For a long time, the responsibilities of consumers towards the fight against global warming have been neglected. This is because the world has paid so much attention to the negative environmental impact of businesses and governments. Still, they forgot that end-users are the key to future sustainability. It has been reported that end-users of products account for over 60% of global GHG emissions and non-degradable waste. This is to say that you are more responsible for today’s climate change crisis than you give yourself think.
To avert the dangers of climate change, everyone across the value-added supply chain needs to play their part perfectly. They must learn how to take responsibility for their actions by changing the way they think and see the environment. Consumers today must begin to ask and force businesses to adopt more eco-friendly practices like Caroll’s CSR Pyramid in their daily operations. This will lead to significant improvement in the implementation and compliance of green laws.
Understanding the Pyramid
What Is Caroll’s CSR pyramid?CSR stands for corporate social responsibility. Caroll’s CSR Pyramid is a business practice highlighting corporate bodies’ duties to their employees, shareholders, and community. It is a practice designed to make businesses more responsible for societal issues like global warming while maintaining profitability. Over the years, companies that have implemented this practice have been able to quickly achieve social, environmental, and economic balance in record time.
Responsibilities of Consumers In Combating Climate Change
As a consumer, here are some activities you are responsible for ensuring an environmentally friendly future.
Consume Only Eco-friendly Products
If the world is to avert the dangers of climate change in record time, changing your way of life is imperative. One of those changes that must be made is switching to more eco-friendly products. This switch might appear complicated initially, but adjusting to it becomes easier with time. It also gives you a better understanding of how much good you are doing for the environment.
When making the switch to greener products, it’s essential that you start with the little things. For example, you can switch from single-use plastic straws to wooden or metallic straws. This change might seem too small, but in reality, you have helped save thousands of aquatic lives whose habitats would have been endangered by its usage. The more these changes are made, the more businesses and corporations speed up their move to environmental sustainability.
Raise Awareness
Today, one of the most significant contributors to the climate change crisis is ignorance. Most people do not believe that climate change is a critical global issue, while those who believe think it’s a government issue. This is because there has been a lot of misinformation on the internet regarding climate change. Some misinformation has made people see the issue as propaganda rather than a problem.
To tackle this misconception about climate change, everyone needs to be involved. Everyone needs to reach out to their closest family and friends to educate them on the issue and how best they can help tackle it. The more people you can educate on the impact of climate change, the more you contribute towards a healthier, cleaner, and greener planet.
Elect Eco-friendly Leadership
As an individual, one of the best ways of making any meaningful environmental change is by electing leaders that have the political will to do so at the national and local levels. These leaders must be willing to create and implement eco-friendly and realistic laws. Before electing any leader, ensure they lay out their environmental plans and methods of achieving these plans. With exemplary leadership, the world will be on the path towards saving the planet.
Ensure Companies Make Their Carbon Footprint Accounting Public
It’s becoming common knowledge that industries with high carbon footprints need to implement drastic changes. To identify such industries, consumers must ensure companies publicly share their carbon footprint assessments regularly. Forcing brands to share these essential data publicly is one way of ensuring environmental sustainability as a consumer.
Carbon footprint assessment shows the impact of a company’s activities on the environment. With every company publicly sharing its carbon assessment, the keys to a better future will be in the hands of consumers. This public display of the brand’s carbon accounting will force a lot of businesses to cut down on their carbon emissions to remain relevant and profitable.
Reduce Your GHG Emissions
Greenhouse gasses are among the significant contributors to global warming. As an eco-friendly consumer, you must limit your GHG emissions by switching to electric cars and reducing your energy consumption.
Bottom Line
Everyone has a part to play, big or small, towards a sustainable future and a green earth. Whichever role you choose, ensure to do it with great dedication as the planet’s future might be determined by your little but brave efforts.
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