NatWest have announced a scheme to help boost green businesses in Birmingham. Climate-centric companies are asked to come forward for the accelerator hub for a three-month-long scheme that aims to help them grow. The Entrepreneur Accelerator will offer mentoring, workshops, and access to important networks as part of NatWest’s wider commitment to the environment. Ultimately, some of these businesses could end up devising solutions and alternatives to the way things are currently done to enable us to live greener lives. But what other steps can be taken on a day-to-day basis to accelerate our own eco-friendly goals?
Go Meat-Free
Replacing unhealthy habits can have a positive effect on the environment. For example, switching fatty fried meats for vegetarian or vegan alternatives could have a positive impact on the planet. It is estimated that the meat and dairy industries are responsible for 14.5% of all manmade greenhouse gas emissions globally, which amounts to 7.1 gigatons.
Switching to a vegan meal just one day a week could help limit this. It is suggested that every family in the UK eating one vegan meal per week (instead of a non-vegan one) would be akin to taking 16 million cars off the road. Many vegan alternatives have the same nutritional benefits as their meat counterparts – often with reduced saturated fat and sodium contents.
Go Tobacco-Free
Tobacco is another contributor to global emissions and can be a harmful habit to the individual. Cigarettes have an impact on the climate too. Through energy, transportation, water use, disposal, and their incendiary components, cigarettes globally contribute negatively to the climate. But ditching cigarettes can be difficult. Rather than completely going cold turkey, alternatives are available that are gentler on you and gentler on the planet.
Indeed, new nicotine-products such as the TaxFreeSnus nicotine pouches show that while still containing nicotine, there are tobacco-free alternatives to cigarettes. So, they make a good substitution that doesn’t need to be smoked, yet still contains the desired nicotine. For those looking to cut down on smoking for the planet, but not give up on something they enjoy, this could be a suitable compromise.
Go Car-Free
This may not be practical for everyone but ditching the car could also contribute in a positive way to the environment. Most of the average person’s carbon footprint comes from their transportation, with the car being a huge energy guzzler and gas emitter.
Switching to a healthier mode of transport – either public transport, walking, or cycling – could be better for the planet and better for you. Walking or cycling is seeing a huge push in the Midlands. Cycle lanes similar to London could be erected in Solihull, according to reports from the local council. This would likely inspire more people to swap the car for an alternative mode of transport.
While each of these swaps help the planet, they also represent examples of how individuals can live better lives too. Ditching unhealthy habits for habits that require less ingestion of harmful toxins and more exercise can ultimately lead to a better life. The NatWest environmental accelerator hub may help a budding Birmingham business battle climate change, but small alterations you make could have a wider impact too.
