The future is not waiting: Sustainability begins at home
Dear readers,
In August 2018, Greta Thunberg started her school strike and soon many other young people all over Europe joined her protest against the reluctance of the EU and its Member States to take bold actions against climate change.
The genuine commitment of young people makes me optimistic that a big movement for climate action can emerge within Europe. With her protest, Greta has proven that one person alone can make a big difference.
But how huge could the difference be if we all joined in? If each and every European were to start by themselves? We can all do more, as we have a moral obligation and a responsibility to do more – for ourselves and for future generations.
Greta Thunberg for instance has been travelling by train – from Sweden to Brussels, from Brussels to Paris, from Paris to Hamburg, etc. - and back home again. She is a good example of living sustainably. We can all become role models in taking care of our environment, our planet. Let's reflect on our habits and behaviours as consumers: How can we reduce our carbon footprint? By changing our shopping habits, what we eat, or how we move from one place to another, and in other ways? Sustainability begins at home.
But at the same time, we need to act in concert at European level. Imagine what the whole of the European Union can achieve if it pools its forces – both in words and in actions – be it in research, smart transport and energy systems, in its agriculture and food industry, and finally in putting sustainability at the heart of its political decisions and free trade agreements.
We already have wonderful examples – people with great ideas and commitment all over Europe. We heard about them just recently at our Civil Society for rEUnaissance event and at the Circular Economy conference.
Today's challenge is to decouple economic growth from (over)consumption of natural resources.
I call on the many committed entrepreneurs, engineers, practitioners, investors, families, younger and older generations to contribute to and work together in developing a sustainable civilisation both in Europe and globally.
It is on us to vote for a cooperative, sustainable and united Europe in May 2019. We need to vote for a participative democracy, where Europeans and organised civil society have a greater say – not only on Election Day, but every day, because the challenges ahead cannot be tackled by politicians alone, but require the participation of civil society as a whole.
Luca Jahier
EESC President
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