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Summary documents
Why climate change is such a concern Key climate information Action needed
Key climate information
Mortality and other harms from climate change
Pleas from those most affected
Young people are pleading for action: 10 key messages Greta Thunberg's "blah blah blah" speech, Milan 2021
Carbon budgets
The global carbon budget for 1.5°C runs out in 2030
Science for policy making
What should have been done by governments and wider society in response to climate change? Counting consumption rather than territorial CO2 emissions International comparisons
Failures in policy making
Climate inaction and delay: Shambles or conspiracy? All sections of society have been failing Cognitive biases, flawed reasoning, fallacies and denial dominate opinions and decision making Climate denial: literal, interpretive and implicatory
Government failures Climate science briefing for MPs by Patrick Vallence et al was seriously misleading House of Commons Library reports on climate change are seriously misleading MPs Campaigning failures Friends of the Earth: Climate denial: Court cases 2022-25 Zero Hour and the CAN Bills: Climate urgency denial UK Heath Alliance on Climate Change: Climate Denial: Correspondence Client Earth: Climate denial
Action needed
Why make climate action an overriding priority Reliable (safe system) decision making and policy making Allocation of the global carbon budget between countries UK carbon budget calculations 2025 Carbon budget calculations for the average country What would GENUINE climate leadership look like? Reduce your carbon footprint: at least 10% per year
Resources
Climate science briefing by Prof Kevin Anderson
Ensuring good policy making
Checklist for auditing consistency with the IPCC
Challenging fallacies Common climate fallacies Ethical Consumer Climate Gap reports: Correspondence
Technicalities
Emissions by sector
Home energy Cars Food Bus travel Train travel
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About Copyright information
Posts in 2023-2024:
Reasons to be very concerned
Key points on the climate emergency
Human activity has changed the climate
The climate has changed: The physics Mankind has changed the climate
Time is running out
UK carbon budget calculations 2024 The UK's share of the global carbon budget runs out in 2 years
System failures
UN Secretary-General: "Government leaders are lying" The UK Net Zero 2050 strategy would take three times the UK's share of the global carbon budget
Pleas from those most affected
Pleas from the world's poorest
Action needed
UN Secretary-General: "A grassroots movement that cannot be ignored"
Actions needed
Climate emergency ten-point action plan
1. Overall aim and priority
International commitments given Why 1.5°C?
2. Global strategy: Limit further emissions to 400 billion tonnes CO2
Global strategy: Limit further emissions to 400 billion tonnes CO2
3. The UK carbon budget
The maths of staying within the UK's carbon budget: Halve emissions every 3 years Double digit percentage annual emission cuts "Zero carbon sooner" CO2 budget report from CUSP
4. Reviewing progress against the CO2 budget
Global emissions are still rising
5. Identifying reasons for lack of progress on climate change
Why progress has been so poor: Summary The UK's Seven Principles of Public Life Decision making has not followed the science It is a system failure rather than a failure of individuals Climate urgency denial Auditing consistency with the IPCC: Summary for selected groups
5a. Governments
UK Climate Change Committee: Not consistent with the IPCC UK Government fallacy: overclaiming the reduction in UK CO2 emissions
5b. Media deficiencies
The BBC: Climate denial The Guardian: Climate denial The British Medical Journal: Climate denial
5c. Campaigning deficiencies
Friends of the Earth: Climate denial 2: Response to CCC annual report 2023 Fridays for Future: Consistent with the IPCC Climate Uncensored: Consistent with the IPCC Campaign against Climate Change: Consistent with the IPCC Ethical Consumer Magazine: Climate denial Climate Emergency UK: Climate denial Sustrans: Climate denial
6. Improve decision making
7. Actions by sector
Specific actions needed: Summary National governments Local government
False solutions to be avoided
'Offsetting' Planting trees Tree planting claims by Zurich scientists were withdrawn Electric vehicles: not an immediate solution
8. Individuals
Individuals
9. Ensuring good decision making
Challenging fallacies
UK Government
The 'Net Zero 2050' UK Government fallacies
Ethical Consumer: Inconsistency with the IPCC in the Climate Gap reports
Critique of report methodology
Civil disobedience
Civil disobedience in a democracy: Q and A
Technicalities
UK average GHG emissions
Emissions by sector
"Green electricity" Health, education, etc emissions Calculator version information
Quotes
Quotes
Links
Links
Posts in 2022:
Consistency with the IPCC
Climate urgency fallacies
Action needed
Passivhaus home standards
Challenge fallacies and malpractice
Challenge fallacies, incompetence and malpractice
Ensuring good decision making
Assessing performance on the climate emergency Climate Urgency Realism or Denial score Climate urgency denial in UK Government scientists
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Why trust this website?
