Climate change toolkit

What is the climate change toolkit?

This is a growing knowledge hub for people who want to understand their impact and reduce it meaningfully. From how you heat your home to what ends up in your bin, every decision can bring you closer to a low-carbon lifestyle.

The climate crisis can feel overwhelming, but real change begins at home. By understanding your household's carbon footprint, discovering simple and cost-effective actions, tracking your progress and celebrating your wins, to inspire the community to do the same.

Carbon footprint

Your carbon footprint is a reflection of the choices you make everyday. Nearly everything we do releases some amount of carbon into the atmosphere, but how much depends on a huge number of factors. Understanding what a carbon footprint measures, and using the available tools to calculate your household emissions, helps put into perspective why individual action still matters in the bigger picture.

Carbon footprint calculators

There are a number of free online calculators. Here are three of them that you could use to calculate your carbon footprint:

The Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF) footprint calculator a simple, easy test to estimate your carbon footprint
Carbon Savvy has three types of calculator on this site from a quick one minute survey to a very in-depth analysis of your carbon footprint
Carbon Footprint uses calculations based on annual emissions over 12 months (you may need your latest bills for some calculations)

Garden guide

Our gardens have an important role in the fight against climate change. You can also make your garden a safe haven for nature and get even closer to your local wildlife. Here are nine things you can do in your garden to help birds, insects and animals. [Source: National Trust]

Let the grass grow

Leave your mower in the shed. Long grass is one of the rarest garden habitats. By letting some or all of your lawn grow you will make space for many plant and insect species, including butterflies and wildflowers. Mowing the lawn only once every four weeks gives ‘short-grass’ plants like daisies and white clover a chance to flower in profusion, boosting nectar production tenfold.

Bird box and feeding

Birds are an important part your garden's ecosystem, creating bird boxes and putting out food will help them thrive. Put your bird box up high in a sheltered area. In spring, provide protein-rich feed, such as fat balls. Seeds are best in the winter. If there are cats nearby place your feeder near a dense bush to provide birds with cover.

Grow climbers

Ivy is a very useful plant for wildlife. Both the flowers and seeds are good sources of food and pollen. Plus, it provides year round cover for birds and insects. Clematis and certain varieties of rose are also excellent climbers for wildlife.

Build an insect hotel

Leave piles of rocks, twigs and rotting wood in your garden. These will create shelter for all sorts of important insects, such as beetles and spiders.

Create a pond

A pond is a real boost for wildlife. It doesn’t have to be huge. You can use a buried bucket or trough. If you do want a big pond, make sure there are stones or branches to help wildlife get in and out. Ponds are best filled with unchlorinated rainwater from a water butt. Waterlilies will help prevent it from becoming stagnant. Avoid locating it in full sun or full shade.

Compost

A compost heap is a win-win. Making and using your own compost will naturally enrich your soil. It will also provide a habitat for worms, woodlice and many other insects, including frogs and slow worms. To avoid attracting rats, only add raw, not cooked food.

Switching to peat free compost is one of the best changes you can make. As well as being important habitats, peat bogs act like sponges, absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. Digging peat out of wild places to put in compost releases that carbon into the atmosphere, accelerating climate change.

Leave a gap in your fence

Don’t lock out hedgehogs and frogs. Make sure your garden fences have some gaps at the bottom. This will allow wildlife to move through from plot-to-plot. It will also help link different habitats together.

Food guide

One third of all food produced is wasted. Every year wasted food in the UK represents 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. In total, these greenhouse gas emissions are the same as those created by 7 million cars each year.

If you would like to find out more about how your food choices impact on the environment have a look at the climate change food calculator on the BBC’s science and environment pages.

The food you buy

Think about where the food you buy comes from and how it is produced. Buy local and in season if you can; you can search for local produce outlets on the Big Barn local food map. Buying local also supports the local economy.

If you are buying imported food such as coffee, tea or chocolate look for labels such as Fairtrade or Rainforest Alliance. These movements are not just about trade justice, they are about climate justice too.

If you’re buying fish and seafood look for the Marine Stewardship Council label. MSC certified fisheries are well managed and more prepared for environmental changes. These fisheries follow current scientific advice to ensure they catch fish sustainably.

Try to buy food with less packaging, such as loose fruit and veg and look out for ‘loose food’ and refill shops where you can take your own containers.

Find out what the companies supplying your favourite food brands are doing themselves to tackle climate change. If you don’t think they’re doing enough, think about switching to a different brand.

