Forget Energy Efficient Light Bulbs

Keep the warming of our planet below 2°C between now and 2050, or we’re all in for an uncertain, dangerous, and potentially catastrophic future. Thanks to everything from David Attenborough and Al Gore to Extinction Rebellion and the Paris Agreement, almost everyone is now acutely aware of the personal changes we need to make to safeguard humanity’s future. But are we being misinformed on which changes have the greatest impact? A compelling review of hundreds of scientific papers by a Swedish team of academics indicates that some of the “quick fixes” we’re all familiar with are deceptively low-impact, whilst the overwhelmingly highest impact change is rarely discussed.

Based on their analysis, upgrading domestic light bulbs to energy-efficient alternatives saves an average of 200kg of CO2 emissions each year in a developed economy household. Sounds pretty good right? Well yes, every little helps, but the impact of this widely-promoted lifestyle change pales in significance when compared to the 1,360kg of CO2 an individual can save by taking just one fewer transatlantic flights in a year, or the 2,086kg saved by living car-free.

The most striking conclusion of all puts even air travel and automobiles combined in the shadows in terms of impact. Every family in a developed nation who opts to have one fewer child would save on average 53,161kg of CO2 emissions every year. Or as the report neatly illustrates it – a family in the USA which chooses to have one fewer child would generate the same level of emissions reductions as 684 teenagers who adopt comprehensive recycling for the rest of their lives.

This stark reality gets to the heart of my attitude to the climate emergency and how we should be working to avert disaster. Telling families that they owe it to humanity to have fewer children is not going to work. Ultimately it is the right of every adult to make decisions about the children they do or don’t bring into the world. Instead, these figures should be driving huge investments of attention, research, and capital towards finding ways to reduce the emissions impact each new global citizen brings so that humanity can continue to grow and develop whilst doing so in a way that nurtures and sustains a world in which they can live.

For more of my thoughts on entrepreneurship, the environment and life in general, take a look at my personal blog.