I understand the science, realise the urgency, agree with the placards, but don’t know where to start.
What single action will reduce my carbon footprint most?
Here’s how to find out:
Auckland Council now provides a website futurefit.nz where you can calculate your own personal carbon footprint. In a calculation backed by science, you’ll see clearly how to take tangible steps to reduce it.
The FutureFit tool gives you an assessment of your carbon impact in various categories – transport (usually the ‘biggie’), power, food and living. Each category is colour-coded, showing where you can make the biggest difference.
With the starting blocks in place, you can go ahead and explore the next-level questions and start fine-tuning aspects of your daily life with a lighter carbon footprint.
Sophie Heighway, Auckland Council’s Sustainability Initiatives Manager, says FutureFit is a tool to empower people to take actions that are relevant to them.
“As a family, we are already doing a lot to reduce our emissions, but we are having a good chat about our diet. We now have meat-free Mondays and eat a lot less red meat during the week. Using this tool only takes a few minutes and makes climate change feel less overwhelming by showing us what we can all personally do,” Sophie says.
FutureFit lets you set reminders, actions and goals, with team challenges and acknowledgements as you progress your journey to sustainable living.
FutureFit gives actions tailored especially to you and your personal dashboard highlights your carbon savings, showing how you are making a difference.
The measurements and calculations made by the FutureFit mechanism are science-based, using a combination of data from the Motu Economic and Public Policy Research and Statistics New Zealand to assess the carbon in your personal footprint.
The data is derived from a combination of New Zealand-based emission and household spending data and the personal information you enter.
Already, over 9000 carbon-aware Kiwis have completed the short 5-minute online survey to calculate their carbon footprint. Collectively over 1000 actions are being taken each week towards a brighter environmental future.
“Think of FutureFit as the first step to a carbon-neutral life - a tool personalised to your circumstances without judgment. FutureFit gives you the power to see the numbers and the motivation to act,” says Sophie Heighway.
Making a positive difference to climate change will take a family, a village, a city, the planet – sharing the responsibility.
Start your FutureFit journey today at futurefit.nz – and empower others to get on board too.
