A while ago, at a sustainability summit, a speaker said something that stood out to me. The speaker was a respected economist with great insight into tech investments and capital movements.
He said: “Let me be clear. We already have all the knowledge, technology, and solutions to reverse global warming. The only thing we need to do now is scaling the solutions.”
To me, that was a wow moment.
“Yes, that’s exactly what we need,” I thought. “We are likely delaying the green revolution by focusing so much on the tiny individual contributions - and overstating the role of the individual seems to paralyze us rather than empower us.”
This is a systemic change, not driven by individual moral choices.
Don’t get me wrong, individual action is essential. And character traits like austerity are invaluable. But framing them as central to the solution to global warming is plain wrong.
Katherine Hayhoe shows in her bestseller “Saving Us - a climate scientist’s Case for Hope and Healing in a divided world” that even if every single climate-concerned individual in all Western countries combined did all the sustainable choices in our everyday lives - doing as much as humanly possible to reduce our carbon footprint - we still would be nowhere near reaching the Paris Agreement 1,5 degree target.
This is a systemic problem, solved by systemic changes. We save the planet through politics, regulations, correct pricing of natural resources - (carbon pricing in particular), climate risk assessment, multilateral agreements, technology, and green investments.
At the point where it is economically irrational to act unsustainable, we win.
Just living in a developed country makes it almost impossible to live sustainably. Why? Because the economy is so fossil-fueled that even homeless people have an unsustainable carbon footprint (as a Stanford University Study uncovered).
The fossil fuel industry invented the term Carbon Footprint
Did you know that the term “Carbon Footprint” was designed by British Petroleum?
By reading the “Carbon Almanac,” I was fascinated to learn that the concept of “Carbon footprint” was created by advertising agency Ogilvy and Mather for British Petroleum. The goal is to shift the spotlight from energy companies to consumers, making us feel like hypocrites and not take coordinated action.
In 2005 British Petroleum popularized the term through an advertising campaign. It included a tool to measure your (not their) carbon footprint. And it became a huge success.
What a massive cover-up!
I discussed this in another blog post: https://www.pederspeaks.com/post/what-s-the-role-of-the-individual-in-saving-the-planet
According to the Carbon Majors Report produced by the Colorado-based Climate Accountability Institute, one hundred fossil fuel companies have emitted 70 percent of the world’s heat-trapping gasses since 1988.
And, even more tellingly, the top eight have accounted for almost 20 percent of global carbon emissions from fossil fuels and cement production since the Industrial Revolution.
We wish to act but need viable options within a new system.
Interestingly, we see a pattern in most Western societies; most of the population wishes to consume sustainably. But there is a considerable gap between intentions and actions. No wonder sustainable alternatives often are less available and more expensive.
Even more interesting are surveys showing that a growing number of people demand stronger regulation - people feel the mismatch between political goals and the actual prices of available goods and services in the market.
Why is it still so much cheaper to buy the products and services we know harm the environment the most?
The market cannot solve this problem; it must be solved by political action, regulation, and clear economic incentives.
While it's important to encourage individual action, we have a habit of overemphasizing how much an individual can actually contribute to solving the massive problem of climate change.
Why overstating the role of the individual fails
There’s already an entire economic system working against the individual. Our global economy is built on fossil fuels and unsustainable energy. And people know this.
So when we tell them to sacrifice their daily comforts that they don’t believe are big enough to make a global difference, it can lead to helplessness and apathy.
What to do instead
This is where I disagree with conventional wisdom.
In response to the problem of “present bias” (we tend to prioritize immediate concerns over long-term consequences), many climate communicators focus on short-term, individual actions, like:
Use paper straws instead of plastic.
Install solar panels.
Spend hours sorting your recycling.
It’s all part of the same message:
“You can save the planet today! Just one small act from you, but imagine if we all worked together? Let’s do this!”
This is just another version of the “Imagine if…” message.
Except, most people don’t believe that their small actions, however simple to achieve, will make a big enough impact to matter.
Instead of focusing on individual actions, climate communicators should focus on the more significant, systemic issues that contribute to climate change, such as the role of corporations, governments, and international organizations in promoting sustainable practices.
There are several good examples of organizations and businesses that address the need for systemic changes instead of overstating the role of the individual:
Example 1: The Carbon Almanac
The Carbon Almanac Network is a team of over 300 researchers, writers, artists, and chart specialists in 40 countries, ranging in age from students to seniors.
In this unprecedented collaboration, a network of concerned citizens volunteered to work together to kickstart conversations about the most critical issue of our time - climate.
Regarding the climate, we don’t need more marketing or anxiety. We need facts and a plan for collective action - Seth Godin
The climate is the fundamental issue of our time, and now we face a critical decision: Whether to be optimistic or fatalistic, professing skepticism or taking action.
We can barely agree on what is happening. We urgently need facts, not opinions. Insights, not statistics. And a shift from thinking about climate change as a “me” problem to a “we” problem.
The Carbon Almanac is a once-in-a-lifetime collaboration between hundreds of writers, researchers, thinkers, and illustrators that focuses on what we know, what has come before, and what might happen next.
The book uses cartoons, quotes, illustrations, tables, histories, and articles to show carbon’s impact on our food system, ocean acidity, agriculture, energy, biodiversity, extreme weather events, the economy, human health, and best and worst-case scenarios.
Visually engaging and built to share, The Carbon Almanac is the definitive source of facts and the basis for a global movement to fight climate change.
People like us do things like this
For so many people, the problem is utterly overwhelming, and we don’t know where we can help other than to do the things we know are right, like recycling.
Reading the book, I realized that the way we can help is to learn as much as possible and spread the word to people we know. That’s where The Carbon Almanac comes in.
