Have you ever used a carbon footprint calculator? If the answer is no, it’s probably because you don’t understand how beneficial they can be in lowering your carbon footprint.

‍

Let’s start by stripping things back. A carbon footprint is the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions caused by an individual organisation or service. GHG can be emitted by burning fossil fuels, land clearance, food production, manufactured goods, buildings, transportation, etc.*

‍

It is 2022, and since the pandemic, more and more people are interested in learning how they can lower their emissions. It takes a level of understanding to realise our individual actions impact the planet, and the more of us that address our emissions personally, the better it is!

‍

We want you to understand why a carbon footprint calculator like Yayzy, is beneficial for you. Here are a couple of ways in which you can reduce your carbon footprint using a calculator/tracking tool.

‍

Firstly, it is important to see how powerful tracking devices are. We have touched on this in another post, but tracking tech is renowned for helping people switch up their behaviour. In an age where we are extremely dependent on technology and our phones, apps like My Fitness pal, FitBit & Sweatcoin show off the impacts of tracking our behaviour/habits to make long-term, permanent changes. When presented with data that breaks down the emissions attached to your purchases, you can respond based on knowing what is good for the environment and what isn’t.

‍

We can talk carbon footprints, co2e, and GHG, but if you don’t have the insight, a lot of it may go straight over your head; this is where data & an explanation of the data is super handy. The Yayzy app not only itemises your purchases and their carbon footprint but also lets you know what that is equivalent to so that the data makes sense to you. This is a very important step - understanding the data. When you understand the data, it can help you make sense of your emissions so that you can act accordingly. Here are some ways you can use data to make the reductions:

‍

• You can use the data to make better purchases: Scenario; you’re on your 10th Deliveroo order and have purchased some clothing from H&M 3 times this month; the insight from the itemisation can help you decide whether buying from places like H&M or Zara is worth the footprint attached to it, therefore encouraging you to make better purchasing decisions.

‍

• Use the data to make reductions: Knowledge is power, and a carbon footprint calculator gives you the insight needed to see which of your purchases have a higher carbon footprint attached to them. This allows you to cut back on those extra takeaways or the frequent Ubers! Whatever it is, it will be tailored to you and your spending, meaning you have the power to scale back and make those eco-friendly reductions.

‍

• Use the data to educate yourself: Having all the information in one place is also a form of education! Remember, you can take the insights provided by the app as a stepping stone to educate yourself on what kind of carbon footprint certain purchases have. This can help set good foundations for sustainable living.

‍

• Use the data to compare yourself: On the Yayzy app, you can see how you compare against your country’s average and the Yayzy community. Who else believes in the power of healthy competition? With this, you can see exactly where you stack up against others, which may motivate you to cut that number down.

‍

• Use the data to motivate yourself: You can set yourself targets to help guide your reduction process; now that you have insight and have a clear number each month of what your emissions are and what they comprise, you can use it to motivate your reduction.

‍

Secondly, the Yayzy app will allow you to map things out better and put a plan into action. Planning can be beneficial because you know where to start; many people report feeling overwhelmed by climate change and don’t quite know what to tackle first. This is where Yayzy can be super helpful:

‍

• You can be specific: instead of just following generic advice, you can tailor your reductions or amendments according to what the calculator says.

‍

• Avoid going in full throttle: you’re more likely to be consistent because you can tackle things one by one or at least in a more reasonable manner. You can track your progress too, which gives you room to improve constantly.

‍

• Start as you mean to go on: Your calculator will act as your truth telling guide and give you a basis to start on; it organises the load for you to be more consistent.

‍

Finally, another great way it helps you reduce your emissions is by allowing you to compensate your impact. With Yayzy, you’re not only able to offset those unavoidable emissions through a selection of our certified climate projects, but you’re also free to sign up to one of our climate subscriptions to further commit every month to fight climate change. We currently have three tiers that you can check out in-app.

‍

Fighting climate change need not be heavy or a chore; it can be easy, and with the right guidance, you can make the reductions in areas that really matter.

‍

Download Yayzy today and join many others on the journey to becoming more planet proud.

‍

*carbon footprint definition Wikipedia

‍