High Level Summary of Statistics: Key Trends for Scotland 2006

14. Environment

Climate Change

Annual Temperature

The global average surface temperature has increased over the 20th century by about 0.6° C ¹. The 2003, 2004 and 2005 temperatures for Scotland are the highest since the record began in 1914.

By the end of the century, temperatures in Scotland are predicted to increase by up to 3.5° C during the summer months and around 2.5° C during the winter. Whilst the global impacts of climate change are immense, there are also wide-ranging implications for Scotland. These include increased flood risk, and impacts on water resources, agriculture, transport, tourism and disease; all of great economic, social and environmental importance.

Source: Met Office

Publication
Scottish Environment Statistics Online

Web link
Scottish Temperature data Met Office.

Reference
1. UKCIP (2002). Climate Change Scenarios for the United Kingdom

Net greenhouse Gas Emissions

Measured against 1990, Scottish net emissions of greenhouse gases in 2003 (taking account of emissions and removals due to land use change and forestry) were some 2.4 million tonnes of carbon equivalent lower (a reduction of around 14%).

In 2003, Scotland's net emissions of carbon dioxide were 12.1 million tonnes of carbon equivalent (around 8% of the UK total). In 2003, UK net emissions of greenhouse gases were 13% below baseline levels ¹. The Kyoto Protocol (1997) set legally binding targets under which the UK must reduce emissions of a basket' of six GHGs to 12.5% below baselines

UK figures include an 'unallocated' component (4% of the UK total in 2003) which is not factored into individual country's totals. The 'unallocated' component includes some emissions from energy industries and aviation emissions among others.

Source: NetCen

Publication
Scottish Environment Statistics Online

Web link
Baggott, L Brown, R Milne, TP Murrrells, N Passant, DG Thistlewaite (2004). Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland 1990-2003NETCEN, AEA Technology, AEAT/ENV/R/1761

Reference
1. Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs ( 2003) UK Climate Change Sustainable Development Indicator and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Final Figures

Electricity Generation

Public generation of heat and electricity accounted for one third of the carbon dioxide emitted in Scotland in 2003. The Scottish Executive set a target that 18% of electricity generated in Scotland by 2010 should come from renewable sources using the Renewables Obligation (Scotland). Following consultation, the Scottish Executive announced in March 2003 its longer term aspiration that 40% of electricity generated in Scotland by 2020 should come from renewable sources.

Hydro natural flow is rainfall dependent, and since it is the largest source of renewable electricity generation in Scotland, the total renewable energy output each year varies with annual rainfall. Reduced rainfall in 2003 led to less electricity being generated from renewable sources (7.7%), whilst the wetter weather in 2004 produced higher outputs and more renewable energy being generated (10.3%). (Pumped storage is not a renewable source of energy because it uses electricity produced by other means to create a store of hydrological power.)

The amount of electricity generated from non-Hydro renewable sources (includes wind, wave, solar power and thermal renewables) in Scotland increased from 0.6% in 2000 to 2.6% in 2004.

Source: Department of Trade and Industry

Publication
Scottish Environment Statistics Online

Web link
Energy Trends December 2005 Department of Trade and Industry (Published 2005)

Air

Sulphur dioxide ( SO₂) and oxides of nitrogen ( NOx) affect human health through respiratory damage, and ecosystem health through acidification. SO₂ and NOx are released into the atmosphere through the combustion of fossil fuels. In 2004, large combustion plants ( LCPs) accounted for 88% of the SO₂ emissions and 22% of NOx emissions in the UK. (Large combustion plants have a rated thermal output of over 50 megawatts.)

The revised EC Large Combustion Plants Directive (2001/80/ EC) called for a 60% reduction in SO₂ emissions by 2003 and a 30% reduction in NOx emissions by 1998, from a 1980 baseline. By 2004, UK emissions for SO₂ and NOx were 79% and 63% respectively below 1980 levels ¹. In Scotland, SO₂ emissions from the electricity supply industry fell between 1996 and 1999, but rose in 2000. This was due to the increased use of coal-fired power stations, necessary to offset the reduced capacity of the nuclear sector because of refurbishment work at certain plants.

Source: UK National Air Quality Archive

Publication
Scottish Environment Statistics Online

Web link
Scottish Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Data: Emissions of SO₂ and NOx from Large Combustion Plants in Scotland

Reference
1. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs e-Digest Statistics about Air Quality.

