, any losses to the environment and whether there is scope for improvement.

In particular, the Scottish Nitrogen Balance Sheet (SNBS) will provide a method for determining a baseline figure for "Nitrogen Use Efficiency" in Scotland. Nitrogen use efficiency means the proportion of nitrogen used for its intended purpose (e.g. growing food) vs. losses to the environment, which can have harmful effects on, for example, climate change, biodiversity, air quality and water quality. Once established, the SNBS will be reviewed and updated at regular intervals, helping us keep track of progress on improving nitrogen use efficiency.

The main purpose, as set out in the 2019 Act, for the SNBS will be to support progress to Scotland's national climate change targets. This is because one form of nitrogen - nitrous oxide, N₂O - is an important greenhouse gas. Improving nitrogen use efficiency will, therefore, help with tackling climate change. However, the fact that nitrogen in all of its many forms is basically everywhere (in the air we breathe, soils, plants, water, animals, food production, combustion, waste management, etc) means that the SNBS will also have the potential to support a range of wider applications (some key examples around air quality and agriculture are discussed below). The Scottish Government is keen to maximise the potential of the new evidence base from the SNBS to support linkages between as wide a range of policy areas as possible.

A Nitrogen Balance Sheet is, inherently, a technical undertaking – given the complexity of the different flows and types of nitrogen across the economy and environment. The Scottish Government's current SNBS project is building from a previous study by the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology in 2019. This study made a first attempt at a national Nitrogen Balance Sheet for Scotland (those interested in the detailed aspects of the project might wish to review the report from this work, a summary of which is also included in the technical annex here). In particular, the current project aims is to bring all major sectors of Scotland's economy and environment into the scope of the balance sheet. Whilst recognising this technical background, we are also keen that the outputs from the SNBS are as accessible and widely usable as possible. Aspects of the consultation questions below relate to both the technical and communication aspects of the work.

2.2 How does this work relate to other Scottish Government initiatives?

As set out in the preceding section, nitrogen is a key nutrient for sustaining life and is a constituent of a wide range of materials and processes. It is especially important in relation to growing and producing food, waste management and activities involving fuel combustion. This means that effective and efficient use of nitrogen is an important consideration across many sectors of the economy, environment and well-being. Establishing the SNBS will be an important step in developing the national evidence base around these matters, by bringing together data from a range of sources and providing baseline figures for nitrogen use efficiency.

This evidence base, once established, can then be used to help support a range of initiatives and policy frameworks. In addition to the central purpose around supporting progress to national greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, two further key examples of potential future applications for the SNBS will be around:

• a new air quality strategy for Scotland, with related benefits for public health and biodiversity. This link arises because emissions to air of ammonia (NH₃) and oxides of nitrogen (NOx), which originate mainly from agriculture and transport, are key air quality pollutants. A separate consultation on a draft of the new strategy, including information on how the SNBS can support this, closed on 22 January 2021. The Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 consultation on a draft new air quality strategy for Scotland can be found online via the Scottish Government's consultation hub Citizen Space
• building from existing good practice to further optimise the efficient use of nitrogen in food production. The development of future rural support and consideration by farmer-led groups of delivering environmental and climate outcomes will help identify how best support farmers and crofters to adopt best practice. The SNBS will help provide relevant data to inform this on-going policy development