Individual action on climate change

Individual action on climate change describes the personal choices that everyone 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 be more focus on inviting political action on climate or creating greater awareness how society can become more green.

Excessive consumption is one of the most significant contributors to climate change and other environmental issue than population increase, although some experts contend that population remains a significant factor.^[1] High consumption lifestyles have a greater environmental impact, with the richest 10% of people emitting about half the total lifestyle emissions.^[2][3] 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.^[4] Avoiding meat and dairy products has been called "the single biggest way" individuals can reduce their environmental impacts.^[5]

Some commentators say that actions taken by individual consumers, such as adopting a sustainable lifestyle, are insignificant compared to actions on the political level.^[6] Others say that individual action does lead to collective action because "lifestyle change can build momentum for systemic change."^[7][8] Other commentors have highlighted how the concept of individual carbon footprint was advanced by fossil fuel companies, like British Petroleum in order to reduce the culpability of fossil fuel companies.^[9][10]