How to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint at Home

As the world embraces the 21st century, we are seeing rapid and unprecedented environmental changes. The root cause is a massive spike in our carbon footprint.

Although there is no visible way to a pollution-free world anymore, we can tick a few to-dos to reduce our impact on the environment.

Graana.com, Pakistan’s smartest property portal, has outlined a few steps that can ensure a lesser carbon footprint from our activities.

What Is Carbon Footprint?

Carbon footprint is the amount of gas emitted from the production or end-of-life of a product, including carbon dioxide, methane, fluorinated gas and nitrous oxide, which traps heat in the environment and causes global warming.

The three major sources of carbon footprint are transport, housing and food.

Impact of Pakistan on the Global Environment

Pakistan has seen its energy consumption surge to an extreme level. The statement is substantiated by the fact that since 2016, Pakistan’s CO2 emissions increased up to 178,013,820 tons.

Many factors are at work here – natural gas, power, household and industrial sectors are among the most significant of them. Considering this, Pakistan has undergone an energy transition by using fewer pollutants and carbon-neutral products.

Pakistan’s CO2 Emission Tons Per Capita
Year Absolute change Relative change
2016 +1.00t +5486%
2017 +1.11t +6084%
2018 +0.37t +6070%
2019 +1.06t +5844%
2020 +1.04t +5740%

Before taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint, first you should know the size of your footprint. You can calculate it easily by evaluating your day to day life. For example:

  • How many miles do you travel daily via car, bus or any other mode of transport?
  • What is your energy usage at home?
  • How much do you spend on your shopping?
  • How much food do you eat?
Steps You Can Take at Home to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

The following are some of the measures you can take to reduce your carbon impact on the environment.

Less Meat Consumption

By reducing meat consumption, we can eliminate oppressive industrial farming practices such as extreme captivity and overuse of antibiotics. It can also reduce the impact of factory farming on the environment.

Less Water Usage

Conserving water saves energy that is required to filter, heat and pump water to homes. It is our responsibility to conserve our water sources for future generations. For example, you can save water by closing the tap while brushing your teeth, taking a short shower instead of a long bath, etc.

Make Your Home Energy Efficient

With the following changes, you can make your home energy-efficient and eco-friendly, hence saving money on your utility bills.

  • Use energy savers instead of incandescent light bulbs, or use solar panels instead of hydropower.
  • Turn off extra lights.
  • Plug off things you aren’t using.
  • Replace old appliances, like old fridges or TV, as they consume more energy because they contain halocarbons and foam insulation, which release harmful gases into the environment.
Insulate Your Home

Small changes can make significant differences. For instance, keeping your living place at a moderate temperature can get expensive, plus it is also an energy-intensive process.

By insulating your walls, your cost of heating and cooling can reduce over forty percent. Your home will remain warm in winters and cool in summers, resulting in less energy consumption and reduced household electricity usage.

Waste Less

On average, it has been observed that food wastage is larger than food consumption. Food disposal can produce gas while decomposing, hence harming the environment. You can follow the instructions below to prevent this.

  • Organise your fridge: By organising your fridge on a regular basis, you will be aware of which items you need and which items are not necessities. This can save you from buying extra groceries and also save your money.
  • Be smart: Make it a habit to finish your leftovers and only cook food in the required amounts. Also, try to buy locally-produced food instead of buying expensive products.
  • Use a freezer: Using a freezer can help you store food and keep it fresh for a long time.



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