Footprint scenario modelling and carbon descent plans

Overview

If your organisation has community-level or regional responsibilities, we can help you to illustrate broader environmental impacts and define a path to sustainability. Using ecological and carbon footprinting tools we can develop future scenarios that can be used to inform decision-making when developing sustainability strategies.

We use the REAP ecological and carbon footprinting tool developed by our partners Stockholm Environment Institute. Then we work with you to assess what strategies and policies are in place to support sustainable lifestyles, and we use the scenarios modelled to indicate of how different measures might reduce the ecological footprint of residents. We typically generate scenarios showing: (a) business as usual, (b) a range of standard green measures, and (c) a One Planet Living trajectory which includes the range of measures and behaviour change needed to achieve true sustainability.

Case study

Whitehill Bordon One Planet Living strategy

Client: Whitehill Bordon Eco-town

BioRegional has developed a One Planet Living strategy for Whitehill Bordon Eco-town. This involved developing a document that looked at how to best engage with the local community and encourage residents to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle. We used the  latest ecological footprinting data to examine the impacts of the residents. Our scenario modelling indicates how different measures in the strategy are likely to impact the ecological footprint of Whitehill Bordon. We developed footprinting scenarios showing business as usual and a one planet trajectory based on the new measures developed in the strategy. Measures examined included: behaviour change and retrofit to reduce energy consumption, transport modal shifts, car clubs, use of more durable goods and low waste diets.

Case study

Capital Consumption

Client: London Sustainable Development Commission

In 2009, BioRegional jointly published ‘Capital Consumption: the transition to Sustainable Consumption and Production in London’ with the London Sustainable Development Commission. This ground-breaking report revealed the full extent of London's carbon dioxide emissions when including those from imported goods consumed in London.

We modelled consumption based CO2 emissions for all residents in London, this model was based on data developed by Stockholm Environment Institute using their REAP tool. The research shows the share of emissions of sectors from food to the public sector and, in keeping with the latest scientific evidence and global treaties, the level of action needed to help the world achieve its climate change targets. The report illustrates one possible route to the emission reductions needed by 2050. A series of measures were developed requiring changes in both consumption and production across all sectors to achieve the carbon budget set. The report has influenced the Mayor of London to commit to develop methodologies that deal with London’s full climate change impact.