People trust people that are like them. So it is vital for all of us concerned about global warming to use our voice in our social network and describe the problem based on our beliefs, values, and identity. That’s where the power lies in spreading the knowledge base for collective action.
Example 2: The EU Green Deal and The EU Taxonomy
The EU Green Deal is a comprehensive and ambitious plan introduced by the European Commission in 2019. It outlines the EU's strategy to make Europe the world's first climate-neutral continent by 2050 and transform its economy into a sustainable and resource-efficient model.
The Green Deal encompasses various policy initiatives and measures to tackle climate change, preserve biodiversity, and foster a just and inclusive transition.
The EU taxonomy is closely related to the EU Green Deal as it is a critical tool for implementing and achieving the objectives outlined in the Green Deal. The taxonomy provides a framework for defining and identifying environmentally sustainable economic activities, ensuring investments and policies align with the Green Deal's goals.
It helps determine which economic activities contribute to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and other environmental objectives the Green Deal sets.
The taxonomy supports the Green Deal by:
Enabling sustainable finance: The EU Green Deal emphasizes mobilizing significant financial resources to support sustainable investments and projects. The taxonomy plays a crucial role by providing a classification system that enables investors and financial institutions to identify sustainable activities and direct capital toward them.
Driving transition and innovation: The Green Deal aims to drive the transition to a climate-neutral economy by promoting sustainable practices and fostering innovation. The taxonomy provides clear criteria for environmental sustainability, encouraging businesses to develop and adopt sustainable technologies, processes, and business models.
Ensuring transparency and credibility: The EU Green Deal aims to prevent greenwashing, which refers to misleading claims about the environmental benefits of products, services, or investments. The taxonomy establishes a standardized and transparent framework for assessing the environmental performance of economic activities.
Coordinating efforts across the EU: The Green Deal is a comprehensive and cross-cutting initiative that requires coordination and collaboration among EU member states. The taxonomy provides a harmonized and consistent approach to defining environmental sustainability, ensuring that all member states adhere to the same standards.
In summary, the EU Green Deal and the EU taxonomy are interconnected initiatives to drive the transition to a sustainable and climate-neutral economy.
Systemic changes are happening right now in all parts of the world.
There are several collective climate initiatives similar to the EU Green Deal that countries and regions worldwide have launched. Here are a few notable examples:
United States: The United States has implemented various climate initiatives. The Biden administration introduced the Build Back Better Plan, which includes investments in clean energy, climate resilience, and the goal of achieving a carbon-free power sector by 2035. Additionally, the United States rejoined the Paris Agreement, a global treaty to combat climate change.
United Kingdom: The UK has established the Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, which outlines measures to accelerate the transition to a low-carbon economy. It includes targets for offshore wind, hydrogen, electric vehicles, and other sustainable technologies. The UK is also committed to achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
China: China launched the National Carbon Emission Trading System (ETS) in 2021, the world's most extensive emissions trading system. It covers vital sectors and aims to help reduce carbon emissions and promote the transition to a low-carbon economy. China has also set a goal to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.
Canada: Canada has implemented the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change, which outlines measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase renewable energy generation, and enhance climate resilience. Canada has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
South Korea: South Korea has introduced the Green New Deal, a comprehensive plan to stimulate economic growth while transitioning to a low-carbon economy. It includes investments in renewable energy, eco-friendly transportation, and green infrastructure. South Korea aims to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Japan: Japan has announced the Green Growth Strategy, which targets renewable energy adoption, hydrogen utilization, and decarbonization of key industries. Japan aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 and has implemented policies to support this transition.
Example 3: Ellen MacArthur Foundation
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation is a non-profit organization that creates evidence-based original research on the benefits of a circular economy and how it can contribute to solving global challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss.
The Foundation claims to provide evidence that the transition to a circular economy is the most significant business opportunity since the industrial revolution. Imagine if we started looking at used resources like capital rather than waste!
Gareth Kane writes in "The Green Executive" that the global economy is highly inefficient regarding resource utilization. Out of all the raw materials extracted annually, only 6 percent are final products. The rest becomes waste.
Of the remaining 6 percent, only 20 percent have a more than six months lifespan.
This means that 98.8 percent of all extracted raw materials become waste shortly after. A system that doesn't rely on the circular use of such raw materials must eventually collapse.
Humans don’t have a pollution problem; they have a design problem.
Going from linear to circular growth
A circular economy is an economic model that aims to minimize waste and promote sustainable resource use by keeping products, materials, and resources in circulation for as long as possible.
This approach can play a significant role in addressing the climate crisis. Here's how:
Resource conservation: A circular economy focuses on reducing the extraction of natural resources by prioritizing the efficient use and recycling of existing materials.
Waste reduction and recycling: In a circular economy, waste is considered valuable. Instead of being discarded, products and materials are designed to be reused, repaired, or recycled.
Energy efficiency: Circular economy principles encourage using renewable energy sources and energy-efficient technologies.
Extended product lifespan: In a linear economy, products are often designed for a single-use or short lifespan, leading to a continuous cycle of production and disposal. In a circular economy, emphasis is placed on durability, reparability, and modularity.
Innovation and new business opportunities: Circular economy principles foster innovation by promoting new business models, such as product-as-a-service or sharing platforms. These models encourage access over ownership, which can reduce overall consumption and the associated carbon footprint.
By adopting circular economy principles, we can move away from the current "take-make-dispose" model and transition towards a more sustainable and regenerative system.
This shift not only helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change but also contributes to the conservation of natural resources, the protection of ecosystems, and the promotion of a more resilient and equitable economy.
The Snowball Effect
Once we focus at
Huge, systemic change, enabling the individual to act according to their willingness to consume sustainably; That’s how we save the planet!
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