Carbon Emissions
About this Indicator
The ‘carbon emissions’ indicator looks at the regional estimates of carbon dioxide emissions.
| Indicator | 2018 Baseline | 2021 Target | 2028 Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carbon emissions |
Carbon emissions are 75% higher than the Scottish average |
Carbon emissions are within at least 60% of the Scottish average | Carbon emissions are within at least 20% of the Scottish average |
Source
Data comes from UK Government’s Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), which is used nationally as an indicator of how local authority areas are progressing on their carbon emissions. The above percentages were worked out with the data for each year based on Shetland and Scotland’s emissions per capita. Within the 2020 dataset, however, there was a change in the methodology of how emissions from land is calculated, which has resulted in Shetland’s emissions from land increasing significantly. This methodology was applied across previous years to bring them in line and show trends. This means the baseline is no longer comparable.
Most recent data
Carbon emissions are challenging to monitor. The UK Government’s Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) data is used nationally as an indicator of how local authority areas are doing on their carbon emissions. This dataset brings together nationally available data and trends to give a broad overview, however, at times doesn’t fully reflect the local context. Due to the change in methodology outlined above, data is no longer comparable to the baseline.
The BEIS data show Shetland's carbon emission estimates for 2021 is higher than our emissions from 2020, as is expected due to behavioural and system changes during COVID. Carbon emissions in Shetland remain significantly higher Scotland's.
- Carbon emissions in Shetland Islands Council area was 18.9 tonnes per capita compared to 5.1 for Scotland.
- Carbon emissions directly impacted by the Council in Shetland was 6.0 tonnes per capita compared to 4.6 for Scotland.
Why do we monitor this indicator?
There is clear evidence to show that climate change is happening and is linked to human activity. Nationally, the bulk of emissions come from demand for energy, with the largest contributor being carbon dioxide (CO2), emitted when fossil fuels are burnt to meet those demands (Climate Change Committee and Shetland Islands Council).
The rate at which CO2 is being added to the atmosphere and subsequent global warming, is unprecedented in the last 800,000 years. Impacts from climate change will vary globally, but worst impacts will affect those already vulnerable. There is still the means to limit the worst impacts by taking strong action.
A changing climate is not simply an environmental issue. It is a wide-ranging problem with ecological, environmental, social and economic impacts on communities, businesses, infrastructure and day-to-day life (Shetland Islands Council).
The most crucial step to limit climate change is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as quickly as possible, either by doing things less or doing them differently.
This indicator contributes to monitoring the desired outcomes outlined in the Place priority of the Partnership Plan.
“All areas of Shetland will be benefitting from a more resilient low carbon economy underpinned by a culture of innovation, inclusion and skills development.”