Top tips to cut your carbon footprint
We share some of the best ways to cut your carbon emissions (and your bills!) and help fight climate change.
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Climate change is such a big, global issue that it can feel as though only governments and businesses can make a difference and that any changes we make as individuals are insignificant. But we all have a role to play in protecting our planet. Every single action we take – however small – adds up, and collectively they can have a powerful impact.
Read on to find out how you can cut your own carbon emissions and help keep global warming below 1.5°C, to avoid the most dangerous consequences of climate change for people and nature.
Why is it so important to limit warming to 1.5°C?
Limiting global temperature rises to 1.5°C would have a whole range of benefits. For example, it would:
- Help save birds and other wildlife, both here in the UK and globally.
- Help to protect and restore the natural landscapes and habitats we treasure.
- Ensure that people can breathe cleaner air.
- Set up the young people of today and tomorrow to live in a more stable and secure world.
- Boost our economies by limiting the costs of extreme weather events.
- Prevent further warming that would trigger ‘feedback loops’, where natural ecosystems are destroyed and release very large amounts of carbon and methane. Potential feedback loops include the melting of the Arctic and Antarctic ice caps, the melting of the Arctic permafrost, wetlands drying up, and forest fires.
- Protect our farming from the consequences of extreme weather, supporting our food supply and keeping prices low.
How can I reduce my carbon footprint?
Before you can work out the best ways to cut your carbon footprint, it’s useful to find out which areas of your life – such as shopping or household energy usage – have the biggest impact. Carbon footprint calculators, like this one, are really helpful.
Low-cost ways to reduce your energy use at home
There are lots of simple and affordable ways to cut the amount of energy you use at home, which is great news not just for the planet but for your bank balance too!
Here are some options that are effective:
Use energy-efficient products
LED lightbulbs and A-rated appliances use less power and will save you money in the long run. Simple steps like switching off lights and appliances when you’re not using them can make a surprising difference too.
Reduce heat loss
Properly insulating your home will reduce the amount of energy needed to heat it, helping the planet and your pocket. If you have single glazing, consider installing film to windows to act as secondary glazing – although it’s not as effective as new double-glazed windows, it’s an affordable option to reduce heat loss. Draught excluders are helpful too. You can also insulate your hot water tank with a boiler jacket, which could save you around £100 per year.
Switch your energy supplier
It’s worth looking into switching your energy supplier to one that uses a 100% renewable electricity tariff – this means that all the electricity you buy from them is generated from renewable sources. This is one of the easiest ways you can support investment in renewable energy.
You can find more ideas by looking at the websites listed at the bottom of this page.
Bigger home improvements to invest in
Making a financial investment in your home isn’t an option available to everyone, but if you’re able to it can increase the value of your property and lower bills, as well as cut emissions. You could:
Improve insulation
Improving the insulation in your walls and roof will reduce heat loss and cut your heating bills. You may be eligible for a grant to do this.
Harness the power of the sun
Installing solar panels, a solar heating system and/or battery will reduce your dependence on fossil fuels and could significantly reduce your bills too.
Install a heat pump
If your home already has good insulation, consider replacing your boiler with a heat pump, which can deliver significant savings on heating costs.
Install an electric vehicle charger
Unlike petrol and diesel cars, electric cars produce no carbon emissions into the atmosphere from their exhaust pipes. It’s generally cheaper to charge an electric vehicle than to refuel a petrol or diesel car, especially if you charge it at home.
Other ways to cut your emissions
As well as reducing your home’s emissions, there are lots of other ways you can reduce your carbon footprint:
Consider switching your financial providers
The money we store in our savings accounts and in our pension funds is used to make investments by the companies that look after them, so check out the climate policies of your financial providers and whether you are happy with their approach to investment in fossil fuels.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
Choosing greener products that are second-hand, reusable or recycled, and repairing appliances rather than replacing them, will help to reduce the carbon emissions from manufacturing and shipping. Many communities now have Repair Café’s where you can get household appliances, like coffee makers and vacuum cleaners, repaired at little or no cost.
Change the way you travel
Wherever possible, use low carbon travel options, such as walking, cycling and public transport. If it’s affordable for you, you could also consider switching to an electric car. The range of electric vehicles (EVs) has significantly increased in recent years: contemporary models are now usually able to travel more than 300 miles per charge. Prices of new and second-hand EVs are also falling, with many second-hand models now costing under £10,000. EVs are much cheaper to run than fossil fuel-powered vehicles. If you aren’t able to afford an EV, try to limit the number of journeys you take in a conventional vehicle and walk, cycle or take public transport whenever you can.
Use your voice
Campaign and vote for action on the nature and climate crisis. Letting your employer, community leaders and politicians know that you want to see sustainability prioritised and you support urgent action on the nature and climate crisis is one of the most important things you can do to support national change.
Support nature-friendly farming
The way our food is produced has a huge impact on nature and the climate, so it’s worth considering how you can support sustainable, nature-friendly farming through the foods you buy. One way to do this is to look out for food with the RSPB’s Fair to Nature certification mark – this shows that it has been produced in a wildlife-friendly way. We are also members of the Eating Better Coalition, a partnership of more than 60 organisations working towards a fairer, healthier and more sustainable food system. You can find out more about our work on food and farming here.
Declutter your digital files
The data centres that store our cloud photos and videos, emails and documents consume vast amounts of energy – and so our files have a carbon footprint. You can cut your digital carbon emissions by deleting old files that you no longer need.
For more advice and information about some of the climate-saving measures mentioned above, visit:
Find out more
- What is net zero and why does it matter for nature?
- Onshore wind power: how can it help tackle the nature and climate crisis?
- Offshore wind power: the benefits and challenges for nature and climate
- Using solar energy to power a brighter future
- Pylons and power lines: what’s their impact on nature?
- Bioenergy