Blake Lapthorn solicitors' Climate change team held a seminar on the state of the environment on 9 December 2009.

1. State of Environment
Simon Hughes
Area Manager
09 December 2009

2. Thames West Area

3. Our environment

4. Oxfordshire’s
environment

5. Oxfordshire’s area is 260,500 hectares, of which:
Agriculture 195,510 ha 78 %
Woodland 19,400 ha 7.5 %
Area Of 62,192 ha 24 %
Outstanding
Natural
Beauty (3)
Sites of 4,402 ha 1.7 %
Special
Scientific
Ineterst
Sources: DEFRA, Natural England

6. Growth
Population – 639,700; two-thirds are of working age
The population is forecast to increase by 11.4% by
2026 - an increase of about 72,000 people
Density 246 people/km2 (ranked 17th out 27 non-
metropolitan counties in England)
Source: Office of National Statistics

7. Flood Risk

8. Waste
Management of MSW in Oxfordshire.
Source: Defra
80
70 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
60
50
40
%
30
20
10
0
Landfill Incineration Recycling / Other
Composting

9. Water Quality

10. Biodiversity
Oxfordshire Farmland Bird Index
1.10
1.00
0.90
Bird index
0.80
0.70
0.60
0.50
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Year
Source: Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre, 2008

11. Wildlife
Condition of SSSI sites in Oxfordshire.
Source: Natural England (June 2009)
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Cherw ell Oxford South Oxon Vale of White West Oxon
Horse
Favourable Unfavourable recovering Unfavourble no change
Unfavourable declining Destroyed

12. Resources

13. Energy consumption
50000
Total Energy Consumption per
Oxfordshire
45000
Cherw ell
person (kWh)
40000 Oxford
35000 South Oxfordshire
Vale Of White Horse
30000
West Oxfordshire
25000
South East
20000
2003 2004 2005 2006
Year
Source: Department of Energy & Climate Change

14. Fuel use for transport
1.6
Total vehicle fuel consum ption per
Oxfordshire
1.4
Cherw ell
1.2
person (tonnes)
Oxford
1.0
South Oxfordshire
0.8
Vale Of White
0.6 Horse
West Oxfordshire
0.4
South East
0.2
0.0
2003 2004 2005 2006
Year
Source: Department of Energy & Climate Change

15. Domestic energy use
Total domestic energy consumption
12000
Oxfordshire
11000 Cherw ell
per person (kWh)
Oxford
10000
South
9000 Oxfordshire
Vale Of White
Horse
8000 West
Oxfordshire
South East
7000
6000
2003 2004 2005 2006
Year
Source: Department of Energy & Climate Change

16. School Travel Plans
Mode of travel to school (Oxfordshire pupils aged 5-16 years)
100%
23.9 23.9 24.9
80%
3.9 5.7
Other
4.7
Percentage
Car
60% 22.3 18.9 20.7
Car share
8.2 8.0 8.6 Public transport
40%
Cycling
20% 40.8 42.7 40.5 Walking
0%
2006/08 2007/09 2008/10
Year
Source: Oxfordshire County Council

17. Water use
Average daily household water consumption
170
165
daily per capita consum ption (l)
160
155
150
145
140
Thames Water
Industry Average
135
2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08
Source: Thames Water

18. Footprint measures
GHG Footprint
Ecological Footprint Carbon Footprint
(tonnes
Source: Stockholm Environment (gha/capita) (tonnes CO2/capita)
CO2eq/capita)
Institute
UK 5.30 12.08 16.34
South East 5.63 12.76 17.28
Oxford 5.04 11.40 15.44
Cherwell 5.62 12.75 17.26
South Oxfordshire 6.12 13.93 18.78
Vale of White Horse 5.80 13.20 17.84
West Oxfordshire 5.86 13.36 18.02
Source: Stockholm Environment Institute

19. Ecological footprint
Oxfordshire’s land area Oxfordshire’s ecological footprint area
260,500 ha 3,539,358 gha

20. United States Norway Oxfordshire
of America
Source: Global Footprint Network and SEI

21. Swaziland
Brazil
World
Russia
France EU
Oxfordshire United
Kingdom
Norway
United States of
America
Source: Global Footprint Network and SEI

22. Source: Stockholm Environment Institute

23. Our climate

24. Climate change effect
• Higher temperatures
• Drier summers
• Wetter winters
• Increased flood
incidence
• Increased drought
incidence
• Increased storm
incidence
• Increased
atmospheric CO2
How will this affect Oxfordshire's
people, industry and environment?

25. Climate Possible
change effect consequences
New pests and diseases
Higher temperatures
Winter deaths from cold
Drier summers
Heat stress on humans
Wetter winters
New food and water-borne disease
Increased flood incidence
Higher levels of skin cancer
Increased drought More respiratory disease
Increased storm incidence Performance of medical staff may suffer
Increased atmospheric
Death or injury from impact or drowning
CO2
Source: UKCIP

26. Climate change Possible
effect consequences
Business located in vulnerable areas
Higher temperatures
may be worse off
Drier summers Specific environmental requirements for
manufacturing may result in change of
Wetter winters
location
Increased flood incidence Heavy water-demand industry may see
water shortages
Increased drought
Transport infrastructure: movement of
Increased storm incidence
raw materials and products may be
affected
Increased atmospheric
Staff attendance could suffer in extreme
CO2
weather
Source: UKCIP

28. Economy and Environment
Threats to the
environment
and is more and hence reduce
resilient to the impact on…
A healthy benefits
The local
natural
which in turn can economy
environment
improve the environment

29. Flooding and economy
Increase storm
and torrential rain
frequency in future
…
to
se
… growth in the economy and
on
sp
greater resilience to…
re
In
… which results in reduction in Fewer insurance
Floodplain
flood damage to infrastructure… claims and less
habitat protection &
conservation of urban disruption to
the economy; benefits
green space
to societal health