A publication by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has evaluated Britain’s progress towards sustainable development.
The guide provides a statistical overview of the country’s progress on sustainable development, considers factors like a variety of economic, social and environmental indicators.
The statistics show that since 2003, 57 measures show improvement (representing over half of those for which it is possible to make an assessment), 10 have deteriorated and 24 show little or no change.
Measures which show improvement include: renewable electricity; emissions of air pollutants and manufacturing emissions; fossil fuels used for electricity generation; waste and land recycling; agricultural emissions; and land stewardship.
Areas that show deterioration are: aviation emissions of greenhouse gases; shipping emissions of greenhouse gases; carbon dioxide emissions from road freight; carbon dioxide emissions from the service sector; energy supply consumption (exceeding UK production); farmland bird populations; and walking and cycling.
Measuring progress: Download sustainable development indicators 2010 (3.5 MB).
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How will the government and DMOs address the challenges of including glass in DRS while ensuring a level playing field across the UK?
There's no easy solution to include glass in the DRS while maintaining a level playing field. Potential approaches include a phased introduction of glass, potentially with higher deposits to reflect its logistical challenges. The government and DMOs could incentivise innovation in glass packaging design and subsidise dedicated return points for glass-handling. Exemptions for smaller businesses unable to handle glass might also be necessary. Any successful solution will likely blend several approaches. It must address the differing priorities of devolved administrations, balance environmental benefits with logistical and cost implications, and be supported by robust consumer education campaigns emphasizing the importance of glass recycling.