Transcript The Global Footprint Project for the North East of

Aberdeen City Council’s
Priorities
• Environment Management Policy (2001)
– Climate Change - carbon emissions
– Resource Use
– Sustainable Procurement
– Waste Management
– Biodiversity
– Strategic Environmental Assessment
– Environmental Awareness & Education
Climate Change
• Climate Change Action Plan and
Carbon Management Plan
• Target CO2 emission target
– 10% by 2008
– 15% by 2010
• 2007 - 31 % reduction in CO2
emission
• Aberdeen Renewable Energy
Group
• Renewables Connection
Sustainable Procurement
• Joint Sustainable Purchasing Policy
– Timber
– Copiers
– Food
– Fairtrade
• The Canny Buyer - www.cannybuyer.com
Waste Management
• Waste Strategy - Area Waste
Plan
• Issues of landfill vs energy from
waste
• Landfill fines from EU will begin
- £150 tonne
• Target - 40% recycling by 2011
• Current recycling rate 20% domestic
• Strategic Waste Fund (£25m 20 yrs)
Biodiversity
• Legislation
– Nature Conservation Act 2004
– Access Legislation - Core Paths
– Local Biodiversity Action Plans
• Parks and Greenspaces management
– Aberdeen City Countryside Rangers
• Partnerships
– Volunteers and Aberdeen Countryside Project
– East Grampian Coastal Partnership
Awareness Raising
• Leaflets - climate change,
health, trails, biodiversity,
fairtrade, etc
• Environmental Forum
• EcoCity
– Highland Games
– Award Scheme
– Spring Clean Ups
• www.aberdeencity.gov.uk - Your
City - Your Environment
Strategic Environment
Assessment
• Statutory Requirement for all new policies and
programmes in Scotland
• Similar to Environment Impact Assessment
• Assesses 8 Environment indicators
Air
Biodiversity
Water
Soil
Cultural heritage
Material Assets
Landscape & Cultural Heritage
• Process requires SNH, Historic Scotland
SEPA consultation and approval
Ecological Footprint
• North East project was a three year
pilot to develop global footprint as a
tool for policy making
• Scotland Global Footprint Project
• Objectives
• Measure the North East’s Footprint
• Develop a footprint software tool
• Develop strategies and projects to
reduce footprint
What is Ecological Footprint?
• Calculates the area of land and sea needed to:
– Support how much resources we use.
– Absorb how much waste we produce.
• Measured in
global hectares
per person
(gha/person).
Ecological Footprint vs Carbon
Footprint
• Carbon footprint measure direct carbon emissions
– CO2 tonnes/per person
North East Scotland’s
Footprint
What does this mean?
• Currently all Earth resources
can provide 1.9 gha/person
• North East Scotland global footprint is:
– Aberdeen City
– Findhorn, Moray
– Scotland
5.80 gha/person
2.60 gha/person
5.37 gha/person
What contributes to our
Footprint?
• Energy Use
(23%)
– Energy Use
– Gas, Oil, Electricity
• Transport
(14 %)
– Cost of Fuel
– Private Car Use
– Transport Services
• Food and Drink
– Consumption
– Food miles
(20 %)
How Aberdeen City will use
Ecological Footprint
• Environmental Baseline
• Measure of Sustainable Development
– Links with Best Value
• Policy decision tool
– Increased knowledge and choices
• Environment awareness tool
– Links individual consumer behaviour to the
environment
Useful References
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Carson, Rachel, Silent Spring, Penguin (1962)
WCED, Our Common Future, Oxford, (1987)
The Real World Coalition - From here to Sustainability,
Earthscan (2001), www.earthscan.co.uk
www.earthsummit2002.org
www.defra.gov.uk/environment/sustainable
www.aberdeencity.gov.uk
www.sustainable-scotland.net
www.cannybuyer.com
www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment
www.scotlandsfootprint.org
www.nesbiodiversity.org.uk