Everyday changes you can make to help prevent global warming.
Calculate your personal carbon footprint – the WWF Footprint Calculator, Resurgence Carbon Dioxide Calculator and Giki Zero are tools to help you calculate your carbon footprint and start living more sustainably.
For communities, Impact is a tool designed to help you understand your community’s carbon footprint. Use it to help you spot the areas where your community climate change activities can make the biggest difference.
Change how you travel – whether it’s walking to school, cycling to work or those everyday journeys, active travel can offer a convenient, accessible and affordable way to move more. Not to mention, there will be less congestion on our roads.
- Find out about cycling for leisure and work in Somerset here.
- Walking and cycling maps for almost 30 towns and villages across the county
Somerset’s schools are being encouraged to support environmentally sustainable travel through the Modeshift STARS Education Accreditation Programme. Schools can find more information on the Somerset Modeshift STARS webpage here.
There are many ways to adopt more convenient, affordable and greener ways of getting to school, such as walking, cycling and scooting, to name a few. If you are travelling from further afield, there may be opportunities to set up a Park and Stride scheme, parking away from the school and walking the remaining distance.
Waste and recycling
There are many reasons why recycling is good for the environment. Visit the Somerset Waste Partnership website to find out how you can make a difference. You can find more great tips and tricks to help tackle climate change by making ‘reducing, reusing and recycling’ a part of your everyday life at www.zerowasteweek.co.uk/reduce-waste-climate-change.
Heating and lighting
The Energy Saving Trust has put together great ideas to help you make your home more energy efficient, reduce your carbon emissions and lower your energy bills. Visit the Energy Saving Trust website to find out more.
Green home Grant Scheme
Residents across Somerset can benefit from free energy efficiency improvements worth up to £10,000 thanks to receiving a share of a multi-million pound Government-funded programme, led by West of England Combined Authority, working with E.ON and Happy Energy Solutions. Find out more here
Food
Did you know that our diet accounts for 25 percent of our carbon footprint? Find out how we can reduce its environmental impact without increasing the cost of our food shop here.
Shopping
Reducing what we consume can help us to save money and the planet. Ethical Consumer has come up with a few small steps to help you shop sustainably. To take your first step, visit the Ethical Consumer website.
Gardening
BBC Gardeners’ World has listed 12 ways you can reduce your environmental impact by making small changes to the way you garden. Find out how you can make a difference.
Free trees for schools and communities – The Woodland Trust is giving away hundreds of thousands of trees to schools and communities with the aim of getting millions more trees in the ground – helping the UK reach its 2050 carbon net-zero target. Find out more and apply for your school or community’s ‘Tree pack’ by visiting www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/plant-trees/schools-and-communities.