Grow your own

Growing your own food can dramatically cut the food miles of your meals, and therefore your carbon footprint. Home-grown food is much tastier and nutritious than shop-bought food, too. The Royal Horticultural Society has some good tips on where to start or you could check out Eat Seasonably for ideas about what to grow and to find out what is in season to buy.

Food waste

Try to avoid buying more than you need, planning your meals ahead of time is a good tip and make use of your leftovers rather than throwing them away. Check out the Love Food Hate Waste website for leftovers recipe ideas.

If you do need to throw food away make sure you use your food caddy to dispose of it. You can order a food caddy from the council if you don’t already have one. Find out what happens to your food waste once it’s collected.

Alternatively, if you have a compost bin at home you can add the following items of food waste:

Fruit and vegetable peelings, seeds and cores
Tea bags
Coffee grounds and filter papers
Paper towels or tissues (not if they have touched meat)
Egg shells
You cannot compost: cooked food, fish, and meat or dairy products

Water guide

The Environment Agency is warning that the UK could face serious water shortages within the next 25 years. On average we get 885mm of rain each year, but while parts of the UK seem wet most of the time, areas like East Anglia are actually semi-arid. As our population grows to around 75 million by 2050, and climate change brings hotter, drier summers, our water supply will drop dangerously unless we take positive action. Find out more on the National Geographic website.

Using less water actually means you are:

Reducing energy use because cleaning waste water (or 'grey water', as it’s called) is an energy-intensive process and so is heating the hot water that comes out of your taps
Saving money if you are on a water meter. Money Saving Expert has some useful guidance on what to think about if you’re not already on a water meter, but are thinking of switching

10 top tips for saving water

The average person in the UK uses around 145 litres of water each day. Watch this video from the Eden Project or read on to find out how you can reduce the amount of water you use.

1. Turn off the tap when you brush your teeth

This can save 6 litres of water per minute.

2. Place a cistern displacement device in your toilet cistern

This reduces the volume of water used in each flush. You can get one of these from your water provider.

3. Take a shorter shower

Showers can use anything between 6 and 45 litres per minute. Consider getting an aerated shower head, which combines water and air, or inserting a regulator in your shower, which puts an upper limit on flow rates.

4. Always use full loads in your washing machine and dishwasher

This cuts out unnecessary washes in between.

5. Fix a dripping tap

A dripping tap can waste 15 litres of water a day, or 5,500 litres of water a year.

6. Install a water butt (or two…)

And use it to water your plants, clean your car and wash your windows. A water butt can collect around 5,000 litres a year. You can connect water butts up too so, when one is full, water will automatically flow into the second one.

7. Water your garden with a watering can

Much better than a hosepipe, which can use as much as 1,000 litres of water an hour. Mulching your plants (with bark chippings, heavy compost or straw) and watering in the early morning and late afternoon will reduce evaporation and also save water.

8. Fill a jug with tap water and place this in your fridge

This will mean you do not have to leave the cold tap running for the water to run cold before you fill your glass.

9. Install a water meter

When you're paying your utility provider for exactly how much water you use, laid out in an itemised bill, there's an incentive to waste less of the stuff, but first check whether installing a water meter is right for you.

10. Invest in water-efficient goods

You can now get water-efficient showerheads, taps, toilets, washing machines, dishwashers and many other water-saving products. For more information visit the Waterwise website or our local water company, Severn Trent Water. You can usually find some products which are available free of charge or at a subsidised cost.

Energy guide

Around 22 percent of the UK’s carbon emissions come from our homes, and heating accounts for about 55 percent of what you spend in a year on energy bills.

You can save money by being energy efficient at home. The Energy Saving Trust website is packed with information to help you manage your energy, but here are just a few ideas you could try. You may be doing some of them already, but there might be other things you haven’t thought of.

Switch to a green electricity tariff

An increasing number of suppliers offer green energy in the UK. The Energy Saving Trust produces a useful guide to switching your energy supplier. This looks at different energy tariffs and explains what you need to do to switch supplier and how to ensure your energy comes from as sustainable a source as possible. Alternatively, give Gloucestershire’s local energy advice line Warm and Well a call on 0800 500 3076 to find out more about green energy tariffs and how to switch (0800 numbers are free to call from mobile phones and landlines).

Get a smart meter

Ask your energy provider about getting a smart meter. Smart meters measure how much gas and electricity you’re using via a remote connection to your energy supplier. They also come with an in-home display screen, which shows you in real time what your energy usage is and what it is costing. This means you can see what is affecting your energy usage, for example when you switch on your washing machine you’ll be able to see what difference this makes. So having a smart meter can support you to reduce your energy consumption.

