Reducing your carbon footprint
What is a Carbon footprint?
A carbon footprint is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by a person or organisation’s activities. So, each time you drive your car, eat a banana or take a shower, that adds to your personal carbon footprint.
It is usually measured as tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) to account for other greenhouse gases such as methane.
The total emissions directly generated in Derby are approximately 195.5 million tonnes of CO2e. This figure is from UK Government data for 2021, which was published in July 2023. Only emissions that occur within the UK's borders are included, so it doesn’t include certain emissions including those generated by residents travelling abroad for holidays or eating food that was imported from overseas.
You can find out more about calculating your own carbon footprint on the WWF website.
Ways to reduce your carbon footprint
Making simple changes to our day to day lives, like using less energy, driving less and recycling, makes a difference. There are lots of things people can do as an individual, without overwhelming changes to our lifestyle. Many of the actions we can take also make a very positive difference to our wellbeing and save us money in the long run.
The United Nations have a list of 10 simple actions that everyone can take to reduce their carbon footprint and many of them could save you money too.
In Derby, these are the top three actions you can take to reduce your carbon footprint:
- Reduce energy usage and loss from homes and buildings.
- Change how you travel. This could include using public transport more often or walking or cycling shorter journeys.
- Reduce how much waste you produce and recycle as much as you can.
Some other actions you could take:
- Eating more plant-based meals
- Buying local products
- Switching to a green energy tariff
- Making investments in green technologies
- Creating a more biodiverse garden and mowing lawns less frequently.
Green Rewards
Ready to make a difference? With Green Rewards, your everyday eco-friendly choices can help create a greener Derby - plus, there’s opportunities to win £20 vouchers!
We’ve launched Green Rewards in Derby because small actions like recycling, choosing active travel, or saving energy add up to a big impact. The more activities you complete, the more Green Points you earn and the higher you climb up the leaderboard.
How does Green Rewards work?
Register: Sign up on the easy-to-use online platform.
Act: Take part in activities like reducing waste, sustainable travel, and protecting nature.
Earn: Each action you complete earns you Green Points.
Compete: Track your Green Points and see your progress on the leaderboard.
Win: Each month, the top three individuals win a £20 voucher of their choice!
What can you win?
Choose from a variety of vouchers, including Sainsburys, Aldi, Ecoswap, The Charity Shop gift card, Argos, Waterstones
How to Sign Up
Visit the Green Rewards website on your computer, laptop, mobile or tablet or download the app from the Play Store or App Store.
Select Derby City Council and fill in your details.
Start completing activities, earning points, and climbing the leaderboard!
Got questions? Contact info@teamjump.co.uk or call 020 7326 5055.
Sign up today and be part of a greener Derby!