In December this year, members of the United Nations will meet in Copenhagen to discuss ways they can slow the pace of climate change. The key factor is reducing global carbon emissions. The aim of the conference will be to set targets for lower emission levels and outline ways of reaching these targets. This conference is going to impact us all as the government is likely to increase taxes of ‘dirty’ fuels, invest more of our national budget in developing renewable energy sources and encouraging us all to reduce our carbon footprint by hitting us where it hurts the most – our wallets.

However, there are ways we can get ahead of the game and start reducing our impact on the environment right now. There are four broad ways to shrink your carbon footprint.

Firstly, only travel by car when it is absolutely necessary. Too many people just jump in the car to pop to the shops for the paper or some milk when they could just as easily walk. Road transport accounts for 22% of total UK CO2 emissions so by reducing our usage by just 10% we can have a big impact on our UK emissions. But it’s not just road transport that’s a problem. Pollution from the aviation industry is the faster growing source of carbon emissions. OK, so you can’t easily switch to trains, buses and ships etc if you want to get to the US or Australia but for example, if you fly from London to Paris you will emit 348kg of CO2 whereas if you travel by Eurostar you will emit just 75kg.

60% of the waste that goes into your rubbish bin every week could be recycled. Unfortunately most of it ends up in landfill. Although you may think recycling benefits are overrated, in fact recycling is an easy and efficient way to reduce energy consumption. For example, 70% less energy is required to recycle paper compared with making it from raw materials and by recycling one glass bottle, enough energy is saved to power a colour TV for 15 minutes. So if we all do our bit, again this can mount up to hefty national savings.

Talking of energy, we should all try to use less of it. For example, switch to energy saving light bulbs, they will use around 75-80% less power and last around 10 times longer than standard bulbs. Insulating your house correctly can save you around £150 a year on your heating bills and you will need less heat, therefore require less energy to heat your home as less heat is lost through the walls and roof.

You can also choose green energy tariffs such as British Gas’ Zero Carbon scheme which is 100% carbon neutral. It will match all the energy you use with energy from renewable sources, 100% of your gas usage will be offset, it will help reduce emissions in schools and invest in renewable energy generation schemes in the UK. You will find British Gas’ energy prices on their website – by switching now, you could save money in the long run.