Some governments have taken steps to make cleaner lifestyles easier. "The low-carbon option should be the easy, normal and cost-effective option." Supporting cleaner lifestyles "It's essential that governments help people cut their carbon footprints, otherwise doing so will be an uphill battle for too many people," said Stuart Capstick, deputy head of the Centre for Climate Change & Social Transformations, a partnership between several British universities. Only some of them can afford an electric car. Many people who live outside of cities, for instance, are forced to drive to work because there are no bus routes or train connections. But in others, the climate-friendly option often costs more - or isn't even on the table. In some cases, clean lifestyles can be achieved by individual choices alone, like taking holidays closer to home or swapping meat for legumes as a protein source. Some of the most powerful actions include avoiding planes and cars, shifting to a plant-based diet and improving the energy efficiency of a home. In its latest review of climate research, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) found measures to cut demand for energy can halve greenhouse gas emissions in some sectors by 2050 compared to business as usual.
Lifestyle changes play an important role in cutting their emissions. People earning salaries above €37,200 ($40,800) fall into this bracket - which includes middle-class people in rich countries as well as rich people in poorer countries. Half the greenhouse gases spewed each year come from the 10% of people leading the most polluting lives, according to a study published in the journal Nature last year. "Whether consumption, investments or leisure, it is high time that politicians ease, support and - where necessary - demand environmentally-friendly behaviour." (Also Read | Music to dance therapy, here's how art helps in prevention of ill health) Cutting demand for dirty products
"We can only stop ecological crises if everyone contributes," said Annette Töller, who co-wrote the report. It highlights the importance of bundling measures and offering incentives to make clean options palatable to the public. In May, environmental advisors to the German government presented ministers a framework to help citizens ditch dirty habits. Targeted help from governments can make cleaner ways of living both cheaper and more practical - something scientists say is crucial for encouraging the lifestyle shifts needed to stop extreme weather getting worse. Movements to give up meat and flights have convinced only a fraction of people in rich countries, though they have encouraged others to cut down. (Sebastian Kahnert/dpa/picture alliance)Īnd even those who can access and afford clean lifestyles are often reluctant to make changes. People in rich countries can lead clean lives quicker if governments make it easy for them to ditch dirty habits. Influencers keep pushing people to buy more things. Electric cars cost more than regular ones. But lifestyle changes that cut demand for polluting products have, for the most part, proved a hard sell. Some of the most powerful tools to stop the planet heating mean upending the way we eat, heat, move and shop.
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