Meaningful action & sustainable choices play an imperative role in reducing carbon emissions

• Improving home energy efficiency, choosing sustainable transportation and relying on renewable energy sources are recommended
• Experts stress that little actions taken will leave a huge impact over a period of time and consistency is the key to achieve the ‘green’ targets
• As educators, designers, architects, researchers and innovators, youngsters have a responsibility to translate these lessons into meaningful action

Visakhapatnam: As policy changes and government endeavours play a critical role in mitigating climate change, a multi-pronged approach is emphasised to encourage individual action to conserve the environment and inspire future generations.

Along with policies and planet-pro initiatives, community-led drives have a large-scale impact on advocating the use of renewable energy, safeguarding ecosystems, making the right transport choices, adopting dietary shifts, promoting sustainable farming and utilising energy-efficient appliances.

As part of the ‘World Environment Day’ (WED), celebrated on June 5th annually, experts call for collective action to minimise carbon footprints at individual-level.

Advocating that change starts at home, Professors and environmentalists stress that considering planet-friendly options should become a way of life rather than being confined to a host of events on special occasions such as the ‘WED’.

From avoiding single use plastic supplies to utilising green technologies and considering vertical gardening to reduce urban heat, Professor P Sunitha of the Meteorology and Oceanography Department, Andhra University, says, “Things may not change overnight. But consistent implementation of planet-friendly measures will contribute to positive outcomes over a period of time. Adopting Japanese environmental techniques, exchanging best practices, building awareness about repurposing kitchen waste to organic manure and opting for energy-efficient appliances and electrical devices sum up to cutting down energy waste to a large extent.”

Elaborating on how small and consistent actions create a big change, Prof Sunitha underlines that individual contribution to conserving the planet is equally imperative.

As many often ignore alternatives until it is too late to undo the damage, Provost, Anant National University Sanjeev Vidyarthi, says, “As educators, designers, architects, researchers and innovators, we have a responsibility to translate these lessons into meaningful action. Whether through climate-responsive architecture, sustainable materials, resilient urban systems, thoughtful product design or community-centred solutions, the challenge before us is to create a future that is both environmentally-responsible and socially-equitable.”

Daily habits, little shifts and earth-friendly alternatives result in positive impact as collective actions work wonders. “It is important to recognise that the choices we make today have a lasting impact on the world around us. For architects, designers and students who will shape the built environment of tomorrow, this responsibility begins long before a building is constructed. It starts with the ideas we develop, the materials we choose and the way we think about the relationship between people and their environment. Creating environmentally-conscious spaces is no longer an option but an integral part of good design,” recommends Anand Achari, Principal of Vivekanand Education Society’s College of Architecture (VESCOA).

As several cities experience hotter days, the need to adhere to meaningful environmental conservation methods and combat climate change through systematic shifts and daily habits gain larger significance than ever.