How individuals
can drive climate
action
Australian Centre for Education & Training
WWW.ACET-GLOBAL.COM
How anyone and everyone can be a part of the solution
Orlando Buttie
Monash University, School of Earth, Atmosphere & Environment
Kinjal Sharma
August 2020
Contents
Key points .................................................................................................................. 1
Introduction ................................................................................................................ 2
Making your money work for you ............................................................................... 4
Sustainable food habits .............................................................................................. 4
Family planning .......................................................................................................... 5
Transport .................................................................................................................... 5
Energy Conservation .................................................................................................. 6
Renewable energy ..................................................................................................... 6
Ted talks links: ........................................................................................................... 7
Further resources: ...................................................................................................... 7
References ............................................................................................................... 10
0
Key points
1. Talk about climate change and encourage your friends and family to take
climate actions with you
2. Ensuring your money aligns with your values and is promoting sustainable
industries.
3. Practice removing the things you don’t need, reducing the things that do have
a harmful impact and substitute for more sustainable alternatives
4. Small changes in your diet or transport habits can add up to big carbon
reduction impacts over a lifetime
5. The City of Melbourne’s app ‘One Small Step’ gives you tailored programs to
help you cut your carbon footprint, making green living simple, easy and fun.
6. It’s not too late and it is up to everyone to do what we can
1
Introduction
Now that we know what climate change is, its causes and its potential impacts from
our first two documents, it’s time to take some action!
Here, we outline and provide some food for thought as to what we—as individuals—
can do. How we can be the change we want to see in the world. This is a brief
overview of the different ways in which you can take some action, so feel free to dive
into our additional resources and especially talk about climate action with other
people!
These steps can start from producing clean energy, wasting less, using local
transport to changing our eating habits and conserving energy wherever and
whenever we can.
Don’t get us wrong, this can be tough. Some of the smallest things we do can add
up, over a lifetime to have big impacts. Likewise, small changes can also add up
whether this is switching super, going meatless Mondays or taking public transport
one day a week. That is, every little thing counts. And while you may not ‘feel’ you
are contributing or making a change—this could be a good thing as the impacts due
to climate change we will definitely feel but they won’t be the things we want to.
What you do counts. We are facing a climate crisis, so let’s treat it like one.
2
1. Growing your awareness of the urgency of the climate crisis
We have tried to help you here with our first two documents on climate change
science and its impacts, so feel free to check this out.
Having a good understanding of the problem is a great place to start as it gives you a
strong ‘why’ for the following actions and decisions you can make.
2. Talk to others about it!
A major obstacle to climate action is that people might find it difficult to connect the
issue to their daily lives. Most Australians are genuinely concerned about climate
change, but too many see it as a distant threat.
The effects of climate change are here. By keeping the crisis in front of mind we can
keep the action at the front of discourse, policymaking and individual’s decisions to
minimise the devastation while we still can. Encouraging your friends and family to
take some steps, small or big with you to double your impact.
The effects of climate change can seem terrifying, but we shouldn’t let this scare us
into ignoring the problem. People have experienced many challenges before and
climate change is solvable and we need to work together as a global community.
3. Making sustainable choices which reduce your carbon emissions
Essentially everything we do takes energy, and if that energy is sourced from fossil
fuels like coal, oil or gas it’s emissions are warming the planet. The following three
words act as guiding principles for the following changes you can make to help take
action towards improving our climate.
Remove the things we don’t need
Reduce the things we do which have a harmful impact
Substitute for more sustainable alternatives
3
Making your money work for you
Is your superannuation or bank actively contributing to the consumption of fossil
fuels? Find out: https://www.marketforces.org.au/info/compare-bank-table/
You can make the switch to a carbon-neutral bank or better yet, one that invests in a
more sustainable future.
If you are also interested in investing, there are many ‘sustainable’ or ethical options
to choose from to promote sustainable industries.
Sustainable food habits
A Plant-rich diet
The meat and dairy sector – are one of the most important contributors to climate
change. If cattle were their own nation, they would be the world’s third-largest emitter
of greenhouse gases, after China and the US.1 By reducing your consumption of
animal protein by half, you can cut your diet's carbon footprint by more than 40%.
