In today’s “Every Action Matters” knowledge series post, we highlight a role that only some of you may have, but is momentous if you do: parenthood. Being a parent is a huge responsibility, not only when talking about climate change. You are charged with providing the first and arguably most important part of our next generation’s education.

Given the pressing nature of our fight against climate change, four out of ten young people are hesitant about having children due to the climate crisis. While not having children because of climate change is a valiant sentiment, we do not suggest people take such drastic measures if they are not absolutely convinced by them.

Still, having and raising children is a widely discussed topic considering the projected impact of climate change. Children and youth are more concerned about climate change and actually have to be prepared for massive lifestyle changes and the transition to a low-carbon economy. 

This is where you can act, not necessarily through abstinence, but through education. 

Astonishingly, a recent study found that climate change education of students reduced their individual carbon emissions by 3 tonnes of CO2 per year. To put this in perspective, remember that the average German produces around 10 tonnes of CO2e per year. This means that through educating our future generations we could reduce their carbon footprint by around 30%.

That is why we firmly believe, and studies back up those beliefs, that education is a very important means to an end for individual climate action and its ripple effects go way beyond. If you learn and know…

• the causes of climate change 
• the consequences of climate change
• the influence of your behavior
• your individual mitigation options

…you are empowered to act and reduce your emissions. 

To pass on that knowledge, you first have to educate yourself. Visit websites dedicated to informing people about climate change, read any new news regarding climate change or join a discussion forum. Also don’t forget to follow our dedicated blogs, where we offer you detailed information about climate change and anything new happening there. 

But most importantly, use the mympact app. Not only do you have everything you need to be perfectly informed about climate change and how to reduce your CO2e footprint, but you also have a complete overview of how your spending effectively impacts our environment. This gives you the best possible insights into what actions actually matter, so that you can pass this information on to the next generation.