Leading By Example

You can actively support sustainable energy generation by first taking the time to understand where your electricity comes from, how much of it is generated from sustainable sources, and how high your personal energy consumption is. This information is often available on your electricity bill or through your energy provider’s website. Once you have this overview, you can check whether there are viable contract options that offer a higher share of renewable electricity and consider switching to a greener tariff. Choosing such options sends a signal of demand for clean energy and helps drive further investment in renewable generation.

Next, check which energy source is used for heating and cooling, especially if these services are not powered by electricity. Many homes still rely on gas, oil, or district heating, which can have a much higher climate impact than renewable electricity. Understanding this part of your energy use is crucial, as heating and cooling often account for the largest share of household energy consumption. If possible, consider cleaner alternatives such as electric heat pumps, solar thermal systems, or renewable-based district heating if available. In addition, it is crucial to consider efficiency improvements such as better insulation which may help save costs in addition to emissions.

Other sources of avoidable energy use include water heating, old household appliances with high energy consumption or inefficient lighting. Conscious use and energy efficient replacement of devices at the end of their lifetime may further help to reduce energy consumption.

In summary, reducing your climate impact starts with understanding how much energy you consume and where it comes from. If the share of renewables in your area is low or if energy costs are high, consider participating in or starting an energy community that generates and shares sustainable electricity locally which can greatly amplify your impact. By working together, communities can accelerate the transition to sustainable electricity and ensure its benefits are shared more widely.

A useful way to choose more sustainable travel options is to follow one of the available mobility pyramids, which display transport modes in relation to their climate impact. Following this structure, most of our choices for mobility should be focused on walking and cycling, which produce no direct emissions and are best for short distances. Next come public transport options such as trains, trams, and buses, which can carry many people efficiently and have much lower emissions per person than cars when many people use them. Car travel, especially with a single occupant, sits higher up the pyramid due to higher emissions, while air travel is at the top and should be avoided when alternatives exist. Choosing options lower on the pyramid helps significantly reduce your climate impact while often improving health and quality of life at the same time.

Sustainable nutrition plays a vital role in protecting both human health and the planet. International dietary recommendations consistently emphasize eating a varied and balanced diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, while moderating the intake of highly processed foods and resource-intensive products including meat. Such diets are associated with lower risks of chronic diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers, while supporting overall well-being and long-term health.

From a sustainability perspective, choosing a diverse range of foods and prioritizing locally available and seasonal products helps reduce environmental impacts linked to transport, storage, and intensive production methods. Local foods are often fresher, better adapted to regional conditions, and can strengthen local systems and livelihoods. By combining dietary diversity with local sourcing, sustainable nutrition supports resilient ecosystems, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and ensures access to healthy food for current and future generations.

Resources for identifying healthy and sustainable food

Resources for seasonal eating

Learning about local herbs and native plants, and engaging in community or home gardening, further strengthens sustainable nutrition. Growing and using regional plants helps preserve local food knowledge and biodiversity, while providing fresh, nutritious ingredients with minimal environmental impact. Gardening also encourages seasonal eating, reduces reliance on packaged foods, and fosters a closer connection to nature and food systems.

Lifelong learning is essential for building a more sustainable and inclusive future. Continuous learning, being curious and sharing knowledge between generations helps individuals and institutions make informed decisions, adapt to change, and take responsibility for their impacts. Education plays a key role not only in building knowledge and skills, but also in strengthening systems of accountability—when people keep learning, they are better able to question practices, evaluate outcomes, and demand transparency from themselves, organizations, and decision-makers. Teaching shared frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) supports a common understanding of global challenges, encourages critical thinking, and clarifies how responsibilities are distributed across individuals, communities, and institutions. By promoting lifelong learning and knowledge-sharing, education empowers societies to improve accountability and act more thoughtfully and responsibly over time.

