Are you a young person, ambitious to engage in pro-environmental change but need to know how due to the complexity of the climate crisis and the diversity of options? In this toolkit, you will find information and guidance on how to engage and lead pro-environmental change on four levels (without necessarily requiring a lot of resources or time): individual, local and national, international, and social-media communication levels.
The triple planetary crisis is one of our society's significant challenges: from climate change and biodiversity loss to pollution. The COVID-19 pandemic has proven the dramatic health risk, environmental destruction and biodiversity loss can cause, given the high inter-connectedness between ecological and health emergencies (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2018).
In the aftermath of this pandemic, we must not fall back to business as usual but rethink the habits and structures causing the environmental crisis and engage in pro-environmental change.
One hundred ninety-two countries signed the Paris Agreement in 2015, a legally binding international treaty to limit global heating to 1.5 - 2 °C compared to pre-industrial levels. Current commitments are not enough to reach the Paris targets. High inequality can be observed across countries in their contribution and suffering in relation to the environmental crisis (Ritchie, 2018). Many high-income countries produce more global ecological damage than low-income countries (Ritchie, 2018).
Nonetheless, it is often low-income countries which are currently the most affected by the climate crisis. We all know that the climate crisis does not stop at borders. While science is clear that the environmental crisis is irreversible, the IPCC report and the latest positive environmental stories by Euronews show that there are enough reasons to remain hopeful! We, as the largest young generation in history, have the power to contribute to pro-environmental change and shape the future we will be living in (Ritchie, 2018).
Many political leaders have already acknowledged that we (the young people) have essential skills to protect the environment: we hold the necessary idealism and zeal, we have (not yet) been trapped in the comfort of habits and familiar structures, and we have the creativity and energy to engage in pro-environmental change. This toolkit aims to encourage you to believe in your capacity to act and inspire you to use your power to engage in pro-environmental change now!
In Chapter 1, you find a range of inspiration on how you can engage in more pro-environmental behaviour at home. Pro-environmental behaviour is “consciously seeking to minimise the negative impact of one’s actions on the natural and built world” (Koll-muss & Agyeman, 2002, p. 240).
Chapter 2 provides tips on engaging in environmental issues in your community (in your school, neighbourhood or university) and country in a meaningful way.
Chapter 3 guides on engaging at an international level, such as in the UN, the African Union or Non-Governmental Organisations.
Finally, Chapter 4 provides step-by-step guides on effectively raising awareness of environmental issues on different social media channels. We can only tackle this ecological crisis in time if we work together. We hope this toolkit gives you the guidance and inspiration to engage in pro-environmental change today!