Reducing our personal CO₂ footprint

 

Everyone’s green journey starts somewhere. While it's easy to get overwhelmed with all of the information, it's also simple for individuals to begin making a positive impact.

Embracing a greener lifestyle isn't just about helping to plant trees and preserve biodiversity, it can also mean improving health, saving money, and, ultimately, improving overall quality of life.

Many of our team members were already eco-conscious in their personal lives well before CEPA launched its climate initiative in 2018, which aligned perfectly with our organization's new goals. 

 

2022 Goals: The CEPA office in Germany is transitioning to a paper reduced environment across all of its departments, if something needs to be printed, we will start using recycled paper, the water in the office is delivered in recyclable bottles, and organic trash will be picked up for composting.

 
 

Julia

For me personally (and my family of course), we have photovoltaic panels on our roof to produce our own electricity as well as solar panels that heat our water 😊 For example, the electricity we don't use ourselves is then forwarded to the network for others to use. We also compost our food waste in our garden.
 
 

Conny

We are using a photovoltaic system to produce our own electricity and barely have to use electricity from other sources. Additionally, we also have a solar system to produce hot water. We are having a rain cistern to collect rain water, which we use e.g. for doing our laundry.
In our garden, we use a compost and the yield is again used in our garden to plant flowers, vegetables and herbs. We are also trying as much as possible to less use the car and do more by foot or bike.

 
 

Marion

We have green powered electricity, solar panels for hot water and a rain water cistern to use the water for the toilet and washing machine.
 
 

Myriam

I use energy saving lightbulbs and don't heat up the rooms when I'm not home. I make sure to turn down the heating when I open the windows. I recycle garbage as best as I can. I buy organic products when it comes to meat or dairy products.

 
 

Denise

1) I love going to the weekly market and buying fresh and unpacked food there. We also have a zero waste shop in my home town. 2) We buy eggs at a farm close to our village, where one can observe the chicken living on a huge area with shelters and hen houses. We can bring our egg carton and use it various times and thereby save waste. 3) I hardly ever use plastic bags, but always have my shopper basket or cloth bag with me.
 
 

Lena

At home, I use green powered electricity and energy-saving lightbulbs. When it comes to food, I only eat little meat and buy organic products, especially for eggs and dairy products. Additionally, I try to avoid the use of plastic bags as much as possible and buy products that have recyclable packaging.

 
 

Heide

We have solar panels on our roof which heat our water tank and have different solar panels to produce electricity for our own use. Our house is insulated and most electrical appliances are energy efficient. We air dry all of our laundry and don't own a dryer. We try to buy as much of our food from local farms. We look for organic and Fair Trade products at the store. We walk or use our bikes whevever possible instead of the car. 

We recycle and buy used as much as possible, whether it is clothes or items in the house and garden. We also think consciously about investing in quality goods and using them as long as possible, repairing instead of replacing them whenever possible. We also consider how much we really need and avoid "fast-fashion" and unnecessary purchases. The less, the better.

 
 

Lisa

I live in a flat share and we use green powered electricity. We separate the garbage and try to avoid wasting food. We don’t own a dryer and air dry all our clothes. Regarding food, I am vegetarian and eating just a few dairy products. I love to go to the weekly farmer’s market in my home city, try to buy organic food and avoid plastic bags wherever possible.

I am trying to live more sustainably than in the past and try to inspirate other people too. Friends, books, and companies I get in touch with, while ordering presents for example keep me inspired to do more for our planet and climate.
Stay tuned!

 
 

Silke

During the renovations of our house, we added special solar panels to our roof to heat our water (incl. water for the heating).
We built a new roof with additional isolations, installed triple-glazed windows, and added special isolation to our outer walls.
The energy we buy from our electricity provider is produced from renewable energy sources. All electrical appliances, as well as light bulbs we use and buy, have a very low power demand. We also try to support the local production of foods as much as possible and have a little garden where we grow vegetables and fruit.