UK must slash its global footprint by 75% this decade

UK must slash its global footprint by 75% this decade - WWF

WWF proposes new target to cut the UK’s global environmental footprint by three quarters by 2030
Government urged to put the UK’s own house in order and strengthen Environment Bill with binding target to reduce UK footprint
Recommendations include establishing food standards in law, for both imports and domestic production, and increasing consumption of plant-based foods

The UK must slash its global environmental footprint by 75% by the end of the decade to help put nature on the path to recovery, a new WWF report sets out today.

The report – Thriving Within Our Planetary Means – states that the UK’s disproportionately high impact on climate and nature must be met with a nationally ambitious target.

It assesses the UK’s per capita footprint across six ‘footprint areas’ critical to the functioning of the planet, such as greenhouse gas emissions, nitrogen and phosphorous use, and materials consumption. Data for the UK footprint is then compared to what is required to stay within planetary limits - the level of impact which, if crossed, could trigger abrupt or irreversible changes which could have serious consequences for humankind.

The analysis estimates that the UK’s per capita greenhouse gas footprint is over six times the planetary limit, and its per capita biomass consumption footprint is nearly double the planetary limit.

It presents ten key drivers of environmental impact where significant reform will be essential to deliver the 75% reduction. Specific targets include:

ensuring UK supply chains of agricultural and forest commodities are responsible for zero deforestation and conversion of ecosystems by 2023;
reducing the footprint of the UK's material consumption - the raw materials needed to satisfy demand for all goods and commodities - by 40% by 2030;
reducing the footprint of the UK's biomass consumption - the consumption of agricultural products, animal products, and forestry products - by 50% by 2030;
ensuring 100% of marine resources - animals and plants extracted from the marine environment - are from sustainable sources by 2030;
ensuring all bodies of water in the UK achieve good ecological status and good chemical status by 2027.

The report also outlines key actions for the UK to put its own house in order by reducing the impact of production and consumption, both at home and overseas, highlighting that nearly half of the UK’s carbon footprint occurs beyond its borders and is embedded in imports.