5 Changes You Can Make to Live More Sustainably in 2025
Written by Aeha Wand, Sustainability Committee member
Can you believe it is 2025 already? A World Meteorological Organization press release from November revealed that 2024 was set to be the hottest year on record. As climate trends continue to get worse with each passing year, this can be a harsh wake-up call to take action for a more sustainable future. The start of a year can serve as a time to reflect on some habits from the previous year and to create some new goals and changes for the new year.
You know the saying; “new year, new me!”, and what’s a better New Year’s resolution than participating in a more sustainable lifestyle? To help you kickstart this journey, here are 5 simple actions you can implement:
1– Shop Seasonal and Local
In Canada, annual emissions of 3.3 million metric tonnes of CO2 are from imported agricultural and food commodities. Shopping based on what is in season and locally can reduce your personal carbon footprint as the goods do not be shipped across long distances. Shopping locally also supports your community directly! In fact, the UBC farm offers three markets each week on Saturdays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays, with Wednesdays being held right outside the bookstore. Check out more on the UBC Farm’s Markets here.
2 – Eat Plant-Based
Switching to a plant-based diet can reduce an individual’s carbon footprint by up to 2.1 tons. This is because animal-based diets require mass amounts of resources like water and land, and the increasing need for such from growing populations can often result in deforestation to keep up with increasing demands. Livestock, like cattle and sheep, also produce large amounts of methane. Cutting out animal products is not a simple task for most people, but swapping out a couple of meals a week for vegan dishes is a great start! For inspiration, check out some great vegan holiday recipes we picked out here.
3 – Use Green Cleaners
Did you know that Canada does not require warnings about chronic health and environmental hazards from chemicals in cleaning products? Common household cleaning products can include harmful chemicals linked to various cancers, respiratory illnesses, and reproductive disorders. These products are also harmful to the environment as they are highly toxic and not biodegradable. Swap for more environmentally friendly cleaning products with labels that display reputable certifications and a full disclosure ingredients list. However, it is important to be aware of greenwashing when shopping for these products. To avoid this risk, you can make simple cleaners yourself like combing baking soda, washing soda, and white vinegar to tackle mould and mildew.
4 – Take Care and Repair
With the ease of same-day delivery, the age of overconsumption is upon us. E-waste is one example of how our society has made repurchasing the new norm. According to the UN’s E-waste monitor, 53.6 million metric tonnes of electronic waste was generated worldwide in 2019. To combat this issue ensure that you take care of your devices and visit repair shops instead of buying a new device. This can help reduce the waste produced. Additionally, if you are purchasing a new device be sure to research your options thoroughly. For instance, could you reduce your tech needs with this product because it serves multiple functions?
5 – Sign Petitions
Unfortunately, global transformational change cannot be achieved by us as individuals with these changes alone. The major impactful change we need will require policy enforced by governments. Luckily for us, many organizations and groups circulate petitions on campus or online that make it easy to support processes like policy implementation. Change.org even has a climate change topic section on their website where you can read about and sign petitions related to the topic.
We may not be able to have a fresh start on this earth, but we can make changes and take action in 2025 to ensure that we don’t make the same mistakes as before.
Sources
2024 is on track to be hottest year on record as warming temporarily hits 1.5°C. (2024, November 8). World Meteorological Organization. https://wmo.int/news/media-centre/2024-track-be-hottest-year-record-warming-temporarily-hits-15degc
Food. (n.d.). CSFS at UBC Farm. https://ubcfarm.ubc.ca/food/
How to shop for green cleaners. (2022, July 8). David Suzuki Foundation. https://davidsuzuki.org/living-green/how-to-shop-for-green-cleaners/
Kissinger, M. (2012). International trade related food miles – The case of Canada. Food Policy, 37(2), 171–178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2012.01.002
Nations, U. (n.d.). Food. United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/actnow/food
Thurman, K. (2024, December 25). Vegan holiday recipes — UBC Geography Students’ Association. UBC Geography Students’ Association. https://www.ubcgsa.ca/communityblog/vegan-holiday-recipes