Another day goes by and yet another ill-intentioned politician is attacking the concept of Net Zero. Tony Blair said we need to rethink the concept because it is ‘doomed to fail’ because people in rich countries don’t want to make financial sacrifices which they think will have minimal impact. This website was set up to convince you otherwise because this perception is very wrong. The actions you make do make a big difference and reducing your carbon footprint doesn’t always involve making big financial sacrifices.

The concept of Net Zero came about in 2015 as a way of stopping global warming. The world will keep on warming up if greenhouse emissions outstrip the environment’s ability to absorb it. The world will only stop warming up if we reach a state where carbon emissions created can be fully absorbed by the environment. For the time being, this is the only solution to limit global warming, just like the COVID vaccine was the only solution for the COVID crisis. If attention is paid properly to what scientists are suggesting, the solutions are wide ranging, include easy adjustments and save money. Here are a few truths about what it means for you.

A net zero lifestyle is impossible today

Scientists are not expecting you to live a life that produce net zero emissions today. That is why there are intermediate goals between now and 2050. Ideally, they would like you to halve your carbon emissions by 2030. A typical British person produces 9-10 tonnes of carbon emission a year. Scientists want you to work towards to a 5-ton lifestyle by 2030 (not overnight). They are hoping that you make minor adjustments in your lifestyle. An article I wrote earlier ‘Do the big things first’, show it is easy to cut your carbon emissions by 3 tonnes a year by adopting five habits which don’t involve you spending any money. 

Getting to net zero by 2050 will require an economy not based on fossil fuels and innovations that don’t exist today. Scientists are counting on that in the future, and it is very possible. What lives we can have in a net zero world is impossible to know now, but it is unlikely to be dull and limited. For instance, a net zero world is compatible with the number of flights we do today. As the world gets better at producing more sustainably, our carbon footprint will fall without us even knowing it because what we buy will made with renewable energy.  

Reducing your carbon footprint requires you to stop wasting not self-sacrifice

The main changes that scientists would like you to make is to stop wasting resources you don’t use, rather than to stop enjoying your life. We waste a lot of food and energy without realising it. In Britain, the average household throws away the equivalent of eight meals a week, so you are probably buying more food than you need to. We are using more energy than we require in our homes by wasting water we don’t need and keeping lights on and heating parts of the home that we are not occupying. Our clothes shopping habits also show we waste money because we only wear 20% of the clothes we own regularly. Scientists are only asking that you buy durable, good quality clothes less regularly rather engage with fast fashion.

A lower carbon emissions lifestyle will make you healthier and improve your finances

When you look closely about what you gain from making these changes to your life, it is clear it can solve many personal problems. With a few changes in habits in the household, (such as switching off the light when you are not in the room and putting your dishwasher and washing machine on a lower temperature setting), you can save up to two months of energy bills. Also, it is possible for a family of four to reduce their food bill by £2000 a year by adopting a plant-based diet because plants are cheaper than meat. A plant-based diet will reduce your chance of getting diabetes, cancer, strokes and heart diseases by 30% and is great for keeping down weight. It is good household management, good financial management and healthy living. So even if reducing you carbon footprint ranks low in your priorities, these ideas have potential to improve your life.