By: Emilia Kuznetsova, SFU Student

Climate change is a topic that’s increasingly part of mainstream news and public consciousness. With the effects of climate change being felt all over the world, from wildfires to flooding, there has been a steady rise in climate anxiety. For example, 66% of youth respondents in a Canadian climate survey reported feeling afraid of the future. The reality is that most emissions come from large corporations, with “100 companies responsible for 71% of global emissions.” This is beyond our control as individuals, and can understandably lead to feelings of defeat. But even with something as global and widespread as climate change, our individual choices still matter. 

There is an obvious argument to be made that we as individuals are part of a collective, and that is why our actions matter. As governments continue to develop laws and regulations to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG), individuals are also contributing to significant changes in the status quo. For example, attitudes toward transportation are beginning to shift as more people are adopting sustainable practices like cycling, carpooling, or transiting. According to TransLink, transit users “collectively save 1.3 million kgs of GHGs by choosing transit over driving a gasoline car each day.” It’s clear in this case that our individual choices do indeed add up, even if we don’t see the change in real-time. 

Governments are also significant contributors to climate change, with “China, India, the US and the European Union responsible for 83% of emissions in 2022.” Canada contributes just under 1.5%. However, this doesn’t mean that those living in countries with fewer emissions should sit back and continue with their consumption patterns. The Canadian government’s stated target for 2030 is a reduction of 40% compared to 2005 levels, but this goal is not expected to be met in full due to a lack of strict policies. Global politics and economics certainly complicate collective action, and we often have little say in these decisions. It’s understandable to feel like our choices make no difference — but there are still ways in which individual choices matter.

One of the largest concerns about climate change has been its impact on biodiversity. As species go extinct due to habitat loss or environmental changes, our entire ecosystem faces accelerated challenges. This ultimately impacts humans as well, through things ranging from infectious disease transmission to food scarcity from pollinator extinction. The good news is that even small lifestyle changes can significantly reduce CO2 emissions that amplify these issues. For example, going vegan for just one day a week can save almost 50 kg in CO2 emissions. Reducing our consumption of non-recyclable plastics and electronics can also make a big difference, considering that most yearly phone upgrades are not essential. That’s not to say solving the climate crisis should be solely our responsibility as individuals — but it’s not enough to wait for change when we have the power to make a difference now.

There’s no doubt that each of us is part of something much bigger when it comes to climate change. We make choices every day that positively or negatively impact our carbon footprint. And while climate anxiety is absolutely valid, it isn’t all hopeless — we must recognize that our actions do have an impact on the world around us. The reality is that we face many pressures when it comes to sustainability, and it’s easy to fall into cycles of inaction if we feel like our hard work goes unnoticed. But people need to remember that there are no insignificant actions. Small changes you make do add up and help shift the status quo. We don’t live in a vacuum and everyone has their part to play.