You don’t have to plant a forest to enjoy Earth Day. Whether you connect with people around the world or do something on your own, all you need do is take a moment to appreciate, respect and help our planet.
Earth Day is a day of action. How do you invest in promoting a sustainable planet?
What is sustainable living?
Sustainable living is the practice of reducing our intake of Earth’s natural resources, like using less water and fossil fuels, and increasing our use of renewable clean energy, like using more solar and wind.
At loans.com.au, our focus on sustainability is as much about humanity as it is about nature. It’s why we promote sustainable living through the pillars of human dignity, social equity, environmental conservation and economic viability to deliver real care to individuals, families, communities and the environment. We achieve this by supporting various charities and offering green loans.
9 ways to live sustainably:
Earth Day is a conscious reminder of our fragile ecosystem, from our family home to the environment. In this way it promotes sustainable living everywhere by encouraging positive action, big and small.
As more people align around a sustainable Earth, loans.com.au continues to innovate our products and services to make sustainability a real choice for everyone. One way we do this is by promoting sustainable living at home, through our commitment to women, children and community. Another is by partnering the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) to offer discounted loans.
How will you invest in our planet on Earth Day to start living more sustainably? Here’s 7 ideas:
1. Live in a sustainable home
Increasing natural disasters, extreme weather and rising temperatures may seem impossible to tackle, but even the smallest action will have a positive impact. Take your home. Simple choices around household heating and cooling appliances, window glazing, roofing, external wall materials and insulation to name just a few can help the environment, and your pocket.
If you want to live sustainably by investing in your home, we’ll reward you with a discounted mortgage.
2. Go Green
Improve the energy efficiency of your home to 7 stars or more, as certified by an accredited NatHERS assessor, and enjoy a discount on your mortgage with our green home loan.
3. Add Solar
Install solar panels to cut your energy bills, and enjoy a further discount on your home loan for the first 5 years by cutting 0.84% p.a. off your mortgage rate with our solar home loan.
4. Drive a sustainable car
Buy an electric vehicle to reduce your carbon footprint and cut 0.7% p.a. off your interest rate when you finance the purchase with our electric car loan.
5. Join a community farm
It’s not just about growing your own food. Participating in a community farm helps promote sustainable living too, from creating beautiful green spaces to offsetting carbon emissions.
6. Switch up your diet
Food production accounts for almost a third of all greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, and most of the blame falls on the meat industry. Is it time to add a bit more green to your diet?
7. Reduce your carbon footprint
Get creative with your commute. Instead of driving all the way to your destination, drive halfway, then train or bus the rest. Can you carpool with friends? How about walking, scooting or riding a bike?
8. Recycle your wardrobe
Though it may seem insignificant, your closet and shopping habits can affect the environment negatively. Buy thrifted outfits. It will mean new resources aren’t used to make more clothes.
9. Change your home lights
You can reduce your demand for energy resources significantly by changing the lights in your home from traditional incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), skylights and natural light.