It is widely recognised that environmental changes for good and bad take a long time to be measured in a meaningful way, just as long term economic activity is much more sustainable that short term blips. This is highlighted in a recent report by Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU). The data is referenced back to 1992 and the signing of the United Nations Climate Convention at the Rio Earth Summit. Whilst the ECIU does include politicians on its advisory board, the reality is that for most politicians at a senior level, their success or failure is measured in weeks or months, not years or decades. This makes a 25 year focus very hard to maintain. Yet for the rest of us and certainly for the environment a quarter of a century is a blink of an eye. The report by the ECIU finds that Britons have become richer, on average, than citizens of any other G7 nation over that time frame whilst the UK has reduced its average carbon footprint further than any other leading global economy. The per capita emissions in the UK have decreased by an average of 1.5% per annum since 1992. Total per capita emission fell by 33% between 1992 and 2014, the latest date for which International Energy Agency statistics are available. This sort of information helps to give confidence to those of us who believe that the stories of the environment and the economy being in conflict with one another are based on false premises. If we get the balance right it is possible to grow our economic value whilst also improving our environment.
ianchisnall 