Transportation and Housing

For most people in developed countries, the biggest chunks are transportation (driving, flying), housing (heating, cooling, electricity), and food (especially red meat and dairy). A single round-trip flight from New York to London generates about 1.6 tonnes of CO2 — close to a whole year's sustainable budget for one person.

Food on Your Plate

Food is easy to overlook. Producing one kilogram of beef generates roughly 27 kg of CO2 equivalent, while the same weight of lentils produces under 1 kg. This does not mean everyone must go vegan, but cutting beef consumption by half would make a measurable dent in most people's footprints.