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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 • • • • • • • • • • • 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