The world is on fire: what to DO about climate change

The world is literally on fire. So, what are we going to DO?

In my bubble, here in northern Europe, every day we seem to have a new “unprecedented” weather thing to deal with. Generational weather events are happening multiple times a year. Unprecedented heatwaves. Wildfires. Windstorms. Drought.

I know many of us in the impact community (and far beyond!) strive to live by our values, and environmental issues are hardwired into our sense of living responsibly.

I grew up in the UK in the 1980s and 1990s, and my sense of environmental responsibility was shaped by as Greenpeace, Friends Of The Earth and the World Wildlife Fund. The hot issues were around extinctions, biodiversity and deforestation – problems happening in places far away. (Of course, little attention was paid to how the UK had massively deforested itself. I really hope the ‘white saviour’ and colonial overtones of previous environmentalist movements are a thing of the past.)

But now, environmental awareness and impact are issues that start in our daily lives, and increasingly impact on them. If you’re not struggling with some element of climate anxiety – well, maybe you should be.

What can we DO, then?

When I told my husband I’d write a blog on what to do about climate change, he said, “Well that’s already been done.” And he’s right, of course (for once – haha). There are tons of resources online about individual actions we can take to make a difference.

Two good ones are:

– Act Now Speak Up, by the UN Environment Programme

– Count Us In, a community with global partners including UN agencies and TED

These are both easy, digestible to-do lists that any of us can work through. The harder thing, though, is to actually DO them.

But is it worth it, anyway?

Working in social impact, you have to be prepared to tackle large-scale problems without being intimidated by the seemingly overwhelming scale of them. All the same, I don’t want to be naive.

So what is the honest, honest answer to the question – is it worth it?

To answer this, let’s look at two main arguments that I’ve heard friends and family make towards inertia:

1. Individual actions make very little difference.

2. It’s the global architecture that needs to change – industries like travel, agriculture, automobile, etc. It’s on the politicians to fix this, not on me. 

Let’s take a quick look at these in more detail.

1. Individual actions make little difference.

OK, so one household’s efforts aren’t going to stop climate change single-handedly, sure. So why do it?

First – it feels good. We can simply derive meaning and pleasure from doing the right thing. Do you love plastic packaging so much? Is it a luxury you enjoy, to leave phone chargers plugged in when you’re not using them? I bet it’s not something you even consider. On the other hand, making climate-friendly choices can repay us with a little endorphin kick, as well as contributing to something bigger. Seems like a win-win to me.

Second – we can make an impact.  Consumer behaviour has a huge impact on brands and fiscal policy alike. So if we show brands and politicians (through our purchasing choices, yes, and also directly, why not) that we want environmentally sustainable ways to spend our money, they will follow the market and respond. Influencing at that level does depend on volume, certainly. But if you’ve ever met our colleague Jessica you will know how inspiring one vegan woman’s ripple effect can be. A committed vegan since the age of 16, she has since inspired her parents to go veggie/vegan, and is showing her wider network how doable it is. Over time, one woman’s informed action has become three, then ten changed lives.

2. Only politics and policies can solve the problem.

Yes, being an individual faced with these global issues can make you feel really small.

Polluting industries are politically powerful and often hypocritical on climate: promoting sustainability in their marketing narrative while in reality they are exploiting earth’s resources. It’s this kind of behaviour that gives “ESG” and “CSR” a bad reputation.

The sad thing, though, is that they operate on our behalf. Why do we need to pull minerals out the ground? To meet our insatiable need for microchips. Why do we need to make so much concrete? To build houses to accommodate the growing population. Why do we need carbon-intensive steel? Because people still want to own multiple cars. Businesses don’t exist unless someone is buying what they sell.

Not that that gets them off the hook for pollution, of course. And it only reinforces arguments for an equitable response to climate change that takes account of the global north’s centuries of pollution as well as the global south’s urgent development needs. I’m glad to be alive at a time when these old narratives are being realigned.

Back to the argument, though. If you live in a democracy then rather than climate change being up to the politicians, it’s actually up to you – since you, and everyone else, are the politicians’ boss. You have to tell them what you want and keep them on the hook for it. Here is a tool for quickly and easily lobbying your local representative for more action on climate change. 

Climate change, while a very serious issue, has been surrounded by over complicated and unrelatable jargon, and has become a topic that many people avoid simply because of a feeling of helplessness. But we cannot allow that feeling to overtake and blind us from very real and feasible actions we can take to repair our planet. Every resource we use comes from somewhere, and we have the power to be more mindful of what resources we use, and how much. So next time you run down to the shop, take a reusable bag with you! If you can afford to, switch to clean products. Switch to the shampoo that can be refilled instead of buying a new bottle every time. Littles things like these are often overlooked, yet have a massive impact. That’s less bottles of shampoo wasted every year; that matters. Your vote is your voice. Your vote has an impact. It sounds bleak at first but remember; the climate change emergency is a race we are losing, but it is a race we can win. We just need to get moving.

For more advice on how we can support your sustainability goals through communication and strategy, contact us or reach out to us on LinkedIn.

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