Cars, trains and planes

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In 2007, the International Air Transport Association negotiated a more direct route from China to Europe that shaved an average of 30 minutes off flight times, eliminating 84,800 metric tons of CO2 annually.

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation has introduced regenerative brakes on its trains. As they brake, they generate power, which is then used by other accelerating trains on the same track. This saves 30% on energy, or 39,000 tons of CO2 p.a..

Long-distance domestic travellers in Spain are changing their mode of transport from plane to train. A high-speed train passenger generates a sixth of the CO2 of that of a plane passenger travelling the same distance. By 2011, domestic trains and planes are expected to serve equal numbers of passengers.

The global transportation of food is one of the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gas emissions. In North America, fruit and vegetables travel an average of 2,400 km before reaching the dinner table. Buying locally not only saves the energy used to ship produce, but also preserves flavour and nutrients.

The average electric car travels around 95 km on a single charge with a top speed of 65 km/h. There are currently almost 200 electricity pumps in the UK, and more will be added in the next couple of years.

Driving less, using fuel-efficient cars and carpooling will have a major impact on our levels of greenhouse gas emissions. In the USA and Canada, motor vehicles are responsible for about a third of all CO2 emissions.

Replace clogged air filters in your car. A clogged air filter can cut a vehicle's fuel efficiency by 10%.

Check the air pressure in your cars tyres and pump up any that are lower than the recommended pressure in the owner's manual. Properly inflated tires can increase fuel efficiency by 3.3%.

Drive slower. For most vehicles, fuel efficiency begins to drop rapidly at 95 km/h. Driving within the speed limit can improve fuel efficiency by up to 23%.

Take it easy in your car. Slamming on the brakes and accelerating too quickly can reduce fuel efficiency by up to 33%.

Get your car tuned up. Routine maintenance can increase fuel efficiency by 4%, while fixing more serious problems can improve efficiency by up to 40%.

Idling in your car for just 30 seconds burns more fuel than turning off the engine and restarting it. Turn the ignition off at long stop lights and during other lengthy hold-ups. Instead of using drive-throughs, park and go inside.

Taking off your roof-rack when you are not using it can reduce fuel use by up to 10%.

Travelling by train instead of an average car commute of 30 kilometres saves about a tonne of CO2 a year. That is almost as much as commuting by electric car instead of a petrol one.

Passengers on a full coach from London to Birmingham are responsible for only 10% of the emissions produced by a solo drive.

If the four million Brits who drive 6.5 km to work every day cycled instead, they would save a million tonnes of CO2 a year between them.

If all commuters left their car at home one day a week for the next year, we would save enough kilometres to travel to the moon and back 35,000 times.

Getting rid of your car altogether can wipe three tonnes off your emissions. Three tonnes is more than three times the annual emission of the average citizen of Swaziland.

Manufacturing a car emits five tonnes of CO2. That is more than the average Brit's direct annual emissions of CO2.