How can I reduce my carbon footprint?
Through actions such as travelling less by air, changing your dietary habits and buying second-hand instead of new, you can reduce your carbon footprint by several tonnes per year.
All the choices we make matter and can contribute to reducing our emissions. If you feel that your choices do not make enough of a difference and that they seem unimportant – think again! Your actions may encourage others to make more climate-smart choices.
The average carbon footprint per person and year in Sweden is eight tonnes, which is higher than the global average. For the world to limit the global temperature increase at 1.5 degrees above preindustrial levels, the emissions of greenhouse gases need to come down at approximately below one ton per person by 2050.
The responsibility for reducing emissions does not lie solely with the consumer, but must also be shared by the public sector and industry. Emissions that are not directly connected to the consumption of households, such as from the construction of infrastructure or public sector consumption, are more difficult to change for the individual.
Our travel habits have a major climate impact
For many people, air travel is the largest source of emissions. For instance, a round trip Sweden – Southern Spain causes an emission of about one tonne of carbon dioxide equivalents per passenger.
You can decrease the climate impact from air travel by
- travelling less by air
- choosing a closer destination
- choosing the itinerary with the least stopovers.
The ICAO Carbon Emissions Calculator (icao.int)
Holiday emission calculator (travelandclimate.org)
Taking the train or other public transport is always better than taking a car that runs on fossil fuel. If you have to travel by car, it is better to carpool and to choose an eco-friendly vehicle. A medium-sized car releases close to 2 kg of greenhouse gases each 10 km. If a family travels around 20,000 km per year, this would equal 4 tonnes per year.
What we eat makes a great difference to the climate too
Our consumption of food, both what we eat and how what we eat has been produced, are important factors for a reduced climate impact, both globally and at the country level. Another important factor in addition to this, is to decrease the amount of food being wasted.
To reduce our total consumption of certain foods such as red meat, with a high impact on climate, and to encourage a more plant-based diet, is important for lowering emissions, as well as having a potential to improve public health. At the same time, grazing animals on suitable lands contribute to environmental values, such as open landscapes and biodiversity.
Data on the climate impact of different foods can be found in a climate database compiled by Research Institute of Sweden (RISE). The database shows read meat having a high climate impact per kg from a life cycle perspective, as well as that the climate impact of beef from Brazil is substantially higher than if the production would have been in Sweden. For a better overall picture, the database allow users to combine the climate impact of the different foods with data on nutritive value and impacts on biodiversity.
RISE food climate database (ri.se)
To achieve a sustainable consumption and production of foods, a comprehensive view is crucial, securing our global and national food supply and simultaneously reducing the emissions of greenhouse gas emissions as well as preserving biodiversity.
Information on sustainable production and consumption of foods as well as the latest statistics are available in the statistical database of the Swedish Board of Agriculture:
Sustainable production and consumption of food (jordbruksverket.se) (in Swedish)
How we choose to live affects the climate
Choosing a smaller home and switching to climate-smart heating can make a great difference, depending on your current living situation.
You can also make an impact by
- lowering the indoor temperature somewhat
- insulating windows and doors
- using hot water sparingly and using a dishwaster instead of running water
- washing your clothes at lower temperatures and hanging your laundry to dry rather than using a tumble dryer
- keeping your appliances at the right temperature: minus 18 degrees in the freezer and plus 4 degrees in the refrigerator.
If you need new furniture, appliances and electronics, remember that reuse and second-hand is always better than buying new. Repair instead of buying new major appliances, and change your old appliances for more energy-efficient ones when the time comes.
Energy and climate advisory service (energimyndigheten.se) (in Swedish)
The way your electricity has been produced also affects the climate. You can opt to buy eco-labelled electricity or perhaps invest in your own production of renewable electricity by installing solar cells.
The consumption of textiles contributes to environmental pressure
Every Swede consumes more than 11 kilos of textiles per person and year. On average, an item of clothes in the EU is only used seven to eight times. The high consumption contributes to a number of environmental and health problems.
To make your consumption of clothes more sustainable you need to
- use your garments longer
- buy second-hand instead of new
Statistics: Textile consumption per person in Sweden (in Swedish)
Our savings are important in the climate shift
How you save your money also impacts on the climate. To a large extent, our savings currently do not contribute to the shift that is necessary to reach the climate goals. Whether you have money in a savings account, in unit trusts or in shares of a company, your money can be used to benefit the climate. It may be a good idea to review your investments and choose unit trusts, shares or a bank with a good climate profile. You can actively strive to influence the actions of your unit trusts, the companies you invest in and your bank.
Carbon offsetting is the last resort
It is always better not to cause the emissions in the first place if you wish to reduce your carbon footprint. But if that is not possible, you can use carbon offsetting. Carbon offsetting means that you pay for the reduction of a certain amount of emissions elsewhere, or that the corresponding emissions are taken up in nature.