SDG 15: Protect ecosystems, forests and biodiversity loss

Putting rubbish in the bin: an action so simple, yet so few do. The step I am taking aims to motivate people to put their rubbish in the bin and encourage people to pick-up litter they may see on the ground around them. With the world's increasing consumerist behaviour, it is our collective responsibility to ensure correct disposal of the waste we are producing. Thus, my one step is to pick up rubbish if I see some on the ground, no matter where I am or what I am doing. Through completing this simple action, I hope to encourage others to join me in cleaning up our environment. It is astounding to see how much litter is spread across the land we occupy and how many people disregard it. If people removed the stigma of ‘not my rubbish not my responsibility’ it would drastically improve the overall cleanliness and health of our ecosystem. No positive action is ever achieved by a bystander. The best part about this is that the more people who do pick up rubbish, the less rubbish there will be to pick up. It builds resilience cities, fosters positive socio-ecological environments, and encourages humans to take ownership over their own actions.

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.

It is a worldwide fact that products made by plastic, including bottles, cutleries and straws will damage the environment as they are not able to resolve in the solid naturally. Also, during the process of production, a lot of toxic chemicals are released such as benzene, which will pollute the air and further increase the level of climate change. Most people know about it, but theyseldom care. They keep using plastic cutlery when they order take-away food, or even in restaurants just because it is convenient. Buying bottled water instead of bringing their own, again, just because it is convenient. Therefore, I would like to start by myself, start bringing my own mental cutlery and water when I eat outside. Say no to plastic cutlery when I order take-aways, and bring my own cup when buying coffee outside. I believe it is a good and simple way to build the habit of becoming green and sustainable.

Whenever I feel like losing a reason to fight for nature, I go out for a walk, leave my house and go watch the sunset. Doing so, I bring myself closer to nature and with my eyes, observe and appreciate the beauty of the world around me. This never fails to motivate me to continue taking action to protect the world I am living in and feel optimistic about the future. There will be always amazing things happening around the globe and the community I am a part of.

I plan to transform my council owned nature strip into a functioning patch of biodiversity! Invasive or introduced grasses serves very little purpose to the environment and wider biodiversity, through lack of habitat, cooling ability and energy though required maintenance of cutting. By following my council guidelines and planting native and indigenous plants I will be able to increase biodiversity, help filtrate storm water, provide habitat and limit solar radiation just as a start. I hope to show other individuals the benefit of replanting, increasing positive interactions outdoors and create sustainable spaces for the wider community one plot at a time. The photo is Hardenbergia violacea. It's a great climbing plant or ground cover which flowers in the cooler months, providing a much needed food source for many animals and I personally think it cheers people up during the colder months in Australia.

I would like to change to at least a plant based diet. I love food so much and meat is a big part of this, but I understand the negative impact that the livestock industry is having on the planet so I would like to make a change to do something about it. At least 4 days a week I would like to be meat free by the end of the year. This is hard since I live with my family so I will have to try and work with them on it but I am sure that they will support me in this. I love to cook so trying new recipes will be fun!

A pretty simple one. I just want to reduce the amount of finite materials I consume in my day to day life. I make sure to do the basic ones like always carrying my water bottle around, I use a keep cup and I have a bamboo cutlery set that I carry around so I don't have to use single use plastic ones when I buy food at uni or the shops. As well as this I make sure to only get online versions of my textbooks. I am trying more and more to sell or donate things that I no longer need or use rather than just letting them collect dust, this way maybe someone else can use it rather than buying something new. I also just started working at a homeware salvage warehouse where we salvage materials and furniture from houses that are being demolished to give them new homes to reduce the amount of waste. I hope to get to a point where I don't need any single use plastic other than maybe food packaging in my day to day life but this is something I will have to work on over a while as it requires research and lifestyle changes to be able to make such a dramatic change.

Today, the 7.8 billion people on earth are using more of its resources than they can provide. Hence, we need to limit our consumption. We should reduce the number of things that we consume. But then, we ought to reuse what already exists in the world. I have decided to buy limited clothes and 80% of them from a second-hand shop in that context. Second-hand shopping lowers the impact of the things we consume as we're reusing things that have already been produced, and we are diverting them from landfills. Research by WRAP found that extending the average life of clothes by just three months per item, from 2 years and 2 months to 2 years and 5 months, would lead to a 5–10% reduction in each carbon, water, and waste footprint. It keeps clothes out of the landfill and prevents the production of new clothing items.

Single use plastic has always been a prevalent issue in today's society. Not only is it harmful for the environment through piling up in landfills, polluting our seas, harming wildlife and much more, but it also promotes throwaway culture. We often prioritize convenience without a second though for the long-term impacts of our actions. I believe this is an issue that could be significantly reduced if everyone made an effort to reduce unnecessary plastic use. And so I pledge to stop using single use plastic and carry my own reusable cutlery and my own reusable bags while shopping, in doing I will also pledge to promote awareness of not using single use plastics to those I meet and through social media. Another smaller action I pledge to take is to hand out tote bags I have upcycled from recycled materials to those around me in an effort to help other join me on this journey to reduce harmful plastic usage.