Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
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The environment in your pocket 2009

The thirteenth edition of The environment in your pocket is published today by Defra. Free copies can be ordered or downloaded at: www.defra.gov.uk/evidence/statistics/environment/eiyp/index.htm.

This is an annual publication containing material on various environmental themes including waste and recycling, sustainable consumption, climate change, air quality, land, coastal and marine waters, radioactivity, wildlife, and inland water. The main themes of this year’s publication are waste, recycling and sustainable consumption, and larger sections have been devoted to these topics.

It covers almost 60 key data series and focuses on providing trends over time, including performance against quantified targets and commitments set at the national and international level. It includes several environmental indicators of sustainable development.

Examples of facts and figures reported in the booklet include:

  • In 2008, 54 million tonnes of waste were sent to landfill, a decrease of 33 percent since 2000/01, when 80 million tonnes were landfilled.
  • Energy consumption in the home decreased by 3 per cent between 2000 and 2007. The associated carbon dioxide emissions decreased by 5 per cent in the same period.
  • Annual average particulate (PM10) levels have been steadily decreasing since monitoring began in 1993, although there is an upward trend in background urban ozone levels

More detailed information can be found on the e-Digest of Environment Statistics website, here http://www.defra.gov.uk/evidence/statistics/environment/eiyp/index.htm

Notes to editors

  1. The 2009 edition is the thirteenth annual edition of the booklet and it presents around 60 key data sets. It focuses on providing trends over time, including on performance against quantified targets and commitments set at the national and international level.
  2. As a National Statistics publication, it seeks to be as objective as possible, presenting a balanced picture. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the Official Statistics Code of Practice. They are produced free from any political interference.
  3. The e-Digest of Environmental Statistics continues to be Defra’s reference site for environmental data.  The e-Digest can be accessed on the Defra internet site at:   www.defra.gov.uk/evidence/statistics/environment/index.htm.  
  4. Details of the government’s indicators of sustainable development can be accessed on the Sustainable Development website www.defra.gov.uk/sustainable/government/index.htm.

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