Cllr Sue Woolley, executive councillor for NHS Liaison and Community Engagement, offers five top tips to make sustainable changes at home.
As you know Lincolnshire County Council is committed to becoming net zero carbon by 2050 and we're making big changes on the way we are operating: smarter working, updating our buildings and using new technologies to name a few. We've introduced a new green master plan which has three guiding principles:
- Don't waste anything
- What are the wider opportunities?
- Take responsibility and pride
Many of these can be used at home and in the wider community. So thanks to our sustainability team, here are five things which you can do at home:
Understand your carbon footprint
Do you know what yours is? Do you know what impact you are making on the climate?
Once you understand your climate impact there may be obvious areas where you could look to make reductions.
There are plenty of calculators online which can help you do this. Visit https://footprint.wwf.org.uk to find out more.
Think about your energy usage at home
On average, energy use at home is responsible for a quarter of person's carbon emissions. So, are there any ways you could improve the energy efficiency of your home?
Well, the Government has the Green Homes Grant, which could help you to install improved insulation or low carbon heating sources.
We have teamed up with other councils in Greater Lincolnshire to set up Lincs 4 Warmer Homes, which offers advice and support on improving energy efficiency for eligible residents.
Also, why not speak to your energy supplier about getting a smart meter, which will let you better understand your energy usage.
Travel
Although we aren’t doing a lot of it right now, travel can be a huge part of your carbon emissions especially in a rural county like ours.
And as the Government has confirmed restrictions on the sale of petrol and diesel cards from 2030, we know electric vehicles will become more common place, and a good option for getting about in the future.
However, right now, there are lots of things you can do now to reduce your fuel usage, such as driving more slowly, more smoothly and having correctly inflated tyres.
Your waste
There are many ways to recycle in Lincolnshire, but the best option is not to generate the waste in the first place.
Food producers and retailers have made significant progress in reducing the amount of packaging on products – but when you are shopping you can look for low packaging options or even buy direct from farm shops where less packaging is used.
In the community
For me this is about taking pride in where you live - I love living here. There are so many ways you can get involved with environmental and biodiversity projects around the county. For example, the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust regularly looks for volunteers to get involved in their conservation projects around the county.
As part of the Green Masterplan, we will also be taking the message on climate change out to the community, and later this year we will be sharing our plans for a Climate Change Summit to bring together the public, businesses and community groups to help develop ways in which we can reach net zero carbon.
For more things you can do at home, please visit our website: www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/greenmasterplan