The Scottish Government's independent advisory body on sustainable development
SDC funds first ecological footprint for Scottish Parliament
The first ecological footprint of a Scottish Parliament conference, funded by the Sustainable Development Commission in Scotland, is released today marking the start of Scottish Environment Week.
Measuring the impact of the transport, food, waste and energy consumed by over 60 delegates, who travelled from around the world to attend the Parliament conference, the study finds that an unsustainable level of environmental resources was used. Despite this, delegates’ ecological footprints were lower than the average Scottish footprint.
Scottish Commissioner, Hugh Raven, said: “This study is exactly what we need: for the first time, we’ve managed to put a figure on the environmental resources consumed by a Scottish Parliament event. This is a big step in the right direction.”
“’Choosing Our Future: Scotland’s sustainable development strategy’, published in December 2005, commits to reducing Scotland’s Global Ecological Footprint. We commend the Scottish Parliament for tackling this as a top priority.”
The footprint, one of the first to focus on a specific individual event, analysed the environmental impact of the Inter-Parliamentary Research and Information Network (IPIRN) annual conference in July 2005.
The event was attended by delegates from Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands, Belgium, Spain and Estonia. Data on their food, transport, waste and energy consumption was used to calculate the area of land required to produce the resources needed for the conference, and to absorb the waste produced. The overall footprint for the three day conference was 2.17 global hectares with international air travel generating the largest single share.
The Ecological Footprint of a Conference in the Scottish Parliament was commissioned by the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) and co-funded by the Sustainable Development Commission Scotland. Its finding will be used to inform decisions on sustainability issues.
The Scottish Parliament has taken a number of steps to prove its environmental credentials and continues to take every opportunity possible to negative impacts. The Parliament complex was designed with extensive environmental features including solar panels on the Canongate Building, sourcing all electricity from renewable sources and using on-site bore holes to provide all water needed for toilets.
Over forty percent of waste materials produced are recycled through the provision of recycling facilities in all offices and the majority of paper used is made from 100 per cent recycled product. In addition some 80 per cent of those using the building walk, cycle or take public transport.
» Download The Ecological Footprint of a Conference in the Scottish Parliament
SDC in Scotland is growing...
One of the many positive features of 'Choosing Our Future' Scotland’s sustainable development strategy is the commitment to strengthen the existing arrangements by providing additional resources to increase the size of SDC’s secretariat in Scotland.
Jo Colwell, Scottish Policy Advisor since June 2004, will be joined by additional team members during 2006. This will enable the SDC in Scotland to continue to promote sustainable development in Scotland by encouraging a climate of opinion, promoting wider public debate and strengthening partnerships with key organisations.
The 'Choosing Our Future' gives the SDC in Scotland a number of roles including: reporting on an annual basis on progress in delivering the strategy; providing access to authoritative advice that is based on clear evidence; highlighting best practice in sustainable development; and producing a strategic assessment of performance ahead of the next strategy.
» Download a copy of the strategy
The new wonder fuel, wood: Commissioners give evidence
Commissioners, Bernie Bulkin and Hugh Raven, will be giving evidence at the Scottish Parliament Environment and Rural Development Committee Inquiry on Biomass on the 22 February. The Commission has been given the rare honour of two Commissioners as witnesses to the Committee.
In June 2005, our Our ‘Wood Fuel for Warmth’ report demonstrated that wood-fuel heating could make a significant contribution to cutting carbon emissions while providing much needed new rural jobs, and reducing fuel poverty. The report makes a series of recommendations designed to enhance the use of wood fuel as a much needed contribution to reductions in carbon emissions, which will be required to deliver the stretching targets set by the Scottish Executive.
Commissioners will be talking to the Committee about SDCs recommendations in the light of the Committee’s work on sustainable development, climate change and rural development.
» Download a copy of Wood Fuel for Warmth
» Read more about the Committee Inquiry
