Six Quick Actions to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

While combating climate change requires large-scale global solutions, small changes in your daily life can also make a difference. Here are six effective ways to reduce your personal CO₂ footprint and make an impact.

Fighting climate change demands major societal shifts, but individual actions matter too. To lower CO₂ emissions, we need both global cooperation and personal initiatives. Here are six practical ways to make your everyday life greener and reduce your carbon footprint.

1. Fly Less

Air travel accounts for about 2.5% of global CO₂ emissions, and between 2013 and 2019, emissions from aviation increased by 30%. Although air traffic dropped during the pandemic, emissions are once again on the rise. A single round trip between Copenhagen and New York, for instance, emits nearly one ton of CO₂ per passenger.

Flying less is an effective way to reduce your carbon footprint. If you must fly, choose economy class, as it emits less CO₂ per passenger compared to business or first class. In the future, there’s hope for short-haul electric flights and larger planes running on biofuels or even hydrogen.

2. Switch to a Plant-Based Diet

Diet plays a significant role in CO₂ emissions. Eating less meat and more plant-based foods can save approximately 0.8 tons of CO₂ annually. You don’t have to go fully plant-based—even small changes help. For example, cow’s milk has a higher climate impact than plant-based milk, and different protein sources have varying emissions. Reducing food waste is also crucial—every year, around 900 million tons of food are wasted globally, equivalent to 23 million large trucks filled with food.

A plant-based diet is not only healthy but also has a significantly lower carbon footprint than a diet rich in animal products.

3. Use Less Private Transport

The transport sector is one of the largest contributors to CO₂ emissions. In countries like the US and the UK, transport accounts for a greater share of emissions than any other sector. If you own a car, you can reduce your carbon footprint by driving less and opting for alternatives like cycling or walking for short trips.

For longer journeys, public transport such as trains and buses is typically more climate-friendly than cars. By making thoughtful transportation choices, you can save money, reduce emissions, and possibly even improve your health.

4. Make Your Home More Energy-Efficient

Home heating is a major source of CO₂ emissions, particularly in areas where fossil fuels like gas are used for heating. Lowering your thermostat by just one degree can save up to 10% on your heating bill and reduce your carbon footprint.

Consider installing a heat pump, which transfers heat instead of generating it through combustion. If the electricity powering your heat pump comes from renewable energy, you can eliminate CO₂ emissions entirely. Other simple actions, such as washing clothes in cold water and air-drying them instead of using a dryer, can also save energy and lower your annual emissions.

If district heating isn’t available in your area, heat pumps are an excellent alternative for greener heating.

5. Choose Green Financial Products

Many banks and pension funds invest in fossil fuels, but by choosing ethical banking, you can avoid supporting carbon-intensive industries. While your everyday bank accounts may not directly finance fossil projects, many banks have investment branches that do. Consider switching to a bank that supports sustainable initiatives.

Your pension can be an even greater factor. Pension companies manage enormous funds, and how they choose to invest them has significant impacts. Ensuring your pension is invested sustainably can help create a greener future.

6. Build a Sustainable Wardrobe

The fashion industry accounts for 8-10% of global CO₂ emissions—more than both air and maritime transport combined. Over 100 billion garments are produced annually, and 65% of them end up in landfills within a year. By buying second-hand clothes or choosing quality over quantity, you can reduce your wardrobe’s climate impact.

High-quality clothing lasts longer, so climate experts recommend buying fewer items and, whenever possible, purchasing second-hand.

Another way to reduce your wardrobe’s footprint is by washing clothes less frequently, which saves CO₂ and minimizes the amount of microplastics released into waterways. When your clothes reach the end of their life, donate, sell, or recycle them instead of throwing them away.