Technical Information: Nature:
Scotland’s nature is protected and restored with flourishing biodiversity and clean and healthy air, water, seas and soils
Last updated: 11 January 2024
Marine & terrestrial species
Indicator Updated: 11 January 2024
| Year | Terrestrial Occupancy | Terrestrial Abundance | Marine Abundance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| 1995 | 104.9 | 115.8 | 104.1 |
| 1996 | 108.8 | 115.0 | 106.3 |
| 1997 | 112.1 | 102.9 | 106.2 |
| 1998 | 114.6 | 92.1 | 103.9 |
| 1999 | 116.8 | 87.4 | 102.2 |
| 2000 | 118.8 | 90.9 | 99.3 |
| 2001 | 120.6 | 95.3 | 95.4 |
| 2002 | 122.2 | 99.6 | 91.6 |
| 2003 | 123.9 | 105.2 | 88.4 |
| 2004 | 125.5 | 107.3 | 84.5 |
| 2005 | 126.9 | 103.3 | 81.8 |
| 2006 | 127.8 | 98.3 | 79.7 |
| 2007 | 128.2 | 94.7 | 77.2 |
| 2008 | 128.0 | 97.0 | 74.7 |
| 2009 | 127.7 | 102.8 | 72.8 |
| 2010 | 127.0 | 104.6 | 69.5 |
| 2011 | 125.7 | 99.2 | 65.3 |
| 2012 | 124.2 | 92.0 | 64.5 |
| 2013 | 123.3 | 89.0 | 64.3 |
| 2014 | 123.0 | 86.8 | 65.9 |
| 2015 | 123.0 | 85.4 | 66.4 |
| 2016 | 124.0 | 87.4 | 67.6 |
| 2017 | NA | 92.6 | 67.3 |
| 2018 | NA | 99.4 | 64.3 |
| 2019 | NA | 101.3 | 59.4 |
In 2021, the new marine and terrestrial species indicator replaced the index of abundance of terrestrial breeding birds as the biodiversity indicator included in the National Performance Framework. The new indicator shows separate trends in seabird species’ abundance, terrestrial species abundance and terrestrial species’ occupancy. Occupancy trends are based on the number of sites where a species is present, reflecting the size of the range within which it is found, and can be less sensitive to change than measures of abundance. Where trend data for a species is available for both abundance and occupancy, the abundance data is used. Data for these trends are obtained from several existing sources. Their combined trends determine the overall indicator performance.
The indicators are the average of the constituent species’ trends, set to a value of 100 in the start year (the baseline). Changes subsequent to this reflect the average change in species abundance or occupancy; if on average species’ trends doubled, the indicator would rise to 200, if they halved it would fall to a value of 50. A smoothing process is used to reduce the impact of between-year fluctuations, such as might be caused by variation in weather, and so make underlying trends easier to detect.
Breakdowns for the three measures are available for the main taxonomic groups. These breakdowns can be viewed on the NatureScot website.
The marine elements of the indicator continue to be under development as new species data becomes available. Further information on marine biodiversity status can be found in the Scotland Marine Assessment 2020.
A report detailing the development of the Marine and Terrestrial Species Indicator, including the sources of the data and the methodology for producing the headline figures, was published by the Scottish Government in March 2021.
Source: NatureScot
Update Frequency: Annual
Further Information: marine and terrestrial species indicator information is available from NatureScot. Information on Scotland’s Biodiversity Strategy Indicators is available here – these indicators track more detailed changes in biodiversity forScotland’s species, habitats and ecosystems.
