People around the world traditionally use the new year to change their lifestyle. People's Climate Vote, a UN poll on climate change, highlights that citizens around the world recognize climate change as a global emergency and agree that we should do whatever is necessary in response. People are gradually adopting a more sustainable lifestyle, but many find it difficult to change their habits and often don't know where to start their sustainability journey.

So if you want to make your life greener in 2024, here are some manageable and affordable changes you can make.

1. Meals

We throw away a billion tons of food every year. Food waste often creates methane, a greenhouse gas that is more potent than carbon dioxide. But there are simple changes you can make to eat more sustainably (and often at a lower cost). These include eating local and seasonal, or eating less meat and more plants, especially beans and vegetables. Beans require no nitrogen fertilizers (which are partly produced from natural gas) due to their ability to convert nitrogen from the air into nutrients. ( Ian Williams, Alice Brock, University of Southampton)