19 March 2009: Royal Commission announces topic of next major study

The Royal Commission has decided to carry out a study on The Environmental Impacts of Demographic Change in the UK.   The preparatory phase of this new study will overlap with the completion of the current study on Adapting the UK to Climate Change.

The Commission has carefully considered all the responses to its invitation to comment on a shortlist of possible subjects and has decided that the environmental effects of demographic change in the UK would be the most appropriate and timely topic for the 29th major study.   

The Chair of the Royal Commission, Sir John Lawton, said today: “Demographic change is likely to have important environmental consequences in the UK, and so far these seem to have received little attention.    We hope our study will show what these are and help us to understand what can be done to prepare for them.”

The new study will begin later this year, with the aim of publishing a report towards the end of 2010. The study will begin with a scoping phase, and as part of that phase the Commission is now seeking to identify the issues that would be most valuable for the new study to investigate. A letter dated 19 March invited comments by Friday, 12 June 2009.   Once the scoping phase of the study is completed, the Commission will invite the submission of detailed evidence on the specific issues that the study will cover.

The contact for enquiries is: Yolanda Rizzi, Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution, 55 Whitehall, London, SW1A 2EY. (Tel: 020 7270 8137, email: yolanda.rizzi@rcep.org.uk).

• 16 January 2009: Information regarding the shortlist of potential topics for the 29th report