Individual action on climate change

Individual action on climate change describes the personal choices that people can make to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions of their lifestyles and catalyze climate action. These actions can focus directly on how choices create emissions, such as reducing consumption of meat or flying, or can focus more on inviting political action on climate or creating greater awareness of how society can become greener. Excessive consumption is a significant contributor to climate change and other environmental issues, and in 2022 some said population increase is too. High consumption lifestyles have a significant environmental impact, with the richest 10% of people emitting about half the total lifestyle emissions. Creating changes in personal lifestyle, can change social and market conditions leading to less environmental impact. People who wish to reduce their carbon footprint (particularly those in high income countries with high consumption lifestyles), can for example reduce their air travel for holidays, use bicycles instead of cars on a daily basis, eat a plant-based diet, and use consumer products for longer. Avoiding meat and dairy products has been called the single biggest way individuals can reduce their environmental impact while implementing small changes in their daily lives. Some commentators say that actions taken by individual consumers, such as adopting a sustainable lifestyle, are insignificant compared to actions on the political level. Others say that individual action does lead to collective action because "lifestyle change can build momentum for systemic change."

Suggested individual target amount

As of 2025, the remaining carbon budget for a two-thirds chance of staying below 2 degrees of warming is 900 bn tons of CO2 or 20 years at 2019 emission rates. Global average greenhouse gas per person per year in the mid 2020s was about 7 tons – including 0.7 tons CO2eq food, 1.1 tons from the home, and 0.8 tons from transport. Of this about 5 tons was actual carbon dioxide. To meet the Paris Agreement target of under 2 degrees of warming by the end of the century, it was suggested in 2025 that each person should have a carbon footprint of 4 or 5 tonnes per year. Per capita emissions vary significantly within countries, with wealthier individuals creating more emissions. A 2015 Oxfam report calculated that the wealthiest 10% of the global population were responsible for half of all greenhouse gas emissions. According to a 2021 report by the UN, the wealthiest 5% contributed nearly 40% of emissions growth from 1990 to 2015. The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report pointed out in 2022: "To enhance well-being, people demand services and not primary energy and physical resources per se. Focusing on demand for services and the different social and political roles people play broadens the participation in climate action." The report explains that behavior, lifestyle, and cultural change have a high climate change mitigation potential in some sectors, particularly when complementing technological and structural change.

Meaning of "lifestyle carbon footprint" The carbon footprint was originally coined and popularized by the ad campaign Beyond Petroleum in 2004–2006, funded by British Petroleum (BP), for which other have accused them of popularizing to downplay their own culpability. In 2008 the World Health Organization wrote that "Your 'carbon footprint' is a measure of the impact your activities have on the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) produced through the burning of fossil fuels". In 2019 the Institute for Global Environmental Strategies in Japan defined "lifestyle carbon footprint" as "GHG emissions directly emitted and indirectly induced from the final consumption of households, excluding those induced by government consumption and capital formation such as infrastructure." However an Oxfam and SEI study in 2020 estimated per capita CO2 emissions rather than CO2-equivalent, and allocated all consumption emissions to individuals rather than just household consumption. According to a 2020 review many academic studies do not properly explain the scope of the "personal carbon footprint" they study.

Travel and commuting A comparison of travel options shows: Walking and running are among the least environmentally harmful modes of transportation. Cycling follows walking and running as having a low impact on the environment. Public transport such as electric buses, metro and electric trains generally emit less greenhouse gases than cars per passenger.

Walking and biking Walking and biking emit little to no greenhouse gases and are healthy alternatives to driving or riding public transportation. There are also increasing numbers of bike-sharing services in urban environments, including ebikes. Walking or biking reduces CO₂ emissions by nearly 5%, and up to 9.5% if widely adopted in cities. It is not just a healthy action; it is a real way to shrink carbon footprint.

Public transport Reliable public transportation can be one of the most viable alternatives to driving personal vehicles. While there are efficiency problems associated with public transportation (waiting times, missed transfers, unreliable schedules, energy consumption), they can be improved as funding and public interest increases and technology advances. In the EU, only 13% of the total population do not plan on owning a vehicle at all.

Electric cars

There are many options to choose from when considering alternatives to personal car use, but the use of a personal vehicle may be necessary due to location and accessibility reasons. The life cycle assessment of a vehicle evaluates the environmental impact of the production of the vehicle and its spare parts, the fuel consumption of the vehicle, and what happens to the vehicle at the end of its lifespan. These environmental impacts can be measured in greenhouse gas emissions, solid waste produced, and consumption of energy resources among other factors. Increasingly common alternatives to internal-combustion engines vehicles are electric vehicles (EVs), and hybrid-electric vehicles. A 2022 survey found that 33% of car buyers in Europe will opt for a petrol or diesel car when purchasing a new vehicle. 67% of the respondents mentioned opting for the hybrid or electric version. Most Chinese car buyers choose hybrid or electric.

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