Scottish natural capital: ecosystem service accounts 2019

2. Main points

• In 2015, the partial asset value of Scottish natural capital was estimated to be £291 billion, 37% of the UK asset valuation.
• 30% of the asset value was attributable to non-material benefits not directly captured in gross domestic product.
• In 2017, oil and gas production in Scotland more than halved from 1998 levels.
• Fish capture in Scottish waters rose by over two-thirds between 2003 and 2016.
• Scottish timber production nearly doubled from 1997 to 2017.
• During 2017, water abstraction for public water supply in Scotland fell to its lowest level in the series history, partly due to less leakage.
• In 2017, five times as much energy was produced from renewable sources in Scotland than was produced in 2000.
• The removal of PM2.5 from the atmosphere by Scottish vegetation led to overall avoided health damage costs of £52.3 million during 2017.
• Between 2009 and 2017, annual outdoor recreation time spent per person was 56 hours (65%) higher in Scotland than the UK average.
• Average spend per visit on outdoor recreation in Scotland was £2.24 between 2009 and 2012, which was comparable to the UK (£2.27).