You don't need to do everything. Start with one thing from the top of the list and perhaps one from lower down. The first 8 work for almost everyone, though number 6 needs a garden, yard or shared space. The last 3 are where grants and the landlord conversation come in.
The list below is sorted from highest impact / lowest barrier. Action - why it matters - and where to find it.
|
# |
Action |
Why (evidence) |
Where to find / resources |
|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Switch to fossil-free pensions & banks |
Make My Money Matter found UK pension schemes hold about £88bn in fossil fuel companies (£3,000 p/p). Friends of the Earth estimate that switching to a green pension can be the single most impactful action |
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|
2 |
Eat more plants, less & better meat and dairy |
Food systems produce about 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. The 2025 EAT-Lancet Commission says the planetary health diet could prevent up to 15 million premature deaths a year and cut food-related emissions by more than half. |
EAT-Lancet 2025 · EAT summary · Local: Sutton Community Farm |
|
3 |
Buy less, repair, share, reuse |
Consumer spending is the largest single source of UK emissions, at 26% (ONS, 2024 provisional). Sutton's repair cafés handled 800+ items in 2023/24 with about half repaired or partly repaired, and Library of Things users had saved over £100,000. |
Sutton Repair Café · Ruskin Road Repair Café · Library of Things (Sutton) · Reuse Shop · Restart Project · Freegle · Olio · Data: ONS, Sutton Council |
|
4 |
Avoid or reduce flying |
Eurostar-commissioned research found London-Paris by train emits about 90% less CO₂ than flying. Our World in Data puts Eurostar at about 4 g per passenger-km against about 154 g for a short-haul flight, and rail about 86% below a domestic flight. |
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|
5 |
Switch to clean electricity - Start with a green tariff, then consider solar if you can. |
Not all "100% renewable" tariffs are equal. Some are backed by certificates rather than new clean power, so look for suppliers that say where their electricity comes from. For solar panels - installation is currently VAT-free (0%) until 31 March 2027, then 5%. |
GOV.UK on tariff reform · Ofgem REGO explainer · GOV.UK VAT notice · Energy Saving Trust · Local: Sutton Community Energy, Repowering London |
|
6 |
Free the soil! Depave or replace some paving with plants, soil and, where you can, a tree or climber |
This helps you adapt and cut emissions. Rain runs off paving into drains risking flooding, and paved surfaces trap heat in summer sun. Soil and plants soak up water and keep surfaces cooler, and trees add shade. Garden soil and plants also store carbon in a more modest way. 55% of UK front garden space is paved (RHS, 2025). |
GLA De-pave your garden · GLA Grey to Green guide · RHS front gardens and permeable paving |
|
7 |
Work remotely/flexibly where you can |
Working from home helps most if it's avoiding a long car commute (over 6 km). For short car trips or public transport, it can raise emissions rather than cut them. The average UK worker might save about 300 kg CO₂e a year, but the evidence is mixed. |
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|
8 |
Drive less: walk, cycle, use public transport |
Transport is the UK's biggest source of emissions (30% in 2024), and over half of that comes from cars and taxis. It also affects our health: the World Health Organisation links outdoor air pollution to 4.2 million premature deaths a year worldwide, and names cleaner transport as a key fix. |
GOV.UK transport emissions · WHO fact sheet · Sustrans · Liftshare · TfL Journey Planner · Local: EcoLocal |
|
9 |
Insulate your home |
Heating and running our buildings produces 22% of UK emissions. Insulation also cuts your bills: the Energy Saving Trust estimates loft insulation could save about £270 a year, cavity wall insulation £280 and draught-proofing £45. Government grants are ending, so ask your energy supplier or council what's left. |
Energy Saving Trust guide · GOV.UK energy efficiency · Ofgem ECO4/GBIS dates · Citizens Advice |
|
10 |
Install a heat pump (and an induction hob when your cooker needs replacing) |
A heat pump gives you about three units of heat for every unit of electricity it uses. A typical installation costs around £12,000, but the government's Boiler Upgrade Scheme takes £7,500 off in England and Wales (no income test), or £9,000 if you're replacing oil or bottled-gas heating, until March 2027. Running costs are often lower than older oil, bottled gas or electric heating, but not necessarily lower than a newer gas or oil boiler. |
GOV.UK grant details · Is a heat pump suitable? · Energy Saving Trust heat pump guide · Find an MCS installer |
|
11 |
Switch to an EV for trips you can't avoid or shift |
Over its whole life, an electric car produces about 73% less carbon than a petrol car, and up to 78% less on renewable electricity (per the International Council on Clean Transportation). Building the battery adds emissions, but they're paid back after about 10,500 miles, usually within one to two years. These are European figures, so UK results will vary a little. |
Why it all counts: the IPCC's AR6 report finds that demand-side changes in buildings, transport and food could cut end-use emissions by 40–70% by 2050 compared with baseline scenarios. It also stresses that individuals need infrastructure and policy support to get there.
Correct on 24 September 2026.