What difference can I make in the climate crisis?

The briefing discusses the gap between climate concern and action among Americans, identifying a lack of training and confidence as primary barriers. It highlights a framework for individual action across six domains—food, home energy, transport, shopping, influence, and citizenship—and argues that individual choices create ripple effects by normalizing low-carbon lifestyles, improving climate literacy, and sending market signals to businesses.

• Despite high levels of concern—with over 70 percent of Americans describing themselves as cautious, concerned, or alarmed—there is a significant gap in active participation. Among those who view climate change as very or extremely important, less than 32 percent signed petitions, 12 percent contacted elected officials, 30 percent donated money, and 9 percent volunteered. Voting for candidates supporting mitigation measures was the only action reported by a majority (69 percent).
• The primary barrier to climate activism among concerned Americans is a feeling of being undertrained or a belief that others could perform the task better, cited by 57 percent of respondents. Other significant barriers include not being asked (50 percent), not knowing how to get involved (50 percent), and finding activities like letter writing unappealing (50 percent).
• Individual climate action can be categorized into six domains: food, energy in the home, transport, shopping, influence, and citizenship. These choices are shaped by external factors such as cultural norms, education, financial well-being, and access to green infrastructure.
• There is a disconnect between perceived and actual emission reductions. A 2021 Ipsos poll showed nearly 60 percent of respondents believed recycling was the most effective way to reduce emissions in high-income countries, whereas avoiding one long-distance flight or purchasing renewable energy provides eight times the emissions savings of recycling.

APA

Jack-Scott, E. (2024). What difference can I make in the climate crisis? Energy Innovation. https://energyinnovation.org/expert-voice/what-difference-can-i-make-in-the-climate-crisis/

Chicago

Jack-Scott, Emily. What difference can I make in the climate crisis? Energy Innovation, 2024. https://energyinnovation.org/expert-voice/what-difference-can-i-make-in-the-climate-crisis/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Jack-Scott |first1=Emily |title=What difference can I make in the climate crisis? |publisher=Energy Innovation |date=31 January 2024 |url=https://energyinnovation.org/expert-voice/what-difference-can-i-make-in-the-climate-crisis/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{jackscott2024what, author = {Jack-Scott, Emily}, title = {{What difference can I make in the climate crisis?}}, institution = {Energy Innovation}, year = {2024}, month = jan, url = {https://energyinnovation.org/expert-voice/what-difference-can-i-make-in-the-climate-crisis/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }