Scottish Government Publishes Key Environment Statistics 2013

The Scottish Government has published key datasets on the state of the environment in Scotland, with an emphasis on trends over time.

Although the year on year trend in Scotland’s carbon emissions since 2007 has generally been downward, concerns have been raised regarding the period 2009 and 2010, which registered a 4% increase.

Speaking about the rise over this period, Green MSP for Glasgow and co-convener of the Scottish Greens, Patrick Harvie, said that it is “deeply worrying” that Scotland’s carbon footprint has reached an “upward trajectory”, citing changes to Government policy as a possible solution to the issue.

Harvie said:

“It appears to bear out our prediction that without real policy change, the reductions which were caused by the recession would be wiped out, and that emissions would rebound as economic recovery began.

“Scotland is currently missing the opportunity to build a more equal, more sustainable and more resilient economy, which meets people’s needs without destroying the environmental conditions we depend upon. Just a few short years after passing the Climate Change Act, we’re falling ever further behind our own targets,” he added.

Data recently published on drinking water quality and river water quality shows that both generally improved over time and between 2011 and 2012.

Total waste sent to landfill has shown a long-term decrease of 58% from 2000, although in 2011 there was a 3% increase on the previous year.

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