Eat less meat and dairy produce

The facts

• 14.5% of global greenhouse gases are caused by meat and dairy production
• 8 billion animals are killed for meat every year in the UK
• Over 10 million tonnes of food is wasted in the UK annually
• 45,000 early deaths could be prevented in the UK every year if we ate low meat diets

Actions, initiatives and information

• Calculate the environmental impact of your diet

Food footprint calculator

• Eat less meat and dairy produce

10 tips to eat more plant-based food

• Join a Camden based vegetable delivery scheme such as Vegbox

Vegbox

• Learn more about the impact of food on the environment

What to eat: food and the environment

• Reduce your food waste and save money

Love Food Hate Waste Campaign

Drive less and walk and cycle more

The facts

• 14% of CO₂ emissions and 50% of all air pollution in Camden are caused by road transport 
• 9,500 deaths in London are caused by poor air quality
• The most polluted areas in Camden have the highest levels of deprivation
• Camden residents make over 80,000 trips by car every day. 80% of these trips could be walked, cycled or made by public transport

Actions, initiatives and information

• Find out about how we are making it easier for you to walk and cycle in Camden

Walk and cycle in Camden

• Take up Camden's free cycle training, there is training for everyone

Free cycle skills

• Borrow a bike or an electric-powered family bike (which can carry two young children) for free from the Council

Try a bicycle for 4 weeks

• Open a play street in your neighbourhood so that children can play in a traffic-free street

Play streets

• Join a local car club if you have to use a car and make savings on parking, tax, insurance and vehicle maintenance

Join a car club

• Join a Camden health walk

Camden health walk

Buy less and repair, share and reuse what you have

The facts

• The world's richest countries consume 10 times as many materials as the poorest
• North America and Europe have the biggest material footprints on the planet. The UK is dependent on other countries’ minerals, raw materials, water and land

Actions, initiatives and information

• Reduce your waste and reuse and repair what you have, check out advice from the North London Waste Authority and London Recycles 

The North London Waste Authority 

Londoner's Guide to Repair

• Share, lend and borrow rather than buy items that you only need occasionally

Streetbank -  Nextdoor

• Camden residents can donate furniture and white goods in a good condition for reuse by booking a free collection service from Bright Sparks

Bright Sparks

• Attend a local community repair event and learn how to repair broken electronics, and rethink how we consume them in the first place

The Restart Project

• Bring a reusable container to Camden Refill Station and fill up on household cleaning and body care products

Camden Refill Station

• Find more places to Refill - shop, eat and drink with less waste

         Refill London - Chalton Street Circular Economy Market 

• Earn rewards for you and your community by reducing, reusing and recycling more

Camden Recycling Rewards

• If an item has come to the end of its life, it can be recycled at your nearest reuse and recycling centre

Reuse and recycling centres

Reduce your household energy costs

The facts

• 90% of carbon dioxide emissions in Camden come from heating and powering buildings
• Gas heating will be the biggest source of CO₂ emissions in Camden in 2030 and already accounts for 30% of local air pollution
• 12% of Camden residents cannot afford to heat their homes

Actions, initiatives and information

• Call the freephone Green Camden Helpline if you are struggling to afford to heat your home (0800 801738 - greencamden@camden.gov.uk)

Green Camden Helpline

• Visit the Energy Saving Trust for practical advice on how to reduce energy use at home

Energy Saving Trust

• Check your eligibility for a Camden grant to improve the energy efficiency of your home

Energy efficiency grant

• Improve your home's insulation or consider a comprehensive energy efficiency retrofit of your home with the support of ECOFurb's Low Carbon Homes Service

ECOFurb - Low Carbon Homes Service

• Apply to the Camden Climate Fund to help meet the costs of insulating your home or installing low carbon heating

Camden Climate Fund

• Replace your gas heating system with an electric air source heat pump – this requires investment, but will be a significant step to a ‘net-zero’ home

Air source heat pump - Guidance

• Apply for the Government's upcoming Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) and receive up to £5,000 to install a heat pump (applications open April 2022)

Boiler Upgrade Scheme Grant

Take climate action in your community

The facts

• Climate Action groups are the local solution to a global crisis. They are made up of people like you, working together to make our communities more climate-friendly 
• Camden held the UK’s first Citizens’ Assembly on the climate crisis and the process has shaped our Climate Action Plan demonstrating how community action can shape local government policy

Join one of the following climate action groups based in Camden

• Camden Think and Do offers people in Camden the chance to develop projects tackling the climate and ecological crisis

Camden Think and Do

• Transition Kentish Town is part of a movement of communities coming together to re-imagine and rebuild our world

Transition Kentish Town

• Camden Greenpeace is a friendly group of Greenpeace activists who meet in Camden

Camden Greenpeace

• Camden Friends of the Earth campaigns for solutions to environmental problems to create a better, greener Camden. They run awareness stalls at local festivals, community fairs and markets, organise events and film screenings, and campaign online

Camden Friends of the Earth

• Climate Emergency Camden is a coalition of local groups and residents who aim to inspire bold, transformative borough-wide action in response to the climate and ecological breakdown

Climate Emergency Camden

• Camden Air Action is an alliance of local people and groups working together to raise awareness about air pollution, and to take constructive practical action on air quality in Camden

Camden Air Action

• Power up North London (PUNL) is a non-profit community organisation that enables local people to tackle climate change by delivering renewable energy projects

Power up North London

• Camden Cyclists is a local branch of London Cycling Campaign, it works towards making sure that everyone who cycles, or wants to cycle, has a voice in Greater London

Camden Cyclists

• VEGBOX is a community-led organic vegetable box scheme empowering Camden's community to connect with great-tasting organic veg and fruit sourced from small-scale farms near London.

VEGBOX

If you are a community group focussing on climate action who is not included above, please contact greencamden@camden.gov.uk.