The Green 'Push factor'

It’s not easy being green, many of us have good intentions, but fail to follow through.

Three in 10 of us say living a sustainable lifestyle is too expensive, while 25% found ‘green alternatives’ were not good enough to make the switch permanent, that’s according to a report from Utilita as part of its Planet Pledge campaign.

Perhaps the most revealing statistic is that nearly half of us, 49 per cent, say they need ‘help’ to be motivated to live more sustainably.

Experts say It can take anywhere from 18 to 254 days for a person to form a new habit and an average of 66 days for a new behaviour to become automatic. So in order to make being green part of everyday life, you have to break those old cycles and commit to change.

Motivation is the key, seeing real results helps spur us on, but 55% of those surveyed feel disheartened because it seems no matter what they do, the climate emergency isn’t improving.

So are we making any difference at all?

New technologies and nature-based solutions are helping us to move to a cleaner, more resilient world. If governments, businesses, communities and educators work together, even the most toxic industries can change.

The Middle East is responsible for around 8% of global carbon emissions, but it’s warming at twice the rate of the rest of the world, according to figures from the World Economic Forum. Known for its oil production industry, the region may not have the greenest of images, but it does has potential to become a leader in renewable energy such as wind and solar, as well as hydrogen production and export.

At Abu Dhabi’s sustainability week, issues such as climate, population and energy have been at the forefront of discussions, with diversifying the energy mix key to reducing emissions. Its hoped that renewable and nuclear sources can reduce the regions reliance on fossil fuels.

Last year, the UAE became the first country in the Middle East to commit to become carbon neutral by 2050.

You may feel there is a mountain to climb, but reaching the summit will be such an achievement.