New Year’s resolutions: five ways to protect the planet in 2025
After the hottest year ever recorded, 2025 is an extremely important year for our planet. And while it is easy to feel like individuals can’t make a difference, actions taken on mass lead to carbon savings and greener habits across the world.
Here are five new year’s resolutions you can make to have a greener 2025.
1. Use less single-use plastic
Globally, the production of plastics leads to annual carbon emissions equal to that of 189 coal-fired power stations. Scientists have also predicted that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish, so cutting down on single-use plastics in 2024 is a really important change to make.
Here are some ideas to cut down on plastic:
- Ditch disposable wipes – Wipes such as makeup, baby or household cleaning wipes are generally not biodegradable, and it can take over 100 years for just one to even start to break down. They also often get flushed down the toilet and clog the sewer systems. Buying reusable cotton pads or cloths will save money on wipes – and save the wipes from polluting the earth.
- Buy unwrapped fruit and veg: Opt to buy fruit and vegetables that are loose, or wrapped with paper to reduce demand for wrapped products.
- Bring a packed lunch: Avoid buying to-go meals which are often covered in plastic, by bringing your own food.
2. Eat less meat
Eating less meat has many benefits to both your health and to the planet. Around 80% of the world’s agricultural land is used for raising or feeding livestock, which produces less than 20% of the world’s supply of calories. If more agricultural land was used for crops, legumes, fruit and vegetables, it would be easier to provide the growing global population with nutritious food.
Beef and lamb take up the most land per gram of protein, and also require more water and energy to produce, giving them each some of the highest carbon footprints per types of protein. Swapping meat out from one or two meals a week can make a big difference.
3. Leave the car at home
If one of your new year’s resolutions is to get more exercise, then leaving the car at home as much as possible is a great place to start. Walking, cycling or taking public transport are better alternatives for the environment – and bus fares will only rise to £3 for a single journey in April, making them still very affordable.
Transport is the largest emitting sector in the UK – responsible for 26% of all of our greenhouse gas emissions. So, by opting to leave the car at home for shorter journeys you can help your own goals as well as helping the planet.
4. Join a local climate action group
If you’re passionate about local issues, why not volunteer at a local climate action group? Whether it’s litter picking in your local area, campaigning for better walking or cycling routes or meeting with your local MP to discuss working together on climate action.
Friends of the Earth have a large network of climate action groups around the UK, as do Transition Network. You don’t need any expeience to join a climate action group, just enthusiasm towards a common goal – protecting our planet.
5. Make your home greener
There are many ways that you can reduce your carbon emissions by making some changes at home.
- Upgrade to energy efficient applicances – Swap hallogen lighbulbs for LEDs, look into energy efficiency ratings when buying a new appliance and reduce how much you are using energy intensive appliances like tumble dryers. Find out more.
- Insulate your home – When we switch the heating on, around a quarter of that heat energy will escape through an uninsulated roof – leading to us quickly feeling cold and wasting a lot of energy and money. Insulating your roof and walls is an effective way to save a lot of energy, and pays for itself through savings in your bills in less than five years. There are grants available for lower income households to help with the costs. Find out more.
- Get a smart meter – Smart meters automatically tell your energy company how much energy you are using, and they help you to understand your habits and spot ways to save too. Find out more.
- Switch to 100% renewable electricity – Switching to a genuinely green tariff is one of the most impactful ways to cut your carbon emissions. Get a quote today.
- Look into green technologies – Air source heat pumps are a greener, more efficient way to heat your home, and solar panels help you to reduce how much energy you are drawing from the grid.