Switch off

To save energy and lower your carbon footprint make sure all appliances are switched off and not left on standby. Also be sure to turn all lights off when leaving a room. Energy saving light bulbs use around a tenth of the energy of normal filament bulbs and can last ten times longer; saving energy and money. Visit the Energy Saving Trust website for information about different types of bulbs and which are suitable to use indoors, outdoors and for dimmable lighting.

Lower those settings

Turning down your thermostat by just 1°C will reduce your energy use and can save 10 percent on your energy bills. A safe warm home should have its thermostat set to between18 - 21°C.

Regulate your temperature

Make sure your curtains are shut at dusk to keep the heat in and close your curtains in the summer to keep out direct sunlight and keep your house cool. Thick curtains or blinds are best.

Cold wash

Set your washing machine and dishwasher to a cold wash or a lower the wash temperature, saving money and emissions. Washing on cooler temperatures not only saves you money but it typically makes your clothes last longer. Avoid using your tumble dryer and when the weather permits air dry your clothes outside.

Boilers and controls

Because we spend so much on heating our homes, having an efficient boiler can make a big difference.

Adding a chemical inhibitor to your central heating system, a solution which is added to the water will keep it working efficiently and effectively. You could also consider fitting better controls, such as newer thermostats or smart heating controls to give you more control over your heating system to provide heat where and when you want it.

If your boiler is old and due for replacement there are a couple of options. You could consider replacing it with a newer, more efficient model; the Energy Saving Trust has useful guidance about boilers and what to consider. Alternatively you could explore switching to a low-carbon heating system such as a heat pump or a hybrid system, but it’s a good idea to think first about whether renewable heat is right for your home.

Electric storage heating

Electric storage heating is more common in flats, rented property, and in homes with no mains gas connection. Electric heating is one of the most expensive heating options in the UK, and it emits more carbon dioxide than most systems. However, as the national grid gradually uses more low carbon renewable energy and we move away from using gas and oil, having an electric heating system will be a positive. If you have an electric storage heating and hot water system, read the guide on electric heating systems for information about suitable controls.

For more useful tips

You could subscribe to the Energy Saving Trust’s monthly newsletter Energywire. It’s free, arrives by email and brings you top-tips and easy to follow advice on how to save energy at home, exclusive offers and the chance to win energy-saving prizes.

Grants and funding

The best place to find out about current grants and funding is the Warm and Well website as it carries information about local and national schemes.

Otherwise, for information about what other grants may be available to you, including insulation, boilers and heating and renewable energy incentives have a look at their website, fill in the contact form or give them a call on 0800 500 3076.

Shopping guide

Everything we buy, from a litre of milk to a new pair of shoes, generates carbon emissions, from its production, packaging and how it is transported to the shop or to your door. By adapting our shopping habits and reducing our consumption of all sorts of products, we can reduce our carbon footprint.

Clothing

Wearing a garment more often and holding onto it for longer reduces the carbon footprint of your clothing, so buying good quality clothing that will last, if you can, is a good idea. In the UK, continuing to actively wear a garment for just nine months longer could lessen its environmental impacts by 20 to 30 percent.

Buying second-hand fashion is a growing trend; check out second-hand fashion websites, vintage and charity shops and grab yourself a bargain. This gives clothes a second life and means you’re not buying new.

If you shop online for clothes only order what you really want and intend to keep, rather than ordering lots of things and sending most of them back. This reduces delivery mileage and packaging. It can also reduce further waste, because what you send back isn’t necessarily dusted off and resold, it could be shipped across the world as a discounted product or end up in landfill.

Swap clothes with friends as a way of refreshing your wardrobe and theirs!

Extend the life of your clothes and learn how to repair them. From fast fixes, such as sewing on buttons and removing stains, to more challenging activities like replacing a zip, Love Your Clothes, set up by UK recycling charity WRAP, has lots of great information on shopping smarter for clothes, caring for and repairing your clothes, refashioning and upcycling and much more.

How you dispose of your clothes is also important. If they are still good enough to be worn you can take them to charity shops or sell them through second-hand clothes apps, but don’t do that simply as a way of clearing space to go and buy new clothes.

Gadgets and appliances

We all have lots of gadgets in our homes from TVs and laptops to tablets and phones. The first thing to consider is whether you actually need to replace what you already have, so think twice before upgrading that gadget. If you are upgrading then think about how you're going to dispose of the old one. There are companies that buy old phones, tablets and games consoles, and there are local charities that will take electrical goods. We also collect small electrical appliances as part of the kerbside collection service, but check out the list of recyclable items first.

