KEY POINTS
- United Nations chief Antonio Guterres has warned July is on track to be the hottest month on record.
- While structural change is needed, there are also ways we can reduce impact at an individual and household level.
- Our diet and transportation can play a role in how we combat climate change.
Climate change is here.
This was the message from United Nations chief Antonio Guterres this week as he warned July is on track to be the hottest month on record.
"Climate change is here, it is terrifying, and it is just the beginning," Guterres said.
"The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived".
World leaders have committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but there are also ways we can reduce impact at an individual and household level.
Here are three impactful lifestyle changes you can make to help combat climate change and "global boiling."
Reduce meat intake
The meat industry is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions and environmental damage.
In fact, according to a 2018 report published in the Journal of Science, switching to a plant-based diet is the 'single biggest way' to reduce your impact on Earth.
The report found rearing livestock produces higher carbon emissions than growing vegetables, fruits and grains.
Livestock production is responsible for 15 per cent of all carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide emissions, the report says.
The industry also contributes to the loss of biodiversity through farmland, as well as the use of water resources, with agriculture using more freshwater than any other human activity.
In 2021, researchers from Curtin University found Australia was one of the world’s top meat-eating countries, with each person here eating an average of 89.6kg of meat in 2019, up from 88.2kg in 2000.
According to the United Nations, switching to a vegetarian diet can reduce a person's carbon footprint by up to 500 kilograms of CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) per year.
Stop driving cars
According to the United Nations, the transportation sector produces the most global carbon emissions.
The main greenhouse gas produced by vehicles is carbon dioxide (CO2), but they also produce nitrous oxide and methane.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics found there were 20.1 million vehicles registered in Australia in 2021, an all-time high.
In Australia, the transport industry accounts for 17.6 per cent of carbon emissions, according to the CSIRO.
Cutting down your transport emissions could mean walking, biking, or catching public transport when possible instead of travelling by car.
Electric vehicles can also help reduce air pollution and cause significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions than petrol or diesel-powered vehicles.
Even using grid electricity, electric vehicles lead to less CO2 emissions than equivalent petrol cars, the Climate Change Authority says.
Cut down on flights
Air travel is one of the most damaging human activities on the environment, with planes burning large amounts of fossil fuels and producing significant greenhouse gas emissions.
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), aviation accounted for two per cent of global energy-related CO2 emissions in 2022.
It has grown faster in recent decades than rail, road or shipping, the IEA says.
According to the United Nations, taking fewer flights is one of the fastest ways to reduce your environmental impact.
Taking one less long-haul return flight can reduce your carbon footprint by up to almost two tonnes of CO2e.
In 2022, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) - a United Nations agency established to help countries share their skies - adopted a goal for international aviation of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Until then, if you're a frequent flyer, you might want to reconsider your travel habits.
