As increasing globalisation impacts on all our lives, events in one part of the world now affect others as never before. Through Agenda 21, however, this change can help to limit environmental damage and improve conditions for sustainable development.

The breakdown of geographical boundaries, problems of environmental degradation, climate change, social and political instability, and the spread of infectious diseases all have the potential to affect everyone. However, local and national initiatives to improve sustainability also have the capacity to make a global impact for good.

Following the 1992 UN Conference on the Environment and Development – the ‘Earth Summit’ – 178 countries around the world adopted Agenda 21: The Earth’s Action Plan. This plan set out strategies to achieve sustainable development in the 21st century through partnerships of local authorities, neighbourhood organisations, education, the private sector and all levels of government. Its objectives are clear: “Integration of environment and development concerns, and greater attention to them, will lead to the fulfilment of basic needs, improved living standards for all, better protected and managed ecosystems and a safer, more prosperous future. No nation can achieve this on its own, but together we can – in a global partnership for sustainable development.”

These are admirable aims, but it is down to each individual to ‘think globally, and act locally’ to make them become reality.

1. Contact your local council and find out what they’re doing to promote Agenda 21. Eight years after the Earth Summit, more than 60% of the UK’s local authorities were committed to the process, but there’s still plenty of work to be done.
2. Transport accounts for almost one quarter of carbon dioxide omissions in the UK alone, and this figure is growing. Cut down on car use by walking or cycling – it’s better for your health too.
3. Use public transport whenever you can, or the ‘park and ride’ schemes that operate in many towns and cities. If public transport in your area is inadequate, find out what groups exist locally to press for improvements – or start one yourself! National bodies such as Transport 2000 and the Railway Development Society can help, as can local Rail Users’ Consultative Committees. Your local council may also have a Transport Liaison Committee which can raise issues with bus and rail operators.
4. If you do drive, do it as energy-efficiently as possible. On regular journeys to work or on the school run, it’s a good idea to car-share wherever possible. If you’re buying a new car, look out for the most fuel-efficient model you can afford. Have your car serviced regularly – it will burn less petrol and emit less pollution. And if you’re stuck in traffic for more than a couple of minutes, turn your engine off.
5. Conserving energy in the kitchen is easy. If you have an economy setting on your washing machine, use it to save energy and water. Wash with a full load rather than just a few things at a time. Even something as simple as deciding what you want from the fridge before you get there means that you won’t leave the door open for long. And don’t boil a whole kettle-full if you only want a cuppa.
6. Think about ways of saving energy when heating your home. Turning central heating down by just 1°C will save money, as well as saving energy in a way that’s barely noticeable. Home improvements can make a difference – insulation will cut down on the amount of heat lost, while double glazing can also improve energy-efficiency.
7. Turn off lights and electrical equipment like TVs, hi-fis and computers when they’re not in use.
8. Minor adjustments can make a big difference to how much water you use. Have showers rather than baths – you can have two or three showers for the same amount of water as just one bath – and don’t leave the water running while you brush your teeth. Installing a water-saving device in your cistern is another easy change that you won’t even notice. Contact your local Water Board – they may supply these devices free of charge.
9. Check taps for drips and replace worn-out washers. A dripping tap can waste enough water in a day to run a shower for five minutes.
10. Use your local recycling facilities wherever possible. Many supermarkets have bottle, newspaper and can recycling facilities, while councils often provide recycling schemes as part of waste disposal. Contact your local council and check that they dispose of recycled waste properly, though, as high costs mean that some councils are simply dumping waste meant for recycling in landfill sites.
11. Do your own recycling. Vegetable food waste can be put in a compost heap that provides cheap, environmentally-friendly fertiliser for your garden. Re-use plastic bags and refillable containers.
12. Not everything can be recycled, but all rubbish can be disposed of responsibly. Make sure your litter goes in the bin and don’t flush away items such as disposable nappies, condoms, cotton buds etc. Bag it and bin it instead.
13. What you think of as rubbish could still be useful. Don’t throw away clothes, shoes, books, or household items just because you no longer need them – if you donate them to a charity shop, they could be used by someone else.
14. Every buying decision that you make has a potential effect on the producers and the environment, so try to find organic fairly-traded goods in your supermarket. Many major retailers bowed to consumer pressure over genetically-modified foods, and there’s no doubt they could be persuaded to do the same with fair trade products if enough consumers demand them.
15. Ethical investments and banking are becoming more common, so think about the impact your financial decisions could have. Find out where your money will be invested or you could end up backing companies that damage the environment.
16. Buy goods that contain recycled material – kitchen and toilet roll, tissues, paper, envelopes, and products in bottles made of recycled plastic or glass.
17. The average office worker generates over half a kilo of scrap paper every day – use double-sided copying where you can, and read emails on screen rather than printing them out. Encourage the recipients of emails you send to do likewise. Environmentally-responsible employers often provide a recycling facility and buy recycled products such as toilet roll.
18. Make transport more environmentally-friendly by setting up a car sharing scheme or offering loans for season tickets or public transport.
19. Business and trade unions can help make sustainability and development awareness a key issue for employees, members and employers through education and training, by sharing information with customers and promoting fair trade.
20. Teachers can prepare pupils to live in a global society by bringing a global dimension into what they teach and into the wider life of schools. Linking with a school in a developing country offers opportunities for learning across the curriculum.
21. Members of churches and other faith groups can raise awareness of environmental and development issues through events, publications and by building on a strong existing tradition of concern and action to create a worldwide alliance to eliminate global poverty.
    

Are you doing your bit?
For more interesting facts, figures and information, take a look at www.doingyourbit.org.uk