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Regina Chen

Carlos Escueta

The calls to take immediate action against climate change have grown in volume as the coronavirus pandemic has dragged on. A 2020 survey, by management consultancy firm Accenture, found 60 per cent of global consumers have made more “environmentally friendly, sustainable or ethical purchases” since the discovery of Covid-19.
However, plenty of us are still not consuming in an environmentally conscious way – think about the polystyrene boxes and plastic takeaway meal bags we have used during the seemingly endless cycle of quarantining, self-isolating and social distancing.
So how do we become smarter, more climate-conscious consumers?
Here are some tips on making responsible, sustainable choices in your day-to-day life, from the food you eat and the clothes you wear to the ways you keep fit and travel.

Food
Many people, aware of the massive carbon footprint that the meat and dairy industries produce, will adopt an “environmentally friendly” plant-based diet – but there are a few points to bear in mind when going vegan.
Before you order or shop for a vegan product, ask yourself: “What is its origin? How is it being made?” Many popular ingredients for plant-based dishes can’t be called environmentally friendly because of how they are produced.

Take the avocado, which appears on the menu of many hipster cafes. Huge amounts of water are needed to grow avocados, especially during summer. As many countries do not grow avocados, a large carbon footprint is created when importing them.
Instead, consider consuming nuts or vegetables that also contain healthy fatty acids or vitamin K.
When shopping for non-dairy milk, soy or oat milk are better choices than almond or rice milk, because the latter two crops need comparatively large amounts of water to grow.
Besides adopting a plant-based diet, you can also help save the Earth by cutting down on your plastic use. Bring your own bag when grocery shopping, your own cutlery and straw when dining in fast food restaurants and your own containers for leftovers.
You might also want to cut down on how frequently you order food deliveries, if possible (think about the amount of packaging that normally comes with your meal).

Fashion and beauty
The coronavirus pandemic has increased the amount of time we spend online shopping.
But if you find yourself buying clothes similar to what’s already in your wardrobe (or ordering something you’ll never actually wear), you might want to examine your shopping habits.
Take a look at the clothes you already own. By examining your wardrobe, you can avoid spending money you don’t need to – and get some idea of what will and won’t go with your existing purchases.
Skinimalism, the ‘less is more’ beauty trend taking over the industry
Instead of shopping for fast fashion, consider buying clothes that are of a higher quality, even if they cost a little more. Buy fewer pieces that you can wear for a longer period of time.
Recycle clothes you no longer want or wear – give them to your friends or donate them to charity. Some you might even be able to sell to thrift or consignment stores. Many people declutter their wardrobes in the name of minimalism, but throw their wearable threads away and they end up in landfills.
Minimalism can be applied to your skincare and make-up, too. Before you make a purchase, think carefully about if you actually need it and if it’s an essential.

Health and wellness
For most of us, making time for a quality workout is hard enough without making it environmentally sustainable as well.
A few “eco-gyms” have taken sustainability a step further by producing human-generated electricity through the use of their cardio machines and other equipment. But taking your exercise outdoors is one of the most efficient ways to go green with your fitness routine.
When you need to get some cardio in, walk, jog or cycle outside rather than wasting electricity on gym treadmills, elliptical machines or stationary bikes. Should you find yourself in need of a treadmill anyway, increase the incline so that it uses less power.
Invest in a reusable water bottle. Around three-quarters of used plastic water bottles are dumped in landfills yearly instead of being recycled. Your investment in a water bottle will save you money on bottled water and help cut down global plastic waste, too.

Travel and leisure
In November 2020, budget airline HK Express started selling “flights to nowhere” to boost its coronavirus-battered revenues. Although the flights were welcomed by eager travellers, there was a public backlash over the unnecessary environmental damage such trips cause.
Travel restrictions imposed to curb the spread of coronavirus have, so far, thwarted the hopes of many around the world for a summer getaway this year, and many families are opting for staycations. But the services listed in many luxury hotel staycation packages can also be harmful to the environment.

Fifteen per cent of a hotel’s energy use goes into laundry, so spare your hotel the unnecessary power and water usage by informing them you don’t need your linens or towels changed every day. Pack your own water bottle, toiletries and, if necessary, tableware to avoid single-use plastic items, despite their convenience.
For a sustainable staycation that is truly refreshing, go offline – resist the urge to use your phone, laptop or other electronic devices. Cutting down your screen time is beneficial for your eyesight and mental health as well as your carbon footprint.
To escape the hustle and bustle of the city, consider exploring your natural surroundings – in Hong Kong, look into the various camping spots the city has to offer.


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Climate change

What you can do to limit climate change: practical ways to adjust what you eat and wear, and how you exercise and travel

Eliminate single-use plastic bags from your shopping by bringing your own bags, as this man has failed to do. Photo: Getty Images

Recycling your old clothes instead of throwing them away is something we can all do to become more eco-conscious, environmentally friendly consumers. Photo: Getty Images

A customer weighs grapes at a supermarket. Bring your own bag when grocery shopping to cut down on your use of plastic bags. Photo: Getty Images

Huge amounts of water are needed to grow avocados. Photo: Getty Images

Recycle clothes you no longer want or wear – give them to your friends or donate them to charity. Photo: Getty Images

Some gyms use equipment that produces human-generated, utility-grade electricity. Photo: Xarefit

Passengers play a game with crew members on board an HK Express “flight to nowhere”.

