Lancashire's Environment

• The levels of both nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide are now both well within the National Air Quality Standard.

• Some 88% of rivers and canals in Lancashire were classed as having good or fair water quality in 2000, slightly lower than the figure of 94% for England as a whole

• Since 1850 there have been substantial changes in Lancashire's landscape.

• There has been a 37% increase in the amount of household and commercial waste produced in Lancashire between 1990 and 2000.

• In 2002 Lancashire had a total generating capacity for renewable energy of 28.88 MW. This is 0.002% of the UK target for the year.

• There has been a 10% increase in average electricity consumption per household since 1991.

• All districts in Lancashire have seen an improvement in domestic energy efficiency between 1996 and 2002.

• Around 9 million tonnes of CO2 were emitted in Lancashire in 2000.

• There has been an increase in the number of designations of sites and buildings of historic interest since 1991.

• Of the 35,200 ha of land designated as SSSI in 2003, 83% was assessed as favourably managed.

Would you like to read Chapter 10 - Lancashire's Environment (365kb, PDF) of the State of Lancashire report?