SDG 7: Clean energy

I put one highlight on my personal Instagram account to raise awareness about a sustainable lifestyle. Remember it is not only important to advocate yourself, but other people too! I am not perfectly zero-waste at this point, but I am trying my best.

I keep a container on my kitchen counter to collect food scraps that I will compost at the end of the day.

I would like to see more pet-friendly public places like restaurants, gardens in China. Every pet would be taking good care of and no more stray animals

My One Step pledge is to adopt impact investing so that my investment approach is done through an ESG/SDG lens. Initially, when I began my investment journey, I invested with only aspirations of maximising monetary gains, setting aside or placing less emphasis on, the social and environmental impacts offrom the business operations. Whilst financial gain is still a key objective of my portfolio actions, it is now imperative to me that I invest in companies which value transparency and have transition plans that are aligned with the SDGs. I do this because I recognise the importance and influence that multinational cooperation’s play in this fight against social injustice and climate change. If we continue to financially support the types of businesses who are not adopting ESG principles and are not aligned to the SDG’s, it only reinforces harmful behaviour which further exacerbates our deteriorating global situation. The investments I make now and into the future will be for positive environmental, social and climate impact enabling me to participate in transitioning to a sustainable future.

There are already several steps I have taken to reduce my carbon footprint, including eating vegan, consuming local and/or second-hand, reducing waste, not having a car. However, I recognise there is still a lot of things I can do to improve my environmental impact, and I would like to take this opportunity to commit to one more step. I would like to switch to a more responsible bank, that does not finance fossil fuels. This small step would be a way to encourage the development of renewable energies and the transition towards low carbon economies. I will carry on research to find a more responsible bank, transfer my money to this bank, and close my old accounts. While the impact will be relatively small it would be a way to continue aligning my actions with my values.

Like many others around the world, I have rediscovered the joys of cycling during this pandemic. Whilst going out for my daily exercise, I discovered the local bike path just around the corner that goes straight to my workplace. It seemed ludicrous that I wasn’t even aware of the facilities in my own backyard, but it can be explained by the fact that Australia doesn’t really have a culture of using cycling as a mode of transport. I want to be part of the change that shows that cycling doesn't just have to be for recreation, but also as a useful mode of transport that is more sustainable, cheaper, provides health benefits and reduces petrol consumption.

Looking after the environment is something that should bring people of all beliefs together. At a governmental level, this is of course never the case. However, at a local and communal level, we can work together to depoliticise environmentalism. Institutionalising sustainable practices is one way we can ensure individual responsibility. By breaking down what seems like a big goal into bite-sized, actionable, specific, and time-bound steps, we can collectively engage in protecting our environment. I want to work with, educate, and be educated by others as to the best means to achieve this goal.

Having adopted sustainable habits throughout the past couple of years and becoming more aware of the carbon footprint of my everyday activities, my next step is to speak up and use my voice to influence systemic change. I have often had moments of intention to advocate for climate action and more sustainable government policy, but have always been uncertain of where to start. While the right to physically gather to protest has been put on hold during the pandemic, I know there are other ways we can use our voices to influence change. Carbon emissions have been reduced slightly due to travel bans this year, however, this is a temporary change. [1] It is well reported that effective pandemic recovery must include strong climate action from our governments at all levels. [2] So I plan to use my voice and unite with others to influence meaningful change on sustainable development issues. [1] https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/04/1061082 [2] https://blogs.worldbank.org/climatechange/how-countries-climate-ambitions-can-support-sustainable-recovery-covid-19-coronavirus Photo: Tiff Ng, sourced from Canva

I am excited to create a veggie patch in my yard where I will grow fruit, vegetables, herbs, native plants and flowers. This step will be beneficial for the environment, as it will contribute to the reduction of carbon emissions and waste. My family and I will be spending less at the supermarket and will benefit from a healthier diet. I will know exactly what will go into the process of growing my own produce, i.e. no pesticides and no GMOs. I'm grateful to have the resources to contribute.

My step towards living sustainably is to save energy while performing all my day to day activities. By doing small steps like putting on a sweater and turning the thermostat down on a cold evening, turning off appliances like bulbs and computers off when they are not in use. Small steps starting at home can help make an impact around oneself. I pledge to take small steps to save energy around me and make other people around me practice the same.