Air pollutant emissions
Indicator Updated: 11 January 2024
Indexed to 2005 Values
| Year | CO | NOx | PM10 | PM2.5 | SO2 | VOC | NH3 | Pb | Dioxins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| 2006 | 95.4 | 101.3 | 99.8 | 99.4 | 107.0 | 97.9 | 96.4 | 94.6 | 84.7 |
| 2007 | 95.4 | 97.7 | 92.3 | 90.3 | 90.1 | 97.4 | 96.4 | 77.9 | 75.1 |
| 2008 | 80.7 | 90.9 | 79.5 | 78.5 | 80.1 | 93.5 | 91.1 | 70.6 | 75.1 |
| 2009 | 66.9 | 81.9 | 75.3 | 73.5 | 77.4 | 84.8 | 92.0 | 64.5 | 69.7 |
| 2010 | 66.2 | 78.3 | 78.3 | 73.1 | 86.6 | 84.0 | 92.7 | 72.2 | 65.8 |
| 2011 | 63.1 | 69.4 | 72.7 | 67.9 | 65.9 | 82.5 | 91.7 | 66.4 | 64.1 |
| 2012 | 57.1 | 66.6 | 66.8 | 63.4 | 63.8 | 84.4 | 91.0 | 68.1 | 60.7 |
| 2013 | 53.9 | 63.2 | 66.9 | 60.8 | 48.4 | 82.7 | 88.0 | 60.0 | 60.5 |
| 2014 | 50.1 | 61.9 | 65.1 | 58.7 | 37.2 | 82.7 | 92.1 | 63.5 | 57.0 |
| 2015 | 48.3 | 60.4 | 63.3 | 57.0 | 28.6 | 84.5 | 93.2 | 58.5 | 55.2 |
| 2016 | 44.8 | 56.0 | 64.5 | 56.5 | 20.1 | 85.3 | 95.3 | 55.7 | 54.2 |
| 2017 | 46.8 | 53.6 | 67.9 | 57.4 | 16.4 | 85.4 | 92.9 | 58.2 | 54.9 |
| 2018 | 46.6 | 52.5 | 67.3 | 58.7 | 15.6 | 86.9 | 91.4 | 56.2 | 54.3 |
| 2019 | 44.1 | 50.2 | 66.2 | 57.1 | 14.2 | 86.2 | 92.3 | 56.2 | 52.2 |
| 2020 | 38.0 | 41.5 | 56.8 | 49.8 | 8.9 | 84.5 | 90.8 | 43.5 | 47.7 |
| 2021 | 41.0 | 41.4 | 61.9 | 53.5 | 8.9 | 84.7 | 89.8 | 53.1 | 49.5 |
Emissions in kilotonnes
| Year | CO | NOx | PM10 | PM2.5 | SO2 | VOC | NH3 | Pb | Dioxins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 658.68 | 323.43 | 40.20 | 25.72 | 313.96 | 404.15 | 36.96 | 0.21 | 80.25 |
| 1995 | 464.07 | 267.95 | 30.20 | 19.33 | 207.58 | 310.93 | 34.93 | 0.11 | 48.48 |
| 1998 | 379.79 | 232.05 | 26.62 | 17.14 | 145.25 | 276.40 | 36.85 | 0.06 | 32.70 |
| 1999 | 353.47 | 223.04 | 26.01 | 16.91 | 125.05 | 247.19 | 35.49 | 0.04 | 31.24 |
| 2000 | 306.42 | 217.59 | 24.82 | 15.37 | 141.85 | 233.89 | 35.40 | 0.01 | 25.79 |
| 2001 | 311.85 | 206.09 | 25.71 | 15.47 | 137.30 | 217.22 | 35.29 | 0.01 | 25.80 |
| 2002 | 280.79 | 196.19 | 22.35 | 13.49 | 132.81 | 211.83 | 34.80 | 0.01 | 23.61 |
| 2003 | 259.72 | 188.03 | 21.97 | 12.77 | 116.82 | 188.12 | 34.12 | 0.01 | 22.06 |
| 2004 | 245.07 | 182.70 | 21.33 | 12.63 | 101.07 | 170.82 | 35.04 | 0.01 | 20.93 |
| 2005 | 232.94 | 221.01 | 22.46 | 13.84 | 104.76 | 217.41 | 39.94 | 0.01 | 17.52 |
| 2006 | 222.25 | 223.91 | 22.42 | 13.75 | 112.08 | 212.94 | 38.52 | 0.01 | 14.85 |
| 2007 | 222.22 | 215.84 | 20.73 | 12.49 | 94.41 | 211.74 | 38.51 | 0.01 | 13.17 |
| 2008 | 188.03 | 201.00 | 17.86 | 10.86 | 83.93 | 203.29 | 36.37 | 0.01 | 13.15 |
| 2009 | 155.80 | 181.01 | 16.91 | 10.17 | 81.03 | 184.46 | 36.76 | 0.01 | 12.21 |
| 2010 | 154.19 | 173.07 | 17.59 | 10.12 | 90.72 | 182.61 | 37.01 | 0.01 | 11.53 |
| 2011 | 147.03 | 153.46 | 16.32 | 9.39 | 69.02 | 179.42 | 36.63 | 0.01 | 11.24 |
| 2012 | 133.10 | 147.24 | 15.01 | 8.77 | 66.85 | 183.39 | 36.34 | 0.01 | 10.65 |
| 2013 | 125.45 | 139.78 | 15.02 | 8.41 | 50.76 | 179.83 | 35.13 | 0.01 | 10.60 |
| 2014 | 116.63 | 136.76 | 14.63 | 8.12 | 38.98 | 179.90 | 36.79 | 0.01 | 9.99 |
| 2015 | 112.53 | 133.51 | 14.22 | 7.89 | 29.98 | 183.81 | 37.22 | 0.01 | 9.68 |
| 2016 | 104.43 | 123.66 | 14.48 | 7.82 | 21.08 | 185.35 | 38.06 | 0.01 | 9.49 |
| 2017 | 109.01 | 118.41 | 15.25 | 7.94 | 17.19 | 185.65 | 37.08 | 0.01 | 9.62 |
| 2018 | 108.53 | 116.12 | 15.11 | 8.12 | 16.31 | 188.95 | 36.48 | 0.01 | 9.52 |
| 2019 | 102.76 | 110.95 | 14.87 | 7.89 | 14.92 | 187.46 | 36.86 | 0.01 | 9.15 |
| 2020 | 88.49 | 91.67 | 12.75 | 6.90 | 9.35 | 183.61 | 36.26 | 0.01 | 8.37 |
