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Sustainable development indicators - England

 
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Behemoth



Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds
PostPosted: Tue Dec 13, 05 10:09 am    Post subject: Sustainable development indicators - England Reply with quote
    

576/05
13 December 2005

Statistical release
REGIONAL SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT INDICATORS – RESULTS FOR THE ENGLISH REGIONS

Regional versions of the UK Government’s indicators of sustainable development were published today to help provide a perspective of sustainable development in each region.

To support the new UK Government Sustainable Development Strategy, ‘Securing the Future’ (published in March 2005), there is now a suite of 68 national sustainable development indicators. For 44 of these indicators, for which data are available, it has been possible to produce regional versions for the Government Office Regions.

The indicators highlight issues within the priority areas of Sustainable Consumption and Production, Natural Resources, and Sustainable Communities. Other indicators provide useful contextual information.

The regional indicators are available on the UK Government sustainable development website (www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/regional/index.htm) and pull together already published statistics to enable comparisons to be made between regions and with progress nationally.

Key findings within the Regional Sustainable Development Indicators
Every region has shown improvement in a number of areas during the last decade.
With a few exceptions, every region is moving in the same direction as the national trends.
There is no single region that is in the best or worst position for all of the indicators.
For every region there are areas where they are in a better position and areas where they are in a worse position, relative to other regions.
North East
The North East has had the largest increase in farmland bird populations and has the highest proportion of rivers of good chemical quality. The region has also seen the greatest improvement in tackling vehicle crime and burglary. The North East has the lowest proportion of homes below the decent homes standard and the lowest number of homeless households.

The North East has the highest regional proportion of people living in fuel poverty, the lowest life expectancies for males and females, and the highest mortality rates for circulatory disease, cancer and suicides. The region also has the highest percentage of working age people in workless households and a lower proportion of 16 to 18 year-olds in employment, education or training than any other region. Only 12 per cent of household waste in the North East is recycled or composted, lower than all other regions.

North West
Woodland bird populations in the North West increased by more than in any other region from 1994 to 2003. The region has seen the largest decrease in the number of homeless households since 1998 and the largest decrease in the proportion of young adults not in employment, education or training sine 1997.

The North West has the highest level of household waste produced per person and the highest rate of cigarette smoking in the country, with 30 per cent of people in the region considered to be smokers. The region has seen the largest decrease in pupils walking or cycling to school since 1992-4. The North West had the smallest regional decrease in people killed or seriously injured in road accidents, and has the highest road accident casualty rate of the regions.

Yorkshire and the Humber
Farmland and woodland bird populations in the Yorkshire and the Humber region increased between 1994 and 2003. The region has the highest number of trips per person made by walking and cycling (the largest improvement since 1992-4), and childhood obesity levels were lower than in the other regions.

Yorkshire and the Humber has seen the smallest regional improvement in chemical river water quality between 1990 and 2004. Only 3 per cent of all journeys in Yorkshire and the Humber are by public transport (lower than all other regions), down from 11 per cent in 1992-4. The region has the highest proportion of people perceiving access to shops and supermarkets to be difficult.

East Midlands
The East Midlands had seen the highest regional improvement in both biological and chemical water quality since 1990. Woodland bird populations increased, as did the recycling of household waste. Employment levels in the region are better than the England average as are the number of recorded robberies.

The East Midlands has the highest CO2 emissions from transport per head. It also has the highest proportion of people perceiving accessibility of post offices and doctors/hospitals to be difficult. The region has seen no change in cigarette smoking and has experienced the largest decrease in local area satisfaction.

West Midlands
The amounts of household waste and CO2 emissions per person in the West Midlands are lower than the England average. The region has seen the largest decrease in the number of people killed or seriously injured in road accidents since 1993. The proportion of sites judged to have unsatisfactory or poor local environmental quality had improved the most amongst the regions.

The West Midlands has higher proportion of pensioners in poverty than all other regions and has seen the smallest reductions in both child and pensioner poverty since 1995/6-1997/8. The region has the highest infant mortality, but has seen the largest reduction since 1981. The West Midlands has highest proportion of dwellings, 39 per cent, judged to be below the ‘Decent Homes’ standard in 2001.

East of England
Recycling of household waste in the East of England has improved more than in any other region since 1998-9. The proportion of river lengths of good biological and chemical water quality have increased at a greater rate since 1990 than the England average. The region has the lowest regional proportion of working age people living in workless households and the lowest proportion of young adults not in employment, education or training. The region has the lowest rates of recorded burglary, and deaths due to suicide.

The East of England has the highest level of domestic CO2 emissions per head. It has seen the lowest regional increase in new dwellings built on previously developed land. The East of England also saw the smallest improvements in male and female life expectancy between 1991-3 and 2001-3, but is above the England average. Less than a quarter of all journeys in the East of England are by walking or cycling, a lower proportion than in any other region. The region has seen the greatest increase in the proportion of sites assessed to have unsatisfactory or poor local environment quality.

London
Regional CO2 emissions per person are lowest in London, as is the amount of household waste produced. The amount of waste produced per person in London has shown the largest regional improvement between 1998-9 and 2003-4. The reuse of previously developed land for new housing in the region is the highest of all the regions.

The rate of recorded robberies in London has seen the lowest increase of the regions since 1990. However London has the highest levels of burglary, vehicle theft and robbery. It has the lowest proportion of 19 year-olds with level 2 qualifications or above, the lowest level of employment, and a quarter of children live in workless households (a larger proportion than any other region). London has the largest percentage of economically inactive people, and highest child and pensioner poverty (after housing costs have been taken into account). London has the lowest regional percentage of children walking and cycling to school, the highest proportion of sites judged to have unsatisfactory or poor local environment quality, and the lowest proportion of people satisfied in the local area, although four-fifths of people were satisfied.

South East
Recycling of household waste in the South East is higher than in the other regions. The use of previously developed land for housing has shown the largest regional improvement since 1994. Employment levels in the region are higher than in any other region and the proportion of children living in poverty is lower than any other region. The region has the highest proportion of 19 year olds with level 2 qualifications or above and recorded vehicle crime and robbery rates are lower than in any other region.

Of all waste generated by construction, demolition, commerce, industry and households, the South East recycles the lowest proportion of the regions and has the highest proportion going to landfill sites. Farmland and woodland bird populations have decreased by 12 per cent and 10 per cent respectively since 1994, larger decreases than in any other region. The South East has seen no change in cigarette smoking since 1998. The region saw the smallest regional reduction in children killed or seriously injured in road accidents between 1993 and 2004.

South West
CO2 emissions per person in the South West are lower than the England average; the region also has the highest proportion of rivers of good biological water quality. The South West has the lowest proportion of people who are economically inactive and the highest proportion of people who actively participate in the community. The South West has the highest proportion of people satisfied in their local area.

The South West has seen the smallest increase in the proportion of river lengths of good biological quality, but the proportion is higher than in all other regions. Mortality rates for cancer have seen the smallest regional decrease but the rate is lower in the South West than in all other regions. Economic output and labour productivity in the region are lower than the national average. The proportion of people perceiving access to amenities to be difficult has increased, similar to all other regions.

Findings for each indicator
(charts, commentary and data available on the website)

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