A hiker in Lung Fu Shan country park on Hong Kong Island. If you need a cardio workout, go for a walk, job, or bike ride outdoors. Photo: James Wendlinger

Seafood and chicken next for plant-based food entrepreneurs who are aiming to slow overfishing, climate change

OmniSeafood’s golden fillet, one of six plant-based seafood products it makes, can be deep-fried and is perfect for a dish of fish and chips.

David Yeung is founder and CEO of Hong Kong’s Green Monday Group and OmniFoods.

A tin of OmniTuna.

Tindle plant-based chicken dishes at Katsumoto Sando in Central.

Chef Mustika Wayan of Poem restaurant with Tindle spinach chicken salad.

The W Nachos Tindle Fiesta by W Hong Kong executive chef Rafael Gil. Photo: Jonathan Wong

WWF gets creative in the climate change fight: artists from Anish Kapoor to Tracey Emin join Art For Your World project

The WWF has enlisted artists in its fight against climate change and the loss of habitats. Photo: WWF/Ondrej Prosicky

The WWF launched social media campaign Art For Your World to draw attention to the impact of climate change: Photo: Richard Barrett/WWF

Deforestation in the Amazon is at historically high levels. Photo: WWF/Luis Barreto

Art For Your World, 2020 by Bob and Roberta Smith is part of the campaign. Photo: World Wide Fund for Nature/Bob and Roberta Smith

Why eating insects to combat climate change is inevitable

French chef Laurent Veyet displays a dish in his restaurant Inoveat, which serves insect-based food, in Paris, France, on May 12. Photo: Reuters

Beyond Meat’s “Beyond Burger” patties, made from plant-based substitutes for meat products, sit on a store shelf on November 15, 2019, in New York City. Photo: AFP via Getty Images/TNS

Flying is terrible for the environment. Bio-fuels offer a solution to air travel’s impact on climate change

Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs), derived from biological or synthetic feedstocks, offer a solution for a world hooked on air travel but imperilled by climate breakdown. Photo: Picture Alliance via Getty Images

Etihad pilots and cabin crew of the first biofuel flight with Etihad biofuel. Photo: Etihad

KLM’s Amsterdam-Madrid passenger flight that was partially powered by 500 litres of synthetic kerosene. Photo: KLM

The global aviation industry is responsible for 2 per cent of all carbon emissions resulting from humans today, but that figure could triple by 2050. Photo: NurPhoto via Getty Images

5 Chinese social media stars using their influencer fame for good, from a girl fighting climate change just like Greta Thunberg to a doctor giving Covid-19 tips

Weiya is the most successful streaming host on the e-commerce platform Taobao and has gained recognition for her poverty alleviation work. Photo: Weibo/Weiya

Handout image of Howey Ou (L) who would be an ordinary high school student from the southern Guangxi province in China if not for the fact that she is the only public climate striker in China. She first made headlines for a one-person climate strike in May last year in front of GuilinÕs local government office, the touristy city where she lives.  The strike lasted a week before she was stopped by police and questioned. She was not cowed and continues to host strikes, where she regularly has run-ins with the law. In July, she was barred from returning to school because of her activism. While Ou, 17, does not have a large following in China, but her efforts have attracted a lot of international press coverage, with many praising her bravery. ÒI donÕt want China to not do anything about this. ChinaÕs youth must accept this historical responsibility,Ó Ou told the South China Morning Post in an interview in July.[22DECEMBER2020 FEATURES]CREDIT: Courtesy Howey Ou

Handout image of Liang Yu who grew to prominence when she decided to take the lead to help provide female healthcare workers with sanitary products. Liang Yu was an ordinary Shanghai office worker with a modest following on Weibo before finding her calling.[22DECEMBER2020 FEATURES]CREDIT: Courtesy Liang Yu

Handout image of Shanghai doctor Zhang Wenhong, 51, who gained popularity for his no-nonsense comments during Chinaâs fight against the Covid-19 outbreak. He eventually became an authority on the subject and the public began to follow Zhangâs advice. In January, he earned the publicâs admiration by saying that Chinese Communist Party members should be the first to take on the hardest and toughest jobs without negotiations.  The comment came when there was a public confidence crisis in the government, and many thought local Communist cadres were mishandling the coronavirus outbreak. Since then, he is regularly interviewed by the media for Covid-19 tips, such as how to prevent a return of the virus during the winter. Zhang remains committed to his job despite his newfound fame, according to an interview with Peopleâs Daily. âI actually donât really like it that everyone calls me a KOL doctor,â he was quoted as saying.[22DECEMBER2020 FEATURES]CREDIT: Weibo / Zhang Wenhon

Handout image of Luo Xiang who has become famous for making criminal law lectures fun through humor and trivia. The China University of Political Science and Law professor posts videos about how the law applies in unlikely situations Ð such as whether it is illegal to murder someone in space (it is). In March this year, Luo, 43, opened an account on the popular Chinese video-sharing platform Bilibili and accumulated a million followers faster than anyone ever has on the platform, according to The Beijing News. [22DECEMBER2020 FEATURES]CREDIT: Courtesy Luo Xiang

Lifestyle

Food & Drink

Fashion & Beauty

Health & Wellness

Travel & Leisure


Bring your own shopping bag, your own cutlery to a fast-food restaurant and a container for leftovers. Order less takeaway food. Buy clothes you can wear longer
If you go to a hotel, pack toiletries and only use services you need. For cardio exercise go for a walk, jog or cycle rather than use a gym’s powered treadmill



From your eating habits to your clothes drawer, workouts and staycations, these practical steps will help minimise your contribution to climate change.


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