Change the perspective: eat more vegetables. You don’t have to ‘miss out’ on meat,
just eat more veggies. The Australia Health 2018 report found more than 99 per cent
of children and 96 per cent of adults don't eat the recommended intake of five serves
of vegetables a day.2
Eating local
If your food comes from the other side of the world or even country, consider similar
foods which are farmed closer to home. Importing food (or any product for that
matter) requires energy, usually in the form of fossil fuels to transport it long
distances. Not to mention packaging, fertilisers and waste which collectively
contribute towards environmental degradation.
4
Waste less
Rising levels of greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere are causing changes in
our climate, and some of these changes can be traced to solid waste. The
manufacture, distribution, and use of products as well as management of the
resulting waste-all result in greenhouse gas emissions.
Composting
Food waste that goes to compost rather than landfill, can avoid degrading in anoxic
(without oxygen) conditions and producing methane (a potent greenhouse gas). It
also supports healthier soils and can make you feel more connected to nature.3
Family planning
Having one fewer child could have the largest effect in reducing one’s carbon
footprint over a lifetime. This emphasises the importance of empowering women and
girls around the world to take control of their lives with access to family planning.
Yes, improving equality is a climate change strategy! The Drawdown project lists this
as the number one solution to reducing carbon dioxide emissions.4 If you are
passionate about equality, particularly in developing nations, you can still contribute
to climate action.
Transport
Going car-free is another highly effective measure to reduce your carbon footprint.5
Opt for public transport, walking or cycling. More and more cycling paths are being
created. This can also be applied to where you’re choosing to live next, making it
closer to work or uni, or with accessible public transport options.
Flights, especially overseas, are the most carbon-intensive form of transport. Could
you travel less frequently? And then when you do travel stay longer and more local?
Could you fly shorter distances? Or as a last resort, could you use a carbon offset
service to reduce your footprint.
5
Energy Conservation
Energy efficiency is key to the transformation
of energy systems and will play an important
role in cutting the growth of world energy
demand to one-third of the current rate by
2040. The figure below shows that energy
used for heating indoor spaces uses about
27x more energy than lighting. Putting that
jumper on before turning on the heater can
make a big difference to your carbon footprint
Figure source: IEA 2020.6
The City of Melbourne’s app ‘One Small Step’ provides you with tailored programs to
help you cut your carbon footprint, they use behavioural science to make green living
simple, easy and fun. Find out your carbon footprint: www.onesmallstepapp.com/
Renewable energy
Renewables like wind and solar are some of the cheapest and consumer
empowering energy source. Most of the conventional energy production world-wide
use already depleting natural reserves such as fossil fuels which in turn contribute to
greenhouse gas emissions.
6
Ted talks links:
Fighting Climate Change in a Post-COVID Brave New World by Lian Pin Koh
https://www.ted.com/talks/lian_pin_koh_fighting_climate_change_in_a_post_covid_b
rave_new_world
Every Day You Live, You Impact The Planet by Jane Goodall
https://www.ted.com/talks/jane_goodall_every_day_you_live_you_impact_the_planet
How to Turn Climate Anxiety into Action by Renee Lertzman
https://www.ted.com/talks/renee_lertzman_how_to_turn_climate_anxiety_into_action
/up-next
The Economic Benefits of Climate Action by Marcelo Mena
https://www.ted.com/talks/marcelo_mena_the_economic_benefits_of_climate_action
/up-next
What Can I Do to Stop Climate Change? by Klaus Lackner,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oOMRl8RLGI
Further resources:
Climate change: yes, your individual action does make a difference
(https://theconversation.com/climate-change-yes-your-individual-action-does-make-
a-difference-115169)
5 simple ways you can tackle climate change
(https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/5-ways-you-can-tackle-climate-change-on-the-
daily/)
Can people power drive action on climate change? (https://theconversation.com/can-
people-power-drive-action-on-climate-change-33155)
WWF's curriculum-linked climate change resources for classroom usage.
(https://www.wwf.org.uk/get-involved/schools/resources/climate-change-resources)
How big is your environmental footprint. (https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/)
7
Healthy and sustainable food recipes that are good for the planet.