PM₁₀ Concentration

Particulate pollution can harm the human respiratory and cardiovascular systems, and is linked to asthma and mortality. Smaller particles are the most damaging and current targets focus on particles less than 10µm in diameter ( PM₁₀).

Coal burning, diesel combustion, construction, mining and quarrying are the major sources of particulate emissions. Road transport accounted for around 23% of UK emissions of PM₁₀ in 2004). Between 1990 and 2004, UK emissions of PM₁₀ fell by 48%. The Air Quality Strategy ¹ objectives for PM₁₀ come in two stages. Stage 1 (to be met by the end of 2004): a 24-hour mean of 50µg/m ³ not to be exceeded more than 35 times a year, and an annual mean of 40µg/m ³.

Stage 2 (to be met by the end of 2010): a 24-hour mean of 50 µg/m ³ not to be exceeded more than seven times a year, and an annual mean of 18µg/m ³. Stage 1 objectives were met at all automatic monitoring sites in 2005.

Source: UK National Air Quality Archive

Publication
Scottish Environment Statistics Online

Web link
UK National Air Quality Information Archive

Reference
1. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly Government & DOE Northern Ireland (2003). The Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: Addendum.

Ground Level Ozone Concentration

Ozone in the stratosphere forms a layer that protects the earth against harmful ultra-violet radiation, but tropospheric (ground level) ozone is a damaging oxidant. Exposure to high ozone concentrations can cause respiratory damage, and affects vegetation by damaging leaves and reducing yields.

Ozone is formed by a slow, complicated series of reactions from other pollutants that may be blown over from Europe. The most important man-made precursors are nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds produced by road transport, industrial processes and solvent use. Ozone concentrations tend to be lower in urban areas where it is converted to nitrogen dioxide by reacting with nitrogen oxides.

The Air Quality Strategy ¹ objective for ground level ozone (to be met by 2005) is for the maximum daily concentration (measured as an 8-hour running mean) of 100µg/m ³ not to be exceeded more than 10 times a year. (Objective not currently included in the Air Quality Regulations because of the transboundary nature of ozone). In 2005, this objective was not met at Strath Vaich (18 exceedences).

Source: UK National Air Quality Archive

Publication
Scottish Environment Statistics Online

Web link
UK National Air Quality Information Archive

Reference
1. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly Government & DOE Northern Ireland (2003). The Air Quality Strategy for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: Addendum.

Water

Effluent Compliance with Discharge Consents

Under the Control of Pollution Act 1974 it was an offence to cause or knowingly permit discharge of poisonous, noxious or polluting substances to controlled waters in Scotland. Discharges of sewage and trade effluent into the water environment (including all coastal and inland waters) were, however, permitted under a discharge consent authorised by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency ( SEPA). Authorisations contained conditions on both the quality and quantity of effluent permitted. SEPA control these discharges through licensing and monitoring; the CoPA provisions have with effect from April 2006 been replaced by the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005.

The overall compliance rate increased from 73% in 1996-1997 to 87% in 2004. Compliance rates for trade effluent rose by 10 percentage points since 1996-1997 to 84% in 2004 compared with a 13 percentage point rise for public sewage works to 91%. SEPA set a target of 95% compliance for licences issued under the Control of Pollution Act by 2003/2004 ¹. The overall compliance rate takes account of both instantaneous standards and rolling 12 month standards.

Source: Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Publication
Scottish Environment Statistics Online

Web link
Annual Report and Accounts 2004-5 Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Published 2006).

Reference
1. Scottish Environment Protection Agency (2003). Corporate Plan April 2003-March 2004

River Water Quality

Low standards of river water quality may threaten the aquatic environment, drinking water quality and recreational water use. Sewage, industry, urban development and agriculture are some of the factors that may affect river water quality.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency ( SEPA) has established a Digitised River Network ( DRN) to classify about 25,000 km of the approximately 100,000 km of rivers and burns in Scotland. The DRN comprises those watercourses draining a catchment of 10 km ² or more. Rivers are classified as excellent, good, fair, poor or seriously polluted according to measures of chemical, biological, nutrient and aesthetic quality. Between 2000 and 2004 the length of 'unclassified' river fell by 70% to 3,807 km.

Between 1999 and 2004, the length of poor and seriously polluted rivers in Scotland fell by 402 km. SEPA set a target of a reduction of 351 km in poor and seriously polluted rivers for the period 1999-2006 ¹. Poor biological and nutrient quality are the most frequent reasons for classifying rivers as poor or seriously polluted.

