Dundee has the biggest carbon footprint in Scotland, a new study has claimed.
The city leads the way in carbon dioxide emissions per head of population, ahead of Orkney, environment experts from eight global organisations say.
People in North Lanarkshire have the smallest carbon footprints, followed by those in Glasgow.
The study analysed carbon emissions per head of population across the UK and discovered that lifestyle factors have a bigger impact than geography.
The carbon footprint in urban areas was only slightly lower than rural areas, mainly due to people sharing resources but the report said the emissions were determined more “by how people live rather than where people live”.
Out of Scotland’s 32 local authority regions, Dundee had the highest, with 13.82 tonnes per person.
Nineeteen had carbon footprints above the UK average of 12.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide per person including South Ayrshire, Inverclyde, Stirling, Eilean Siar (Isle of Lewis), Highland and Shetland.
Areas with smaller than average footprints included East Lothian, West Lothian, Moray and East Ayrshire.
North Lanarkshire scored the lowest, with 11.79 tonnes per person.
The City of London came out worst overall, having the largest footprint in the UK.
Previous research has analysed the effects of income and geographical location on carbon footprints, but lifestyle factors such as car ownership, education and household size were also included in the latest report.
It states carbon footprints increase with growing income, education, car ownership and decreasing household size.
Co-author Jan Minx, of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, said: “The carbon footprint of any local area can be high or low, regardless of whether the place is out in the countryside or in the city centre.
“The carbon footprint of local areas mainly depends on the socio-economic profile and associated lifestyles of residents.
“There have been people in the literature saying it’s all about income. We show that it is about a series of socio-economic drivers including income, education, household size etc.
“Other people in the literature say that a high footprint is all about metropolitan living or it’s all about rural living.
“We show that you find high carbon footprints both in rural and urban areas. Highly urban areas in fact contain local authorities with the highest and lowest footprint.
“One thing to learn from our research is that people should not so easily jump to conclusions when discussing the carbon footprint of human settlements.”
The researchers used a computer model to represent trade activities, allowing them to allocate carbon dioxide emissions to the final consumption of goods and services in the UK, regardless of where in the world they were emitted.
Data showing lifestyle types across the UK allowed researchers to allocate the carbon footprint on a regional scale.
Dundee City Council environment convener Craig Melville said: “This report has just been brought to light and we are currently having a look at it.
“These reports can be based on a huge number of different things and I can’t really comment any further than that until I have read it fully as I don’t know how the data has been collected.”
Dundonians claimed the city’s efforts to reduce its carbon footprint stalled when its recycling arrangements were altered.
The council decided to close the Marchbanks centre and force householders to take one type of rubbish to Riverside coup and other waste to Baldovie.
The controversial decision was reversed last month after pressure from The Courier and its readers.