UK – “three sizes too big” environmental footprint to be measured up

WWF-UK has started work on a major research programme to perform the first comprehensive assessment of the environmental impact of the UK nation‘‘s activities, expressed as a so-called environmental footprint. The Faraday Partnerhip‘‘s Mini-Waste reports that the study, made possible by £520,000 of support from Biffaward, will be carried out by WWF-UK and research partners at Stockholm Environment Institute – York, and the Centre for Urban and Regional Ecology.



An ecological footprint expresses the impact of activities such as energy and material use, waste production, transport and water use in terms of the land area required to support them. This figure is then compared to the actual land available. Data from Biffaward‘‘s existing suite of Mass Balance studies already indicate that if the UK‘‘s pattern of resource consumption were followed globally, three planets would be needed to support our lifestyle.



The new project is an important part of the Biffaward Mass Balance Programme, which provides accessible, well-researched information about the flow of resources through the UK economy. It will undertake a detailed mass balance of the UK broken down by English region and devolved countries, ultimately completing the programme‘‘s regional profile. This will provide a baseline for future targets and policies and initiatives in reducing the UK‘‘s environmental impact.

Why the Ecological Footprint?



According to WWF‘‘s Living Planet Index 2004, a third of the Earth‘‘s natural wealth has been destroyed since 1972. This includes our wildlife, forests, rivers and seas. Much, if not all, of this destruction results from human consumption – which is now completely unsustainable, and is posing a serious threat not only to the natural world, but to all of us.



WWF is committed to exploring alternative lifestyles based around sustainable consumption. We are doing this through our One Million Sustainable Homes campaign; our new PowerSwitch! global drive for sustainable energy procurement; and through the Forest Stewardship Council, which sets an international standard for products that come from well-managed forests. However, so that we can all develop sustainable initiatives, we need to understand and measure the global environmental impact of our everyday decisions and actions. We also need to know where change is most beneficial and most needed – whether at a policy, economic, business or personal level.



WWF‘‘s Ecological Footprint Programme has been developed to meet this need.



The Ecological Footprint is one way of measuring how our lifestyles impact not only on the planet, but also on other people. It calculates how much productive land and sea is needed to feed us and provide all the energy, water and materials we use in our everyday lives. It also calculates the emissions generated from the oil, coal and gas we burn at ever-increasing rates, and it determines how much land is required to absorb our waste. Measuring and reducing our ecological footprint is one of WWF‘‘s aims.



What are we setting out to achieve?



the vision is that, by 2030, the global ecological footprint is sustainable the goal is that, by 2012, the UK‘‘s ecological footprint is no longer increasing the aim for the short term is that the government and devolved administrations accept responsibility for the global impact of UK consumption and that by 2006, they have adopted strategies to reduce that impact.



WWF work



To achieve these goals, WWF is working in the following five key areas:



1. Calculating the UK‘‘s ecological footprint An ecological footprint will be calculated for the entire UK (see Ecological Budget for further details on Footprint calculations or visit www.regionalsustainability.org for information on calcula