In our everyday life we operate within different systems, that are not up to us (alone) to change. Therefore, we cannot change everything alone or in small groups. But we CAN make small changes by working with changing our mindset and spreading ideas and examples through our actions. Though change of habits and preferences are not easy at all and therefore the relations we have at work, in our community, in our family and with our friends are perfect to create the change and to support each other when it gets difficult or just when we forget… because let’s face it – we do like we are used to, because it is easier in a world where everything get’s more complicated every day.
In URBACT we work in networks across Europe, and we work on very different thematics in order to develop our cities into better places for everyone. This work relation makes perfect opportunities to also work on cross cutting topics like the green transition. By sharing in our network and practice on taking small steps together we can influence each other, our national colleagues, stakeholders, and citizens. In this way we can spread the knowledge and build bigger communities in which we support each other in the transition.
URBACT Action Plannings Networks
At the URBACT Action Plannings Networks meeting for Lead Experts and Lead partners we had roundtable sessions discussing how we can work on green transition as a cross cutting theme in our networks.
In the sessions we produced a long list of ideas, which by their very different approaches and levels of abstraction show very well how difficult this is. In the word cloud we see that GREEN of course is popular and so is PROMOTE, MEETING, FOOD and PUBLIC. Through the four categories below the most concrete ideas and cross cutting ideas are shared.
So, what kind of actions can we do in our work relations to make a change?
Research shows that the most critical categories of carbon footprint are:
- Food
- Housing
- Transport
- Consumption of other goods and services
Read more about these categories in United Nations Environment Programme (2022), Enabling Sustainable Lifestyles in a Climate Emergency
Food
Is one of the categories that we as consumers can change in our everyday life – both at work and at home. The production of animal-based food and food waste are two major contributors to carbon footprint.
A change from eating animal-based food to eating plant based instead is by far the most impactful – even more than for example buying local food instead of imported food. This is good to know, so that the change does not stop at the first level, because we think that buying local is enough.
Changes in our diet can be very emotional. We have national and regional pride in traditional dishes and many feelings involved in the making of the food we serve and eat together – we really need to help each other to take these new steps!
Food waste is also a very good focus to have when wanting to reduce the carbon footprint.
We can do this by minimizing the food, we serve to fit the number of stomachs to fill. Do not serve more food than is eaten. Again, this is difficult because of rules of good hostship.
Can we transform the hostship into making the common concern of the climate a serious part of being a good host? To thinking that good hostship includes taking care of our planet?
Housing
Is a category where the simple actions are harder to find. The energy consumption is always something to think about. Turn of the lights, the projector, the computer etc. when possible. Turn down the heat and the air conditioner when possible – remember some people do not have these privileges at all.
The needed actions in this category are very much related to building and re-building and the production, use and reuse of materials. These are changes that some of the URBACT Action Planning Networks are on, but they are bigger projects.
Transport
So much can be done in this category. Some of it takes time and money, but others are actions that we can do by considering it and making greener choices.
In our work relations we can always consider taking an online meeting instead of transporting ourselves around the world – or across the country or city. But we are humans, and we need to meet, so when we do transport ourselves, we should always consider walking, taking the bike or public transport instead of the car. And even more we should consider taking the train instead of flying. Especially in replacing the flight with the train we meet the question of time and money, so for now we must push for the structural change in developing the train options and the common prioritization.
In the transport category we can also make a big change by buying less goods online. Everytime we buy something, it will be delivered using car, boat or plane. And if we then consider the fact that the small gadgets, we buy are packed in bigger boxes… full of air. These boxes are then packed on top of each other and transported. So, buying small gadgets online, transporting it with a lot of air across the world maybe only to return it is a lot of transport that we might be able to do without. Can we?
Consumption of other goods and services
Other goods and services cover for example the use of clothes. The fashion industry is the second biggest water consumer and is responsible for 2 – 8% of the global carbon emissions. We can consider buying less clothes, swapping clothes, reusing and upcycling clothes instead of going to the shop (or buying online) buying clothes that we might not even use a lot or that we don’t really need.
When meeting in our work relations and networks we can consider the use of gifts and merchandise. We share local goods or our brilliant books and reports from the bottom of our hearts. We want people to feel welcome and appreciated. But what happens to these presents when we get home? Again, we can help each other changing good hostship into something that considers the good of the planet.
Call for action!
This call for action in our everyday lives both at work and at home will not make any difference if we do not give it a shot and even more important if we do not support each other going from one level to another. We are at different stages, and we have different opportunities. But all actions are important giving hope and creating urgency for structural changes.
To take a more structural approach the United Nations Environment Programme (2022), Enabling Sustainable Lifestyles in a Climate Emergency gives good input and inspiration to develop and apply choice-editing policies.
