Slowing down climate change is an immense task, but small individual actions can add up to help reduce emissions.
But it can sometimes feel overwhelming to know where to start. Which steps can actually make a meaningful difference? We have rounded up some of the most impactful actions you can take to live a more sustainable life this year, from eating more plant-based food to reducing your number of flights to buying more second-hand clothes.
In 2022, BBC Earth features editor Martha Henriques and senior journalist Zaria Gorvett decided to put this to the test, and tracked the carbon emissions of their meals over the course of a week. They found that the vegan diet did indeed have lower emissions overall, though on some days of the week the vegetarian diet won. Surprisingly, the amount of food waste generated and the cooking methods used each day also had a sizeable impact.
A simple – but perhaps surprising – way to make your beloved pooch more sustainable is to switch to recycled dog poo bags, as opposed to bags made from virgin plastic or compostable alternatives, which have a surprising climate impact.
Tapping that tantalizing waste heat is often a district or city-wide project. But lower-carbon options are also emerging for individuals.
When discussing sustainability, we don't often think of our personal finances. But how we choose to save, invest and spend our money can make a surprisingly big difference to the climate.
Buying loose vegetables is a great way to help rid your weekly shop of plastic, but often you still need to bag them in store – and the bags available are often plastic. The solution? Bring your own muslin reusable produce bag.
You could also start shopping at a zero-waste store, where you can refill your bathroom and plastic-free cleaning products. Once you've got a tin (either buy one from the store or reuse a biscuit tin), a soap dispenser, and a spray bottle, you just reorder the products as and when you need them, and they're shipped in paper packaging.