Posts in 2020-2021:
Action needed
'Hydrogen power' is not the answer
Ensuring good decision making
Civil disobedience and the law Extinction Rebellion
Technicalities by sector
Basic UK energy and greenhouse gas statistics References
Posts in 2019:
The climate crisis and what to do about it
Climate change: the basics Simple solutions for the climate crisis, which should have been implemented already
Action needed
Local government: Make walking safe Organisations
Awareness raising
Leaflets, video
Reasons for optimism
Decline in UK domestic aviation Decline of domestic aviation in Sweden
Standards of administration in a democracy
Effective planning
Performance assessments
BEIS is not telling the truth on carbon emissions Transport for the North: Failing on the climate crisis Steve Rotheram: failing on the climate crisis Wirral Council's emission reduction trajectory
Carbon footprint calculator
Complete this questionnaire to estimate/calculate your CO2 emissions .
| Do either a quick estimation (no bills needed) or a more accurate calculation of the CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions that you are responsible for, as an individual, over a 12 month period. In section 1, you enter household data, so that items such as household heating and car use are shared between the members of your household. In section 2, you enter personal lifestyle and travel choices that apply to you as an individual. The calculator then gives you a chart that you can print out. | Updated 2019/20Read more.  |
| Section 1 (household) |
| q1. | How many people are there in your household? | Notes: This is needed for sharing out your gas, electricity and car use between the members of your household. Enter 1 for a hall of residence. You can enter a decimal, e.g. 3.5, if you have a family member who is away from home for part of the year. more ... |
q2. | How much electricity is used in your household? Select one option: Small house / flat (3,000 kWh) Medium (4,800 kWh) Large house (7,000 kWh) Hall of residence (2,000 kWh) Enter actual amount used from your bills | Latest reading (kWh) | | Reading 12 months before | Tick the box if your electricity comes from one of the green tariffs: Good Energy; Equipower; Green Energy Dark Green and Pale Green; LoCO2 Energy Planet, Energy Pocket+ and Energy Pocket; Ecotricity New Energy + and New Energy; Ovo Green Energy and New Energy | Notes: Electricity use is measured in kilowatt-hours (abbreviated to kWh). To make an accurate calculation, you need to find your latest bill and the reading (in kWh) at the end of the last quarter. Then find the bill 12 months before it and the corresponding reading. The CO2 emission factor for electricity is taken to be 0.309 kg / kWh [read more] There is a reduction of 25% in CO2 emissions for the green tariffs listed [read more] |
q3. | How much gas is used in your household? Select one option: Small house / flat (12,000 kWh) Medium (18,000 kWh) Large house (27,000 kWh) Hall of residence (5,000 kWh) Enter actual kWh used Calculate amount used from your bills | Select how your gas is measured: Cubic metres (newer meters) 100's of cubic feet (older meters) | | Latest meter reading | | Reading 12 months before | | Difference | | kWh used | | Notes: Gas consumption is generally measured in units of volume, and this is converted on gas bills into units of energy i.e. kilowatt-hours (kWh) - see Sources page. To make an accurate calculation of the CO2 generated, you can enter the annual kWh used (if you know this), or you can calculate it from your bills. To calculate from your bills, first select how your gas is measured. If your bills don't say what the units are, you can probably find the units on the meter. Recently installed meters measure gas in cubic metres (m3), but older meters measure in hundreds of cubic feet - or you may have the kWh already calculated. Enter the meter reading at the end of the last quarter from the latest bill and then the reading from 12 months before. The CO2 factor for natural gas is 0.203 kg / kWh ...[more] |
| q4. | Is heating oil, coal, wood or bottled gas used in your household? No Yes | Enter your use over the last year: The number of litres of heating oil: The number of kilograms of coal: The number of kilograms of wood: The number of kilograms of bottled gas: Then select 'Calculate' | | Notes: The following CO2 factors are used. For oil: 2.96 kg / litre For coal: 3.26 kg / kg For wood: 0.10 kg / kg For bottled gas: 3.68 kg / kg ...[more] |
q5. | How many cars are used by your household? Select one option: 0 1 2 3 4 | Car 1 | | Select car size: Sports car or large SUV (35 mpg) Small or medium SUV, or MPV (46 mpg) City, small, medium, large or estate car (52 mpg) Enter actual mpg: | | Select 12-month car mileage: Low (6,000 miles) Average (9,000 miles) High (12,000 miles) Enter actual milage: | | tonnes CO2 | | Car 2 | | Select car size: Sports car or large SUV (35 mpg) Small or medium SUV, or MPV (46 mpg) City, small, medium, large or estate car (52 mpg) Enter actual mpg: | | Select 12-month car mileage: Low (6,000 miles) Average (9,000 miles) High (12,000 miles) Enter actual milage: | | tonnes CO2 | | Car 3 | | Select car size: Sports car or large SUV (35 mpg) Small or medium SUV, or MPV (46 mpg) City, small, medium, large or estate car (52 mpg) Enter actual mpg: | | Select 12-month car mileage: Low (6,000 miles) Average (9,000 miles) High (12,000 miles) Enter actual milage: | | tonnes CO2 | | Car 4 | | Select car size: Sports car or large SUV (35 mpg) Small or medium SUV, or MPV (46 mpg) City, small, medium, large or estate car (52 mpg) Enter actual mpg: | | Select 12-month car mileage: Low (6,000 miles) Average (9,000 miles) High (12,000 miles) Enter actual milage: | | tonnes CO2 | | Notes: Emissions are taken to be 14.3 kg CO2 per gallon. Select the car type or, if you know the fuel consumption accurately, enter it in the appropriate box. Average values for miles per gallon (mpg) are taken from Which? Car guide 2019/20. To work out your annual mileage: - If you have owned the car from new, divide the total mileage by the number of years - For an older car, you can take the difference between the mileage shown on your last two MOT certificates. Read more on how the factors are obtained. |
| Section 2 (personal) |
| q6. | FOOD How much of the food that you eat is organic? | None Some Most All | tonnes CO2 |
MEAT: How much meat/dairy do you eat personally? | Above-average meat/dairy Average meat/dairy Below-average meat/dairy Lacto-vegetarian Vegan | tonnes CO2 |
FOOD MILES: How much of your food is produced locally? | Very little (much foreign / out of season food) Average Above average Almost all | tonnes CO2 |
FOOD PACKAGING AND PROCESSING: How much of your food is packaged / processed (e.g. 'ready meals', tins)? | Above average Average Below average Very little | tonnes CO2 |
COMPOSTING: How much do you compost potato peelings, leftover and unused food etc? WASTE: How much food do you waste (on average, over one fifth of edible food is thrown away)? | Above average (50% more) Average Below average (50% less) Very little (90% less) |
| FOOD TOTAL including almost unavoidable 0.2 tonnes | tonnes CO2 |
| Notes: Non-farmed fish counts as organic. The fertilizer used in growing food that is not organic causes greenhouse gas emissions through nitrous oxide released from the soil, and through CO2 emissions from the manufacture and transport of fertilizer. Meat and dairy production generates methane from animals and slurry, and CO2 from the energy used in farm operations. Food transport, packaging and processing all require energy, releasing CO2. Food decomposition in landfill sites releases methane. Edible food can be wasted because too much is prepared, or because it has gone past its use-by date and so on. Some greenhouse gas emissions are currently almost impossible to avoid: methane from tilling and soil management, and CO2 from arable farms and the operation of retail stores. These amount to around 0.2 tonnes per person. ...[more] |
| q7. | Health, education, etc : | Notes: Carbon dioxide is generated by the health service, schools, social services, the armed forces and so on . This amounts to 1.1 tonnes per person per year for the UK. You have no direct control over this amount, which is generated on your behalf, but you can join campaigns to make public services more energy efficient, especially if you work within one of them. |
q8. | Journeys by bus Enter the number of miles travelled in the last year (or leave blank) and select 'Calculate': Enter your regular mileage each week: Enter your regular mileage each month: Enter your other mileage in the year: | Notes: You can estimate your mileage by: - estimate the average journey time - multiply by average bus speeds (roughly 15mph for urban journeys and 20mph for rural journeys). If you are a regular bus traveller, enter a typical week and/or month and these will be multiplied up (by 48 and 12 respectively) and added to your other mileage. The CO2 emission factor for bus travel is taken to be 100 g/mile ...[more] |