If you’re buying new home appliances such as fridges or washing machines, look for A-rated ones with Energy Saving Recommended labels. Choosing an A+++ fridge freezer over an A+ unit (of the same size) will save you about £320 in energy bills over the lifetime of the product. Of all your home appliances, cold appliances such as fridges and freezers use by far the most electricity, so making the right choice can make a big difference.

If you’d like to find out more, the Energy Saving Trust has lots of useful advice about home appliances of all sizes.

Furniture

Buying second-hand furniture is a great way to reduce your personal environmental impact and there are plenty of places to buy from, from websites such as Ebay and Preloved to local charity shops. You can use your ‘new’ second-hand furniture as it is or indulge your creativity and upcycle!

You can also sell or donate your own furniture but, depending on the item of furniture, make sure you keep the fire safety label on if you want to do that and also check for this when you’re buying second-hand.

If you are buying new, look for FSC or PEFC labels on wooden furniture and other wood products to guarantee the wood has been harvested from sustainable sources and in a sustainable way. You could also look for furniture and other items that are new, but made from recycled materials such as wood and textiles.

Food

Our food guide has more information about how the food you buy affects climate change and the changes you can make to reduce your carbon footprint from food, but:

Buy thoughtfully – buy local and in season if you can, look for certification labels such as Fairtrade and Rainforest Alliance on imported foods, check the climate change credentials of companies you are buying from
Buy loose where you can to avoid packaging
Reduce waste by buying only what you need and make use of your leftovers

Be picky about packaging

Plastic packaging creates a lot of waste and is often difficult to recycle so try to avoid packaged products, for example buy loose fruit and veg, look for refill options – these are becoming more common for things like shampoo, cleaning products etc – and look out for shops where you can take your own containers.

Other simple ideas include switching your liquid handwash for a bar of soap, taking your own reusable cup for that takeaway coffee, buying loose-leaf tea instead of tea bags and swapping cling film for beeswax wraps for your lunchtime sandwiches or storing that hunk of cheese.

Resources

Travel and transport

Choose to walk or cycle

‘Active travel’ (walking and cycling), as well as producing zero emissions, is great for health and wellbeing.

Cheltenham’s town centre is easy to access on foot and for all cycling abilities, being relatively flat and compact. On a bike you can easily cycle all over Cheltenham town centre on marked cycle lanes or shared pedestrian/cyclist pavements, hopping on and off to enjoy the many attractions at your leisure.

The Cheltenham cycle spine is an active travel project by Gloucestershire County Council which aims to enhance cycling facilities in Cheltenham, by creating a safe and efficient corridor for cyclists to travel between the Gloucester Road / Lansdown Road junction and Pittville Park, via Lansdown Road, Montpellier and the town centre.

Electric bikes

If the thought of riding a good old fashioned push bike puts you off, have you considered a bit of battery-assisted pedal power? Riding an e-bike instead of taking your car will not only lower your carbon footprint but it will also build confidence in your fitness and ability and mean you can zip up hills and cruise over tough terrain without too much effort.

Electric scooters

Gloucestershire County Council has partnered with Voi to continue the e-scooter trial in Cheltenham; more information is available on the county council's e-scooter trial page. Please note, e-scooters which aren’t hired through this trial are still illegal to ride on public roads in the UK.

Voi e-scooters are available to hire from numerous locations around the town and can be located on the Voi app map. All you need to do is download the Voi app from the Apple or Google Play store, create an account and be ready to verify your driving licence.

To hire an e-scooter you must have the minimum of a provisional driving licence which will be validated before you start your first ride. You will need to scan the front and back of the driving license followed by taking a quick selfie. If you are unable to verify your ID you can contact the support team at Voi via their help pages or by emailing support@voiapp.io

There are step by step instructions on the Voi website if needed.

Public transport

An estimated 70 percent of car journeys within Cheltenham are under two kilometres. Many of these journeys could be made on foot or by bicycle. For people who can't make these journeys without a vehicle, public transport could be an accessible option.

Bus travel

Take a form of transport that reduces your carbon emissions and get in a little exercise at the same time with the walk to and from the bus stop. For more information about timetables, bus stops near you, planning journeys, tickets, live bus times and much more visit the Stagecoach Bus website or download the App. Other services provided across the town include Pulhams Coaches who run the 99 service, operating between Cheltenham General Hospital and Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

Park and ride

If you can’t get into town on the bus from where you live and it’s too far to walk or cycle, you could opt for park and ride, dropping your car off outside the town centre and enjoying a stress-free ride into town.

Stagecoach West run the park and ride services at Arle Court (GL51 6SY, near M5 Junction 11) and Cheltenham Racecourse (GL50 4SH).

