SCPnet Autumn events
The 2009 SCPnet Autumn Events were held on 20th-21st October at the RSA in London. Over thirty people, representing the RDAs, Leader Boards / Association of Councils, Regional Observatories, Defra and the Environment Agency, participated in two days of workshops with lively presentations and discussions on topics related to sustainable consumption and production. Presentation slides and a summary of the workshops are now available on the Autumn Event pages of the SCPnet website.
Day One: SCP Data Intelligence & Modelling Workshop
The focus of this event, aimed at sustainability modellers, was on sharing knowledge, methods and findings from REEIO, REAP and other models.
Day Two: Networking Event – SCP & Well Being Indicators
This event was an opportunity for SCPnet members to network, share what is happening in their regions and develop ideas from conference on how we can enable truly sustainable "capabilities for flourishing". The main focus was on regional sustainable development indicators.
REEIO & REAP news
New versions of the REAP and REEIO
models will be distributed our members in the New Year, and both new models will be launched with a number of training sessions – register your interest using this form. To find out how to get a copy of either model, please contact us.
The REEIO model, which forecasts the air emissions, energy use, waste and water use from economic activity in Government Office Regions, is currently being updated to include the latest economic and environmental data. The new version will predict results up to 2030 using Cambridge Econometrics’ Local Economy Forecasting Module.
Stockholm Environment Institute have advised us that the new version of REAP, which estimates the environmental footprint of consumption in local authority areas (including carbon footprints and ecological footprints), will be delivered by the New Year.
Regional news snippets
The North East have commissioned SCPnet to develop an approach to comparing the nature of GHG emissions from NE industrial processes with similar activities elsewhere in the world. Read more.
The South West was designated as Britain’s first Low Carbon Economic Area in the Government's Low Carbon Industrial Strategy in July, with funding of £85m. Under the focus on wave energy, £9.5m of low carbon strategic investment funding will secure the go-ahead for the Wave Hub sub-sea socket off Cornwall and a further £10m to support other strategic marine energy projects.
Yorkshire & Humber published a new report, The Top Ten Interventions to Cut Regional Carbon Emissions
, which identifies the most viable and cost effective interventions that could reduce the region’s carbon emissions by up to 23% by 2020. The research was commissioned by Yorkshire Futures with funding from Yorkshire Forward to help inform regional policy, strategy development and priority setting. SCPnet provided emissions forecasts using the REEIO model to support the analysis.
Data
Regional CO2 Emissions for 2007, published in September, provide the climate impact of the energy used by homes, businesses and road transport in each local authority area throughout England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, with totals provided for each English Region and the Devolved Administrations.
The latest Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland: 1990 - 2007 were published in September. An Excel pivot table is provided to view the data for the six reportable greenhouse gases in 1990, 1995 and 1998 to 2007.
The results of a new research project to develop End User Greenhouse Gas Inventories for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will be published on the www.naei.org.uk website on 12th November 2009. A model was developed to disaggregate energy sector emissions to end-user sectors across the Devolved Administrations.
The Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2009, published in July, provides comprehensive data for 2008 and an account of trends in energy supply and demand in the United Kingdom.
Updated Energy and Emissions Projections were published alongside the UK Low Carbon Transition Plan (see below). The projections are based on assumptions of future economic growth, fossil fuel prices, UK population and other key variables. These projections are consistent with the most recent UK budget announcements and include all firm and funded environmental policy measures.
The UK Climate Projections (UKCP09), published in June, provide projected changes for the UK and administrative regions for the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s under the high, medium and low emission scenarios and at 10, 50 and 90% probability levels for mean winter and summer temperatures and precipitation and other variables. Projections of sea-level rise are also presented for London, Cardiff, Edinburgh and Belfast.
A new edition of Sustainable Development Indicators in Your Pocket (2009) was published in July. The indicators support the four priority areas outlined in the Sustainable Development Strategy, including Sustainable Consumption and Production.
