In comparison...

Figure 2 below illustrates a South West resident's ecological footprint compared to Northern Ireland, Scotland and UK averages. A South West resident has, on average, the highest direct energy ecological footprint. This is due to the large quantities of brown-grid electricity consumed in the region.

The environmental impacts associated with food consumption in the South West were also slightly higher than for other regions. This is because the average South West resident consumes 5% more food (698 kg per year, against the UK average of 668 kg), and this has a slightly higher animal content (40% against 38%).

The South West personal transport footprint is lower than the UK average; higher car use is counterbalanced by lower air travel.

Unpicking the ecological footprint one step further: different area types

It is possible to break an ecological footprint into components in a variety of ways. One obvious way is by policy-relevant component - such as energy, food and transport. It is also possible to disaggregate the ecological footprint by area types. This can be useful for planning, and the provision of a more detailed understanding of resource demands.

While many of the area types may be interchangeable year on year, the total area is finite.

For a description of the area types used in this study, see the Technical Report.

Table 2 shows a breakdown of the South West residents' ecological footprint, by different area types, in 2001. Energy land (the land that would be required to absorb CO₂ emissions) was the largest area type, 3.42 gha per person or 62% of the total ecological footprint of the region. This illustrates the key role that energy plays in meeting lifestyle demands, either through direct consumption (for example, electricity and gas) or indirect consumption (for example, energy embodied in materials, services and transportation).

Table 2
Ecological footprint of South West residents, by area type, in 2001

Area type	Total ecological footprint (gha)	% of total ecological footprint	Per person ecological footprint (gha)	UK per person ecological footprint (gha)
Total ecological footprint	27,418,442	100%	5.56	5.45
of which…
Energy land	16,893,547	62%	3.42	3.33
Crop land	3,508,263	13%	0.71	0.68
Pasture	1,704,346	6%	0.35	0.33
Forest	1,572,785	6%	0.32	0.32
Built land	1,296,333	5%	0.26	0.32
Sea	2,443,167	9%	0.50	0.47
Note: Totals may differ due to rounding.

The following examples illustrate the relationship between area type and the ecological footprint:

Example 1: Materials and waste

The largest area type for the 'materials and waste' ecological footprint was energy land (accounting for 81%). This is primarily due to the accumulation of embodied energy during the process of converting raw materials into final products. This shows how important waste minimisation initiatives could be in reducing CO₂ emissions.

Example 2: Food

Food products consumed by the South West residents made demands on energy land, cropland, pasture and sea. Table 3 illustrates part of the food ecological footprint, by area type, in 2001.

Table 3
Illustration of part of the food ecological footprint, by area type, in 2001

Food type	Energy land (gha)	Crop land (gha)	Pasture (gha)	Sea (gha)	Per person ecological footprint (gha)
Total food ecological footprint	843,424	3,129,355	1,653,005	2,429,394	1.63
of which …
Animal-based	496,903	1,621,924	1,653,005	2,429,394	1.26
of which…
Milk	65,125	308,998	332,962		0.14
Meat	238,404	1,238,350	1,320,044		0.57
of which…
Beef & veal	25,095	539,300	862,588		0.29
Mutton & lamb	10,601	175,855	443,529		0.13
Pork	15,792	309,346			0.07
Bacon & ham	25,960				0.01
Poultry	60,359	204,849			0.05
Other meat products	100,597	9,000	13,927		0.03
Note: Totals may differ due to rounding.