Arle Court is owned and maintained by Gloucestershire County Council. Facilities at this site include CCTV, disabled parking, parent and child parking, cycle parking and electric vehicle charging point.

The 99 service connecting Cheltenham and Gloucester hospitals, operated by Pulhams Coaches, also calls in at Arle Court park and ride.

Coach and rail travel

For a comfortable, lower emissions way of getting to your destination further afield, have you considered going by train or by coach and making the journey part of your experience?

Visit Cheltenham has comprehensive information about coach travel to and from Cheltenham’s Royal Well bus and coach station.

Cheltenham Spa railway station is operated by Great Western Rail and can connect you directly to Plymouth all the way to Aberdeen! For information on the station and its facilities you can find them on the National Rail website.

Travelling by car

Your driving style

If you do need to travel by car, you can still make a difference by changing the way you drive. Ecodriving is a driving style that reduces fuel bills, cuts carbon emissions and lowers accident rates. It is about becoming a better driver rather than sacrificing performance and enjoyment for efficient driving. The techniques are straightforward and easy to implement:

Drive smoothly
Shift up early to a higher gear
Switch off your engine when stationary
Slow down
Use windows instead of air conditioning
Regularly check your tyre pressures
Remove roof racks and boxes
Lighten your load

The Energy Saving Trust gives more information about efficient driving and explains why these measures help to reduce fuel consumption.

If you are a business owner with multiple drivers, find out more about the benefits for your fleet and subsidised ecodriving training.

Car choice

You will probably have seen on the news that the UK Government has said new cars and vans powered wholly by petrol and diesel will not be sold in the UK from 2030, but some hybrids will still be allowed.

If you are thinking about making your next car an electric one the Energy Saving Trust has comprehensive information about different types of electric vehicles and the benefits of switching to electric.

One of the worries about buying an electric car is the availability of charging points. There are already a number of charging points around the town and we are actively exploring installing more of these. If you want to go further afield, Zap Map is an interactive system, available on your computer and as an App, which holds information about the location of thousands of public charging points all around the country. It has a route planner, payment options and lots of other handy information too.

If you are unable to buy an electric vehicle now, the government also publishes searchable information about the fuel consumption, CO2 emissions and tax bands for new and used cars to help you make an informed choice about your next car.

Grants available

Vehicles

You can get a discount on the price of a brand new low-emission vehicle through a government grant which is available to vehicle dealerships and manufacturers. Currently, the maximum grant available for cars is £3,000.

Home electric vehicle charging

The government’s Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme (EVHS) provides grant funding of up to 75 percent towards the cost of installing electric vehicle charge points at domestic properties across the UK. There is also a voucher-based scheme for installing charge points at workplaces.

Activities

There are some fantastic resources available for children and teenagers to learn about the environment and climate change and to have a go at practical activities. It’ll keep them occupied too! Here are just a few suggestions.

Better Planet Education

Previously known as The Young Peoples Trust for the Environment. This is a great source of information for both kids and teens from fun facts to more advanced factsheets and practical activities you can do with them. There are also a number of resources specifically aimed at parents and teachers.

Visit their learning hub for fact sheets and activities, such as making a bird feeder.

Learning packs and guides for parents.

Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust

The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust (WWT), based at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire, provides a mix of home learning and fun activities for children and families to connect with nature. The learning materials include a range of indoor and outdoor activities.

WWT Slimbridge is a great place for a day out so you could pay them a visit as well!

The Eden Project

The Eden Project, an educational charity, is about connecting people with each other and the living world and exploring how everyone can work towards a better future. Explore the ‘Eden at Home’ section of the website for free resources and ideas for everyone at home. Below are some examples of activities for kids, but actually it’s a great resource for adults as well.

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

The RSPB website has a ‘Fun and Learning’ section for families, kids and teachers. This includes a range of activities and factoids, but also short stories for kids to read and a range of audio stories for them to listen to. Here are a couple of examples of what you’ll find:

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust

Our very own local wildlife trust has activities for children split into ‘Spring and Summer’, ‘Autumn and Winter’, ‘Rainy Days’ or ‘Anytime’. Here’s an example of what you’ll find and of course you can find out about all the nature reserves and visitor centres at the same time and plan a visit!

Severn Trent Water

For all things water visit Severn Trent Water’s education zone. You’ll find lots of fun activities that kids can complete - either on their own or with help from parents and guardians or teachers - to learn even more about how water works and its vital role here on earth. Here are a couple of examples of what you’ll find:

NASA Climate Kids

NASA Climate Kids is a website produced by the Earth Science Communications Team at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. It has games, activities, videos and lots of other stuff covering topics such as weather and climate, water, energy and plants and animals.