Benefits of climate action
Many of the actions we need to take to reduce carbon emissions will bring wider benefits. Here are just a few.
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Many of the actions we need to take to reduce carbon emissions will bring wider benefits. Here are just a few.
Reducing carbon emissions will require investment in low carbon technologies – in our homes, in industry, in how we travel, in the way we generate energy and more. All of these are leading to new job skills and roles.
Research has been carried out on the potential for these kinds of jobs in Cumbria. It was commissioned by Cumbria Action for Sustainability and you can download it below.
An increase in public transport, active travel and electric vehicles instead of petrol and diesel fuelled transport will have a direct impact on local air quality. These will reduce air pollutants that are linked to a range of health conditions, with a particular impact on children. As well as the direct health benefits to people, this also has the potential to save money for the NHS.
Improving buildings to make them more energy efficient will also reduce energy bills for their occupants, from homes and business premises to hospitals. Fuel poverty affects 13.4% of households, according to government figures, and rising fuel prices will only make this worse. Improvements such as insulation, draughtproofing, heat pumps and efficient lighting and appliances can all help to reduce energy use and save money.
Making and transporting new goods has a big carbon footprint, so repairing goods or buying secondhand can reduce waste. Reducing waste will not only save money on removal and disposal costs but will remove toxins from the air and ground associated with the disposal of waste.
Warmer housing has a huge impact on health. It’s thought that as many as a fifth of excess winter deaths may be linked to living in a cold home. Government findings show it also contributes to both physical and mental ill health, increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke, respiratory illness, falls and accidents.
Research has shown that children living in homes that weren’t heated well enough were more than twice as likely to suffer from conditions like asthma and bronchitis than those living in warm homes.
These illnesses are made worse or brought on by exposure to mould and dampness, which are more likely in cold homes. Walking or cycling instead of taking the car has the extra benefit of increased exercise.
Eating locally produced, fresh food that’s in season can help to reduce food miles while contributing to a healthy diet.
You don’t have to look much further than Cumbria for great examples of how building a local economy around sustainable business and practice can benefit everyone. Local repair cafes, climate reading groups, ‘grow your own’ schemes, electric vehicle schemes and renewable energy projects are all playing their part in connecting people of all ages.
Shifting away from fossil fuels (oil, coal and gas) gives the UK an opportunity to increase its energy security, generating our own clean energy from renewables like wind, solar, hydro, tidal and wave power.
Restoring peat bogs, protecting the oceans and planting trees all help to capture carbon dioxide that would otherwise be in our atmosphere causing global heating. These actions also protect crucial habitats for wildlife, helping to restore nature and tackle biodiversity loss for the benefit of current and future generations.
Find out more about the benefits of taking action on climate change.
People all the across the county are making changes in their own lives, their workplaces and their communities to use less fossil fuels and to reduce other types of emissions that also cause climate change.
Crucially, Cumbrians are also working on the bigger things beyond the control of individuals, like encouraging more active travel. This joined-up working is led by the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership.
Through the partnership, Cumbria has set an ambitious goal to stop adding to climate change by 2037. Organisations and businesses across Cumbria are building carbon reduction into their plans.
Get a regular round-up of climate news, events and opportunities for you to get involved. Sign up for the Cumbria Action for Sustainability (CAfS) newsletter. Please note you will be taken to the CAfS website.
