What is the biggest cause of carbon footprint? There are a range of factors that impact your own carbon footprint. There are a few main industries that create the majority of the greenhouse gases we produce.
Global data from 2021 show that the main culprits are as follows:
- Coal accounted for over 40% of the overall growth in global CO2 emissions in 2021.
- The biggest increase in CO2 emissions by sector in 2021 took place in electricity and heat production.. This accounted for 46% of the global increase in emissions
- Buildings and Cars Are the Main Contributors of Energy-related Emissions
- Industry and Transportation Are the Fastest-growing Sources of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
So, how do we know what our carbon footprint is?
Here at Carma, we believe that knowledge is power. So we created an Earth Game to understand what our Carbon footprint is. This is on our website and is free to use.
To understand what your Carbon footprint is, you need to look at several key areas of your lifestyle.
These include:
Your home energy use and waste production:
This includes factors like how much electricity, natural gas and other fuels you use and where they are sourced from as well as whether you recycle or send your waste to landfill or incineration.
Travel
Your footprint will vary depending on whether or not you have a car/motorbike, as well as how often you use it. Similarly, your use of public transport also contributes. Any flights you take will need to be accounted for, as these contribute significantly.
Diet
Types of food you eat and where you source it from can play a central role in your overall carbon footprint. The more energy-intensive it is to produce and ship your food, the worse for the environment.
Shopping Habits
Another factor is how often you purchase new products, this can be electronics, household goods and clothing. The lifespan of these products and how they are produced can play a role in your carbon emissions.
Why should you reduce your carbon footprint?
It is understandable that it feels almost unnecessary to reduce your carbon footprint as an individual compared to what governments and big businesses could do.
However, in reality the links between greenhouse gas emission and climate change are all too real and are too extreme to ignore. Average global temperatures are increasing, extreme weather events are becoming more severe, ocean levels are rising, and acidification is occurring. All of these ecological threats are a result of human activity.
By lowering your carbon footprint, you can help contribute to the overall reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In our fight against climate change, everyone who makes small adjustments can lead to big results!
It isn’t just about the environment. Reducing your carbon footprint can help you in many ways. It helps you live a healthier lifestyle, as well as save you money. Whether it is cleaner air, a healthier diet, or reduced energy bills, these benefits of reducing your carbon footprint
How to reduce your carbon footprint at home:
- Insulate your home. Heating your living space can be expensive and energy-intensive. By insulating places like your loft and wall, you can make sure your home retains heat during the winter and stays cool in summer. It means you’ll use less energy, reducing your carbon footprint and your household bills.
- Switch to renewables: Energy providers are now offering greener tariffs. By switching to a company that provides electricity from solar, wind or hydroelectric energy, you can reduce your household emissions and save money on energy bills. You could even install solar panels if they are readily available where you live.
- Buy energy efficient: Electrical appliances are becoming more efficient by the year. What’s more, many countries now show how efficient particular appliances are, meaning you can make an informed choice. Whether it is buying energy-saving light bulbs or choosing appliances with a high energy star rating, you can make your home more eco friendly. Additionally, make sure to turn off and unplug anything you are not using.
- Use less water: It takes energy and resources to process and deliver water to our homes. What’s more, it is also quite energy-intensive to heat once it is there. So, by using less, you can help the environment and lower your carbon footprint. Try turning off the taps when brushing your teeth, have shorter showers as opposed to baths, and only boiling water when you need.
- Change your diet: The food we eat can have a significant impact on the environment. For example, meat and dairy products require a lot of land and energy to produce. They also create a lot of methane, a greenhouse gas. What’s more, food shipped from overseas uses a lot more resources than local produce.
How to reduce your carbon footprint at work:
- Turn off the lights: Powering empty rooms and office spaces is a huge energy drain. By making sure you turn off lights and appliances when they are not in use, you can make sure you’re not wasting power.
- Go digital: It is so easy nowadays to collaborate online. Share documents through cloud storage and video call instead of travelling, you can reduce your waste and emissions. Try moving away from printed documents.
- Cycle to Work: Cycling and walking are two of the most environmentally friendly ways to travel. They are good for the planet and your health.
- Switch off computers: An IT lab with rows of computers takes up a lot of energy. Turn them off when they are not in use.
How to reduce your carbon footprint when travelling:
- Fly direct: The carbon footprint of flying is larger than any other mode of transport. So when you do fly, reduce the number of stops on your route, ideally by flying directly to your destination.
- Offset your carbon: We here at Carma offer subscriptions which plant trees in the uk and overseas. This carbon absorption is a step towards ensuring complete carbon offset for your travel. Alternatively, you can use our one-time off tree planting offers and customise this to the amount of carbon you want to absorb. These subscriptions start at just £4.50 and go towards tree planting in either the UK or overseas. Which contribute towards the acts of afforestation and reforestation.
- Pack a water bottle: Although often you cannot take liquids in your carry on you can pack a water bottle on anything you are checking in. Having a reusable water bottle means you can cut down on the use of single use plastic.
- Think green: No matter how far you travel, you can take an environmentally friendly approach when you reach your destination. As well as choosing green accommodation and ethical destinations, you can also think about the tours and attractions. Try walk, cycle or use public transport and eat local food.
Here at Carma, we strive towards making positive impact on the environment through our tree planting services, so if you are a business what this wanting to make positive impact here are a few things you can do through Carma:
- Add Tree-Commerce to your site, allowing customers the option to pay extra and plant a tree with their purchase
- Tree planting days in the UK: Take your employees on a team day they will not forget. Businesses can start their own forest and bond whilst doing good, together.
- Rewards initiative: Allow your employees to be rewarded with a Carma subscription, meaning that they will be able to have trees planted for them as a reward, which will boost employee morale.
As an individual you can also make a positive impact through utilising Carma in your everyday life. Here are some tips:
- Share: Show off your social side and go green with your networking. You’ll earn Carma rewards each time you share Carma with friends or on social media and sign up for a subscription plan.
- Subscribe: You can buy a Carma subscription that suits your needs and you have control on how many trees you plant and whether that will be in the Uk or overseas, subscriptions start from £4.50 a month.
There are many ways to reduce your carbon footprint. Here at Carma we believe that positive action off everyone can make a difference. Use some of these tips that will save you money and make you greener in the process. So take our earth quiz and find out where you can improve. Together, we can do good.
