Start small. Start anywhere. Just start.

Start small. Start anywhere. Just start.

One of the many things I love about living in Australia is the number of parks and public spaces we can access and use for free.

Just about every weekend, there's a kid's party happening at one of the playgrounds in the area. The parents go all out with decorations, balloons, and catering. The communal braai barbecue is going, there are mountains of gifts, heaps of food, and kids running amok.

Once the party is over, the site is left spotless. There's no rubbish lying around. The tables are wiped down. The braai barbecue is scrubbed (it's taking me a while to get used to the lingo, mmkay?)

There's a shared and unspoken sense of respect for nature and for other people who will use the space next.

Until there isn't.

One day, not long after we arrived, we were walking along the promenade. There was a kid's party going on. 

A mother and her two sons (I guess around eight and five years old) were walking towards us, each of them holding a paper plate of party food.

I thought I was seeing things when the older boy tossed his plate into the bushes next to the beach.

I assumed his mother would tell him off, send him into the bushes to retrieve the plate, and throw it in the bin (which was about ten steps away).

But she didn't. She whooped.

AND THEN SHE TOLD THE YOUNGER BOY TO DO THE SAME THING!

I could see the hesitation on his face. Perhaps he knew it was wrong. But he was being egged on by his mother and older brother.

Peer pressure got the better of him, and he, too, chucked his rubbish into the bush.

Mother and brother cheered. They laughed. They high-fived. They carried on walking as if this was a totally normal thing to do.

I was speechless. And pissed off. That was a teachable moment for the mother, and she taught her boys that disrespecting the environment is acceptable and funny.

One thing that I've realised from the recent COP27 congress is that we can't wait for governments and big businesses to act against climate change. There's too much money and ego involved, and perhaps not enough reward and incentive to do things differently.

If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.

Change has to start with us as individuals. It might seem like governments and corporates have the power, but consumers keep them in power through the choices we make, what we allow, and what we spend our money on.

Normalising and celebrating littering and unethical behaviour is not ok. And we can't have kids believing that they're too small to make a difference, especially since they're the ones who ultimately have to deal with the burning planet.

The movement starts in our own homes. We have to educate our kids, teach them how to make sustainable decisions, and set an example of the behaviour we expect from them.

I'm more aware of what I say and do when Ayva is around. I talk to her about waste. One of her chores is to take the recycling out. And lord help her if I catch her littering.

Little by little, a little becomes a lot

If we all change just one small thing, that's eight billion small things that could add up to something remarkable.

I'm trying to make small, barely noticeable changes in my life and around the house. Some of them take more effort – like buying paper from a supplier that plants two trees in return for my purchase, rather than just grabbing a ream off the grocery store shelf because it's convenient.

I'll share these changes in newsletters going forward, and I would love to hear about the small things you're doing to start a movement in your family or community.

Because small changes add up to big things. We can all contribute, build momentum, and trigger a snowball effect.

Start with one small thing. Start anywhere. Just start.

— Tarryn ✌️

This week's climate and sustainability news worth noting

🐠 The UN has recommended that Australia's Great Barrier Reef be added to the World Heritage "in danger" list. Greenhouse gas emissions have increased the acidity of the water by 26%, which has slowed the growth of coral. Coral reefs provide habitats for thousands of species. Planetary heating of 1.5C will see between 70% and 90% of coral reefs disappear. At 2C, 99% will be destroyed. (ABC News)

🇸🇪 Greta Thunberg, along with over 600 other young people, is suing Sweden for insufficient climate action, saying the country's climate policies violated citizens' human rights. (Independent UK)

🇻🇺 The South Pacific island nation Vanuatu and 17 other countries published a draft resolution asking the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to clarify what responsibilities – and legal consequences – governments around the world have to protect future generations from climate change. (Reuters)

🦟 Insects, the planet's pollinators that are crucial in global food crops, are coming under increasing threat from climate change, pesticide and fertiliser use, and humans’ demand for food. An international study has found that the impact will radically alter the environment and drastically reduce humans' ability to build a sustainable future. The research found that many populations of insects are declining rapidly, and scientists are warning of an emerging ‘insect apocalypse’ where half of all insects may disappear by 2100. (The Energy Mix)

🌋 The eruption of the Mauna Loa volcano in Hawaii has temporarily disrupted one of the most important tools we have to keep track of CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. The equipment used to maintain the Mauna Loa Observatory’s carbon dioxide measurements – known as the Keeling Curve – is temporarily offline. (Gizmodo)

A picture is worth 1,000 words

The global population emits about 34 billion tons of carbon dioxide each year. China accounts for 27% of global emissions, so why, then, is it excluded from contributing to the loss and damage fund? 🤔

Mapped: Carbon dioxide emissions around the world

The business of ESG and sustainability

✅ The EU Parliament has adopted the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD), which will establish new, more detailed sustainability reporting requirements and significantly increase the number of EU and non-EU companies subject to the EU sustainability reporting framework. The required disclosures will include social and governance issues in addition to environmental and climate change reporting. (European Council)

🌊 The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has partnered with Microsoft Azure to explore the use of cloud computing to advance climate research. (The Register)

Well, that's interesting

💊 Scientists have figured out a way to upcycle polyethylene waste from plastics, feed them to fungi, and turn them into compounds that could be used to create drugs to treat diseases such as Alzheimer’s and cancer, or agents against antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Yay, science! (ChemEurope)

⚡️ The Irish government has published a booklet explaining how households can drastically reduce their energy bills. In one example, it says that if four people in a family each take a 15-minute shower every second day, that adds almost €24.30 (about R550 or A$37.50) to the monthly bill. But if even two of them take 20-minute showers every day, the cost shoots up to €44.55 (about R824 or A$68.80) per month. The moral of the story? Take fewer showers, or shower with a friend. (Independent)

What I've been working on this week

Accounting for change: The role of accountants in driving sustainable business practices

Accountants already speak the language of business and have the analytical skills, knowledge, and ability to understand and integrate ESG information into day-to-day operations and systems.

In this article for Sage, I unpack five ways accountants can add value and lead sustainability conversations with their clients, including:

• Providing better corporate information

• Providing independent assurance on ESG data and reporting

• Helping clients set clear, attainable sustainability goals

• Assigning monetary values to negative environmental and social impacts

• Helping businesses implement upcoming ESG regulations

Read the full article here.

One small thing I'm changing that you could try too

This week, I'm focusing on being more mindful of my decisions and my buying and consumption habits/patterns – just observing, not judging.

Change starts with self-awareness, and since we make most decisions on auto-pilot, I'm trying to be conscious of the things I'd normally do without thinking twice.

Because when I know better, I'll (hopefully) do better.

I'll leave you on this happy note...

Ever seen a rhino zoomie? You're welcome.

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