2026 New Year Goals

Happy New Year all! I think this may become an annual thing where I only acknowledge the new year right at the end of January on here. Hope your 2026 has been going well so far – we seem to have globally started much as we did in 2025, with a big political bang. Thinking about your own personal sustainability goals when the backdrop is all oil, threats and chaos can feel quite hopeless, but setting aims within your own control can help us combat feelings of eco-anxiety and help us frame action within our own lives. This is why I personally love January – a fresh start to begin again and decide how we want to spend this year. So grab a pen and paper, notes app or journal, and let’s set our sustainability intentions for 2026. Here are a few ideas I’ll be taking into this year…

• Getting involved in positive campaigns – For many of us, the realisation has hit that no matter how much we recycle, walk to the shop or use a reusable coffee cup, without huge change to way big business and national government run, the impact on preventing the worst climate impacts will be negligible (although do keep doing those things!). That’s why this year I want to be part of a bigger movement looking to make more of a systematic change. Whether it’s a local cause or national movement, we have strength in numbers and can support in many ways. For example, in the UK there is movement to enact a Climate and Nature (CAN) Bill, which would provide the legal framework for this country to protect nature and the environment and take action on climate change. So far this has not been made into law, but every time it gets knocked back in parliament support continues, so I want to be part of the movement to make this official. This also stands for any other relevant campaigns that will make a big impact, whether opposing destructive behaviour or supporting positive new ideas. Our voices stand for a lot and 2026 is the time to use them 💬

• Volunteering – It’s one thing to be concerned about nature loss and the environment and let these feelings make us feel low, then inactive, but it’s much more positive to feel those feelings and then get involved in a practical solution. So this year I want to get involved in local nature projects near me so I can be part of the positive stories of helping nature return and thrive. There are many different ways you can volunteer your time, from practical work to supporting others and taking on admin tasks. I’d really like to combine a few of my goals and do some practical volunteering in the outdoors, supporting the wonderful charities and organisations looking out for our natural spaces and making a difference 🌱

• Time in nature – We know time in nature is so good for our health and wellbeing, and I for one spend a lot of time thinking about it/writing about it (in blog posts like this one). It is easy to fall into the trap of only spending time outdoors when you have the time, so I want to prioritise being in nature, being surrounded by wildlife and living a bit more in tune with the natural world, whether that’s taking camping trips or having tech-free days. There’s a whole world out there to be looked after, and it is also there to be enjoyed ☀️

• Miscellaneous extra ideas! – Finding vegetarian lunchtime recipes for the office (so I can go packaging free), looking at small businesses first when making purchases, getting a refillable kitchen hand soap dispenser (already set up!), continuing to take the train for holidays and travel adventures and eating more fully plant-based meals 🌎

As we’re reminded each year, living sustainably really is a process and develops over time, which gives us the opportunity to refocus each year on what we can do. Imperfect progress is a much more positive mindset than striving for perfection by December and setting goals that you want to work towards will help on the journey to living better and with less impact on the planet. Got ideas of your own goals? Let us know in the comments! And with that, may 2026 be our year of making imperfect progress to be more sustainable. Happy New Year! 🪩