8 easy — and cheap — ways to cut your carbon emissions
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Most Americans see climate change as a major threat. But income level seems to guide one’s willingness or ability to live a greener lifestyle.
Fifty-nine percent of high-income consumers always or often choose sustainable products, whereas that’s true for only 44% and 42% of mid- and low-income households, respectively, according to a new Deloitte survey. The poll was global, but the findings were consistent across individual countries such as the U.S., said James Cascone, partner at Deloitte.
A sustainable purchase would largely aim to reduce your planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions — for example, replacing a household appliance with a more energy-efficient counterpart or buying an electric vehicle.
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Low earners were much more likely to cite cost as a barrier to an environmentally friendly purchase than high earners, Deloitte found.
“Cost is a big factor,” said Gregory Keoleian, director of the Center for Sustainable Systems at the University of Michigan.
High earners generally have the largest carbon footprints, noted Deloitte’s Cascone. They own bigger homes, have more vehicles and travel more by air, for example, but they can also more easily afford to change their behavior.
Sustainable products tend to carry a “green premium,” meaning they’re generally more expensive than the standard, experts said.
Even if a purchase would ultimately save money over the long term — due to lower household energy costs, for example — people living paycheck to paycheck generally can’t afford to invest in things such as new home insulation or efficient windows, said Katharine Hayhoe, chief scientist for the Nature Conservancy and professor at Texas Tech University.
A new national rebate program aims to ease or eliminate the cost burden of such investments, especially for lower-earning households. EV tax credits also seek to reduce net cost to buyers.
Here are some easy — and inexpensive or no-cost — ways to reduce your carbon footprint today, according to efficiency and environmental experts. You may even save money in the process.
1. Switch to LED lightbulbs ASAP
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Switching out older lightbulbs in your home for LED bulbs as soon as possible is among the best actions you can take, according to Hayhoe.
“It’s a no-brainer,” she said.
Why? LED, which stands for light-emitting diode, is today’s most-efficient lighting technology, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
LEDs use up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs, for example, the Energy Department said. They also last about three to five times longer than compact fluorescent light bulbs.
As such, the average household saves about $225 in energy costs per year by switching to LED lighting, the Energy Department said. While LEDs are a bit more expensive, costs have decreased “dramatically” and prices are expected to fall further, officials say.
However, households start saving money very quickly after switching to LED lighting, meaning it makes sense from both a financial and environmental standpoint to switch now rather than later, Keoleian said.
2. Cut food waste
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The average American wastes more than 400 pounds of food a year. In total, about 30% to 40% of edible food is wasted, Keoleian said.
Reducing such waste saves emissions across the food supply chain on agricultural production inputs such as fuel for tractors and fertilizers, and in other areas such as refrigeration and food distribution, he said.
Organic waste in landfills also generates methane, a greenhouse gas that is more than 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publishes a list of ways to prevent food waste at home, such as planning meals for the week before shopping and properly storing fruits and vegetables.
Composting food scraps also “significantly” reduces methane emissions from waste. Check out this EPA list for tips on how to start composting at home.
3. Stop ‘energy vampires’
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Many household appliances draw power from electrical outlets even when off or idle.
These “energy vampires” — which may include computers, hair dryers, cable boxes and coffee makers, among others — can add $100 to $200 a year to the average household energy bill, according to the Energy Department.
Unplug these devices when not in use. You can also plug them into a power strip or an outlet with a wall switch and switch the whole system on or off when you need to.
4. Seal any leaks
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Heating and cooling accounts for nearly half the average home’s energy use, according to the Consumer Federation of America. In aggregate, small leaks around the house amount to leaving open a 3-foot-by-3-foot window, the group said.
“Simple steps” such as caulking windows and sliding draft guards under doors can save up to 20% on heating costs, the group said.
Even buying a clear, plastic film for windows helps insulate from heat and cold by adding a pocket of air between you and the outside, Hayhoe said. Indeed, she did this in her home.
5. Save water
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Conserving water is important because water and wastewater treatment are carbon-intensive processes, as is heating that water at home, Keoleian said.
There are many ways to cut water use. For example, fully load machines such as dishwashers and clothing washers. Those who wash dishes by hand can be efficient by using two basins (one for cleaning and another for rinsing) instead of running the water.
Also, use cold water when possible. A washing machine spends 90% of its energy to heat water, for example, the Consumer Federation of America said. For drying, use a clothesline in warmer weather. On a related note, open the door at the end of a dishwasher’s wash cycle and let the dishes air dry.
