How do we go about tackling climate change is a question we often get asked?
Well first off, do you know what your current carbon footprint is either at work or at home? Don’t worry, there are a large number of companies and people that currently do not.
The fact that you are reading this hopefully means that you would like to do something about it.
In order to know what your carbon footprint is, we must first do some calculations. Head over to the United Nations carbon footprint calculator now to work out what your footprint is: https://offset.climateneutralnow.org/footprintcalc
Ok, so hopefully now you have an idea of what your carbon footprint is? Were you pleasantly surprised or genuinely shocked at the outcome? It’s quite the eye opener to see just how much a flight or your electricity consumption is contributing to climate change right now isn’t it.
So now we hope that you are in mindset and position where you would like to do something about it?
Scientists have found that just one person that makes a sustainability-orientated decision, often influences other people to do so too.
With that in mind, we have put together the below list (or though not exhaustive) to help you identify what you could be doing to reduce your carbon footprint.
What can you do:
– Replace fossil fuels (oils, gas etc) with renewable and cleaner sources of energy by switching to green energy providers
– Drive less
– Fly less
– Hold virtual meetings instead of doing unnecessary mileage via Skype, Zoom, WhatsApp etc.
– Use trains more
– Switch to electric vehicles
– Cut down on hydoflurocarbons (HFCs) used (e.g. in fridges, air conditioning units etc) (https://ec.europa.eu/clima/policies/f-gas/alternatives_en)
– Switch to wind/solar power
– Change your diet – eat less meat & dairy products
– Eat locally grown/seasonable food – less mileage
– Join a carbon offset scheme
– Recycle as much as possible
– Switch to a ‘greener’ bank
– Switch to energy efficient light bulbs
– Use public transport more (if safe to do so)
– Car share (if safe to do so)
– Bike/walk more – Promote bike to work scheme, reward schemes etc
– Avoid using plastics where possible (especially single use)
– Switch to a more environmentally friendly search engine such as Ecosia (https://www.ecosia.org/?c=en)
– Establish a charity that will accept unwanted electronic goods, rather than scrapping them
– Plant more trees & plants
– Sponsor animal/s, trees, forests etc
– Reduce temperatures (reducing by even one degree can make a big difference)
– Install water efficient taps and shower heads
– Reduce waste generated
– Choose suppliers who take sustainability seriously and are like minded
– Use recyclable materials/packaging
– Go paperless & use a cloud based system or at least reduce paper consumption
– Switch from using ozone depleting substances to more environmentally friendly ones
– Train staff in the importance of being environmentally friendly
– Implement a positive environmental culture within your organisation
– Make a difference
We will also be publishing further environmental articles over the coming weeks about some of the above mentioned points such as green energy providers, green banks and how switching diets can have an effect on the environment.
We hope that the above has helped you think about your carbon footprint and the simple measures that you can put in place to improve your environmental performance & go about tackling climate change. It only takes one person to make a difference and that could be you-what are you waiting for.
If you are interested in reducing your carbon footprint, implementing an environmental management system within your company or applying for ISO 14001 then get in touch with us to discuss how we can help you achieve your environmental goals.