20762.59 CO2 / 1,000,000,000 CO2
20762.59 CO2 / 1,000,000,000 CO2
The concept of climate change can be overwhelming. While real solutions will require measures on a global scale, there are personal choices you can make in your day-to-day life to reduce your personal impact on the carbon emissions in your local environment.
Your personal carbon footprint is the sum total of your greenhouse gas emissions that come from the production, use and end-of-life of the products or service you use. Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide – the most common human-emitted gas – and others, such as methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated gases. These gases settle in the atmosphere, and prevent heat from escaping into space, causing global warming.
The majority of an individual’s carbon footprint come from transportation, housing and food. Everyone has a responsibility to shape the culture around how we protect our climate, and there are a number of things you can do to improve your eco-lifestyle.
Find out which areas of your lifestyle are the most emission-intensive by using our free lifestyle carbon footprint calculator and follow the tips below to move towards a low-carbon lifestyle!
Turn off lights and unplug devices when you’re not using them. Every little action adds up!
Most of our waste today consist of plastic, which is non-biodegradable. The rest requires energy to decompose or recycle.
Try to repurpose your items at home. For everything else, sort your own waste management following your local guidelines.
Review your energy consumption every few months. This will help you to understand your consumption and where to cut down.
Smart Home Systems allow you to limit the use of unnecessary energy such as heating, lighting and more.
Older generations of appliances tend to use significantly more energy. As technology improves, new appliances such as fridges, washing machines and dishwashers will save you costs and emissions!
Incandescent light bulbs use over 90% more electricity than LED alternatives. They also have a much shorter lifespan.
Hire an expert to review the effectiveness of your home's insulation. Upgrading your insulation will save you a ton in heating bills and energy use.
Transporting food from far away, whether by truck, ship, rail or plane, uses fossil fuels for fuel and for cooling to keep foods in transit from spoiling.
Livestock—meat and dairy—is responsible for 14.5 percent of manmade global greenhouse gas emissions. Prioritise your fruit and veg!
Avoid visiting the supermarket on a daily basis. Buy foodstuffs in bulk when possible using your own reusable containers.
Plan your meals ahead of time and buy accordingly. Freeze the excess and reuse leftovers for other meals.
Chasing the lowest prices means manufacturers have to cut corners to reduce costs. They don't last very long, and are often shipped from faraway countries such as China & Bangladesh.
Buy vintage or recycled clothing at consignment shops.
Doing two loads of laundry weekly in cold water instead of hot or warm water can save up to 500 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.
Donate your old clothes to vintage shops or the salvation army, rather than throwing them to the local landfill.
Limit your consumerism! And buy used or recycled items whenever possible.
Instead of taking a new set of plastic bags at the supermarket, bring your own!
As much as possible, try to avoid buying products with excessive packaging.
If you're in the market for a new PC, try opt for a laptop rather than a desktop computer. They use significantly less energy.
If you are looking to replace old appliances, make sure to look out for the Energy Star Rating. These are certified to be more energy efficient.
Buy from companies that pledge to do good for the environment. The best way to support them is to be a loyal customer!
Make sure to do a quick inventory check and create a shopping list for the items you need. Avoid aimlessly buying things on impulse at the supermarket.
Choosing which items you buy at the grocery store can also make an impact. Certain meats and certain vegetables are more eco-friendly than others.
Walk, take public transportation, carpool, rideshare or bike to your destination when possible. Taking yourself off the road is one less car stuck idling in traffic.
If you must drive, bare in mind how you drive. Accelerating gently, avoid unnecessary braking and turn off your car instead of idling will reduce your carbon emissions on the road.
Keeping your tires properly inflated can increase your fuel efficiency by three percent; and ensuring that your car is properly maintained can increase it by four percent.
Avoid unnecessary driving, by combining multiple errands per trip.
Use apps to help you navigate by taking the shortest route and avoiding traffic congestions.
Fly only when necessary, and consider alternative forms of transportation that are more eco-friendly - such as trains.
Business class is responsible for almost three times as many emissions as economy, and First Class 9x as much.
If you can't avoid flying, consider offsetting your emissions by investing in carbon-reducing ventures.
A sustainable lifestyle begins with adapting your habits to reduce your lifestyle carbon footprint.
However, there will always be a point where you have adopted low-carbon practices to your lifestyle, but still remain with a carbon footprint. This is where carbon offsetting helps reach the target of carbon neutrality and can bring immediate positive impact to the planet.
At this point, you can offset the remainder of your carbon footprint and start your net zero lifestyle!
Visit our blog and social media pages for the latest articles and tips for reducing your personal carbon emissions and moving to a low-carbon lifestyle
Join our mission to reduce 1 billion metric tons of CO2 by 2030. Contribute by changing your lifestyle, converting your investment portfolio and offsetting carbon via projects around the world.
