Low-carbon Lake District Initiative

This initiative helps shape our response to climate change, making us a leader on carbon management and working with partners to chart the way ahead towards a low-carbon Lake District.

The Initiative was launched in 2008 with a report, Low-Carbon Lake District, researched and written by Rebecca Willis (opens in new window), an independent researcher.

Developing a carbon budget for the Lake District

The new management plan for the National Park, The Partnership’s Plan, commits to setting a carbon budget for the Lake District. To draw up the budget, the total carbon emissions of the area are estimated, and measures are then put in place to achieve year-on-year reductions in carbon, in line with national carbon targets.

The National Park Partnership commissioned a report from Mike Berners-Lee of Small World Consulting (opens in new window) to set out the carbon footprint of the Lake District. Please read A Carbon Budget for the LDNP (PDF)

A Climate Change Leadership Group, set up as part of the Partnership, is working together on actions to meet the Carbon Budget. You can find out more about a workshop in October 2010 launching the Carbon Budget in A Carbon Budget for the LDNP: Workshop report (Word document)

Follow-up report

A follow-up report, published in February 2011, measures the projects under way to meet the carbon budget. It shows that a good start has been made, but the National Park Partnership is not yet on course to meet its target of reducing emissions by 1 per cent per year. Partnership members will now develop further actions to aim to meet the target. You can read more in the following documents:

A further monitoring report published in November 2011 shows that we are making progress toward the one per cent target, but we are not yet on course to meet it.

Low-Carbon Lake District Summit 2010

1 July 2010 at the Merewood Hotel, Windermere

We held a Summit to bring together all those who have been working with us on the Low-Carbon Lake District Initiative. It brought together 120 invited participants from local and national government, businesses and community organisations. We took stock of our achievements and planned together for the future. We heard about successful initiatives elsewhere, and learnt what we could do better.

For details of the talks and workshop sessions, please read the Low Carbon Lake District Summit report (PDF)

Climate change in the Lake District: Progress and challenges short film

You can view this short film at the following website:

www.benbarden.co.uk/carbon (opens in new window)

The Low-Carbon Lake District Report

The report looks at the effects of climate change on the Lake District landscape and communities; investigates what is already being done to cut carbon; and helps chart a way forward. Read the full Low Carbon Lake District Report (4MB PDF)

Launch Conference 2008

The Initiative was launched at a conference in June 2008, at the Castle Green Hotel, Kendal - read the details of the conference in the Low Carbon Lake District Conference Summary (Word document)

Low Carbon Lake District

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