Balance your environmental expenses

If you’re concerned about the future – and the bottom line – try sitting down and working out your environmental balance sheet.

Australians each emit more than 25 tonnes of greenhouse gases, more than four times the world average, says a report by Choice. Good news though: the consumer rights body says there are practical ways to cut back on pollution and save money at the same time.

The advice is to, first, work out your personal and professional carbon footprint, including your energy use, petrol spend and air travel. There are a number of web-based tools to help you add up figures and calculate your emissions.

Next is a matter of budgeting – and sticking to it – to improve your environmental standing. Reduce consumption and increase efficiency, buy accredited GreenPower electricity, and purchase carbon offsets from accredited and reliable sources, so they can reduce their emissions to balance out yours.