UK must reduce global environmental footprint by 75% this decade – WWF report | Climate News

The UK must reduce its environmental footprint by 75% by the end of the decade to help nature recover, according to WWF.

The Thriving Within Our Planetary Means report says the UK has a disproportionate impact on climate and nature.

He compared the per capita footprint in areas such as greenhouse gas emissions, nitrogen and phosphorus use, and material consumption, with what is needed to stay within planetary limits.

This is when irreversible changes could kick in, with serious consequences for humans.

The report concluded that the UK’s per capita greenhouse gas footprint is more than six times that limit and its per capita biomass consumption footprint is almost double.

To reduce this destructive footprint by 75%, WWF said the UK should:

• Ensure UK agriculture and forestry supply chains lead to zero deforestation and ecosystem conversion by 2023

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• Reduce the consumption of materials – that is, the raw materials needed to meet the demand for goods and raw materials – by 40% by 2030

• Reduce the consumption of biomass (consumption of agricultural products, animal products, forest products) by 50% by 2030

• Ensure that 100% of marine resources come from sustainable sources by 2030

• Ensure that all UK water bodies have good ecological status and good chemical status by 2027

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The report also notes that almost half of the UK’s carbon footprint comes from imports, which means it’s happening beyond the country’s borders.

Such reductions, however, should not harm the economy, as they can be achieved by reducing waste, increasing …