As we approach the end of the year, it’s a great time to pause and reflect. Not just on our personal goals, but on our environmental impact too. Would you like to know how environmentally friendly you’ve been this year, or how you could improve it? Here’s how to check and reduce your carbon footprint before the new year.
What is Your Carbon Footprint and Why Check it?
Your carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases (mainly carbon dioxide and methane) released into the atmosphere as a result of your activities, lifestyle, and choices.
There are two types of carbon footprint you can produce:
- Direct emissions: like driving your car or heating your home.
- Indirect emissions: like the carbon used to produce the food you eat, the clothes you buy, or the electricity you use.
Think of it as your personal impact on the planet’s climate, measured in tonnes of CO₂ per year.
By checking your carbon footprint, you can:
- Understand where most of your emissions come from.
- Track your progress toward living more sustainably.
- Offset or reduce your environmental impact by making educated, conscious choices.
But don’t worry, this isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being aware, making progress, and knowing how to do better. So let’s look at how you can reduce your carbon footprint!
How to Check your Carbon Footprint
You can check your carbon footprint using online calculators. Just answer some simple questions about your habits and then estimate your annual emissions!
Some reliable, free options include:
- WWF Footprint Calculator – fun and visual, great for individuals and families.
- Carbon Footprint Calculator – more detailed, suitable for individuals or small businesses.
- Giki Zero – tracks your footprint and gives you personalised steps to reduce it.
Why not find out what your carbon footprint is and try and beat it?
Reflect: What’s Gone Well This Year?
Take a moment to think about the green changes you’ve made or kept up in the last year:
- Did you walk or cycle when you could have driven? If you did choose to walk or cycle just one mile a week instead of driving, you’ve already potentially saved 27kg of CO2 a year![1]
- Have you reduced your energy use at home? If you’ve turned down your thermostat by just one degree, you’ve possibly already saved 310kg on your carbon footprint. Plus around £60 a year on your energy bills.[2]
- Did you eat more vegetarian meals? If you’ve been eating just one vegetarian meal a week in the last year, you could have saved the equivalent of driving 1160 miles![3]
Even the smallest steps count, and they all add up. If you can, simply keep doing these things.
Reset: Set a Few Achievable Green Goals
You don’t need to change your whole lifestyle overnight. Instead, choose a few achievable goals for the new year. Here are some practical ideas:
- Swap one short car journey a week to walking or cycling. In the UK, transport is the largest emissions contributor, responsible for 29% of total greenhouse gas emissions [1]. Around 60% of 1-2 mile trips are still made by car – distances that could easily be walked or cycled [2].
- Try “Meat-Free Mondays” or one plant-based recipe each week. Did you know, it can take 30 bathtubs of water to produce just one beefburger? [3]. Think how much you could save by skipping just one meat based meal a week!
- Turn off appliances at the wall when not in use. The Energy Saving Trust estimates that appliances left on standby cost the average home £55 a year. This is equal to 45kg in CO2 emissions. [4]
- ️ Choose second-hand when buying books, clothes or furniture. Here’s a list of the 5 best things you can buy pre-loved, instead of new.
- Commit to using eco-conscious brands for your housekeeping purchases. Toilet roll and cleaning products are a great starting point. Choose a company that donates some of their profits to environmental causes or uses natural ingredients, instead of harmful chemicals.
- ♻️ Improve your recycling by making sure you deal with electrical waste responsibly. Try and reduce your food waste and start composting or add recycling bins to your bathroom, to make sure you’re recycling all you can. This helpful site shows what you can or can’t recycle in your area.
Recharge: Celebrate Progress, Not Perfection
Sustainability is a journey. Celebrate the wins, however small, and share them with others. You might inspire someone else to start their own green journey.
Let’s make 2026 our greenest year yet.
Liked this blog? Check out our article, on 4 Advantages of Walking or Cycling for Shorter Trips
Choose Vavista Car Insurance today! We plant a tree for every new customer.
[1] 2024 Provisional greenhouse gas emissions statistics: statistical release [2] Transport and environment statistics: 2023 – GOV.UK [3] https://meatfreemondays.com/facts-and-figures/ [4] https://www.wwf.org.uk/challenges/dont-stand-by
[1] https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/campaign/find-your-feet
[2] https://energysavingtrust.org.uk/net-zero-carbon-emissions-and-homes-whats-the-connection
[3] https://viva.org.uk/planet/the-issues/food-miles/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