(https://www.wwf.org.uk/recipes)
Five ways in which we can fight the climate crisis.
(https://www.wwf.org.uk/updates/5-ways-you-can-fight-climate-crisis)
Resources to various climate change poetry.
(https://www.monash.edu/mcccrh/projects/climate-change-poetry)
'Climate Hackers,' a short documentary describing the last-ditch solutions of
scientists for slowing global warming. (https://www.abc.net.au/foreign/climate-
hackers/10850542)
Climate Action Toolkit designed by Climate Council.
(https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/climate-action-
toolkit.pdf)
The Drawdown review, a project reviewing current climate change solutions.
(https://www.drawdown.org/drawdown-framework/drawdown-review-2020)
An interactive report by ABC News, highlighting, how you can efficiently use your
money to prevent climate change. (https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-17/what-
youd-spend-to-halt-climate-change-and-what-you-could-get/11784704?nw=0)
How global warming has changed the world since your childhood.
(https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-12-06/how-climate-change-has-impacted-your-
life/11766018?nw=0)
United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals.
(https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/)
How To Talk To Climate Change Deniers, by ASAP Science.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M29ns1rUSE)
8
The diet that helps fight climate change, by Vox.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUnJQWO4YJY)
A short video by Kurzgesagt explaining how the meat industry is deteriorating the
climate. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NxvQPzrg2Wg)
Climate Outreach’s main website, with essential climate change resources.
(https://climateoutreach.org/)
A report by Climate Council, explaining how climate change related communications
have evolved during Covid-19 crisis
(https://climateoutreach.org/resources/communicating-climate-change-during-covid-
19-crisis-evidence/)
A news article by SBS explaining how Australians don’t eat enough vegetables.
(https://www.sbs.com.au/news/australians-don-t-eat-enough-vegetables-report-
finds#:~:text=Nearly%20all%20Australians%20aren't,serves%20of%20vegetables%20a%20day.)
A detailed article explaining the role that energy efficiency plays in Climate Change
planning. (https://www.wri.org/climate/expert-perspective/role-energy-efficiency-long-term-climate-change-
planning)
An information page from the United States Environmental Protection Agency that
explains the links between waste management and greenhouse gases.
(https://archive.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/tools/payt/web/html/factfin.html#:~:text=Rising%20levels%20of%20gre
enhouse%20gases,result%20in%20greenhouse%20gas%20emissions)
An information page by the UNFCCC that explains how composting waste treatment
can combat both poverty and climate change. (https://unfccc.int/climate-action/momentum-for-
change/planetary-health/composting-waste-treatment-an-ecological-solution-to-poverty-and-climate-
change#:~:text=The%20compost%20that%20SOIL%20produces,dioxide%20out%20of%20the%20atmosphere.
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References
1 Arguedas Ortiz, D. (2020). Climate Change- What Can I Do About It and Other
Questions. BBC Future, Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/science-
environment-51134254.
2 Rimmer, M. (2018). Australians don't eat enough vegetables, report finds. SBS
News. Retrieved from https://www.sbs.com.au/news/australians-don-t-eat-
enough-vegetables-report-
finds#:~:text=Nearly%20all%20Australians%20aren't,serves%20of%20vegeta
bles%20a%20day
3 UNFCCC. (2020). Composting Waste Treatment: An Ecological Solution to Poverty
and Climate Change | Haiti. Retrieved from https://unfccc.int/climate-
action/momentum-for-change/planetary-health/composting-waste-treatment-
an-ecological-solution-to-poverty-and-climate-
change#:~:text=The%20compost%20that%20SOIL%20produces,dioxide%20
out%20of%20the%20atmosphere.
4 Project Drawdown. (2020). Health and Education. Retrieved from
https://www.drawdown.org/solutions/health-and-education.
5 Wynes, S. & Nicholas, K. A. (2017). The climate mitigation gap: education and
government recommendations miss the most effective individual actions.
Environmental Research Letters. 12(7).
6 International Energy Agency (2020). Residential in selected IEA countries: energy
per floor area, 2000 compared to 2018. https://www.iea.org/data-and-
statistics/charts/residential-in-selected-iea-countries-energy-per-floor-area-
2000-compared-to-2018
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