GREEN CITIZENSHIP
Actions for the Environment!
Green Citizenship is the space where two communities meet. It is the unique space where people focused on citizenship problems and global issues blend with people focused on solving environmental problems. It is in this space that we hope to have active and informed citizens. Green Citizenship focuses on justice, cooperation, equality, and action. It does not focus only on promoting a greener future but encourages understanding and cooperation to promote positive action. Being a green citizen will look different for everyone. Green Citizenship closely links active citizenship with the concept of green thinking. It is an approach that requires citizens to incorporate green thinking in politics, society, communication, design, entrepreneurship, art, and education. This is aimed to then achieve a community of green citizens acting with the end goal of creating a society focused on protecting our environment and society.
What are the goals?
What is the aim of green citizenship? Green citizenship is an approach where citizens, like you and me, are active and engaged in social, political, and economic decisions, but using a “think green” lens. This is an approach where we want citizens to be innovative and creative in approaching social systems in a new way, that allows us to respect the environment and preserve our ecological planet.
Ideas and themes to help us to be creative and “think green” include the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These goals are targets for a worldwide approach to a sustainable future. Some of the key goals for you to read more about include the following:
SDG 6
SDG 7
SDG 11
SDG 12
SDG 13
SDG 14
SDG 15
Other goals we have include boosting our level of green skills, learning to be understanding and aware, and taking action. Green skills are “the knowledge, abilities, values and attitudes needed to live in, develop and support a sustainable and resource-efficient society”. Many of these skills, we need to be green citizens, but we also learn as we take actions as a green citizen.
Image by Freepik
Why is it important to me?
Green citizenship can help us reach our goals for achieving environmental sustainability, green transition, circular economy, and a carbon neutral future.
On a personal level green citizenship can improve the skills of the citizen, improve emotional and intellectual health, as well as physical health.
What can I do?
There are a wide variety of actions that can be taken individually, locally, nationally, and internationally. The actions we take as individuals have a wider impact than one might imagine. Each individual action can have an impact on the local, national, and international world. The unique aspect of green citizenship is that it affects everyone in different ways but by sharing ideas and information we can learn new techniques to solve problems.
Individual Actions
When we think of environmental problems, we can often get overwhelmed or feel eco-anxiety. Sometimes it feels that our actions as individuals do not make a big enough difference. There are many actions that we can take to create change in others but also change how we feel and think about the world. Each small change starts a change reaction in the people we meet and the places we go. It is like the butterfly effect – what is done in one part of the world can affect someone on the opposite side of the world. Individual actions can be split into two sections: my world and your world.
My World: We can do many things to engage more in the environment. This can be through connecting physically with nature, by understanding more about our world, or by taking small individual actions that are good for the environment. It is important to remember that our relationship with the environment will look different than other people. Some people might like to connect by walking in nature, others connect by opening windows and listening to the world outside, and others enjoy gardening. There are many ways we can connect with nature. We can also learn more about our world: what, how, and why. This can be through formal education, reading, knowledge passed through family or communities, or in active groups with “learning by doing”. It can be hard to find the best way to learn and this is different for everyone. Others might like to take small actions or make small changes. These are usually, every day, conscious decisions we make to respect the environment more. We can recycle more, be more conscious of our waste, vote consciously, attend local assemblies and protests, and more. The list is endless. The best thing about being a green citizen is that we can decide which actions to take. This means that everyone can pick actions that work best for them.
Here are some ideas:
CONNECT
👉 Go for walks or hikes.
👉 Go for a swim outside.
👉 Open the windows and listen.
👉 Gardening.
👉 Have indoor plants.
👉 Sit in the sun or listen to the rain.
👉 Stargaze.
👉 Slow your walk and breathe.
LEARN
👉 Read articles.
👉 Listen to podcasts.
👉 Watch videos.
👉 Follow content you enjoy.
👉 Ask questions.
👉 Talk with family and friends.
👉 Join community action groups.
👉 Study environmental subjects.
ACT
👉 Use a reusable bottle.
👉 Turn off taps when not in use.
👉 Turn off plugs when not in use.
👉 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.
👉 Be conscious of your waste.
👉 Use reusable bags.
👉 Upcycle or fix clothes.
👉 Buy and sell pre-loved clothes.
Your World: This is when we take actions to impact those around us. This is a great way for people who love to be social to be a green citizen. There are many actions we can do that can have a positive impact on those around us. These can include talking with friends, sharing information, listening, and answering questions, and encouraging others to be active.
Local Actions
There are many actions we can take in our local area or individually that impact our local area. Local actions are actions within our social community or geographical community. They are usually where we join others with similar interests and form groups.
Ideas for local action can include:
GROUP ACTION
👉 Join or form a climate action group.
👉 Educate yourself on environmental issues in your community.
👉 Volunteer with an environmental group.
👉 Bring green ideas into other groups.
👉 Encourage group activities - litter picks, nature walks, nature talks.
👉 Create a social media education campaign.
👉 Create interactive educational areas in your community.
National and International Actions
Sometimes, it can be harder to see how we can make a positive difference nationally or internationally. There are many ways we can influence what happens at these levels, especially when we think of justice, economics, and politics. The main way we can influence these levels of society is by using our voice. There is strength in numbers and when collective groups advocate on behalf of the environment, changes can begin. This can begin in local to national to international politics, as well as in businesses at all levels. Encouraging others to “think green” can create small but important changes in our society.
Actions we can take include:
GREEN INFLUENCE
👉 Express your concern about the state of the environment.
👉 Highlight areas that need action.
👉 Engage in environmental and green politics.
👉 Talk with your local politicians about their green policies and practices.
👉 Use your vote and your voice. 💚
👉 Join online campaigns.
👉 Join peaceful protests or marches - International or National.
👉 Be aware of the businesses you buy from.
👉 Boost stories of positive actions across your community and the world.
👉 Highlight social and environmental injustice.
👉 Increase your awareness.
👉 Highlight positive action and solutions.
Call to Action
There are so many actions we can take, that sometimes it can be daunting to pick one and begin. To start you off, below there are three actions you can take to begin you on your green citizenship journey. Each designed to be carried out locally or nationally, while having a potential local, national, and international impact. The most important thing to remember is that citizenship is not about doing lots of actions poorly, it is about doing some actions well!
IDEA 1
👉 Organise a community climate event with local guest speakers working on environmental issues.
👉 Invite community leaders, educators, politicians, etc.
👉 Make it family friendly.
👉 Make it fun and interactive.
👉 Discussion points for the event could include how to get active with the suggestions from this article.
IDEA 2
👉 Form a climate action group in your community or a climate working group in your office
👉 Meet monthly or quarterly to work on initiatives to educate and raise awareness on green citizenship.
👉 The working group could tackle issues under EESG (Economic, Environmental, Social, Governance) in your organisation.
👉 Take small actions to increase awareness and exposure to green ideas.
IDEA 3
Think Green
👉 What can you do in your community?
👉 What action can you take?