Individual action on climate change
What people can do individually to limit climate change / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Individual action on climate change can include personal choices with regards to diet, travel, lifestyle, consumption of goods and services, family size and so on. Individuals can also get active in local and political advocacy work around climate action. People who wish to reduce their carbon footprint (particularly those in high income countries with high consumption lifestyles), can for example reduce air travel and driving cars, they can eat mainly a plant-based diet, use consumer products for longer,[1] or have fewer children.[2][3] Avoiding meat and dairy foods has been called "the single biggest way" how an individual can reduce their environmental impact.[4] Scholars find that excessive consumption is more to blame for climate change than population increase.[5] High consumption lifestyles have a greater environmental impact, with the richest 10% of people emitting about half the total lifestyle emissions.[6][7]
Some commentators say that actions taken by individual consumers, such as adopting a sustainable lifestyle, are insignificant compared to actions on the political level.[8] Others say that individual action does lead to collective action because "lifestyle change can build momentum for systemic change."[9][10]
According to a 2022 survey conducted by the European Investment Bank, climate change is the second most pressing issue confronting Europeans. Over three-quarters of respondents (72%) believe that their individual actions can make a difference in tackling the climate issue.[11]