Climate Change, the Lancashire Perspective
The Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Act 2006 placed a duty on Lancashire County Council to take action on climate change across the range of its services and functions. In order to undertake this duty, a Lancashire Climate Change Strategy will be prepared through a multi-agency partnership. The draft copy of the strategy is now out for consultation.
Lancashire Profile has for a number of years analysed a wide range of statistics that are either directly or indirectly related to climate change. The Environment and Transport research monitors contain the most relevant articles that are associated with this vitally important issue. For example, they higlight the latest Lancashire results for Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Air Quality, Energy Consumption, Fuel Poverty and River and Bathing Water Quality.
Of particular note is the fact that the 2005 carbon dioxide results are for the first time officially considered to be sufficiently robust to set a baseline against which to monitor action on climate change at a local level. The previous figures for 2003 and 2004 were considered too experimental for this purpose.
In addition to the research monitors, the Lancashire Area Profile contains a wide variety of data sets that provide additional material on the environmental challenges facing the county. The Environment profile has figures on Brownfield Land and Recycling Rates etc., whilst the Transport section has amongst other things estimates of yearly Road Traffic Flows and Railway Station Usage.
Lancashire Profile will continue to monitor and report on a wide range of statistics to provide a rounded picture on the economic, social and environmental issues that are facing the county.