This week, more than 190 countries will gather in Paris to avoid the dangerous effects of global warming. How can you help?
So far, 160 countries have pledged to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases by 2025 or 2030. Whilst this is an improvement there is still a long way to go to restrict the rise in the global average temperature to no more than 2C.
Warming of about 2C creates dangerous risks such as rapid sea level rise or the release of methane from gas hydrates in the ocean that could prove catastrophic, potentially causing millions of people to move from coastlines and more extreme weather. This will mean more migration and more refugees.
The next 20 years is of unique importance to world history. If cities are polluted, congested and inefficient, they will be terrible places to live in.
So how can you help to make your future more sustainable, more secure and more prosperous? Everyone has a responsibility to reduce their individual carbon footprint, and there are lots of ways to do so. Think about your lifestyle decisions and find opportunities to reduce your climate impact. Here are some good ways to start.
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Car
Drive better - Studies have shown up to 30% of the difference in miles per gallon is due to driving habits alone. You could save more than a ton of CO2 per year by:
Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Travel
A lot of our emissions come from just being inefficient or not deliberate with our daily decisions. Every day think about how you could reduce the miles you drive and pretty soon you’ll start identifying lots of opportunities:
