Carbon Neutral Aldbourne was set up by a group of Aldbourne residents who feel passionately that our lovely village should play its part in preventing climate change.

Our priority is to reduce Aldbourne’s emissions to as close to zero as possible by 2030. We plan to do this by helping residents to calculate their carbon footprints and then by providing a space – both on and offline – to share ideas on carbon reduction.

We recently held a cycling and walking event from the Green to highlight an easy way to reduce your carbon footprint by walking and cycling rather than getting in the car whilst out and about in the village.

So… what can you do?

Carbon Neutral Aldbourne has been listening to the experts and we have compiled the following list of top tips. It is not a comprehensive list of every action you could possibly take. But, if followed, it will dramatically cut your carbon emissions.

ENERGY – be part of the move away from fossil fuels

1) Switch your supplier
If you haven’t already made the switch to a 100% renewable energy tariff you should definitely make this a priority. It will have a dramatic effect on your carbon footprint and can be done quickly and easily.

2) Make your home more energy efficient

This is a great way to cut your carbon emissions whilst also cutting your monthly bills. The Energy Saving Trust has some great advice on home energy efficiency.

3) Reduce the amount of energy you use

Turning off lights when you leave the room, turning off appliances rather than leaving them on standby and turning down your thermostat are all great ways to reduce your energy needs.

FOOD

Conflicting advice and confusing statistics can stop you from making dietary changes. But if you follow these 3 simple tips you can be sure that you will be making a positive difference.

1) Don’t waste food – only buy what you know you will eat
2) Avoid air-freighted food
3) Eat less meat and dairy (especially beef and lamb)

STUFF

When thinking about what you buy and how it affects the planet it can be very easy to get completely bogged down in stats about energy efficiency, where things come from, what they are made of etc. Try following these 3 tips to simplify your purchasing decisions.

1) Buy less stuff
Do you need it? Can you make do with what you already have? Can you share/borrow from a friend?

2) Buy high quality products and look after them
3) Buy 2nd hand where possible

And finally… PUSH FOR CHANGE

Get out there and make sure everyone – including our politicians – knows that you care about our planet and you believe that we can build a better future.

1) Amplify your actions by talking about them with friends and family
2) Sign petitions
3) Join local action groups – like Carbon Neutral Aldbourne!

From protesting to planting wildlife friendly gardens – there is a something for everyone and a cause we can all get behind.

We hold regular meetings in central village locations. We would love to see you at a meeting or hear from you if you have ideas on how we can achieve our goal to reduce emissions.

Our next meeting will take place at the Methodist Church on 6^th November 2019 at 8pm.

We are also planning another cycling and walking event on Sunday 20^th October 2019 at 11.30am from the Green.

We do not claim to have all the answers but we feel that collectively we are more powerful and have more chance of making an impact.