A new interactive guide identifies the most effective actions you can take for the climate. The interest has been so great that the server hosting the guide crashed temporarily.
In 2017, Kimberly Nicholas, professor of sustainability studies at Lund University, attracted considerable international attention with a research study that listed the four lifestyle choices that most effectively reduce a person's climate impact. Now she has created a personal guide, SHIFT, which identifies the most important actions an individual can take for the climate.
SHIFT, which stands for Super High-Impact Initiative for Fixing Tomorrow, has been developed in cooperation with the USA-based non-profit organisation, Project Drawdown.
Kimberly Nicholas, how does the guide work?
"The aim of the guide is to identify your particular climate superpowers! Based on where you live, what you earn and your level of education, you get advice on how you can act in five roles: as a citizen, professional, investor, consumer and role model."
"The proposed actions are those that have been shown to be most effective by our own research and other research in the field. You also get tips on how the recommendations can be put into practice in the form of climate initiatives at work or private investments, for example."
Can you give examples of actions the guide identifies?
"If you answer that you live in a liberal democracy, which actually applies to only 12 per cent of the Earth's population, the guide identifies that it's in the role of citizen that you can have the biggest effect. This is because you can vote for politicians who pursue climate-friendly policies. You can also join an organisation that works actively to reduce emissions, demonstrate or create media attention on climate issues."
"As a professional, you can set and pursue goals for your workplace to reduce emissions by 50 per cent by 2030. You can also drive initiatives for the workplace to divest from fossil fuel companies."
"If you also earn more than USD 38,000 per year (about SEK 356,000), you are among the ten per cent who earn the most globally, which means you have the possibility to contribute to a greater extent. As an investor, you can choose a bank that does not loan money to fossil fuel companies, and to save for your pension in fossil-free funds."
"In the role of consumer, you can avoid air travel and driving a car, adopt a vegetarian diet and use renewable energy at home."
"By creating a climate community - where we collaborate with others in our neighborhood or other groups to reduce emissions - you can also have an effect by being a role model."
Why do you think there has been so much interest?
"I think it's because people really want to actively contribute to the climate transition, and they want practical guidance."
"I often hear that as individuals we have very little opportunity to make a difference, but I don't agree with that. Of course, we must make major systemic changes, but as individuals we also have an important role to play - the actions that SHIFT identifies build the link between individual and system measures. They put the focus on how we as individuals can most effectively hold governments and companies to account, while we also make necessary changes in the contexts where we can have an effect."
"Since the launch of SHIFT and the publication of my book, Under the Sky We Make: How to Be Human in a Warming World, I have heard from people who have contacted local politicians, read the book with their church congregation, or been inspired to fly less. It means a lot to me."
You have devoted a lot of your time as a researcher to communication about the climate. Why?
"If researchers want to make a difference, we must package our knowledge in ways that everyone can understand. In connection with the publication of my scientific research study on the five roles that matter for the climate, I spent almost as much time communicating our results- contacting journalists and writing various popular science texts and social media posts."
"Another lesson is that you have to communicate a lot - the more you talk about your research, the greater the chance that it will have a positive effect."
"My main driving force is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and thereby preserve nature and our planet. Through SHIFT, my book and my newsletter, We Can Fix It, I can actively spread information about how we can do this."
