Everyone can act on climate everyday.  Your climate action can be– and should be– as unique as you are.

By making your own climate action plan you can learn more about sustainable solutions, make a difference in the world and become empowered to do more in your community– locally, nationally and globally.

getting started

Start by figuring out your climate footprint, then you can take action that will have a big impact.  An online tool, called a footprint calculator, can help you plan your own sustainable path.  Maybe your best action will be about transportation, maybe it will be about food.

Answer a few questions — about transportation, meals, and home– to see how emissions add up over the course of a day.  Once you have a good picture of your total impact — your footprint– you can focus on areas where you can make improvements.  When making your plan, consider where the biggest impact is AND where you feel the most inspired to make a change.

here are two climate footprint calculators we like:

Cool Climate Network 

+ an easy-to-use calculator that asks simple questions you can answer in a few minutes
+ more detailed analysis is possible by answering ‘advanced’ questions
+ provides comparisons to households in your region
+ offers suggestions for climate actions you can take, based on your responses
+ based on research from the University of California, Berkeley and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Global Footprint Network

+ a game-like calculator where you select an avatar and answer questions as your character walks through town
+ answers can be simple or detailed
+ offers suggestions for how to reduce your footprint, based on your responses

These calculators will help you see what parts of your day-to-day life are most sustainable and where you can make improvements.

Make your own climate plan, keeping these things in mind:

  >  work with what you have
  >  do what inspires you
  >  go for a big impact

Then take the next step, and help your community take climate action.

Want to build your first-hand knowledge about sustainability? Start at home– check out some ideas in our home ecology section.