Even putting something like a brick in your toilet tank will displace — and therefore save — water.
6. Tweak your diet, even slightly
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Certain foods are more carbon-intensive than others.
Eating a more plant-based diet and cutting red meat intake is generally more environmentally friendly, as well as cheaper and healthier, experts said.
For example, beef’s greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram is about seven times higher than that of farm-raised fish, 10 times that of chicken and 230 times that of nuts or root vegetables. This is largely because cows produce a lot of methane.
While red meat — beef, pork and lamb — accounts for about 10% of the calories in an average diet, it contributes almost half the greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural production, Keoleian said.
Legumes, beans, nuts and lentils are very good protein substitutes, he said.
“You could still eat meat,” Keoleian said. “Just limit it and have a diversity of diet, which will be healthier.”
Of course, this might not be possible, he said. Food and diet are cultural, and not everyone likes plant-based proteins.
7. Use cars efficiently
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Car owners — even those with gas guzzlers — can use their vehicles more efficiently.
For example, “trip chaining” means bundling trips. An example of this would be picking up groceries on the way home from work instead of making a one-off trip to the store.
Households with more than one car can also “rightsize,” a concept that matches the most efficient car with the trip. For example, that may mean commuting to work in a sedan instead of an SUV or pickup truck, Keoleian said.
Public transit, walking, biking and carpooling are other options, too, Hayhoe said.
8. Talk about it
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Reducing individual carbon footprints can have an enormous influence on how businesses cut their greenhouse gas emissions, experts said. An industry will respond to consumer choices, sentiment and buying behavior, they said.
Consumers can therefore have a big effect by talking with friends, family and colleagues about how they saved money by living greener, Hayhoe said.
“The No. 1 thing that costs nothing and is most impactful is starting conversations about why this matters,” Hayhoe said.
“Do something — anything — and then talk about it,” she added. “Make it contagious in a good way.”
Environment
Renewable giants shrug off Trump’s anti-wind policies: ‘Electrification is absolutely unstoppable’
U.S. President Donald Trump holds up an executive order after signing it during an indoor inauguration parade at Capital One Arena on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States.
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Renewable energy giants appear relatively sanguine about U.S. President Donald Trump‘s anti-wind policies, describing the process of replacing fossil fuels with electrically powered products as “absolutely unstoppable.”
Trump, who promised a new “golden age” for America in his inaugural address on Monday, swiftly took aim at low-carbon energy initiatives.
In a standalone executive order, which had been widely expected, the president temporarily suspended new or renewed leases for offshore and onshore wind projects and halted the leasing of wind power projects on the outer continental shelf.
“We are not going to do the wind thing. Big ugly windmills, they ruin your neighborhood,” Trump told his supporters at the Capital One Area in Washington on Monday. He previously described wind turbines as an economic and environmental “disaster.”
The measures formed part of a much broader energy offensive designed to “unleash” already booming oil and gas production. This included declaring a national energy emergency, promoting fossil fuel drilling in Alaska and signing an executive order to withdraw the U.S. from the landmark Paris Agreement.
Joe Kaeser, chairman of the supervisory board of Siemens Energy, one of the world’s biggest renewables players, seemed unfazed by Trump’s sweeping energy agenda. In fact, Kaeser considered the policies a “slight plus” for the German energy technology group.
Shares of Siemens Energy jumped more than 8% on Wednesday morning, hitting a new 52-week high.
“We need to see what’s behind all the executive orders and the policies. So far, I believe there are many areas where actually Siemens Energy benefits a lot,” Kaeser told CNBC’s Dan Murphy at the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland on Tuesday.
There will be uncertainty for low-carbon energy sectors, such as onshore and offshore wind, Kaeser said, before adding that Trump’s measures were unlikely to directly impact Siemens Energy. That’s partly because roughly 80% of the firm’s wind market is in Europe, Kaeser said.
“So, I believe that doesn’t move the needle. I’m much more worried about the European economies and how they deal with a very powerful nation, with a very powerful concept. We may or may not like it, because it’s got some nationalistic type of things, but if we look at it from the view of the American people, we better get something going,” Kaeser said.
Beyond onshore and offshore wind, Kaeser said Siemens Energy was well positioned to capitalize from a “booming” electrification market.
“Think about the data centers, artificial intelligence, we have waiting times now on large gas turbines. Actually, customers are coming and saying, hey can I make a reservation and I’ll pay you for a reservation? Just think about that. It hasn’t happened for a long time,” Kaeser said.
