Individual action on climate change

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]

^ "Six key lifestyle changes can help avert the climate crisis, study finds". the Guardian. 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-07.
^ Ripple, William J.; Wolf, Christopher; Newsome, Thomas M; Barnard, Phoebe; Moomaw, William R (November 5, 2019). "World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency". BioScience. doi:10.1093/biosci/biz088. hdl:1808/30278.
^ Crist, Eileen; Ripple, William J.; Ehrlich, Paul R.; Rees, William E.; Wolf, Christopher (2022). "Scientists' warning on population" (PDF). Science of the Total Environment. 845: 157166. Bibcode:2022ScTEn.845o7166C. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157166. PMID 35803428. S2CID 250387801. Our first action call is a direct, global appeal to all women and men to choose none or at most one child. Individuals, especially if they aspire to large families, may pursue adoption, which is a desirable and compassionate choice for children who are here and need to be cared for.
^ Carrington, Damian (31 May 2018). "Avoiding meat and dairy is 'single biggest way' to reduce your impact on Earth". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
^ "COP26: How can an average family afford an electric car? And more questions". BBC News. 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
^ "Emissions inequality—a gulf between global rich and poor – Nicholas Beuret". Social Europe. 2019-04-10. Archived from the original on 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2019-10-26.
^ Westlake, Steve (11 April 2019). "Climate change: yes, your individual action does make a difference". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 2019-12-18. Retrieved 2019-12-09.
^ Lukacs, Martin (July 17, 2017). "Neoliberalism has conned us into fighting climate change as individuals". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
^ Sparkman, Leor Hackel, Gregg (2018-10-26). "Actually, Your Personal Choices Do Make a Difference in Climate Change". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on 2019-11-06. Retrieved 2019-07-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ Vesely, Stepan; Masson, Torsten; Chokrai, Parissa; Becker, Anna M.; Fritsche, Immo; Klöckner, Christian A.; Tiberio, Lorenza; Carrus, Giuseppe; Panno, Angelo (2021). "Climate change action as a project of identity: Eight meta-analyses". Global Environmental Change. 70: 102322. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2021.102322. hdl:11590/396483.
^ "2022-2023 EIB Climate Survey, part 2 of 2: Majority of young Europeans say the climate impact of prospective employers is an important factor when job hunting". EIB.org. Retrieved 2023-03-22.

[:18-1] "Six key lifestyle changes can help avert the climate crisis, study finds". the Guardian. 2022-03-07. Retrieved 2022-03-07.

[:20-2] Ripple, William J.; Wolf, Christopher; Newsome, Thomas M; Barnard, Phoebe; Moomaw, William R (November 5, 2019). "World Scientists' Warning of a Climate Emergency". BioScience. doi:10.1093/biosci/biz088. hdl:1808/30278.

[popwarn-3] Crist, Eileen; Ripple, William J.; Ehrlich, Paul R.; Rees, William E.; Wolf, Christopher (2022). "Scientists' warning on population" (PDF). Science of the Total Environment. 845: 157166. Bibcode:2022ScTEn.845o7166C. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157166. PMID 35803428. S2CID 250387801. Our first action call is a direct, global appeal to all women and men to choose none or at most one child. Individuals, especially if they aspire to large families, may pursue adoption, which is a desirable and compassionate choice for children who are here and need to be cared for.

[4] Carrington, Damian (31 May 2018). "Avoiding meat and dairy is 'single biggest way' to reduce your impact on Earth". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 March 2023.

[5] "COP26: How can an average family afford an electric car? And more questions". BBC News. 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2021-11-12.

[6] "Emissions inequality—a gulf between global rich and poor – Nicholas Beuret". Social Europe. 2019-04-10. Archived from the original on 2019-10-26. Retrieved 2019-10-26.

[7] Westlake, Steve (11 April 2019). "Climate change: yes, your individual action does make a difference". The Conversation. Archived from the original on 2019-12-18. Retrieved 2019-12-09.

[:14-8] Lukacs, Martin (July 17, 2017). "Neoliberalism has conned us into fighting climate change as individuals". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 6, 2019. Retrieved July 13, 2019.

[:15-9] Sparkman, Leor Hackel, Gregg (2018-10-26). "Actually, Your Personal Choices Do Make a Difference in Climate Change". Slate Magazine. Archived from the original on 2019-11-06. Retrieved 2019-07-23.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[10] Vesely, Stepan; Masson, Torsten; Chokrai, Parissa; Becker, Anna M.; Fritsche, Immo; Klöckner, Christian A.; Tiberio, Lorenza; Carrus, Giuseppe; Panno, Angelo (2021). "Climate change action as a project of identity: Eight meta-analyses". Global Environmental Change. 70: 102322. doi:10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2021.102322. hdl:11590/396483.

[:1353-11] "2022-2023 EIB Climate Survey, part 2 of 2: Majority of young Europeans say the climate impact of prospective employers is an important factor when job hunting". EIB.org. Retrieved 2023-03-22.

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