There is a gap between the actions that we think reduce emissions and those that actually do. Individual actions are essential to neutralize the carbon footprint, but many of us may have a distorted perception of what it means to live without polluting. In general, we tend to calm our conscience with small actions such as stopping using single-use plastics or using low-consumption light bulbs. But it’s the big decisions like what we buy, how we heat ourselves, or how we move that have the biggest positive impact on the environment.
The data scientist at the University of Oxford and author of the book It’s Not the End of the World, Hannah Ritchie, makes an optimistic reading about global progress towards reducing CO2 emissions in an article for The Times. However, she believes that many consumers, especially those with greater purchasing power, do not take sufficient advantage of their ability to encourage solutions committed to sustainable development.
59% of the population perceives recycling as an important ecological action, according to a survey by the Ipsos consultancy. The sample of 21,000 people around the world brought recycling to the top of the ranking, above other actions such as using green energy (49%) or clean vehicles (41%). However, if a person who recycles saves 200 kilos of CO2 into the atmosphere, installing a heat pump or switching to a plug-in hybrid will do so by 1.5 and 1.2 tons respectively.
Food was another aspect discussed in this survey. Most people believe that buying local and organic products results in fewer CO2 emissions than choosing imported or intensively produced foods, but this is not always the case. The data analyst reveals that exports and imports represent only 5% of the food industry’s emissions.
On the other hand, organic farms usually need more land and natural fertilizers also pollute. Ritchie believes that the focus should be placed not so much on the origin of what we eat, but on what we eat, since meat production, for example, has a larger carbon footprint than that of most plant foods. A plant-based diet would reduce CO2 by 1.6 tons, but it is only an option perceived as important for 14% of those surveyed.
In short, consumers with medium-high purchasing power can, through their choices, encourage demand for plant-based substitutes, electric cars or solar panels. This will force companies to continue developing these technologies, which will make them cheaper and, therefore, increase the chances of other consumers with fewer resources adopting a more sustainable lifestyle.
