'Scotland can save world from disaster'

Published on Wednesday 13 October 2010 17:34

SCOTLAND is in a prime position to lead the way in reducing the world's carbon footprint, the WWF has claimed, warning that human demands on natural resources are outstripping the Earth's supply by more than half.

A study into the state of the planet revealed that the world's ecological footprint has doubled in less than 50 years.

Authors of the biennial Living Planet report - which ranks the UK as the 31st biggest user of natural resources out of the 152 countries studied - believe that if everyone in the world lived like the average UK citizen, the resources of the equivalent of three planets would be needed by 2030 to support human activities.

But Scotland's ambitious government targets for carbon reduction and renewable energy generation could be seen as a blueprint for other nations looking to improve their consumption levels. Dr Dan Barlow, head of policy at WWF Scotland, said: "This latest health check on the Earth's vital signs continues to highlight our growing impact.

"The good news is that Scotland is in a prime position, with its skills and natural resources, to not only reduce its own global footprint but to play a major role in helping other countries do the same.

"Scotland has set the world's best climate law, is at the forefront of renewable energy and is helping to conserve fish stocks through innovative ideas such as the Scottish Conservation Credit Scheme. The forthcoming Holyrood elections are an opportunity for political parties to commit to their manifestos policies that will ensure Scotland is put firmly on the path to sustainability."

Developed countries including Ireland, US, Canada and the United Arab Emirates were among the countries which topped the table in terms of ecological footprint - the amount of land and sea each person needs to provide the food, clothes and other products they consume and to absorb the carbon dioxide they emit.

The biggest ecological footprint is made by rich countries - on average five times that found in developing nations - while poorer countries such as India have a much lower ecological impact. If everyone in the world lived like the average Indian citizen, just half of the planet's biocapacity would be used.

Mathis Wackernagel, president of the Global Footprint Network, which co-authored the report with WWF and the Zoological Society of London, said: "Countries that maintain high levels of resource dependence are putting their own economies at risk. Those countries that are able to provide the highest quality of life on the lowest amount of ecological demand will not only serve the global interest, they will be the leaders in a resource-constrained world."

Wildlife in tropical countries is also under pressure, with populations of species falling by almost 30 per cent in three decades.Creatures living in freshwater habitats have been particularly badly hit, as are species living in tropical climates.

The report also looks at how changes in diet and energy sources could affect humanity's ecological impact, for example the pressure put on land for food and forest products.

The study suggests that if the expected global population of 9.2 billion people in 2050 were to eat a typical Malaysian diet, we would need 1.3 planets to sustain us but if everyone were to eat an Italian diet, humanity would need closer to two planets.