Here’s the best climate news we’ve got: We know what’s causing the climate crisis. We know how to stop it. And the solutions are ours for the taking.

But just because the answer is straightforward doesn’t make it easy. Some climate solutions are big and require billions in investment (like remaking our energy grid). Others are small and virtually free (like riding our bike instead of driving). But all are achievable.

This week, we want to zero in on the low-hanging fruit of climate solutions: energy efficiency. No, it’s not as flashy as electric cars or solar energy, but improving energy efficiency is one of the highest-impact ways to reduce emissions at a relatively low cost. What’s not to like about that?

Energy efficiency is the “first fuel”

We can think of energy efficiency as the process of improving a technology or activity so that it requires less energy. The more energy efficient we make our systems through enhancements, upgrades, or broad standards, the less actual fuel we use while performing the same activities. That’s the case whether we’re heating our homes or manufacturing consumer goods.

Considered this way, energy efficiency—nicknamed the “first fuel” by the head of the International Energy Agency—is actually our largest energy resource and the most reliable and controllable form of energy security. It’s what we should lean into as energy demand grows, rather than turning to increased fuel production. In fact, efficiency improvements alone, using existing, affordable technology, can cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2050—all while the global economy grows. That warrants a spot at the top of our climate action agenda.

How do we improve energy efficiency?

Some strategies are more complex and will take time to implement. We’re talking big things like updating federal efficiency standards for home appliances and cars or overhauling local building codes (as Colorado, New York, Washington, and numerous cities around the country recently did). But even as we await those broader changes, many efficiency solutions are at our fingertips. Weatherproofing drafty buildings, installing heat-reflecting cool roofs, or even swapping out incandescent bulbs for LEDs are all straightforward and cheap ways to make a big dent in our energy consumption.

How can I support energy efficiency in my life?

• For an easy win: Weather-strip drafty windows and doors to keep cool air inside during the summer and outside during the winter. (Heating and cooling make up more than half of the average home’s energy consumption.) And check out our guide to other small but effective home efficiency tweaks.
• For the best investment: If you’re going to do one large upgrade, make it a heat pump. These heating and cooling systems can be as much as 4.5 times more efficient than gas-powered alternatives. (Luckily, new federal tax rebates can take thousands off the price tag.)
• For the long haul: Remember that energy efficiency solutions will be driven by policy decisions at the local and national levels. Support policies that see energy efficiency as vital climate action and make sure your legislators do too.

Energy efficiency is, of course, just one piece of the puzzle. We cover dozens of other climate solutions—from electric cars to carbon sinks—in our in-depth guide. And stay tuned as we dig into a few more throughout the rest of January.

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