q9.  | Journeys by train Enter the number of miles travelled in the last year (or leave blank) and select 'Calculate': Enter your regular mileage each week: Enter your regular mileage each month: Enter your other mileage in the year: | Notes: You can estimate your mileage by: - list the train journeys - add up the total journey time (remembering to double if return) - multiply by average train speeds (roughly 20mph if suburban 45mph if cross-country 70mph if intercity ). If you are a regular train traveller, enter a typical week and/or month and these will be multiplied up (by 48 and 12 respectively) and added to your other mileage. The CO2 emission factor for rail travel is taken to be 100 g/mile ...[more] |
q10. | Flights: Any flights from the UK to Europe and/or Africa? No Yes | Enter the number of return flights: Ireland, N. France, Netherlands Germany, Denmark S. France, Switzerland, Italy, Norway Spain, Croatia, Hungary, Poland Malta, Sicily, Albania Madeira, Canaries, Morocco, Bulgaria, Greece, Moscow Azores, Cyprus, Egypt Kenya Zambia Southern Africa, Mauritius | Any flights from the UK to North & South America ? No Yes | Enter the number of return flights: New York, Boston Florida The Caribbean, The Rockies, Western USA Central America, Ecuador Hawaii, Peru, Chile | Any flights from the UK to Asia & Australasia ? No Yes | Enter the number of return flights: Turkey Jordan Pakistan India Nepal, Bhutan Sri Lanka, Thailand, China, Japan Australia, New Zealand | Any other flights e.g. between UK airports or between airports outside the UK? No Yes | Enter the number of hours spent flying: | | total hours flying tonnes CO2 |
| Notes: Enter the number of international return trips from the UK that you personally made in the last year. Then the hours spent on flights within the UK, or in flights between airports outside the UK. For example, if you went on one return trip with two friends to Spain, enter a "1" in the Spain box. The calculator assumes emissions of ¼ tonne CO2 equivalent per hour flying (roughly 500 g per mile)...[more] |
| q11. | Miscellaneous personal lifestyle choices: What is your miscellaneous spending? Above-average (5 tonnes CO2) Average (3.4 tonnes CO2) Below-average (2.4 tonnes CO2) Much below-average (1.4 tonnes CO2) Do you recycle paper, glass and metal? No Yes Do you recycle plastic apart from bags? No Yes | Notes: Your miscellaneous spending is all your other spending i.e. on: - recreation and leisure facilities - housing - household appliances - hygiene - hotels and other holidays - furnishings - clothing & footwear - alcohol & tobacco - post and telecommunications - books, newspapers & magazines and so on. Almost all of this spending will be associated with greenhouse gas emissions to some degree. Spending on these tends to follow size of income. |
| | What to do now: - Compare your total with the world and national averages in the graph below - View/print summary graph: - Set a target to reduce your total for the coming 12 months - we have found that a 10% reduction year on year is easily achievable. Read more... |
| How your total compares to the rest of the world |
| Your total |
| World average | 4.4 |
| UK average* | 14.1 |
| USA | 17.6 |
| China | 6.2 |
| India | 1.8 |
| Mozambique | 0.3 |
For sources, see carbonindependent.org/94.html *The figure for the UK includes adjustments for greenhouse gases other than CO2. The figures for the other countries do not, as these are not so readily available. Notes The calculator is based around a family household unit, where car travel is done to bring in income for the family or to travel for family leisure, and so CO2 emissions need to be shared between all members of the household. If your circumstances are different, you may need to adapt the calculator, e.g. enter the household size as 1, and share out household electricity and gas before entering it. Some travel may be carried out as part of your job e.g. international aid workers may have to fly in order to do their jobs effectively. Enter in the calculator just what you choose to do, not what you cannot avoid.
Last updated: 7 Mar 2020