| 2021 | 95.50 | 91.56 | 13.91 | 7.41 | 9.29 | 184.18 | 35.88 | 0.01 | 8.67 |
This indicator gives trends in annual emissions of the eight main air pollutants in Scotland: NH3 (ammonia), CO (carbon monoxide), NOx (nitrogen oxides), NMVOCs (non-methane volatile organic compounds), PM10 (particulates smaller than 10 microns), PM2.5 (particulates smaller than 2.5 microns), SO2 (sulphur dioxide) and Pb (lead). Emissions are reported in kilotonnes (kt).
Statutory targets limiting annual emissions of each pollutant at the UK level are stated in the National Emission Ceilings Directive Regulations 2018.
Source: The data on air pollutant emissions is published in an annual report Air Pollutant Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Please note that the most recent report, published in October 2023, provided data for 2005 to 2021. The data for 1990 to 2004 is taken from a previous report published in October 2020.
Update Frequency: Annual.
Further Information: Air quality indicator information is available from SEPA.
Freshwater condition
Indicator Updated: 22 February 2023
| Year | Water Quality | Water resources (flows and levels) | Access for fish migration | Physical Condition |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 80.3 | 87.0 | 87.0 | 88.7 |
| 2017 | 81.1 | 87.4 | 87.4 | 88.8 |
| 2018 | 82.9 | 87.4 | 86.9 | 88.8 |
| 2019 | 83.9 | 87.3 | 88.0 | 88.3 |
| 2020 | 83.9 | 88.9 | 88.2 | 88.9 |
Targets for achieving Good or better ecological status are set through the statutory River Basin Management Plans process.
Source: The data for this indicator is obtained from SEPA's Water Environment Hub.
Update Frequency: Annual
Further Information: Freshwater condition indicator information is available from SEPA.
Marine environmental quality
There are four indicators concerning marine environmental quality.
(i) Clean seas
Indicator Updated: 11 January 2024
| Year | % of acceptable regions (%) |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 90 |
| 2016 | 90 |
| 2017 | 93 |
| 2018 | 93 |
| 2019 | 93 |
| 2020 | 93 |
This National Performance Framework indicator reports the percentage of biogeographical regions with acceptably low levels of chemical contaminants. This is assessed by considering the extent to which levels of metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are sufficiently low that they are unlikely to cause adverse effects in marine organisms in Scottish waters.
The Indicator is calculated by assessing the concentrations of cadmium, lead, mercury, PAHs and PCBs in biota (fish and shellfish) and sediment in three regions: the Northern North Sea, Minches and Western Scotland, and Irish Sea (Clyde & Solway).
Source: Assessments of the data are made by the UK Clean Safe Seas Evidence Group (CSSEG). Data from the most recent clean seas assessment can be found here.
Update Frequency: Annual
Further Information: Clean seas metric information is available on the National Performance Framework website.
(ii) Beach litter
Indicator Updated: 04 November 2021
| Coast | Items of litter per 100m of beach) (-) |
|---|---|
| Clyde | 670 |
| Orkney | 40 |
| Moray Firth | 320 |
| East Coast (North) | 250 |
| Firth of Forth (Beaches) | 300 |
| Firth of Forth (Harbours) | 1600 |
This metric reports the number of litter items per 100 metres of beach surveyed in six coastal areas of Scotland. Results are presented for the regions Clyde, Orkney, Moray Firth, East Coast (North), Forth and Forth (harbours) and by category of item.
