About the Carbon Coach

I’m an ordinary guy, who has been amazingly lucky in almost every aspect of my life. I’m married with four lovely children. I've had a good education, a good career, and a good life so far. In June this year I left my job as a company director in order to pursue my passion of helping people to reduce their carbon emissions.

My own house is by no means perfect, but I have taken quite a few simple steps to reduce its carbon emissions. Playing an important part is our new solar panel, which heats our water and has made a huge reduction in the amount of work the boiler does, and therefore a big reduction in our gas bill. Although we've a large house and all six of us live in it, our utility bills (gas and electric) are now down to only £44 per month for the two combined!

My Mini emission mission
We are a two car family, but we keep our annual mileage down and achieve very high fuel economy in both cars. Our Mini One diesel is rated at 129gms CO2/km. (In comparison, the highly acclaimed Toyota Prius hybrid car as driven by Leonardo DiCaprio and Penelope Cruz is rated 104gms – only a little better!) Our other car is a VW Sharan diesel, seven seater (we have four children). This car comfortably manages more than 300 person miles per gallon. (50mpg, with six in the car.)

Not content with driving cars that emit low amounts of CO2, my wife and I are engaged in a competition against ourselves to see exactly how many miles per gallon we can achieve. I am currently averaging about 52mpg in the Mini, and am determined to see how much I can improve on this! I'll keep you posted! In the meantime pay a visit to www.vcacarfueldata.org.uk where you can find out your car's CO2 per kilometre and discover the top ten new petrol and diesel vehicles in terms of their emissions.

Leaving a positive legacy
We really enjoy holidays in the UK and France. We've avoided air travel for quite a while, but we are now looking forward to a more exotic family holiday next year. I believe making a difference doesn't mean a total change in lifestyle, just a tactical re-think of certain areas.

As a family we are proud to be different, quids in, and part of the solution to global climate problems. Our actions express optimism for our children's future – and for the future of their children too. All in all, we're leaving less of a legacy of carbon dioxide and one of a more caring, conscious and carbon-lite lifestyle.

Join in: get in touch and start to ensure your legacy is a positive one
Inspired? Want to become a Carbon Coach too? There's room for more than one!