Last year`s greenhouse gases total was estimated at just under 57 million metric tonnes, or 6.8% less than the previous year.
Carbon dioxide accounted for 80% of the total.
The annual figures show falls in emissions from power generation, the public sector, and the private sector - but increases in some other sectors, including international shipping and aviation.
Power generation and other forms of energy supply accounted for 36% of all greenhouse gas emissions, while 22% came from transport, 14% from agriculture, and 13% from business and domestic fossil fuel use.
Landfill accounted for 5% of emissions, while international aviation and shipping accounted for 4%.
New Holyrood climate change legislation has set a target of cutting greenhouse gases by 42% by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
Ministers will also have to set annual reduction targets from next year.
Climate Change Minister Stewart Stevenson said the new figures were "good news" and showed continued progress.
"However, the data also demonstrates the size of the task now facing us - and the rest of the world - in reducing emissions," he said.
"The Scottish Government's commitment to making progress is demonstrated by the fact that, in the past year, we have passed our own world-leading Climate Change Act, which clearly sets out the Scottish Government's commitment to making the changes we need.
"In 2010, which is the first year for the emissions targets contained in the Act, we will outline the plans and proposals that we will adopt to set us on a trajectory towards a low-carbon future."
Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie said the figures showed the feasibility of his party`s call for annual reduction targets of 4.5%.
"The worry remains that these numbers don't yet show the effect of the SNP's massive and ill-considered road-building programme," he said.
"Pollution from transport continues to rise, and without a radical rethink by ministers their obsession with roads will make future targets much harder to meet."
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