We truly believe changing individual behaviour is the key to addressing the crisis for 2 main reasons:

• We have a moral obligation to act. The science of climate change is clear and people are suffering now. Despite having the freedom of individual choice, that right doesn’t extend to harming others which is what our continued emissions of greenhouse gases is doing. We each have a moral responsibility to address our individual emissions.
• We can influence others. People are naturally influenced by the actions of their peers and those around them, by changing your actions you would be surprised how many of those around also change their actions. To quote the phenomenal Greta Thunberg: “Our actions are important not because they have a material effect on climate change, but because of the message they send to others”.

The success of the initiative is dependent on the sincerity of individuals making pledges and sticking to them. The very act of pledging is a positive move and builds a conversation around the need for behavior change however fulfilling these pledges is what will truly make a difference to the climate crisis. The short term goal of the Movement is the number of pledges made in total and the dollar value of the total pledges made. The long term vision is to influence a shift towards sustainable daily habits on a mass scale and influence politics and those in power to prioritize the climate crisis.

There are a variety of pledges orientated towards different daily activity ranging from travel to food to energy. Individuals should chose pledges which resonate with them and they feel they have power to address in their lives. Interested individuals/organizations can pledge by visiting our website and clicking on the pledge tab and filling in the required gaps completely.

Beyond making pledges, individuals can share the movement with their families, friends and colleagues to encourage them to make changes. If you want to be more actively involved, you can join your local City Chapter to have an ‘on the ground’ presence or set one up if your city doesn’t have one.

If you would like to set up a city chapter or feel you have expertise which would help to grow the movement then individuals and organizations may fill the partnership form provided on the partnership page available on the ‘I Live Simply’ page on the Himalayan Institute of Alternatives, Ladakh (HIAL) website @http://hial.edu.in/ilivesimply-movement/

Members of the various City Chapters can organize meetings, awareness campaigns, workshops in their cities talking about the initiative and the intention behind it. Schools and colleges could be particular targets given the fact that the youth are the future and also the agents of change. Members can also organize clean up drives in their respective cities and educate/sensitize the residents about the climate crisis and need for the individual actions to combat it.

Schools as institutions can contribute by organizing workshops and awareness programs for their students. They can hold intra or inter school/college competitions on the themes of ‘I Live Simply’. They can also ensure sustainability in their operations by ensuring the following:-

1. Provide School Bus facilities
2. Promote the idea of reusable stationary.
3. Repair electronics v/s replace electronics
4. Keep a check on paper waste
5. Avoid food waste in canteens
6. Avoid disposables

Organisations interested in partnering in the movement can fill the partnership form @http://hial.edu.in/ilivesimply-movement/.

Furthermore, organizations can track the environmental impact of their functioning by working out the true extent of their operations. This can be done by keeping a tab on the amount of recycling, office energy efficiency, or the number of flights taken by employees amongst others.

The pledges are quantified by finding the average CO2 emissions emitted or saved by the act. These emissions are then converted into monetary value through the dollar value assigned to each tonne CO2 emission. The intent is to help the consumers see the impact of their activities in terms of the monetary value of harm each of these actions does to the environment.