ABSTRACT
The United Kingdom (UK), formed of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, is a parliamentary democracy and the second most populous member state of the European Union. The UK's population grew by nearly 30% between 1950 and 2015, living standards increased dramatically following the Second World War and waves of technology development and globalization dramatically changed behaviour, culture, expectations and levels of consumption. The UK is home to a number of global centres of excellence for climate science, and has invested significant resources to better understand the risks and opportunities presented by climate change, including developing national mitigation and adaptation strategies. Research analysing the outcomes of ten years of carbon reporting and targets within the UK supermarket sector found that significant improvements in energy efficiency have been achieved, but these efficiency gains have often been outweighed by business growth.
