‘Small changes can save the planet, our beautiful home’
Presenter says little actions make a big difference on climate change
Anna Campbell-Jones, one of Scotland’s top interior designers and a speaker at this year’s Congress of Business, writes about sustainability in the design industry, the challenges that designers face, and the opportunities they have to make a lasting difference.
The climate crisis is real and it’s happening right now: it has been for decades.
It is tempting to feel hopeless; to feel it’s too late, and there is an emerging narrative that we will simply have to adapt to a changed world either through human suffering in more adversely affected, less affluent countries or by wealthier nations throwing money or technology at the problem.
Neither of these are solutions. We can’t simply give up on rescuing our planet – our beautiful home.
It is a cliché, but we need to think of all the people in the world who are affected by the climate crisis, and how future generations will be impacted. We owe it to all of them to act quickly and to act now.
It’s daunting and it’s hard to imagine what we, as individuals, can do that will make any difference. We don’t have to beat ourselves up, though.
I propose that we reframe this: each of us can choose instead to fight climate change individually as well as globally and choose to relish the challenge. I can’t think of anything more personally fulfilling than the sense that each of us has made a difference, no matter how small.
This is the nub of the issue for me. We can each do small things, and we already do – whether that’s eating fewer animal products, reducing consumption of products we don’t need, recycling as much as we can, and ditching fast fashion in clothing and interiors are examples.
Systemic change is required at every level, and this can happen if we create demand.
We can become more informed consumers. The more people ask about provenance, reuse, and sustainability issues, the more businesses will feel motivated to change.
This is collective action, yet in such a soft way that it can still be incredibly powerful.
We can see it already in the way corporations are starting to greenwash. Greenwashing is a cynical marketing device but I think the fact that it even exists is a positive as it indicates companies know change is desired.
Companies should be financially, even if not morally, motivated to face the challenges of being ahead of the sustainability curve. If nothing else, they will reap the benefits for their shareholders beyond any societal value.
The small changes we choose to make will add up to something powerful.
An example in my business is the way people are more and more accustomed to the idea of refacing kitchens or buying second-hand sanitaryware and building materials. People are beginning to see that changing their approach to the way they refurbish their homes can create something more personal, and more original but without as much green guilt, and with the bonus of saving money.
Our homes should be a unique expression of who we are that show not only the colours we choose but also the ethics behind our choices.
I sincerely believe there are solutions to the climate crisis at every level of how we live and work that we can find if we use our collective and individual imaginations. This is why events like the Congress of Business are so important: we can create a crucible for positive change.