Question reference: S6W-10336
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 16 August 2022
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Current status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 13 September 2022
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of consumption emissions associated with imported textiles, and what plans it has to reduce such emissions.
Answer
Scotland is one of the few countries to publish annual reports setting out consumption-based emissions, including those associated with imported textiles, in the “Scotland’s Carbon Footprint” official statistics release [available at: www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-carbon-footprint-1998-2018/ ]. We recognise the inherently global nature of climate change and the necessity of co-ordinated international action and our transition to a circular economy.
Embodied emissions in imported textiles peaked in 2007 at an estimated 2.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (MtCO 2 e). In the latest year (2018) these emissions were estimated to have fallen to a level of 1.0 MtCO 2 e. Textile production in the Middle-East and China were the largest contributors.
In June 2022 we launched our £2m Circular Textiles Fund, to support businesses working in this sector to address issues associated with textile waste and throwaway culture.