Reducing Your Emissions
The average American emits about 10,000 kg of carbon per year.*
The Average global citizen emits 3,500 KG of Carbon Per Year.*
We, in the US, need to do better!
There are many ways to reduce your carbon emissions. Quantifying these reductions is a bit more difficult. We want you to focus on the "big stuff" (e.g.. transportation, home heating and air conditioning, and diet) rather than unplugging your computer charger, but know that lots of things make a difference and they all add up (CR Blog Post Everything Matters.)
Our goal is to help you reduce your emissions by 10%. For most people this will not be a hardship. For some it will be impossible. The important thing is to take steps to meaningfully reduce your individual carbon footprint. Quantifying emission reductions is the most challenging part of Climate Responsible, but don't let that stop you from participating!
The steps to reducing your emission by 10% are:
Determine your current emissions (carbon footprint calculations)
Set your reduction target (e.g., 10% of my current emissions)
Do things that reduce your emissions by that set amount.
At a most basic level, your carbon footprint is a function of your household income. The more money you have, the more you consume and more consumption results in a higher carbon footprint.
On the right is a table estimating the daily kilogram reduction based on annual income and a commitment to a 10% reduction in emissions. This is not the most accurate way to assess your carbon footprint or set your reduction target, but it is the simplest. Pick your reduction target and head over to Commit Now to learn what you need to do to hit your goal.
*If you divide the total annual emissions of a country by the number of people you get about 14,000 kg per person in the US and about 5000 kg per person globally (Our World in Data). Our 10,000 kg and 3,500 kg numbers reflect a portion (65%) of the emissions that can be attributed to an individual. The rest is emitted by hospitals, the military, schools, building roads, and bridges, etc. This matches the data that consumer spending is about 65% of GDP.
Digging Deeper into your Emissions
Transportation Emissions: Calculating and Tracking
Home Emissions: Calculating and Tracking
Consumption Emissions: Calculating and Tracking
Personal Carbon Calculator: CF Calc
We don't want to overwhelm you but if you want a more accurate picture of your carbon footprint we can help. We have a carbon calculator which can get you close without too much work. We then have guidance on calculating and tracking emissions from transportation, home energy use, and consumption (including diet).