Learning for life goes beyond formal education or professional training. It is a continuous process of reflecting on who we are, how we live, and how we relate to others. Philosophy plays a central role in this process by encouraging critical thinking, self-awareness, and the ability to question what we often take for granted. Through reflection, individuals can explore purpose, responsibility, and the ethical foundations of everyday decisions.

A key part of lifelong learning is our joint understanding of how to live together. This includes empathy, cooperation, and a sense of shared responsibility within families, communities, and societies. Learning to see ourselves as part of a larger social context helps foster mutual respect and constructive dialogue, making it easier to address differences and work collectively toward common goals.

From an economic perspective, learning for life also involves to be clear about our own value systems and to reflect on how this relates to our broader socio-economic context. By reflecting on what constitutes value and how it is created and shared, individuals can make more conscious choices about consumption, work, and contribution to society.

Having a clear understanding of our own values helps us navigate complexity, strengthen communities, and shape ways of living that are both fulfilling for individuals and beneficial for society as a whole.

Discover our SDG-Hub — a space for community collaboration on Discord. The hub brings together people interested in the Sustainable Development Goals, where inspiring ideas, projects, and great organizations are shared. Through open exchange, collaboration, and learning, the community helps turn knowledge into action and empowers members to contribute to positive change. Whether you want to learn, share, or collaborate, the SDG Hub is a place to grow impact together.

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Collaboration is a fundamental element in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as the challenges they address are complex, interconnected, and global in nature. Issues such as climate change, inequality, health, and education cannot be solved by individuals or single institutions alone. Working together and taking responsibility across sectors, cultures, and disciplines makes it possible to combine knowledge, resources, and perspectives to create more effective and lasting solutions.

At the community level, collaboration strengthens trust, inclusion, and shared responsibility. When people, organizations, and local authorities cooperate, they can better identify common needs and co-create solutions that reflect local realities. This collective approach empowers communities, encourages participation, and helps ensure that progress toward the SDGs is equitable and inclusive.

Collaboration is also essential at the global level, where partnerships between countries, businesses, civil society, and international organizations help align efforts and scale impact. By fostering dialogue and shared learning, collaborative approaches support innovation and mutual understanding. Ultimately, strong partnerships enable the SDGs to move from ambition to action, turning shared goals into tangible progress for people and the planet.

Equality is a core principle of the Sustainable Development Goals and a foundation for peaceful, inclusive, and resilient societies. Ensuring that everyone has the same rights, opportunities, and access to resources is essential for human dignity and social cohesion. Inequality—whether based on gender, income, ability, origin, or other factors—limits individual potential and slows progress toward sustainable development for all.

Promoting equality means recognizing and addressing structural barriers that prevent people from fully participating in social, economic, and political life. This includes fair access to education, healthcare, decent work, and decision-making, as well as respect for diversity and inclusion. When equality is practiced and paired with inclusion, communities benefit from a wider range of talents, perspectives, and ideas.

At a global level, advancing equality strengthens cooperation and shared responsibility. Societies that reduce disparities are better equipped to face global challenges such as climate change, public health crises, and economic instability. By embedding equality into policies, institutions, and everyday actions, progress toward the SDGs becomes more sustainable, just, and meaningful for present and future generations.

Communication is a powerful lever for multiplying change and accelerating progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals. Clear, honest, and inclusive communication helps transform knowledge into action by making complex challenges understandable and relevant to everyday life. When people can access information and share ideas openly, they are more likely to engage, collaborate, and contribute to solutions.

Effective communication also builds trust and connection across communities, sectors, and cultures. By listening as much as speaking, it creates space for diverse perspectives and fosters mutual understanding. Storytelling, education, and dialogue can inspire empathy, shift mindsets, and encourage collective responsibility, turning individual efforts into shared movements.

At a broader level, communication amplifies impact by spreading good practices and enabling cooperation at scale. Whether through education, media, or community exchange, communicating clearly and responsibly helps align actions, mobilize support, and sustain momentum. In this way, communication does not just transmit information—it multiplies change and helps turn the vision of the SDGs into reality.