Scotland's Footprint
If the Earth’s resources were shared equally among everyone, a ‘fair share’ would be 1.9 global hectares per person. Scotland has a Footprint of 5.35 global hectares per person. If all of the world’s population consumed like us, we would need two extra planets to support us. Our current consumption patterns are unsustainable.
The Scottish Executive is committed to reducing Scotland’s Ecological Footprint through the adoption of a number of policies. Key to this is Choosing our Future: Scotland’s Sustainable Development Strategy 2005.
Sustainable development in Scottish schools
There is growing recognition of the crucial relationship between the formal education sector and sustainable development in Scotland. The Sustainable Development Strategy for Scotland, Choosing Our Future ,sets out a particular requirement for the formal education sector to integrate sustainable development into the school curriculum and across subjects.
Scotland’s action plan in response to the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development gives a vital role to the formal education sector, setting out specific objectives and landmarks. By engaging in Ecological Footprinting and reducing your school’s Ecological Footprint you will help reduce Scotland’s Footprint, helping to reduce our nation’s consumption of resources and signalling a positive participation with the UN Decade.
See Scottish Executive document: Learning For Our Future: Scotland's First Action Plan for the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.