Our planet is overheating due to a blanket of pollution from human activities, which has caused a climate emergency. 

Warrington’s progress to date, alongside our future successes, will be based on all people, all partners and all communities getting involved and taking their own action to combat the climate emergency.

The council wants to be carbon neutral in its own operations by 2030, but we want to think bigger. We want to support you to make your own carbon conscious decisions so that as a whole town, we can reduce our carbon footprint and support and inspire one another to all play our part.

Steps you can take

We're encouraging people and organisations to play their part by taking action to help put things right. There's a number of steps you can take, including: 

Travel and transport

• Travel smarter - air quality and pollution is a challenge in Warrington, and we all need to adopt the mind-set that we aren’t ‘stuck in traffic’, but that ‘we are traffic’. Leave the car in the garage more often, car-share, cycle, use public transport or walk. 
• It's Better By Bus - travel by bus where possible to reduce your carbon footprint and save money at the same time. In Warrington, fares are currently capped at £2 one way for adults or £1 one way for young people aged up to 22. 
• Consider using an electric vehicle (EV) - you can hire an electric car on an hourly basis using Co Wheels car club, and you can also view EV chargers using Zapmap 

Energy efficiency

• Turn the heating down - even turning the heating down by one degree will save you money and reduce your carbon footprint. Make sure your home is properly insulated too – draughts can end up being heating-draining monsters.
• Choose renewables if you can – switching to a green supplier is easy to do online and should only take a few minutes to sort. If you’re in a position to, could you consider local renewable energy generation (eg solar panels)? The Competition and Markets Authority has produced a guide to help you buy green heating and insulation products and to understand your key rights and protections under consumer law.
• Review your home for energy efficiency opportunities - make sure to switch to LED lightbulbs, dry clothes on a washing line rather than tumble dryer, buy energy-efficient appliances (like fridges and washing machines) and switch your electrics off at the mains – don’t leave them on stand-by! 
• Draught-proof leaky areas of your home to save energy, using guidance from the Energy Saving Trust

Nature and wildlife 

• Garden top tips - Mow your lawn less often often and make your garden wildlife friendly, and encourage wildlife with a bird box, bee house or bug hotel

• Install a water butt to preserve natural water sources

• Use tips from The Flood Hub to prevent flooding in your home

• If you are a landowner, farmer or resident with land suitable for tree planting, get involved with The Mersey Forest team's growing network of woodlands and green spaces

Promoting wider action

• Speak to your employer about your workplace’s footprint –The Carbon Trust has some great office efficiency guides to get the ball rolling, but why not see if you can support your organisation to reduce its carbon footprint? Are there workplace initiatives to support people to cycle to work? What is your workplace’s energy provider? Does your workplace know its carbon footprint?
• Spread the word - be an advocate and celebrate your own carbon conscious actions and choices. Share the amazing work you’ve been doing to reduce your carbon footprint and support those around you to do the same. Help other people understand the importance of the climate emergency – The Carbon Literacy Trust is a great place to start. And speak to your local and national politicians and ask for their help in amplifying the important climate emergency message
• Commit to taking urgent action now to reduce your carbon footprint – by pledging your own Commitment to Act
• Sign up to the Warrington Climate Emergency Commission's climate emergency newsletter to keep up to date with local news, events and opportunities linked to the local climate emergency response.

Consider wider impacts 

• Measure your impact – where does your carbon dioxide come from? How big an impact are you making through your lifestyle and choices? Calculate your carbon footprint on the WWF website.
• Reduce meat and dairy from your diet – research shows that by cutting our meat and dairy, you can cut greenhouse gas emissions. Eating more plant-based food and choosing fewer meat and dairy options is crucial for tackling climate change, so why not challenge yourself to have more meat-free and dairy-free days?
• Reduce, reuse, recycle - Think about products you buy and how you can use your purchasing power as a force for good – are they locally sourced and ethical? Can you buy local products that don’t come with unnecessary packaging? Do you know what you can/can’t recycle? Consider where you buy products from and how they will get to you – and, above all, really consider whether you need to buy the product in the first place.
• Conserve water – take a quick shower instead of a bath, turn the tap off when cleaning your teeth, boil only the water you need for your brew and collect rainwater for your plants, rather than using a hose. There’s loads you can do to save water – and money – with further information on the United Utilities website.