CO2 Audit 2024: Five Years of Progress
Five-Year Milestone
Total 2024 Carbon Footprint: 4.6 tonnes CO2e
Down 4% from 2023, 63% below 2019 baseline.
The Journey
| Year | Total (tonnes) | Change from 2019 |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 12.4 | Baseline |
| 2020 | 3.8 | -69% (lockdown) |
| 2021 | 5.2 | -58% |
| 2022 | 6.1 | -51% |
| 2023 | 4.8 | -61% |
| 2024 | 4.6 | -63% |
2024 Breakdown
| Category | CO2e | 5-yr trend |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | 1.8 | Volatile but trending down |
| Home Energy | 1.4 | Sustained low (heat pump) |
| Ground Transport | 1.2 | Stable |
| Purchases | 0.2 | Consistently low |
What’s Working
Infrastructure Changes
- Heat pump maintains 1.2 tonne/year saving
- Renewable energy tariff
- Efficient lighting and appliances
Behaviour Changes
- Virtual-first mindset embedded
- Selective travel with clear criteria
- Extended product lifespans
Systemic Support
- University accepts virtual conferences
- Train travel time counted as work
- Carbon considerations in planning
What’s Not
Aviation Remains Challenge
Despite reductions, still 40% of footprint. And one long-haul flight would double this.
Transport Trade-offs
Cycling commute excellent, but occasional car journeys unavoidable for some activities.
Consumption Blindspots
Hard to track embedded carbon in purchases accurately.
The 5-Tonne Plateau
Settled around 4.5-5 tonnes for three years. This seems to be my “feasible minimum” without:
- Eliminating all flying
- Giving up car entirely
- Moving to smaller/different housing
- Extreme consumption restrictions
Lessons from Five Years
- Measurement drives change - Can’t improve what you don’t track
- Low-hanging fruit first - Energy switch and travel reduction delivered most
- Infrastructure matters - Heat pump provides sustained benefits
- Behaviour plateaus - Need technology and policy for further gains
- Perfection impossible - 4-5 tonnes may be realistic floor for now
UK Context
2024 UK average: approximately 4.8 tonnes per capita
I’m now at average, down from double-average in 2019. But average isn’t good enough for climate targets.
Looking Forward
Personal Goals
- Investigate further home efficiency improvements
- Explore EV for unavoidable car journeys
- Reduce remaining flights by 50%
- Target: 3.5 tonnes by 2027
Systemic Advocacy
Personal action alone insufficient. Need:
- Better rail infrastructure
- Carbon pricing that reflects true costs
- Academic reward systems valuing virtual engagement
- Policy support for heat pumps and renewables
Reflection
Five years of auditing has transformed my relationship with carbon:
2019: Vague guilt, no data
2024: Clear baselines, informed decisions, sustained reductions
Not perfect. Not carbon neutral. But 63% better, and maintainable.
The journey continues. But now with data, accountability, and realistic expectations about what individual action can achieve – and where we need collective solutions.