Making a Difference: How Individual Action Can Lead To Systemic Change

One of the first questions I ask the teams who are participating in Third Era’s Sustainable Business Accelerator is “how do you currently feel about sustainability?” The answers are always varied and range from excited, positive, and curious, to angry, downtrodden, and frustrated. Interestingly, one of the most common answers is apathetic. Fueling this feeling of apathy is the overwhelming sense that their actions are too small to make a difference or that change is outside their control, so really, what’s the point?

Perhaps they have tried to solve the problem in the past, perhaps they have spent a lot of time watching the news and the problem just seems too big to tackle. Ultimately, this leads to the feeling of apathy and the sentiment that it’s really up to governments and large corporations to make a difference. 

And you know what, I’ve been there too.  We’ve all been in situations where we are trying to do our best to make the world a better place. Only to hear a week later about an oil spill in Southern California that spills 24,696 gallons of oil into the ocean (October 2021) or the fact that our system actually can’t process compostable cups even though we thought we were doing the “right” thing for the past 6 months. We think we’ve done good, only to get beaten down again. And it sucks! 

No wonder so many people think they can't make a difference in the world!

But hold up, let’s dig a little deeper here 

Given the scale and complexity of large sustainability issues such as addressing poverty, climate change, or the water crisis, we often ask “because there are so many players (governments, corporations, communities) all affecting these issues, what difference does my own individual actions make?”. 

What is the role of our individual actions in creating systems change? Do our small everyday actions really matter?

To be completely honest, in order to solve these mammoth challenges we do need systems change and collective action. One person alone is not going to change the world. But an article by The Climate Reality Project founded by former Vice President Al Gore stated “Individual climate action is a crucial component of solving the climate crisis and so is collective action. Neither tactic alone will deliver us a sustainable future we deserve”. 

So, I can make a difference! 

In my view, an individual’s actions will almost always make a difference. What we need to do is to see our role as a part of the larger system.

Let’s take a key component of a bike for example, without the cluster of sprockets that make up the cassette you wouldn't be able to change gear or even ride the bike. The connection between the cassette, chain, and chain wheels have to work together for the bike to operate. In order for the bike to work, each part must be in place and doing all it can within its own power, shape, and strength. Similarly, we work together in order to achieve the sustainability goals we set. Whether that be your journey to living more sustainably or seeking to take action at work, it takes action from all parts of the system to get the bike moving forward.

So what difference can we really make in sustainability as individuals and small businesses? 

As a starter, we can know for sure that every single little thing we do is at least one step to making the planet a better place. In the words of Greta Thunberg at the Climate March in Stockholm, 8th September 2018 “If a few girls can get headlines all over the world just by not going to school for a few weeks, imagine what we could do together if we wanted to. Every single person counts. Just like every single emission counts” 

The Single-Use Cup Free (SucFree) campaign and marketing highlight this point eloquently:

As well as knowing that each action we take makes a difference, individual action plays a vital role in leading by example to influence the wider system.

We can put pressure on politicians through how we vote, what questions we ask and what we care about. We can put pressure on businesses by changing our purchasing habits and decisions and we can influence others by being an example of sustainable change. 

So, although our actions may seem small in the scheme of things, the question that we can ask ourselves is “What ability do I have as an individual (or as a small business) to affect political change and consumer-driven demand?” Although using a reusable coffee cup, or converting to an electric car might have a small impact in the direct sense, one could argue that the advertisement of ‘sustainable behavior’ creates the social license to act and makes it more acceptable for businesses and governments to make larger more systems changing actions.

Okay, I’m ready. But I’m not sure I can change?

Okay, you got me! Change is hard!

However, there is a recent event starting with C and rhyming with “Ovid” that has proven to us that we do all have the power to change. And that when each of us takes individual action it does lead to wider systems change. Through the Level 4 Lockdown back in March 2020, the streets were eerie and unfamiliar. Life was different for everyone. When you'd walk past someone in the street though, you'd catch each other at a glance and just know we are all doing this together for our friends and family. It was a time that really showed us every individual does count and we can achieve astonishing things when we work together. 

So how do we take the lessons from Covid and translate that into actions to address sustainability? 

I recently spoke to a good friend of mine, Sarah. She is one of the cofounders of an epic sustainable business Reusabowl. Sarah's story I think is one that really emphasizes how individual action for sustainability can lead to systems change. Here is a snippet of her journey and how she and the Reusabowl team turned a visit to her local Indian takeaway into a successful business changing the world..

You can follow along with more of Sarah’s incredible work here and see the impact that Reusabowl is making here.

Lessons

My biggest lesson from Sarah (and the Covid experience) is that individual change is uncomfortable, it's new, but it is possible. And the more people that take a step up and trial sustainability actions the more the world and our ingrained systems will start to change. 

So what’s next? 

Well, now it’s your turn. This is your invitation to be the person to start the sustainability conversation and make the first step on your sustainability journey. If you are looking for a place to start you can read our top tips for starting on your sustainability journey in our recent blog post.

If your company is ready to dive in and start finding your role in Aotearoa sustainability transformation, you can find out more about our programmes here. As a first step jump on a 30min 1:1 strategy call where we will deep dive into your biggest sustainability challenges, where you want to be by the end of the year and see if Third Era and our programmes are a fit for you and your company. 

Despite the challenges and frustrations of taking small actions, at Third Era we are here to remind you that your individual action does matter and it will lead to systemic change. 

Anne Frank once said, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world”. 

And a final reminder from Sarah - “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead