Industry emissions fall in Scotland

The closure of Cockenzie Power Station led to an 8 per cent drop in greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland, new figures have revealed.
According to a new report from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, carbon dioxide emissions from industry fell from 22.9bn kg in 2012 to 21.1bn kg in 2013.
In edition methane emissions dropped from 47.5m kg to 47.3m kg, nitrous oxide fell from 192,447 kg to 173,848kg and sulphur hexafluoride fell from 304 kg to 241 kg.
The main reason for the fall has been attributed to the coal-fired power station at Cockenzie in East Lothian shutting down in March 2013.
While the figures represent a drop of 8 per cent, it does not necessarily mean the total emissions – which include transport, housing and the public sector – will meet the Scottish Government’s targets when they are announced in July next year.
Sam Gardner, head of policy at WWF Scotland said: “This is an encouraging sign, but it is important that progress continues and the transition to a low carbon economy for Scotland is secured. 
“Delivering on our Climate Change Act sets out a path to the creation of new industries, green jobs, greater efficiencies and massively reduced pollution with all the health and social justice benefits this offers.”
The figures came from the Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory across 1,335 different sites, compared to 1,337 in 2012.
Martin Marsden SEPA’s head of environmental quality said: “We have seen emissions vary over the last few years for a number of reasons, especially in 2010 when the prolonged cold winter meant more people were using energy for heating.
“SPRI allows us to present a lot of data and information on emissions as clearly and effectively as possible, which is of interest to a range of people in their professional and personal lives. However, it deliberately doesn’t put site operators into a league table and it doesn’t assess the impact that sites have on the environment. Emission totals inevitably reflect the size of an operation. SEPA uses monitoring programmes to ensure that operators comply with their license limits, which are set to achieve local air quality standards and protect human health.”