Key Data

  • There is already evidence of climate change in the South West. For the whole of the UK, 2006 was the warmest year on record with a mean temperature of 9.7 °C, 1.1 °C above the 1971-2000 long-term average.
  • Temperature records for Exmouth show that the last decade (1995-2004) was the warmest on record, followed by the 1980s and the 1970s.
  • Mean sea level is rising, by approximately 15cm at Newlyn (Cornwall) since 1915 and by 8cm at Devonport.
  • The average person in the South West contributes around 8.8 tonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every year, more than the weight of an African elephant.
  • Around 25% of carbon dioxide comes from energy use in the home.
  • Households in the South West consumed an average of 4,989 kWh of electricity in 2005, the highest rate in Great Britain.
  • There are currently 215 grid connected renewable electricity projects with an installed capacity of 137 MW, an increase of 14 MW since March 2006.
  • Renewable electricity schemes in the region are now producing enough electricity to supply the equivalent of 119,828 homes, avoiding the production of 423,031 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.
  • 2.97 million tonnes of municipal waste was produced in the South West in 2006/2007.
  • Household waste accounted for over 90% (2.7 million tonnes) of all municipal waste in 2006/07.
  • Total household waste produced in the region is 7% higher in 2006/2007 than it was in 2000/2001.
  • Landfill remains the principal method of waste disposal in the region, with 1.8 million tonnes (62%) of all municipal waste managed in this way in 2006/2007.
  • 38% of household waste was recycled or composted in 2006/2007, the highest rate in England.
  • The South West’s eco-footprint is 5.24 global hectares (gha), well above the world average of 2.2 gha.
  • If everyone on the planet consumed natural resources and energy like the average South West resident it would take three planets to support us.