What would it mean for our families and lifestyles if Petersfield were to drastically reduce greenhouse gas emissions - and how can YOU help?
You probably know that reducing carbon emissions is key to meeting the targets of the 2015 Paris Agreement, which aims to limit global heating to 2°C and ideally 1.5°C. Missing those targets would be bad news.
It is less well known how ordinary households and families can play a vital role in hitting this target.
The UK has set a target of 'net zero' carbon emissions by 2050. Reaching that target will mean significantly decreasing the amount of fossil fuels we burn, with the bulk of the reduction happening in the next 10-15 years. The UK's current plan is to reduce emissions to 78% of 1990 levels by 2035.
Petersfield's Carbon Emissions
The average household in Petersfield is responsible for 18.8 tonnes of carbon emissions a year, according to the brilliant and user friendly Impact Tool. Households in surrounding villages average a bit more than this, typically around 20 tonnes, presumably because due to a greater dependence on oil and LNG boilers.
Taking 18.8 tonnes for Petersfield as a starting point, this number should come down to 7.2 tonnes per household per year by 2035 to be consistent with the UK’s Paris targets, according to the UK’s Committee on Climate Change 6th Carbon Budget.
That’s a reduction of 11.6 tonnes, or 62%, per household over the next 14 years.*
If each household in the Petersfield area reduced its emissions by one tonne every year, we could meet this target with two years to spare. Is it possible? It's a challenge - but we think can be achieved.
Of course, each household is different and will take a different approach; some will start by replacing their car with an EV, others might start by flying less, having a vegetarian day each week, or installing energy efficiency measures in their homes.
Some of the savings will happen automatically as supply chains and producers decarbonise, for example each year the electricity supply includes more wind and solar.
But most of the savings will need to come through us, as householders.
What Can I Do?
Reaching this target will mean making a few changes. As an illustration, this is how a typical Petersfield household emitting 18.8 tonnes might go about saving one tonne or more per year over the next few years, by focusing on just one change annually. Figures are approximate and the order is not important:
- Year 1: take more staycations or holiday in the UK, cut flying by two thirds – save 1 tonne (vs current average 1.4 tonnes from flying) read more
- Years 2 & 3: retrofit your home and switch to heat pump – save 1.7 tonnes (assumes 14k kWh initial gas heating load, one fifth reduction in primary energy use from energy efficiency measures, ASHP SPF 2.7, GHG conversion factors for gas and electricity of 0.183 and 0.212)
- Years 4 & 5: buy more second-hand goods and less new 'stuff', halve the purchase of new consumer items - save 2 tonnes
- Year 6: go vegetarian three days a week – save 1 tonne
- Year 7: as well as cycling and walking more, replace your existing petrol car with a new EV – save 0.76 tonnes or 1.3 tonnes if EV is bought second hand (assumes 8000 annual mileage, 210 gCO2/mile incl embedded carbon for existing small petrol car, 115 for new small EV and 45 for second hand EV, source)
All of these changes would save money, either immediately or within a few years, and would ensure your household is on track to contribute to meeting the Paris goals.
The big changes – retrofitting our homes and replacing our cars – will need supportive policies from the government and a lot of investment in the electricity grid, which is starting to happen. Our product choices – from building materials to consumer goods – must also account for the climate and environment impacts of manufacture and disposal, which is not yet happening.
The crucial point, is that we don’t need to wait for the whole economy to be transformed, we can start our journey now.
If we all challenge ourselves to cut one tonne of carbon from our household emissions each year, most of the hard work will have been done by the end of this decade.
* Households are counted as 2.4 people, so the equivalent figures per person are 7.8 tonnes per person per annum being emitted now, with a target of 3 tonnes pppa by 2035, needing an annual reduction of nearly a third of a tonne per person per year.