34 REFLEXION | 2022-23 | AIA Utah As the subject of sustainability has become increasingly prevalent throughout governments, businesses, and communities, the question is asked, over and over: does my personal commitment to sustainability really make a difference? Those who argue that sweeping changes by governments and major corporations are the only way our society will make significant progress toward a more sustainable future have a compelling argument. For instance, it is estimated that anywhere between 40% and 50% of global greenhouse gas emissions come from the building sector, including energy use and embodied carbon; approximately 2.7 billion people on the planet face water scarcity, a number that continues to increase substantially; and poor air quality disproportionately affects those in developing counties, contributing to a reduction in life expectancy of up to seven years in some countries. These are complex and far-reaching issues that individuals are not equipped to solve on their own. However, many of those in this camp have completely dismissed the idea of personal responsibility, arguing that it is nothing more than a distraction that takes the pressure off governments to take substantive action and shifts blame from major corporate polluters onto individuals. Admittedly, there is a limit to the impact of individual actions, and top-level, systematic change is necessary, but as long as individuals and governments continue to point fingers at one another to take action, society will continue on its unsustainable course. Sustainability is not a zero-sum game. People can recognize the pollution plastic grocery bags create and take steps to use reusable bags in their personal lives Why Individual Efforts Matter in Sustainability BY ELIZABETH CURREY while also supporting public policy to ban plastic bags. Problems such as air quality, water scarcity, and carbon emissions in the built environment require top-down and bottom-up approaches working together towards innovative, lasting solutions. As individuals make behavioral changes that lead to a more sustainable lifestyle, they are helping to raise awareness around the issues so that others might follow suit, holding corporations and governments more accountable through individual purchasing and voting power and beginning to lay the foundation for a sustainable society. To paraphrase John F. Kennedy, individual actions can create ripples that become powerful currents. In 2021, Singapore, a global leader in sustainable building solutions, published a national sustainability commitment called the Singapore Green Plan 2030. The plan outlines specific targets, including emissions reduction goals, carbon sequestration projects, renewable energy goals, and waste reduction targets, that will accelerate the nation’s progress toward building a netzero, sustainable society. Meanwhile, a 2022 survey conducted in Singapore revealed that not only are many citizens not making individual behavioral choices that complement the government’s sustainability initiatives, but those in the youngest generation surveyed, Generation Z, have actually regressed in many areas. They travel by air more often, purchase more non-essential items, consume more meat, and generally make fewer “green” choices than the previous year. This underscores the importance of individual efforts to work in tandem with public policy and help government initiatives succeed. Because the building sector is a major contributor to greenhouse gases,
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