SDG 7: Clean energy

Do not buy or use anything processed or packaged. Support sustainable farming by buying groceries from sustainable farms. This helps avoid the use of chemicals in food growing, processing and packaging which ends up as waste in soil, water or air. Also, the process of processing and manufacturing consumes energy and emits gases that are harmful. I believe if each person can commit to sustainable eating which contributes largely to pollution and climate change, it will make a big difference.

In an attempt to disrupt the flow of carbon into the atmosphere, I will be disrupting the flow of my money to coal, oil and gas. Like many others, I have switched to a plant-based diet, carry a keep cup and drink bottle and get heated about environmental issues. However, neither my bank nor my super account aligns with my environmental values. The concept of divesting is simple. Without our money, banks cannot keep funding the companies that pollute for profit. I would like to put my money where my mouth is, as the money that you deposit in a bank may be financing projects that fuel the climate crisis. In the last five years since the signing of the Paris Agreement, 35 of the world's leading banks have invested more than US$2.7 trillion in fossil fuel investments and have made over $16.6 billion in profits. Moving my money away from fossil fuels is one of the most powerful and easiest actions that I can take to leave behind the unviable trend of coal. This one step of divestment is proof that small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world. Finally, I would like to use my social media platforms, such as Instagram, to blog about environmental activism. I pledge to use my following to spend more time talking about climate change as there is far too little discussion around the issue in the public sphere. Ultimately, we know that a rapid transformation of our world is possible - evident in how fast corporations, communities and governments have acted throughout this pandemic. Notably, the recent 2021 Sustainable Development Report by the United Nations revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic is a setback for sustainable development everywhere. For the first time since the adoption of the SDGs in 2015, the global average SDG Index score for 2020 has decreased from the previous year. Now more than ever, we must take simple and powerful steps towards healing our one planet.

I believe decreasing our energy consumption is an important step to address climate change. Clean energy is derived from sources that emit pollutants into the atmosphere. A decrease in air pollution is one of the many environmental and economic benefits of clean energy. Depending on the source of the energy, clean energy may be utilised for a number of purposes, ranging from power generation to water heating and more. My pledge consists of completing small changes in my everyday life to reduce my own energy consumption. Firstly, changing all the lightbulbs in my house to LED lightbulbs would decrease the energy use significantly as LED lights use 75% less energy than the traditional lights. They also last 35 times longer than traditional lights. Secondly, I would check all the windows or doors in my house an ensure they are weatherproof. Energy is lost within the gaps of windows and doors which contributes a major environmental cost of 70% of greenhouse gases that are attributed to the energy use of buildings. Lastly, I would do small actions such as turning of the heater and wearing a warm jacket, turning of appliances when not in use like light bulbs, toaster or the computer. Doing these three activities would be a way to change my lifestyle and save energy while inspiring the people around me to do the same.

Paper is an essential part of the world. It is used in many areas: education, business, commercial, etc. We have relied on it for most of our life and one common use of paper is writing and printing. The process of manufacturing paper releases nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, and carbon dioxide into the air, contributing to pollution such as acid rain and greenhouse gases. We can reduce these detrimental effects by switching to electronic documents and changing the way we use paper. By ensuring that less paper is being produced, we are able to combat pollution and reduce our carbon footprint on the planet.

- Stop using plastic bags and use reusable bags instead. - Use keep cup to reduce plastic and paper cups - Reuse, reduce and recycle more - Use an alternative source of energy, cleaner version such as solar and focus your future on that.

Although I have taken steps to reduce my reliance on commercially bought foods by implementing veggie patches and tailoring my diet to be more sustainable, sometimes it is very difficult to say no to the conveniently available products on grocery aisles. These shelves are usually filled with foods from large conglomerate companies with extensive outreach. It is important to be wise about each individual food item as detrimental climate harm can be wickedly masked behind bright branding, and sometimes even 'green-approved' labels. Therefore, I have been doing research before purchasing and when I do find a sustainable item, I am sure to advertise it to my friends and family so they can contribute towards a cleaner planet. I intend to do enough research into products to be able to form a weekly meal plan based on actual sustainable foods.

The amount of waste that comes from the car industry is huge! Every car that is built new takes up tonnes of the worlds resources bith in manufacturing, and in the product itself. As such, I am making an effort to keep my car for as long as possible without buying a new one, even if it broke down. I will of course be taking public transport whenever possible. However, never using a car in my life and location is unavoidable so I intend to perform as minimal waste as possible with it. This means whenever it needs servicing, I will find 2nd hand parts and search on how to fix it myself if possible, so I know that no environmental shortcuts are happening and I will aim to never buy another car until electronic (or another form of sustainable) cars are available. This money that I happen to be saving from self-services and not buy new cars, will be used to purchase this to then reduce emmissions.

- I have made a pledge to stop buying single use plastics and to always have a reusable bag handy whenever I go out shopping. People don't realise how much plastic they use and throw away with every purchase, and these usually end up in landfills or oceans, harming our environment and wildlife. If everyone made the commitment to stop using single use plastics, we could significantly cut down the demand for plastic, this will in turn reduce our global emissions energy usage. - aside from reusable bags, I have made a pledge to be cautious about the goods that I buy, sticking to more ethically packaged products.

I'm hoping to eventually eliminate my plastic packaging, but I think a good place to start is to look for alternatives before quitting cold turkey. Currently I cannot eliminate the plastic packaging on my food completely, since a lot of the things I eat for health reasons come in plastic, but I think that starting by choosing alternatives in cardboard or package free is a possible and important step to take. I want this to lead into a week going single use plastic free, and I want to be able to share this experience and create resources to educate and help others to make change in their own lives, through a student activist group I'm a part of called the Student Voice Network.

A renowned fashion brand just dropped a new collection of denim. The jeans' tag says its textile saved a million liters of water upon its creation. Would you buy them if you have similar jeans at home? Or would you purchase the whole collection to show your support? With different colors and designs to choose from, how can one resist buying only one metal straw and coffee tumbler? When promoted by influencers, the trending of greenwashed products leads to an aspirational culture. Acquiring a product made from plastic alternatives or recycled materials sounds sustainable. But buying more than necessary leads companies to produce more, which damages the environment. For example, a fashion brand may use Circulose sheets to make a thread. However, recycling used textiles may still require 20 percent of water used to process one kilogram of cotton. Thus, two garments made from Circulose would need at least 4,000 liters of water. To help minimize the environmental impact of consumerism, I will stop purchasing excessively, especially on apparel. Since fashion has a trend cycle, I will check my mom's closet for pieces that I can borrow. I will also do some do-it-yourself projects with old garments at home. I will take good care of my stuff to prevent buying a replacement. Finally, I will find others who will appreciate the pieces that I loved instead of donating them to charity shops, which contribute to the landfills of developing countries when they trade discarded items. Wouldn't it be nice to see the smile of the one receiving our stuff personally? Digital drawing by Ana Hard