Walk short journeys

Walking short journeys is a fantastic way to get more active without having to set foot in (or pay for a gym).

Walking has a wide range of health benefits for people of all ages, including reducing the risk of heart diseases, some types of cancer and type 2 diabetes.

It can be great for our mental health and wellbeing too, improving our mood and reducing stress – all whilst helping the environment.

Why not give walking a go? The NHS’ Active 10 app can help boost your activity by tracking your steps and setting daily walking goals. Take a look at the links below for some walking routes in Leeds.

Visit the Walk It. Ride It. website for more inspiration and make a pledge to walk more.

Go electric

If you’re thinking of buying or leasing a new vehicle, why not look into an electric model that’s cheaper and cleaner to run? Electric vehicles in Leeds also get free car parking at council car parks through the ULEV permit scheme.

Find your nearest electric vehicle charging point on Zap Map - it may be closer than you think.

On your bike

Cycling is a fun and affordable way to be more active and travel medium distances quickly, sometimes faster than driving! On a bike, you can use bus lanes and cycle lanes to zoom past traffic and take more direct routes than in a car.

Like other forms of active travel (such as walking), cycling can help improve your health and wellbeing.

Leeds’ cycling infrastructure is getting better all the time and employers are increasingly offering training, pool bikes, storage, or cycle to work schemes to support staff on two wheels—so getting on your bike is easier than ever before.

Visit the Walk It. Ride It. website for support, tips and tricks on how to feel more confident when cycling in Leeds.

Change delivery habits

We’re all shopping more online than we used to. Whilst convenient, it also means a lot more delivery vehicles on our roads that cause traffic, air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.

Millions of missed deliveries every year means lots of unnecessary, polluting journeys. Think about having things delivered to a convenient central location like a shop or locker or choosing to bundle items together.

Try to avoid having to return things if possible. Your returns mean more vehicle journeys and items can also be hard to resell and may even end up in landfill! Check your size or see if you could support your local high street instead and try things on.

Fly less

In England, almost half of us don’t fly at all, yet 10% took more than half of all international flights in 2018.

Most of us love to travel, but it’s worth knowing that flying is very polluting. In fact, flying one fewer journey is one of the best single actions we can take to reduce our personal carbon footprint.

Next time you’re planning a trip, consider a staycation or travelling by train, ferry or road where possible. And if you do fly, choosing to voluntarily offset your emissions is a relatively affordable way to reduce your impact.

Be a savvy driver

Even if you’re not quite ready to leave the car at home, save £££ and carbon by being a savvy driver. Try car sharing with fun colleagues or friends to halve your emissions (and fuel bill). Or try park and ride so you’ll never have to worry about parking again.

Don’t forget to turn off your engine when idling for two minutes or longer too—you’ll save fuel and stop polluting the air around you.