There are many sources of emissions and so many actions needed to reach net zero. However, actions in the 3 areas below will form themes across many topic areas and stakeholders.
Decarbonising buildings
Emissions from buildings can be reduced by doing the following:
- reducing heat loss so that less energy is needed to keep buildings warm – for example, by improving floor, wall and roof insulation, installing double or triple glazing and draught-proofing
- installing heating systems which don’t emit carbon – such as heat pumps (which use electricity) or district heating networks
- not using any other equipment which burns fossil fuels – for example, using electric hobs rather than gas
- using energy-efficient equipment such as LED lighting
- generating renewable power onsite to cover the building’s remaining energy use, for example, with rooftop solar panels, or purchasing power through a renewable electricity tariff
Reducing transport emissions
Emissions from transport can be reduced through measures such as:
- reducing the need to travel in the first place or the distance people need to travel, for example, through home working and providing services locally
- increasing the use of active travel (walking and cycling), which do not lead to significant emissions
- increasing use of public transport such as buses and trains, which reduce emissions as they are more efficient per person and may be easier to electrify
- using low or zero emissions vehicles – for example, electric vehicles or vehicles which run on hydrogen or biofuel
- reducing the need for freight transport, for example, by not buying unnecessary goods and by identifying opportunities to consolidate deliveries
- reducing flying, which has a particularly high emissions footprint
Goods and waste
Emissions from buying goods and disposing of waste can be reduced by:
- buying products with lower emissions footprints (for example, buying less meat and more vegetables)
- reducing waste by not buying unnecessary goods and re-using items where possible
- ensuring that waste is recycled or composted wherever possible, rather than going into general waste which will be burned or buried
- avoiding any biodegradable material going into landfill, where it will release the potent greenhouse gas methane as it decomposes
- building a circular economy, which means buying products made from recycled or renewable materials rather than new resources and borrowing or leasing items where possible rather than buying and then disposing of them