Source: Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Publication
Scottish Environment Statistics Online

Web link
National Water Quality Classification 2004 Scottish Environment Protection Agency (2004).

Reference
1. Scottish Environment Protection Agency (2003). Corporate Plan April 2003-March 2004

Coastal Bathing Water Quality

High quality bathing waters are important for a wide variety of interests and support Scotland's tourism industry. Monitoring the quality of these waters provides an indication of the health risks of bathing from both direct and diffuse discharges of effluents containing faecal contaminants.

EC Bathing Water Directive (76/160/ EEC) ¹ sets out two quality standards - the 'mandatory' standard, and the stricter 'guideline' standard. Member states should comply with the mandatory standard and aim to comply with the guideline standard.

In 2005, 95% of identified coastal bathing waters achieved the mandatory standard, and 57% also complied with the guideline standard. In addition to these coastal bathing waters, the two inland bathing waters both met the mandatory standard.

It is important to note that the weather is thought to affect compliance, with wet weather often contributing to poorer results and, conversely, drier, hotter weather associated with better results. The fall in compliance rates between 2003 and 2004 may have been a result of the extremely wet weather, especially storm events of 2004.

Source: Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Publication
Scottish Environment Statistics Online

Web link
Scottish Bathing Waters 2005 Scottish Environment Protection Agency (2005).

References
1. European Commission (1976). Bathing Water Directive (76/160/ EEC)

Land

Land Under Agri-Environment Schemes

Agri-environment schemes are designed to promote sustainable agriculture. Farmers are paid aid to enter into management agreements that aim to reduce the intensity of farming and improve the environmental performance of their land. The Rural Stewardship Scheme is the Executive's largest agri-environment scheme. The area of land covered by the Rural Stewardship Scheme increased from 145,400 hectares in 2002 to 1,324,000 hectares in 2005.

In 1999, the area of land covered by the Organic Aid Scheme totalled 93,200 hectares which increased to 342,100 hectares in 2002. The area has since fallen to 171,000 hectares in 2005, partly due to a change in implementation to concentrate funding on high quality land and products for which there is a potential market.

In 2003, the first round of the ESA 10 year plans came to an end. The trend will be for the participation to fall steadily until 2013, when the last of the 10 year plans will end. Arrangements are now in place to give ESA and Habitat Scheme leavers guaranteed access to the Rural Stewardship Scheme. This aims to ensure that any conservation benefits built up over the 10 years are maintained and furthered, and that there is a continued flow of funding to farmers and the rural economy.

Source: Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department
Note: all figures for 21 ^st March in each year. A number of participants included in the Heather Moorland scheme have transferred to the countyside scheme

Publication
Scottish Environment Statistics Online

Web link
Agriculture and Fisheries Statistics Scottish Executive Environment and Rural Affairs Department.

Statutory Designated Areas

Sites of Special Scientific Interest ( SSSI) are notified as areas of outstanding quality to protect their flora, fauna, geological or physiographical features. At 31 March 2005, there were 1,451 SSSIs in Scotland, covering a total of 1,008,000 hectares (13% of land in Scotland).

Special Area of Conservation ( SAC) sites are designated under the 1992 EC Habitats Directive to protect wildlife and their habitats throughout the EU. Special Protection Area ( SPA) sites are designated under the 1979 EC Wild Birds Directive to safeguard naturally occurring and migratory species of wild birds. Ramsar sites are designated under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance. At 31 March 2005, there were 238 SACs, 139 SPAs (in addition there are 3 SPAs which have been subsumed into larger sites) and 51 Ramsar sites in Scotland.

A designated site may be protected by more than one scheme. For example, about two thirds of the area of SACs and 80% of SPAs and Ramsar sites also have SSSI designations.

Source: Scottish Natural Heritage

Publication
Scottish Environment Statistics Online

Web link
Facts and Figures 2003/2004 Scottish Natural Heritage (2004).

Waste

Municipal Waste Arisings and Recycling Rate

In 2004, 61% of households surveyed in the Scottish Household Survey said they had recycled one or more of the tabulated items in the past month, increasing from 55% in 2003. More than half had recycled paper and card, over a third had recycled plastic and metal cans. Since 2003, the percentage of households recycling waste has increased for each item in the survey.

The chart shows the percentage of households surveyed who said they recycled some waste material, by local authority area, averaged over 2003 and 2004.

In the National Waste Plan ¹ the Executive set a target of 25% of total municipal waste to be recycled/composted by 2006. In 2005, 22.8% of municipal waste (excluding industrial waste) was recycled or composted ². Most industrial waste collected by local authorities is recycled.

