Good News: Most Brits are greener than they were a decade ago

According to a survey by Trainline, green living is on the rise among Brits, with 79 per cent of participants saying that they are greener than they were ten years ago.

Trainline conducted a survey of 2,000 Brits which found that four out of five Brits say they are greener than they were a decade ago. 

Sixty-one per cent believe that they have a responsibility to live a greener lifestyle, and 70 per cent want to continue making lifestyle changes to be more sustainable.

The survey found that recycling, eating less meat and avoiding single-use plastics are the most common eco-friendly actions, although it also found that there is a lack of understanding of which acts can be the most beneficial for the environment. 

For example, 53 per cent of participants were unaware that cars have a higher carbon footprint than trains, and only 19 per cent are currently trying to travel more by train in order to reduce their emissions.

Data from the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy suggests that taking a train instead of a car for medium-length distances could cut your emissions by 80 per cent

Of course, this is just one study with a sample size of 2,000 people. Nonetheless, there does seem to be a move towards greener living. For example, according to gov.uk, the recycling rate has increased in England between 2010 and 2019. Research by NatCen Social Research found a substantial decrease in meat consumption between 2012 and 2018. 

While we shouldn’t celebrate too soon—there is still lots of work to be done in order to combat climate change—any move towards greener living is certainly good news!

Read more: 10 Ways to improve the environment locally

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