Photo credit: Gleti via iStock
The recent research collaboration between UTS Finance Department and Australian Ethical Investment has resulted in a white paper titled ‘A little goes a long way: The most effective ways to lower your carbon footprint’.
The project was led by Maria Loyez, Chief Customer Officer at Australian Ethical Investment, with research support provided by Associate Professor Gerhard Hambusch and Associate Professor Vitali Alexeev.
The research identifies the most effective ways for individuals to reduce their carbon footprint. 96% of Australians surveyed by Australian Ethical Investment said they are taking specific actions to reduce their carbon footprint, but the UTS research shows that Australians are underestimating the reductions required.
Based on a set of everyday activities, the research found that the most impactful actions individuals can take to reduce their carbon footprint and fight climate change are:
installing solar panels on homes
switching to green energy plans
shifting superannuation to ethical or responsible investment funds.