5 Collective Ways to Deal with Climate Crisis

Climate crisis is not too great to tackle by individual means. Of course, not using plastic straws, consuming less water or preferring organic products are valuable efforts. But they are not enough for a systemic transformation. Because climate change is a crisis that affects all communities and that can be resolved only by taking collective action. Therefore, we have to produce, share, and implement solutions collectively as well. Solidarity and collective intelligence are our most powerful weapons on the face of this increasingly growing disaster.

In this article, we analyze 5 collective ways effective against climate crisis on a social scale. Enjoy reading.

You can also click here to check out our article titled Climate Crises and The Role of Individuals

1. Community-supported Food Systems

Food is at the center of climate crisis. Both carbon emissions in the production process and long supply chains do serious harm to the environment. However, it is possible to change this picture. Community-supported food systems conserve nature while also strengthening local solidarity.

• Food Cooperatives and Local Producers: Food cooperatives are organizations that directly connect producers with consumers. Since the intermediaries are eliminated, farmers earn more while consumers access healthier products. Moreover, carbon footprint is also reduced since products do not travel long distances. Organizations such as 100% Ecologic Market in Türkiye are among the successful examples of these cooperatives.

• Community Gardens and Urban Agriculture: Enabling food production on vacant lots opens up a way to connect with nature even in urban settings. Neighborhood gardens, apartment building gardens, even roof agriculture... These practices reduce food waste while also enabling more efficient use of resources such as water and soil.

Click here to learn more about sustainable agriculture.

•  Food Justice and Access: Access to food is not only an economic issue, but also a matter of climate justice. Collective food systems aim to enable access to healthy and clean food for everyone. These systems also help with building resistance against climate crisis, especially for the people who live in low-income neighborhoods.

2. Collective Energy Production and Sharing

Energy production is one of the biggest carbon emission sources in the world. Fossil fuel-based systems deepen climate crisis even more, and now, transitioning to a fair and sustainable energy system is a necessity. This transformation can only be possible through collective energy models, and not individual preferences.

•  Energy Cooperatives: Energy cooperatives are organizations in which citizens come together to produce clean energy where revenues and resources are shared equitably. These systems established using renewable resources such as solar, wind or biomass powers create gains both for nature and community.

•  Local Renewable Energy Projects: Solar panels and wind turbines installed under the guidance of municipalities, neighborhood unions or local initiatives supply power for energy needs while also reducing carbon footprint. For example, many small towns in Germany generate their own electricity.

•  Access to Fair Energy and Energy Poverty: Access to energy is an important part of climate justice. Collective systems also enable low-income households to access clean energy. These models also reduce energy poverty, decrease bills, and support energy security.

3. City-to-City Solidarity and Green Transformation

In tackling climate crisis, cities are not only victims, but they are also at the center of the solution. Because the majority of the world’s population now live in the cities. This means that the impact of every decision taken in relation to climate is first felt in the cities. Municipalities, neighborhood initiatives, and urban solidarity organizations play an important role in this transformation.

•  Climate-friendly City Initiatives: Cities across the world identify their own climate targets to reduce carbon emissions. International organizations such as C40 Cities bring cities together through information and experience sharing. Cities such as Istanbul, Paris, Amsterdam, and Seul are among the leading cities in this transformation.

•  Transportation, Green Spaces, and Water Management: Improving public transportation, establishing bicycle roads, protecting parks and installing gray water systems... These are all among the basic practices in climate-friendly cities. Sidewalks collecting rainwater, green roofs reducing heat, and energy-efficient public buildings are among the concrete examples of this transformation.

•  Inter-municipalities Information Sharing: Inter-municipalities experience sharing enables propagation of achievements. A practice that works in a city can be an inspiration for another city. Some municipalities have already started to follow the lead of each other in various areas such as green building certificates, waste management, and urban agriculture.

4. Youth Movements and Climate Activism

Young people raise their voice at the highest level against climate crisis. Because they are in the generation who will experience the heaviest consequences of this crisis. However, they are not only concerned; they take their fight to the streets, influence policies, and transform the world through collective movements. Young people are becoming the driving force behind the climate struggle.

•  Fridays for Future and Global Youth Resistance: Fridays for Future movement, launched by Swedish Greta Thunberg, created a global wave in a short span of time. Millions of young people took the fight from the schools to the squares and demanded climate justice. And organizations such as Youth for Climate are active in Türkiye.

•  Impact of Youth on Policies: Young activists demand change not only via social media campaigns, but also by directly contacting lawmakers. If climate crisis is a part of the political agenda today, young people’s role is great in this. And young people’s voices are heard even more in the municipalities and councils.

•  Activism Creating Hope, Not Fatigue: Eco-anxiety and the feeling of burnout are widespread among young people. However, collective movements provide a strong ground to deal with these feelings. Working, producing and being visible collectively transform anxiety to action, and loneliness to solidarity.

 5. Responsibility of Institutions and Business World

The fight against climate crisis cannot only be the burden of individuals or civil society. Institutions and organizations, which have the biggest impact, should bear the majority of this responsibility as well. Thankfully, many organizations take steps now to really transform themselves rather than only “looking green”.

•  Carbon Footprint Tracking and Transparency: Now, the companies are expected to provide not only products, but also accountability. Organizations should regularly measure their carbon emissions and disclose the data to the public in a transparent manner. This increases consumer trust as well as raising sectoral awareness.

You can check our article titled What Is Carbon Footprint?

•  Green Investments and Circular Business Models: Increasingly more investors make their decisions by considering environmental and social criteria. Circular economy models enable raw materials, energy and waste to be recovered in the system. Systems based on recycling, reusing and repair shape the future of the business world.

You can check our article titled What Is Circular Economy?

• Social Impact Reports and Accountability: Corporate social responsibility is now not only a public relations means, but a necessity in the fight against climate crisis. Companies should question not only what they produce, but also how they produce. Social impact reports should be the written statements of the responsibility felt for the community and nature.