Government releases (UK/England)
The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, released in July, plots how the UK will meet the 34 percent cut in emissions on 1990 levels by 2020 set out in the budget. In parallel, the Government published The UK Low Carbon Industrial Strategy
, The UK Renewable Energy Strategy and The Carbon Reduction Strategy for Transport
. Together these set out the policies which, combined with encouraging consumer and business demand for low carbon goods and services, will help drive the transition to decarbonising our economy, and reflect how departments across Government are working together to deliver the transition to a low carbon future.
Jobs of the Future
, published in September, outlines where new jobs could be created in the UK economy of the future, as a result of expected growth and emerging global trends – in sectors such as the low carbon economy, advanced manufacturing, life sciences and the digital economy. It identifies how the UK’s labour market is set to change, the potential employment opportunities that key sectors of the economy could generate and Government action to equip the workforce to win their fair share of these jobs.
In August Defra published a package of material on Secure and Sustainable Food and the future of our food system, one year on from the 2008 publication of Food Matters: Towards a Strategy for the 21st Century. The material covers UK food security and sustainability and includes:
‘Food Matters’: One Year On, a progress update report; Food 2030: An online discussion, an interactive debate about the future of food and what our food system in the UK might look like in 2030;
Development of indicators for a sustainable food system - a consultation; and a UK Food Security Assessment. Some of the material is specifically for comment and consultation and some, like the UK Food Security Assessment, has been the product of discussions with stakeholders over the past year, and will be subject to review as evidence needs and sources develop.
The National Housing and Planning Advice Unit (NHPAU) published revised advice to government on future housing supply
in July, which concluded that the recession and the fall in house prices have not solved the problem of housing affordability. The NHPAU recommends small increase in new home numbers, to be considered in regional plans. A Technical Appendix provides the detailed background to how the revised supply range figures were derived; regional colleagues in particular may be interested to see the various runs of different supply scenarios and their results.
Devolved Administrations
Scotland
The Scottish Government produced the world's first carbon-assessed budget, presented to the Scottish Parliament in September. It provides a high-level understanding of the impact of Scottish Budget expenditure on global greenhouse gas emissions and provides an understanding of the carbon impact of Government spend.
The assessment will be a statutory requirement of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, which was passed unanimously in June and became law in August. It:
- introduces a statutory target to reduce Scotland's greenhouse gas emissions by at least 80 per cent by 2050;
- establishes an interim target of at least 42 per cent emissions reductions by 2020;
- establishes a framework of annual targets; and includes emissions from international aviation and international shipping.
Wales
Wales launched its new Sustainable Development Scheme, One Wales: One Planet in May. The Scheme confirms three elements that are central to Wales' approach to sustainable development:
- Using only a fair share of the earth’s resources, and becoming a fairer and more just nation;
- Sustainable development as the overarching strategic aim of all policies and programmes, across all Ministerial portfolios;
- Sustainable development as the central organising principle of the Welsh Assembly Government and of the public sector in Wales.
Wales has just finished consultation on the Climate Change Strategy – Programme of Action. A final Climate Change Strategy that brings together the High Level Policy Statement and the Programme of Action will be published at the end of 2009.
Wales consulted on its new Waste Strategy 2009 – 2050: Towards Zero Waste over the summer; the new strategy will be published in Spring 2009. The proposed strategy has a long-term aim of zero waste and ‘one Wales: one planet’ by 2050 and a medium-term aim of 70% recycling across all sectors by 2025. Wales is currently on track to achieve at least 40% recycling and composting of municipal waste in 2009-10.
Northern Ireland
Consultation on the new Sustainable Development Strategy for Northern Ireland is expected to begin in October, with the Strategy finalised by February 2010. A Sustainable Development Commissioner is also being appointed.
Upcoming events
environment 09: creating the climate for change
The Environment Agency’s annual conference, environment 09, will be held on Monday 9 - Tuesday 10 November 2009 at the QEII Conference Centre. Business leaders, politicians and scientists from the UK and abroad will provide insight into the impact of climate change and the likely legislative and business landscape on key environmental issues. environment 09 will involve organisations from the public, private and not-for-profit sectors, each with a key role in environmental issues. From water quality to waste, flood risk to factory emissions, every presentation will focus on providing clear advice and practical solutions for the public and private sectors alike.
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