New Year’s resolution should be to have a healthy planet

The WWF want people to make New Year’s resolutions that will actually make a difference to the planet. Charlotte Reid has been looking at the ten changes the organisation says would reduce our impact on the environment.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have come up with a list of planet friendly resolutions for the New Year, calling the usual resolutions like getting fit and stopping smoking “passé”.

Instead, the WWF want people to think about reducing their environmental impact in 2012.

Its list suggests setting targets to reduce carbon, support sustainable fishing and to campaign against climate change.

There are also some smaller suggestions like reduce how much you use the car, fly less and use recycling schemes more.

Christine Crawford, communications manager for the WWF, said these are important changes to make because “the current runaway demand for fuel and land for food production is threatening the environment we all depend on”.

Crawford points out that you do not have to resolve to do all ten of the resolutions just “making a commitment to help save the planet this year is an excellent start”.

She said, “Just taking a couple of our resolutions will make a big difference.

“This commitment is essential in order to ensure the continued supply of resources such as food and drink and energy and thus future human health, wealth and wellbeing.”

Crawford continued, “Our Living Planet Report now shows that people are using much more natural resources than the planet can replace, whilst the natural world is coming under immense and increasing pressure.

“If we continue to treat the planet in a ‘business as usual’ approach and do not make changes – the outlook is serious”.

Last year, Blue & Green Tomorrow wrote about research from the International Energy Agency (IEA) which also gave a bleak prediction for the future if changes did not happen soon.

The report from the IEA said that the world is headed for irreversible climate change in the next five years and might lock itself into an inefficient high carbon system.

Crawford said that “even with the most modest UN projections for population growth, consumption and climate change” by 2030 humanity “will need the capacity of two earths to absorb CO2 waste and keep up with the natural resource consumption”.

The WWF is encouraging “anyone who would like to change things for the better” and Crawford said people “should look at our resolutions as a way to help people and nature to thrive together”.

If you want to be one of those people then Blue & Green Tomorrow suggest looking at who you are investing with, so talk to your financial adviser. If you don’t have one then use our online form and we’ll connect you with a specialist financial adviser.

You can also look at renewable energy options with Good Energy, shopping ethically at the Ethical Superstore and for more environmental travel options look up our sustainable travel partners.