The City of Mississauga has been working to tackle climate change by implementing its first-ever Climate Change Action Plan. The plan outlines corporate and community actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) and make Mississauga more resilient to climate change. To reduce its carbon footprint, the City has installed electric vehicle chargers, switched some transit to hybrid-electric MiWay buses and launched Mississauga’s first Urban Agriculture Strategy. However, everyone must get involved and help reduce our carbon footprint!

If you’re interested in finding out more about your carbon footprint, try the carbon calculator developed in partnership with Project Neutral. In five minutes or less, you’ll get a snapshot of your household’s carbon footprint and can learn which actions will have the most significant impact.

Here are ways you can start:

Start small – how to implement meaningful actions into your lifestyle

Use active or public transportation more: Any trip under one kilometre is considered walkable. For longer trips, consider using active transportation or transit to work, school or run errands instead of relying on a personal vehicle. Gas vehicles contribute to climate change due to the greenhouse gas emissions they emit.

Turn down your thermostat: This winter, consider turning down the thermostat 1.5 degrees to reduce energy emissions by as much as five per cent. Not only does it help with fighting climate change, it also helps lower your hydro bill.

Reduce your food waste: Food waste often ends up in landfills. It decomposes, producing large volumes of methane gas – which is harmful to the environment. If you have food scraps like bones, fruit peels or veggie skins – compost them! Plan your meals in advance, properly store food and save leftovers to help prevent food waste.

Increase your number of plant-based meals: Consider swapping meat for a plant-based meal to help reduce your carbon footprint. Animal agriculture produces large amounts of methane gas and it requires large land requirements for livestock, which can lead to deforestation.

Shop local: Shop at the closest store to your house or a convenient supermarket on the way home. Visit your local markets on the weekend and support your local grocers and farmers. Buying local is a great way to avoid unnecessary plastic packaging and reduces the need to transport produce across long distances.

Refuse, reduce and reuse items: Items that end up in landfills contribute to climate change due to large quantities of methane emissions. Instead, consider refusing, reducing and reusing items. You can try to:

• Avoid purchasing or using single-use plastics

• Bring reusable bags

• Request reusable dishware – like forks and spoons

• Reuse or donate clothing

• Repair items like appliances

• Recycle paper, plastic, glass and metal containers

Install a smart thermostat: Installing a smart thermostat is an easy alternative that offers a variety of financial and environmental benefits. You will be able to pre-set temperature schedules to adjust the temperature in your home to turn on only when you need it. This can help you maximize energy savings and reduce your carbon footprint. You can install a smart thermostat in your home at any time, on your own, or with the help of a contractor.

Go big – Long-term actions with big returns

Commit to an electric vehicle: Looking to replace your vehicle? Consider switching to an electric vehicle. Electric vehicles reduce your carbon footprint by relying on electricity instead of an internal combustion engine. In Mississauga, transportation-related emissions account for more than 30 per cent of total community emissions. In Ontario, our electricity grid is relatively clean (not a lot of GHG emissions are produced). As long as the electricity grid in Ontario stays clean, switching to an electric vehicle can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 90 per cent.

Switch to a heat pump for heating and cooling: The number one source of greenhouse gas emissions in Mississauga is from buildings. This is due to the natural gas used to heat homes and provide hot water. Replacing a natural gas furnace with an electric heat pump will significantly reduce your greenhouse gas emissions. A heat pump is a mechanical system powered by electricity that provides heating and cooling to your home.