“I believe the electrification age has just begun. Whether that’s gas turbines or wind or solar or something else, we’ve got everything, and the customers decide in the end. And one thing I believe one should not underestimate, the White House is not buying much [but] the customer does,” he added.
‘Very, very optimistic’
Spanish renewable energy giant Iberdrola was similarly bullish about the road to full electrification, describing the transition away from fossil fuels as “absolutely unstoppable.”
“We are seeing that probably we are in the best moment for electrification,” Ignacio Galán, executive chairman of Iberdrola, told CNBC at WEF on Tuesday.
Galán cited soaring global demand for electrically powered data centers, low-emission vehicles as well as cooling and heating applications.
A logo on the nacelle of a wind turbine at the Martin de la Jara wind farm, operated by Iberdrola SA, in the Martin de la Jara district of Sevilla, Spain, on Friday, April 21, 2023.
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“All of those things require more electricity 24 hours a day. Our business in the United States is mostly in this area, which is networks … and the regulation depends on the state authority, so I think that is not really affected at all,” Galán said.
“Depending on the legislation, we will make more or less investment in another part of our business,” he added, referring to Trump’s energy policy.
“We are very, very optimistic about the United States and the future,” Galán said.
Wind power woes
Shares of some European wind power giants fell shortly after Trump took aim at wind power plans.
Denmark’s Orsted, which recently announced a roughly $1.7 billion impairment charge on U.S. projects, dipped 4.4% on Wednesday morning, extending steep losses from the previous session.
The rapidly growing offshore wind sector has endured a torrid time in recent years, hampered by rising costs, supply chain disruption and higher interest rates.
Windmills pictured during a press moment of Orsted, on Tuesday 06 August 2024, on the transportation of goods with Heavy Lift Cargo Drones to the offshore wind turbines in the Borssele 1 and 2 wind farm in Zeeland, Netherlands.
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Artem Abramov, head of new energies research at Rystad Energy, said Trump’s energy agenda essentially means the likelihood of any new offshore developments in the U.S. has fallen to zero — at least for now.
“The US currently has around 2.4 gigawatts (GW) of advanced-stage offshore wind developments that have reached final investment decision and are under construction, which are unlikely to be impacted by the order,” Abramov said in a research note published Tuesday.
“Moderate risk amid the unfavorable investment climate is present for 10.5 GW of projects which secured necessary permits but have not reached investment decisions,” Abramov said.
“The remaining 25 GW of early-stage projects are unlikely to see any progress under the current administration,” he added.
— CNBC’s Spencer Kimball contributed to this report.
The Stripe logo on a smartphone with U.S. dollar banknotes in the background.
Budrul Chukrut | SOPA Images | LightRocket via Getty Images
Stripe cut 300 jobs, representing about 3.5% of its workforce, mostly in product, engineering and operations, CNBC has confirmed.
The payments company, valued at about $70 billion in the private markets, still expects to increase headcount by 10,000 by the end of the year, which would be a 17% increase, and is “not slowing down hiring,” according to a memo to staff from Chief People Office Rob McIntosh. Business Insider reported earlier on the cuts and the memo.
A Stripe spokesperson also confirmed to CNBC that a cartoon image of a duck with text that read, “US-Non-California Duck,” was accidentally attached as a PDF to emails sent to some of the employees who were laid off. Some of the emails mistakenly provided affected employees with an incorrect termination date, the spokesperson said.
McIntosh sent a follow-up email to staffers apologizing for the “notification error” and “any confusion it caused.”
“Corrected and full notifications have since been sent to all impacted Stripes,” he wrote.
In 2022, Stripe cut roughly 1,100 jobs, or 14% of its workers, downsizing alongside most of the tech industry, as soaring inflation and rising interest rates forced companies to focus on profits over growth. The Information reported that Stripe had a few dozen layoffs in its recruiting department in 2023.
Stripe’s valuation sank from a peak of $95 billion in 2021 to $50 billion in 2023, before reportedly rebounding to $70 billion last year as part of a secondary share sale. The company ranked third on last year’s CNBC Disruptor 50 list.
In October, Stripe agreed to pay $1.1 billion for crypto startup Bridge Network, whose technology is focused on making it easy for businesses to transact using digital currencies.
Brothers Patrick and John Collison, who founded Stripe in 2010, have intentionally steered clear of the public markets and have given no indication that an offering is on the near-term horizon. Total payment volume at the company surpassed $1 trillion in 2023.
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