I commit to reduce
my emissions.

Climate change is a complex global issue, and it can feel like my actions just don’t make much of a difference.

I believe my actions matter. I know that actions I take cause emissions. And I know that the majority of global emissions are related to household consumption.

I can have a real impact by focusing on the elements I control and making the changes I have the power to make in my own life. These changes take time to identify, understand and implement, so I grant myself grace to take that time. I also know that there is real urgency that I go through this process and change my behaviors without defaulting back to saying “I’ll change tomorrow”, or “I’ll change after some preferred legislation passes Congress”. So I will start acting now.

My first priority in solving climate change is to understand and accept responsibility for the emissions caused by my own actions. This is a task I can accomplish. As more people accept responsibility for our own emissions, we will profoundly reduce our emissions, we will change the social norm for acceptable behavior in our groups, we will send a signal to corporations that we want goods & services with lower emissions and we will transform our economy and our country.

And when we act, our voice as advocates will have more impact, and our government will follow.

Step 1: accept responsibility

Step 1 to address climate change is to accept responsibility for my actions that cause greenhouse gas emissions. These actions are completely in my control.

If I am not willing to reduce my emissions, why should I ask others to reduce theirs?

If I am not seeking out and purchasing low emissions goods and services, why would any company produce those goods and services?

If I am not willing to reduce my emissions, why would a government regulation get me to choose differently?

Take the first step: accept responsibility to reduce your emissions.

I commit

I commit to reduce my greenhouse gas emissions from...

 

My use of energy is embedded across all areas of my life. To commit to reduce my emissions, I have to break my emissions into a few categories. My goal is not to try and change all of my actions in every category this afternoon, but to continuously consider how my choices cause emissions and how changes in my actions reduce emissions across each of these categories.

  • my use of energy

  • my goods & services

  • my career & my time

  • my investments

  • governance of my groups