A new report has revealed that the Highlands and Islands region has significant economic potential in reducing Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions and transitioning to a net zero economy.
Entitled Baselining Inventory for Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Highlands and Islands, the report provides the first ever emissions profile for the whole region.
The study was commissioned by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) in collaboration with the Highlands and Islands Regional Economic Partnership (HIREP). The research used 2019 as the baseline year, this being the most recent available excluding COVID-19 impacts.
The findings will be used to inform policy and actions needed to reduce emissions in line with a just transition to a net zero economy.
While emissions in the Highlands and Islands declined by 20% between 2005 and 2019, the rate of decline for the whole of Scotland was 33%. The report cites several significant opportunities to address this in ways that will also benefit the region’s economy.