Living more sustainably, reducing our emissions and striving for carbon neutral living are all things that we should do, but maybe we don’t do enough (or could be doing more) for the sake of our planet.
According to World Bank data, the average Australian has a carbon footprint of about 15 tonnes of CO2 yearly. This is amongst the highest in the world and about three times the global average.
Climate Analytics says Australia is on track to be one of the world’s biggest polluters and could be responsible for up to 17% of global emissions by 2030. Where Australian households are responsible for a fifth of Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The United Nations’ Emissions Gap Report warns that if carbon emissions in wealthy countries aren’t cut to 2-2.5 tonnes of CO2 per person per year by 2030 the Paris Agreement’s long-term goal (of limiting global warming to only 1.5°C) will not be achievable.
The Carbon Footprint Calculator determines an Australian household's carbon footprint using the following six categories:
With the Australian government’s lack of commitment to a new emissions reduction target for 2030 and being accused of failing to understand the urgency of climate change, and so much work needed to bring down carbon emissions to the UN’s target, we thought we’d share some little and big ideas that’ll help you reduce your carbon footprint.
In an average Australian household, 40% of energy is used for heating and cooling, 25% goes towards heating water, 30% is used by appliances, and 8-15% of the energy consumed is used on lighting according to the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources. Making the smallest changes to how you use energy at home can make a huge difference to your CO2 emissions and your energy bill.
Windows can be the source of around 40–60% of heat loss from a house, appropriate window treatments, double glazing and passive solar design can considerably improve a home's energy efficiency, reduce the need for excessive heating and cooling and cut energy costs.
Did you know that passive solar design can considerably improve energy efficiency and the associated carbon emissions in the home?
Did you know? A 3 bedroom 2 bathroom Ecoliv EcoGeneration home that includes a 5.55kw grid connected solar power system saves you about $1,012 annually by not having to pay mains power electricity bills in comparison to an equivalent home without solar power.
Transport is Australia's third-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, making up 17% of total emissions or 96 MtCO2e per year. We know that cars are responsible for roughly half of these transport emissions.
Household emissions can be reduced by switching to an electric vehicle adding a electric car charging station at home – like this one from Smappee. Image credit: Smappee.
Did you know? Ecoliv homes can be fitted with solar compatible electric car charging stations from Smappee allowing you to charge your electric car quickly and reliably at home.
Working from home can drastically reduce your individual and household carbon footprint – even just a few days a week makes a difference.
Australian households throw out 2.5 million tonnes of edible food each year (about 312 kg per person which is equivalent to $2000-$2500 worth of groceries). Food waste accounts for approximately 3% of Australia’s annual greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, the Australian construction industry produces about 27 million tonnes of waste every year or 44% of all waste.
Central to the construction process behind every Ecoliv home is waste reduction. Our prefabrication of frames and trusses reduces wastage by up to 52% and we maximise the use of 900mm building materials to significantly reduce waste.
Did you know? The Ecoliv team can recommend a number of discrete compost bins and systems, such as A & A Worm Farm Septic Systems and Worm Lovers to factor into your eco home design.
Australian households on average consume 340 litres of water per person, per day. And we know a significant amount of energy is used to treat, supply and use water in the home.
Did you know? Every Ecoliv EcoGeneration and EcoLiving home comes with a 10,000 litre water tank connected to your dishwasher, washing machine and toilet, which equates to a saving of $818 annually off your water bill.
The greenhouse gas methane is 80 times more effective at heating the earth than carbon dioxide. We know that cattle, sheep and goats contribute 30% of the methane released into the earth’s atmosphere every day as they digest their feed (more than any other single methane source). Also, meat and dairy products both require a lot of water, energy and land to produce.
Did you know? Ecoliv homes are constructed from plantation timber – the most renewable and sustainable material on the planet. Timber is made from carbon drawn from the atmosphere which would otherwise add to the Greenhouse effect and global warming.
We hope these ideas have inspired you to make some changes that’ll reduce your carbon footprint and slow the rate of global warming one individual at a time.
If you’d like to explore building a new eco modular home and how the EcoGeneration range allows you to effortlessly achieve operationally carbon neutral living, get in touch with the Ecoliv team today.
Stories about Design, Sustainable living, Modular construction and our Responsible business journey.