Most People I Know Aren’t Reducing Their Carbon Footprint. Why Should I?

Because you can inspire them to.  

Photo by Maria Thalassinou on Unsplash

Most of us take our cues from our family, friends, colleagues, and business associates. 

If the majority of those around us are indifferent to climate change, there’s a good chance we will be too. 

We’re social creatures; we want to belong, so it’s natural for us to conform to socially acceptable norms and behaviours.

But instead of being a follower, we could be an influencer.

To make a real difference, we need to be willing to do the difficult things. 

It’s easy to talk about being sustainable, but what we do in our daily life when no one’s looking—that’s what truly matters.

It’s not just posting a selfie with our cool new trainers made of recycled plastic (even though that does sound awesome and definitely beats buying regular shoes!). 

But buying more stuff (even sustainable stuff) isn’t going to achieve the kind of major emissions cuts we desperately need to prevent our planet from heating up more.

We can’t buy our way out of global warming. 

It’s ironic that we’re told to buy (more) sustainable goods to solve the climate crisis when it’s this excessive consumerism that’s led to our ecological mess. 

We need to do better. We can do better.

To meaningfully reduce our carbon footprint, we need to make conscious changes to the way we live, work, and consume. 

It’s not easy, especially when these changes go against our local culture or traditions.

I’ve been gradually eating more plant-based foods over the last 5 years, but my diet is primarily flexitarian. My parents, however, feel this isn’t healthy (or normal!). 

Being conservative folks who are highly resistant to change, my parents firmly believe that a healthy meal must consist of rice, meat and/or fish, and vegetables. Whenever I see them, I’ll eat what they eat to keep the peace.

Fortunately, I live in a different city from my parents and am able to insulate them from most of my lifestyle choices (which they wouldn’t understand or approve of!).

Over the years, I’ve also curbed my desire to shop for new clothes (partly because my unpredictable income as a freelancer forces me to prioritise).

I still feel tempted though, when I walk by a beautifully decorated window or see huge SALE signs plastered all over a shop. I feel that yearning for something shiny and new.

But then I ask myself, “Do I REALLY need new clothes/stuff?” and I remind myself that there will always be another big sale next week or next month—which is the problem with our capitalist economy.

My mum, however, cares a lot about what people think. Because of that, she likes to shop for new clothes regularly. For context though, my mum comes from a family of 9 siblings and didn’t have much growing up.

Because of my sparse wardrobe, I often wear old clothes for Chinese New Year, much to my mum’s dismay. 

She finds this indifference strange and often tries to get me to shop for new clothes. I tell her I don’t need to and that I’m happy with what I have. 

It doesn’t bother me how people perceive me, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel conflicted over being the odd one out in my family. 

It’s hard to break ranks and challenge the status quo. It’s uncomfortable to be different.

But someone needs to break the cycle. Why not you and I? 

Photo by Brad Starkey on Unsplash

Our planet needs us to drastically scale back our consumption of its natural resources. 

According to Berlin’s Hot or Cool Institute in their 2022 report entitled “Unfit, Unfair, Unfashionable—Resizing Fashion for a Fair Consumption Space”: 

“The fashion sector is on the way to doubling its emissions of climate-damaging gasses by 2030 (UNEP, 2019), and it could uptake over a quarter of the world’s carbon budget by 2050 (carbon budget based on a 2-degree scenario).”

The Hot or Cool Institute researchers found that “we should only be purchasing five new garments a year in order to stay in line with the Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5℃, if nothing else changes.”

This doesn’t mean we can’t buy new things or enjoy life. It just means we need to appreciate what we have a whole lot more than we covet what we don’t.

Photo by Brigitte Tohm on Unsplash

And if our family and friends don’t get it, it’s our job to show them why reducing our carbon footprint matters.

We can make a difference just by making a stand and inspiring those around us to join in. 

Is social approval preventing you from embracing a more sustainable lifestyle? If not, what is?