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National Parks Net Zero Report

We've worked with all the UK's 15 National Parks to measure their landscapes' carbon footprints.

We use ‘consumption-based’ carbon footprinting which looks at the carbon embodied in the goods and services consumed by residents and visitors, as well as emissions from their travel and direct use of energy. This reflects the full carbon impact of everyone who lives in or visits our protected National Parks. It also includes greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural and other land uses. Here livestock, fertilisers and degraded peat add to emissions, whilst carbon is captured by woodlands and healthy soils.

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This report brings together all 15 National Parks, and evidence-based targets to reduce their emissions. Together they can go from a combined carbon footprint of 11.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases per year, to net carbon sinks of 3.5 million tonnes, a total reduction of around 15 million tonnes.
 

Overall, 63% of the potential greenhouse gas reductions would be achieved through changes in the emissions from communities and residents, and 37% of the reductions would come from land use change. It’s this ‘superpower’ of National Parks, with large landscape-scale areas of agricultural land and countryside, that can take them beyond net zero to being net carbon sinks. These targets are the reason behind the UK's Naitonal Parks joining the Race to Zero.

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The report shows that as well as reaching net zero and beyond, the changes will also deliver benefits to biodiversity, resilience to the effects of a changing climate, increased recreational value of landscapes with new employment opportunities, and will support healthier communities.

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Download the National Parks report

Land Use Emissions Baselines and Targets for UK National Parks

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