% of households surveyed 2003 - 2004 , who had recycled certain waste items in the past month, by local authority

Source: Scottish Household Survey

Publication
Scottish Environment Statistics Online
Scotland's people: Annual Report: Results from the 2003/2004 Scottish Household Survey (Published2005).

References
1. Scottish Environment Protection Agency National Waste Plan (Published 2003).
2. Scottish Environment Protection Agency Landfill Allowance Scheme Quarterly Monitoring Returns (Published 2006).

Waste sent to Landfill

The disposal of waste to landfill can result in the loss of many tonnes of valuable materials, release pollutants into the soil and watercourses, and emit methane, a greenhouse gas.

The National Waste Strategy ¹ places disposal to landfill at the bottom of its waste hierarchy. In Scotland, 7.9 million tonnes were landfilled in 2003. In 2003/4 Biodegradable Municipal Waste ( BMW) accounted for 1.8 million tonnes (23%) of this total. BMW includes items such as paper and card, textiles, food and garden waste. SEPA provisionally estimate that in 2005, 1.58 million tonnes of BMW was landfilled ^2..

The EU Landfill Directive (1999/31/ EC) requires a reduction in the amount of biodegradable municipal waste ( BMW) sent to landfill. The target for the amount of BMW sent to landfill is 1.32 million tonnes by 2010, falling to 880,000 tonnes by 2013, and 620,000 tonnes by 2020.

Source: Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Publication
Scottish Environment Statistics Online

Web link
Waste Data Digest 5 Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Published 2005).

Reference
1. Scottish Environment Protection Agency, National Waste Strategy: Scotland. (Published 1999).
2. Scottish Environment Protection Agency (2006). Landfill Allowance Scheme Quarterly Monitoring Returns

Biodiversity

BAP species and habitats

Biodiversity refers to the variety of life. In 1992, the UN Convention on Biological Diversity recognised the need to protect biodiversity. The UK was one of the 150 countries to sign up to the convention, and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan ( UKBAP) was published to develop strategies to protect biological diversity ¹. The Scottish Biodiversity Forum is responsible for implementing the objectives of the UKBAP in Scotland ².

By 2001, action plans had been developed for 45 habitats and 391 species in the UK. Of these, 41 BAP priority habitats and 261 species either occur in, or have recently been lost from Scotland. By 2002, 27% of the species considered were stable and 2% increasing, while 18% were in decline. The 5 species that are listed as 'extinct' held this status prior to the establishment of the UKBAP programme ³.

Figures for habitats indicate that 29% of those considered were stable and 16% increasing, while 29% were in decline.

Source: Scottish Natural Heritage/ Joint Nature Conservation Committee

Publication
Scottish Environment Statistics Online

Web link
Scottish Natural Heritage: Trends (2004) (Published 2004)

References
1. Department of the Environment, Biodiversity: the UK Action Plan (Published 1994).
2. Scottish Executive, Scotland's Biodiversity: It's in Your Hands. A strategy for the conservation and enhancement of biodiversity in Scotland. Scottish Biodiversity Forum. (Published 2004).
3. Scottish Executive, Biodiversity in Scotland: Progress Report. SE Central Research Unit (Published 2002).

Widespread Breeding Land Birds

In addition to enhancing the quality of life, wildlife is a valuable indicator as to the state of the environment. Birds respond quickly to habitat changes, and populations have been well monitored over time.

Between 1994 and 2004, 19 out of 52 terrestrial and freshwater breeding birds surveyed in Scotland showed a statistically significant increase in numbers, 6 showed a significant decrease and 27 showed no significant change. Many of these changes are likely to reflect short-term or localised fluctuations in environmental conditions rather than long-term trends ¹.

Naturally occurring birds and their habitats are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004 and the EC Birds Directive (79/409/ EEC and amendments). Following the publication of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan 1994, species action plans have been developed for 26 particularly vulnerable species of birds. Of the four BAP species that featured in the Breeding Bird Survey in Scotland, the Song Thrush showed a significant increase in numbers (22%), while the others showed no significant change.

Source: British Trust for Ornithology/Royal Society for Protection of Birds.

Publication
Scottish Environment Statistics Online

Web link
Raven, M.J et al. (2005). The Breeding Bird Survey 2004. BTO, JNCC, RSPB

Reference
1. Mackey, E.C et al. (2001). Natural Heritage Trends: Scotland 2001. Scottish Natural Heritage