Survey reveals 1 in 8 are doing nothing to reduce carbon footprint at home
- Susan
- Jan 7, 2022
- 2 min read
In 2019, the United Kingdom was responsible for 3% of the world’s total net greenhouse gas emissions, so what can people do to make their homes more environmentally sustainable? Following on from COP-26 in Glasgow, the platform for temporary furnished homes, Wunderflats, has carried out a survey to investigate how people in the UK are trying to reduce the carbon footprints of their homes.
Market researchers Appinio conducted the survey on behalf of Wunderflats in December 2021 and asked 1000 people for their views on sustainability in their homes. One of its starkest findings is related to downsizing. When asked if they would consider moving to a smaller flat to reduce their carbon footprint, just 9% of those polled said yes. In contrast, 68% of people said they were not willing to downsize their homes to reduce their carbon footprint.
Few people also consider carbon footprint when buying furniture.
It is estimated that a piece of furniture generates about 47 kg of CO2 emissions, which is around the same as burning 5.3 gallons of petrol, so the equivalent of driving a car around 110 miles. Less than 10% of those questioned said they considered the carbon footprint when buying new furniture. In contrast, 35% said they didn’t really consider it, and a quarter of those asked say they don’t think about the carbon footprint of buying new furniture at all. The survey also found that just one in five people are likely to buy second hand furniture, while 43% said they preferred to buy new.
The survey found almost 60% said they are buying more environmentally friendly appliances and energy saving light bulbs. Meanwhile, a third of respondents said they are trying to reduce energy consumption in their homes. Almost a third (31.9%) said they had switched to renewable energy to reduce their carbon footprint. Meanwhile, 57% said they are trying to use less water.
However, worryingly, one in eight people said they are not doing anything to reduce their home’s carbon footprint.
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