Even as the world’s attention shifts to rebounding from the pandemic, we must not lose sight of the environmental crisis on our hands. With the planet getting warmer, this doesn’t just mean sweatier underarms. This means melting ice caps and rising sea levels that would endanger low-lying islands like Singapore.
Our small city may only account for 0.11% of global emissions contributing to the Earth’s warming. But in terms of carbon emissions per capita, we come in 27th out of 142 countries, producing almost double the global average. In other words, we can do better.
As the government and industries work to transition into a more sustainable future through the Singapore Green Plan 2030, we individuals too have a responsibility. Everything we do adds to our personal carbon footprint. From what we eat and buy, to how we travel. But we know changing one habit is hard enough. Not to mention, changing a whole lifestyle.
Which is why we’re launching the Carbon Copy Challenge – a social media movement that urges us to reduce our carbon footprint, by just copying one simple act of a friend. Whether you’re going meatless for a day, shopping second-hand or unplugging your unused appliances, challenge your friends to do the same and carry on the chain.
As they say, the first step is always the hardest. So perhaps all we need is a little team spirit to start this journey. If COVID-19 has shown us anything, it’s that rapid worldwide transformation of society and our habits is possible if we all work together.
For more information, follow us on Temasek Shophouse’s Instagram.