On UK Overshoot Day, data analysis highlights the scale of the environmental impacts associated with UK consumption, with the vast majority of these occurring overseas. The Sustainable Consumption and Production team at SEI York has provided a wide ranging assessment of the nation’s estimated global footprint linked to agricultural commodities. The findings serve as a warning that evaluating progress purely at domestic level overlooks the significant environmental impacts embedded within international supply chains.
According to the latest results from the Global Environmental Impacts of Consumption (GEIC) indicator, 99.7% of the deforestation associated with UK consumption occurs entirely outside British borders. Over the course of 12 months, British demand for global soft commodities (such as timber, beef and cocoa) can be linked to 29 300 hectares of deforestation worldwide, with 29 200 hectares cleared from overseas ecosystems.
This heavy overseas impact extends to greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity pressures. Out of 9.43 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions generated by UK-linked deforestation, 9.36 million tonnes were released abroad. The researchers have also worked with the University of Cambridge on integrating their “LIFE score” for biodiversity into the model. This reveals that over 98% of the species extinction risks associated with the habitat conversion required to meet British consumption occur in overseas nations, with daily supermarket staples contributing to a loss of habitats that continues to drive global biodiversity to the brink.
The model also tracks international water use. UK consumption was linked to an estimated 6.58 billion cubic metres of blue water use (largely associated with agricultural irrigation) globally, of which 6.51 billion cubic metres was associated with production outside the UK. This international water footprint includes extraction from highly water-scarce nations, including India, Pakistan and Spain. It is associated primarily with UK consumption linked to commodities such as wheat, rice and cotton.
Chris West, Co-Director of Trase and Leader of the Sustainable Consumption and Production Group at SEI York, who leads the GEIC work, said: “While the UK is showing leadership and making strides in monitoring its environmental footprint – the data indicate that the environmental impacts associated with our consumption remain too high and are overwhelmingly felt overseas. Comprehensive environmental accountability involves both the UK and other countries accounting for impacts outside their borders. If we are to meet international biodiversity and climate goals, it is vital that governments, businesses and the public look beyond their domestic environment and economies and consider the total global footprint associated with consumption.”
While long-term data show a downward trend in the UK’s overall footprint, researchers warn that impacts remain significant and that reductions can reflect a wide range of factors. The UK economy has become more materially-efficient over time which has a positive effect. However, in certain supply chains, such as cocoa from Côte d’Ivoire, footprints are dropping partly because previous historic forest depletion means there is simply less forest left to destroy, rather than due to a transition to purely sustainable practices.
The GEIC indicator is released annually as an official UK statistic. The UK is one of only a handful of countries that have made progress in incorporating consumption-based assessments of deforestation, biodiversity or water impacts into decision-making, despite these impacts being highly-relevant to achieving international climate change and biodiversity commitments.