A range of pilot Performance Indicators are proposed which aim to allow the Scottish Government to monitor the state of litter on its beaches, as well as judge the success of its policies in reducing sources of marine plastics and litter. The pilot Scottish Beach Litter Performance Indicators (SBLPIs) utilise the Marine Conservation Society (MCS) Beachwatch citizen-science foreshore surveys (Marine Conservation Society, 2018). These surveys use a standard method, agreed with OSPAR, to count all the visible pieces of plastic and non-plastic litter on a beach and to put these into one of 118 different categories.
Source: Marine Scotland
Update Frequency: Current data is estimated over the 10 year period from 2008 to 2017. Results will be updated every six years.
Further Information: Beach litter metric information is available from Marine Scotland.
(iii) Plastic litter ingested by seabirds
Indicator Updated: 04 November 2021
| Year | % of birds exceeding digested plastic limit (%) |
|---|---|
| 2007-2011 | 63 |
| 2012-1016 | 56 |
This metric reports the percentage of fulmars, a species of seabird, exceeding a level of 0.1g of plastic in their stomachs. OSPAR is the mechanism by which 15 Governments and the EU cooperate to protect the marine environment of the North-East Atlantic. OSPAR examines the stomachs of fulmar corpses found on beaches in 5 North Sea areas.
Source: OSPAR
Update Frequency: The metric is updated every six years.
Further Information: Plastic litter ingested by seabirds metric information is available from OSPAR.
(iv) Predicted disturbance to seafloor habitats
Indicator Updated: 04 November 2021
Scottish marine regions
| Percentage Scottish Marine Region | Percentage No predicted disturbance | Percentage Low disturbance | Percentage High disturbance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solway | 12 | 66 | 22 |
| Clyde | 8 | 26 | 65 |
| Argyll | 20 | 36 | 44 |
| West Highlands | 8 | 27 | 65 |
| Outer Hebrides | 36 | 31 | 33 |
| North Coast | 5 | 46 | 49 |
| Orkney Islands | 10 | 48 | 41 |
| Shetland Isles | 4 | 16 | 80 |
| Moray Firth | 9 | 34 | 57 |
| North East | 5 | 44 | 51 |
| Forth and Tay | 13 | 39 | 48 |
Scottish offshore marine regions
| Percentage Scottish Offshore Marine Region | Percentage No predicted disturbance | Percentage Low disturbance | Percentage High disturbance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatton | 98 | 0 | 1 |
| Rockall | 61 | 3 | 36 |
| Bailey | 87 | 1 | 11 |
| Hebrides Shelf | 23 | 37 | 40 |
| North Scotland Shelf | 8 | 28 | 64 |
| Faroe Shetland Channel | 89 | 1 | 10 |
| North and West Shetland Shelf | 2 | 8 | 89 |
| East Shetland Shelf | 0 | 5 | 95 |
| Fladen and Moray Firth Offshore | 0 | 14 | 86 |
| Long Forties | 4 | 59 | 36 |
This metric reports the predicted extent of physical damage to seafloor habitats due to towed bottom-contact fishing activities, based on modelling of fishing vessels in different areas.
The metric categorises disturbance at the seabed from 0 (none) to 9 (very high). Categories 5 to 9 represent higher levels of disturbance. Areas with a score of 5 and above are considered highly disturbed and, therefore, potentially in poor condition. The proportion of seafloor assessed as being in these categories is provided for each of the 11 SMR (Scottish Marine Region) areas and 10 OMR (Offshore Marine Region) areas.
Data on pressures resulting from human activities and information on sensitivity of habitats are the main components of this indicator. The duration and intensity of the activity, and the physical interaction between the activity and the seabed, are used to define the nature of the pressure assessed in this indicator. The specific combination of pressure and habitat sensitivity is used to establish the overall impact (disturbance) on the habitat.
The degree of disturbance of a habitat is a prediction based on the predicted spatial and temporal overlap of its sensitivity and exposure to a specific pressure. Sensitivity and pressure are combined via a matrix, producing 10 categories of disturbance (0-9, where 0 is no disturbance, and 9 is the greatest amount of disturbance possible). The matrix is used to calculate the disturbance per cell for each surface and subsurface abrasion per year.
The disturbance categories are further aggregated into two groups:
disturbance categories 0 to 4, representing low levels of disturbance.
disturbance categories 5 to 9, representing high levels of disturbance.
Source: Marine Scotland
Update Frequency: The metric is updated every six years.
Further Information: Disturbance to seafloor habitats metric information is available from Marine Scotland.
Soil health
Options for undertaking additional work to identify strategic indicators of soil health are being explored.