Local NW - Lifestyle agendas
The effect of social choices, economic signals and cultural trends
Footprint and lifestyle
The eco-footprint impact of an average NW resident is charted out by the REAP toolkit.
- Home and energy - 22% - includes construction, maintenance, heating and power for houses
- Food and drink - 21% - includes all the supply chains from farming to processing, transport, retail and catering
- Travel - 17% - includes all personal travel and holidays by surface or air (business and freight transport is built into other supply chains)
- 'Consumables' is all other products, and services includes all commercial activities
- 'Government' includes health, education and other public services; and 'fixed capital' includes investment in roads or factories
The links between consumption and impact are significant on the regional and national scale. For instance the average North West household consumes 10% more meat and 20% less fresh fruit than the UK average, and has the highest rate of smoking in the UK. There could be some link with health impacts, where the NW average life expectancy is 5 years less than the UK average.
The item with the most variation and the most rapid growth trend is air travel and foreign holidays; but like many other items of consumption, this is as yet not on the agenda of local or regional policy.
