Sustainability - 9. What can each one of us do?

9. What can each one of us do?

The question of what each one of us can do to make the world a more sustainable place is not easy to answer.

Maybe we individuals can make the greatest difference,

if we take other people with us on the path to sustainable development,

if we act together and network locally and globally,

if we push for fundamental changes in politics, so that it listens again to the voice of the people and not only to the voice of the big companies and banks,

if we reduce our collective consumption by just ten percent, because that would already have a major impact on many of the most polluting activities of our economy.
Translated from Graeme Maxton. 2018. Change! Warum wir eine radikale Wende brauchen.

It is important that now many people tackle individual behavioural changes. But these will only become effective together with structural changes in our society.

We need both systemic transformation and individual behavioural changes. One without the other will not get us to the necessary scale of change at the necessary pace.
Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac. 2020. The Future We Choose - Surviving the Climate Crisis.

Each of us can immediately take 5 measures, making an effective contribution to the protection of the environment and climate.

1. Demand radical reforms from politics.

Vote for politicians who are committed to an effective, sustainable climate and environmental protection.

2. Consume less.

3. Less time sitting in the car and on the plane.

4. Eat less meat and dairy products.

5. Plant a tree.
Or support one of the many projects that plant trees worldwide.

In addressing climate change, few actions are as critical, as urgent, or as simple as planting trees.
Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac. 2020. The Future We Choose - Surviving the Climate Crisis.

Download PDF - Flyer 5 measures

living sustainably

9. What can each one of us do?