You are wondering why you should make environmental-friendly choices in your private daily life? The following facts convinced us:
Private households in Germany cause almost 15% of the CO2 emissions in Germany. At least that‘s what most statistics tell you. These 15% alone equal 213 billion tons of CO2 each year. That´s quite a lot, isn´t it?
But this number only includes the so-called direct emissions, which are directly „produced“ in our homes. Heating, warm water and private transportation are examples for direct emissions.
But a much bigger part of household emissions is being left out: our consumption!
Although emissions for our consumption are produced in production halls, coal-fired power plants and swimming pools, we are the ones consuming these goods and services. They wouldn´t be produced in the first place if we weren´t there to buy them.
The emissions caused by our private consumption are called indirect emissions as we don´t produce them directly, but we indirectly cause them through our demand for goods and our choices we make as consumers.
If you combine indirect and direct emissions, the private households are responsible for 43% of the CO2 emissions in Germany. We are thereby the biggest source of CO2 emissions in Germany.
Thus, we absolutely can do something! First, through reducing our direct emissions such as heating and private transportation. But also, through responsible consumption choices in our all-day life. If we can create a higher demand for low- emission and sustainable products, companies will adapt to that. Through our private consumption pattern, we can have a huge impact on companies but also on politics!
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Source: „Umweltökonomische Gesamtrechnung – direkte und indirekte CO2-Emissionen in Deutschland 2010-2015“; statistisches Bundesamt