Brits go greener than ever before with a quarter going veggie and embracing renewable energy

A QUARTER more Brits have gone veggie or vegan – and the number of people using green energy has doubled in just 18 months, fresh research reveals.

As the nation embraces The Sun's Green Team efforts to save the planet, the average person's emissions have been slashed by a FIFTH, new analysis by WWF and the Stockholm Environment Institute at the University of York showed.

Data from more than 300,000 responses to the WWF's green carbon calculator showed a 25 per cent increase in people adopting a plant based diet and one in five are now on eco-friendly energy tariffs.

Veggies and vegans are more green in other parts of life too, with a lower carbon footprint than meat-lovers.

The pandemic played a part in helping slash pollution too as people shunned flights and were ordered to stay home.

Dr Stephen Cornelius, Chief Climate Adviser at WWF, said last night: “This analysis shows an encouraging trend towards lower carbon footprints across the UK. 

"The doubling in take-up of 100 per cent renewable energy tariffs is particularly positive as this can be a cheap and easy way for people to make a real cut in their emissions."

But despite the huge strides Brits are taking to go green, more needs to be done to get the UK to reach our Britain's eco-goals, they warned.

Their research said more than 60 per cent of their respondents didn't travel on public transport – and trends post pandemic show a decline.

And Dr Chris West at the Stockholm Environment Institute, University of York, added: "The carbon calculator analysis showed people’s desire for a lower carbon future. "Meeting our climate targets will require a combination of small and big changes." 

And the top five greenest places in the UK, which have the lowest carbon footprints and most eco-lovers, are named as Exeter, Plymouth, Bristol, Sheffield and Newcastle.

Join The Sun’s ‘Green Team’ & save the planet

MAKING simple everyday changes can add up to a BIG difference to the planet.

And we want you and your family to join The Sun's Green Team – our eco revolution. 

It can feel overwhelming to know how to play a part in reducing greenhouse gasses, but we will be showing you the practical steps we can take to curb climate change – with the help of the global ‘Count Us In’ initiative.

And our easy measures will even help you SAVE money so your household budget goes further.

We'll help you to reduce food waste, insulate your home, create tasty planet-friendly meals and take simple steps to trim your carbon footprint.

We want you to go online to sign-up to as many of our special Green Team pledges as you can manage and a special calculator will show you how much carbon you will personally save.

It won’t cost you a penny but the total you and your family will save will be added to the global ‘Count Us In’ total and the platform will support you every step of the way. 

So tap here to pledge.

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