Citywide carbon footprint - Leicester

John Cossham

CRAGger York

My friend in York recently went to Leicester and spotted this, so I’ve posted it here…. John

CITY’S CARBON FOOTPRINT TO BE CALCULATED BY DMU EXPERTS

An ambitious scheme which will map Leicester’s carbon footprint is being undertaken by De Montfort University (DMU).

The £2.6 million 4M project – which stands for Measurement, Modelling, Mapping and Management – is believed to be the first of its kind and will be conducted by the University’s Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development (IESD).

Researchers will investigate how much carbon the city produces – and look at ways it can be cut. It is believed to be the first-time the impact of an entire city on the environment has been measured.

They will do this by calculating the emissions from traffic and energy use in the home and the effect of green spaces – known as ‘carbon sinks’ – for ‘soaking up’ CO2 emissions.

Experts will also compare the sources and sinks of carbon with the social and economic well-being of Leicester’s 270,000 strong population.

Academics will look at how changing road networks, better public transport, maintaining green spaces and using low energy power and lighting can reduce the city’s carbon footprint.

They will also be investigating how controversial Individual Carbon Trading Schemes (ICTs) – where households are given an annual carbon allowance – would work. It will be one of the first studies to look at such schemes.

IESD Director, Professor Kevin Lomas said: “This is a very ambitious project and we believe it will be the first time the carbon footprint of an entire city has been reliably measured”.

“As the problem of climate change becomes more and more apparent, we have to look at ways to reduce carbon emissions. The 4M project will allow us to look at how it can be done in a city-wide way.

“Leicester was chosen as it is an average sized city so the findings can relate to similar cities across the country. Our findings will enable other cities to look at suitable ways of reducing their carbon footprint.”

“We are also looking at the Individual Carbon Trading allowances as it has been proposed as one of the ways forward in reducing emissions. We will be examining how it would impact on different lifestyles. For example, it might not make any difference to a well-off family. But it might create difficulties for some sector of society, for others it could be advantageous.”

As the project progresses, researchers will work with schools and businesses to help them to develop green travel plans.

The IESD lead the project and is working with Leeds, Newcastle and Sheffield Universities and with support from Leicester City Council. The work is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through the Sustainable Urban Environment programme.