10 ways you can help protect the planet

DUBAI: To advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – a global blueprint to reduce inequalities, promote prosperity, protect the planet, and achieve a more sustainable future for all by 2030 – every one of us must be part of the solution.

With Expo 2020 Dubai bringing the world together for Global Goals Week, in partnership with the United Nations (UN), now is the time to be inspired to act and become a change-maker.

Make a start with these 10 actions:

1. Eat your veggies
   Meat and dairy accounts for approximately 14.5 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO). Reduce your environmental impact and improve your health by eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and less meat and dairy. Producing plant-based foods generally results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions and requires less energy, land, and water. Looking for inspiration? Check out the Middle East’s first Vegan Food Festival, running until 30 January at Expo 2020 Dubai’s Festival Garden, and presenting the greatest plant-based food the region has to offer.
   
2. Save energy at home
   Approximately two-thirds of global greenhouse gas emissions are linked to private households, according to the UN. With much of our electricity and heat powered by coal, oil and gas, you can consume less energy by lowering your cooling or heating, switching to LED light bulbs and energy-efficient electric appliances, washing your laundry with cold water, or hanging things to dry instead of using a dryer. If possible, see if you can switch to renewable sources such as wind or solar.
   
3. Walk, cycle or take public transport
   Help your health and fitness by walking or cycling where possible, and in turn, help reduce the use of gasoline- and diesel-burning vehicles. For longer distances, consider taking the Metro, a bus or train and carpool whenever you can. If you plan to buy a car, consider going electric – electric cars help reduce air pollution and cause significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions than gas or diesel-powered vehicles.
   
4. Throw away less food
   Approximately one-third of the world’s food is being wasted, which is equivalent to about 1.3 billion tonnes of food annually, according to the FAO. When you throw food away, you’re also wasting the resources and energy that were used to grow, produce, package, and transport it. And when food rots in a landfill, it produces methane, a powerful greenhouse gas. So use what you buy and compost any leftovers.
   
5. Shop consciously
   Everything we spend money on affects the planet so shopping with consideration is key. Buy local and seasonal foods, and choose products from companies who use resources responsibly and are committed to cutting their gas emissions and waste to reduce your environmental impact.
   
6. Reduce, reuse, repair and recycle
   Electronics, clothes, and other items we buy cause carbon emissions at each point in production, from the extraction of raw materials to manufacturing and transporting goods to market. Save money, energy and natural resources by buying fewer things, shopping second-hand, repairing what you can, and recycling.
   
7. Take a bespoke Expo 2020 visitor journey
   With a choice of 20 curated, self-guided visitor journeys available through the Expo 2020 Dubai app, there are plenty of options that will inspire you to become an agent of change. For example, the ‘Food For The Future’ visitor journey spotlights solutions, innovations and experiences shared from across the world that showcase what and how we should eat to support ourselves and our planet; while ‘People for Planet’ offers ways to help change behaviours in order to mitigate our impact on the world.
   
8. Visit Terra – The Sustainability Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai
   One of Expo 2020 Dubai’s signature experiences, Terra will take you on an immersive journey through the wonders of the natural world and inspire you to create a cleaner, healthier, safer future. Highlighting the urgency of addressing negative environmental impacts, this engaging experience is designed to empower visitors to understand their impact on the environment and become agents of change.
   
9. Make a pledge at Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion
   Expo 2020 Dubai brings to life the SDGs at Mission Possible – The Opportunity Pavilion. The pavilion highlights how a small change can have a big ripple effect, and how together, through our collective action, that effect can be intensified. The visitor experience concludes in the Pledge Room, an upside-down space ‘through the clouds’ where you are asked to commit to a course of action that will make a difference in your own and your community’s lives. Pledges made are then transported to the ‘garden’, a representation situated on the ceiling of the room.
   
10. Spread the word
    Share this list! One of the quickest and most effective ways to make a difference is to speak up and get others to join in taking action. Talk to your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues. Let business owners know you support bold changes and appeal to local and world leaders to act immediately.

Source: Expo 2020 Website