You’ve got a demanding schedule - but you want to do something about climate change. Where should you start?

I’ve been working in sustainability for the last 3 years. And I love it when I find something I can do for the planet that’s easy implement in my busy schedule … but makes a huge impact.

Here are 5 of my favorites you can try:

1. Eat less beef

Eating less dairy and meat (and more plant-based foods) is a fantastic way to reduce your environmental impact.

But you don’t have to go full vegan. You can make a huge impact simply by cutting back on beef!

The reason is that raising cattle requires huge amounts of land and resources compared to other livestock (and cows emit lots of methane, which warms up the planet).

Check this out:

• A chicken burger produces ~80% less emissions than a beef burger

• A veggie burger (like a bean burger) produces up to 95% less emissions than a beef burger

For a quick climate win, start replacing beef with other meats or plant-based alternatives.

2. Avoid layovers

We’ve all heard we should fly less to reduce our emissions.

But did you know you can reduce your emissions by flying direct?

For instance, flying direct from New York to LA instead of connecting through DC reduces emissions by 29%. It’s much less hassle, too!

If you can make it work with your budget, it’s worth it to fly direct.

3. Switch to a climate-friendly bank

This is crazy to say, but in 2025, nearly every big bank still funds fossil fuels.

What’s amazing is you can make a huge difference simply by switching to a climate-friendly bank. Project Drawdown estimates this could reduce carbon footprint of the average American by 75%!

If you’re in the U.S., look for the “Fossil Free Certification” which includes:

• Atmos Financial

• Amalgamated Bank

• Virginia Community Capital

It takes a little admin to switch your bank — but the impact is huge!

4. Switch to reusable items

Reducing our consumption is key to making a better environmental impact.

One easy way to get started is to swap out single-use items for reusable items.

For instance:

• Plastic baggies —> silicone food bag or fabric snack bags

• Paper towels —> microfiber clotH

You don’t have to swap out everything overnight.

Just start noticing where you’re throwing things away, and see if there’s a reusable alternative.

These days, there are so many cool eco-friendly products that it’s often easy to find another option.

5. “Pay rent” to the planet

Did you know only 3% of philanthropy worldwide goes to environmental causes?

One of the easiest ways to make a positive impact is to start donating to environmental causes. Search for “1% for the Planet’s list of environmental partners” to find more than 7,000 vetted environmental organizations worldwide. From there, you can filter and choose one to donate to.

Patagonia’s founder calls this “paying rent” to the planet we all live on and enjoy.

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We’re just scratching the surface on all the ways we can making a better climate impact.

But these are some of my favorite ways to make a difference as a busy person.

I’d love to hear — do you do any of these already? Any you want to start?