echo Not Just an Academic Requirement
To Sunway students, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) may be interpreted as more of an assignment requirement than an actual concept to be applied to their daily lives; but in this student handbook, we’ll show you how the SDGs aren’t just another part of our academic syllabus, but rather a way of life towards the peace and prosperity for people and the planet.
The Sustainable Development Goals
Climate change and pollution is no longer a distant headline; its effects have become increasingly evident in our daily lives. Remember when Malaysia used to have distinct monsoon periods? Now it seemingly rains whenever the sky feels like, while heatwaves and humidity reach unprecedented levels. That’s why it is becoming increasingly crucial that the SDG goals are met.
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
An interesting thing about the SDGs is that they’re set up to create a domino effect. Think about it, achieving SDG 1: Zero Poverty would make way for SDG 2: Zero Hunger to be achieved, as people are able to purchase food when they are no longer in poverty. This then helps achieve SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, as proper food intake and financial access to healthcare leads to better health… and so on. The interconnectedness of the SDGs depicts the reality of how lasting global change requires comprehensive and integrated effort.
That being said, it is presumed that when individuals are in a position of financial and economical stability, their attention will naturally shift towards other pressing concerns like climate action (SDG 13). This then begs the question: if us students in higher education with the privilege of financial stability and access to most of the SDGs 1 through 10 are not stepping up to contribute to SDGs 11 through 17 (which often involve more environmental actions) and are instead using our disposable income to further pollute the earth, is that not a misuse of privilege as well as a huge waste of potential?
Challenges in Achieving the SDGs
So what’s really stopping us from contributing to climate solutions?
Our current capitalist system benefits from keeping its consumers unaware and complacent with its processes. At its core, capitalism is unsustainable as it treats nature—the source of its resources—as a commodity, ignoring nature’s replenishing processes, and putting profit as its primary motivator.
So, if we can’t rely on our economic system to protect our climate, we’ll have to rely on ourselves first, and then push for a more effective and less contradictory system to operate under. But how do we even begin to do that?
The Handbook: Navigating Challenges & Taking Action
Climate change can seem like this immense, looming issue sometimes; and thinking about it too much can often leave us paralysed with inaction as it becomes too overwhelming. In moments like these, it is important to remember that there is no such thing as “perfect” climate activism; what matters is that we’re doing the best we can at the current stage of our life. Not everyone can afford to go vegan, and not everyone can avoid plastic use in their daily lives; but there are many of us who can! And it’s important that those who can are making the effort to do so.
While there’s no such thing as being the perfect climate warrior, there are, on the other hand, many small steps that can be implemented into our daily lives that will accumulate. So let’s take a look at what these little steps look like (and who knows, maybe they’ll turn into even bigger steps).
Conduct some Inner Reflection
As mentioned, a lot of the unsustainable practices in our lives stem from corporate manipulation. These practices have unfortunately been ingrained into us through culture and habit, to the point they become almost second nature to us. A good way to combat this is to conduct some inner reflection and really start to consider the environmental impact that our actions have. Always be mindful that behind every purchase is a supply chain of manufacturing, production, packaging and transportation. The need for raw materials and resources often results in detrimental environmental outcomes like deforestation, habitat loss, pollution and global resource exhaustion.
Go back to your roots (SDG 12)
Remember being taught in primary school little ways to reduce your environmental impact? Things like switching off the lights before leaving a room, or turning the tap off while brushing your teeth. Things that, as we’ve grown and become so preoccupied with our lives, we have slowly put out of practice.
Well, maybe it’s time to go back to what we’ve been taught, and put these planet-preserving habits back into practice. Simple things like not littering and sorting our recyclables into the correct bins are all great tips to always keep in mind.
Convenience culture (SDG 12)
Many of our environmentally harmful practices stem from convenience culture, a trend that has become alarmingly prominent today. We instinctively gravitate towards solutions that require the least effort, often turning a blind eye to the long-term impact of our actions, so long as our immediate wants are met. To combat this, we have to start asking ourselves: why must things be easy to be good? Have we truly become so disengaged that we can no longer be bothered to put effort into anything?
For example, purchasing a lemonade and having the store provide you with a plastic cup can seem more convenient than having to bring your own container. In the moment, it may seem like the most sensible choice. However, take a second to consider the life cycle of that plastic cup: it may be useful for a good 15 minutes as you enjoy your drink, but after you’re done with its content, it’s discarded and left to remain on our earth for another 500 or so years, never truly going away.
Similarly, our reliance on AI can have the same impact. Getting a seemingly omnipotent machine to complete your assignments for you might save you some valuable time, but generating a simple 100-word answer from ChatGPT can easily use up a whole bottle of water. Not to mention the non-renewable energy needed to keep data centres running, as well as the resource extraction to build said data centres.
It’s important that we take a step back and consider the impact our day-to-day actions can have on the environment; start thinking about the life cycle of the things you purchase—if it’s going to end up in a landfill and stay there for long after you’ve left this earth—its probably not worth whatever value you’ve placed onto it. We need to question why we value convenience over all.
Consumerist culture (SDG 12)
Comfort and convenience evolve into the culture of consumerism. We’ve become way too accustomed to chasing short-term solutions for our long-term needs, and commodities begin to evolve from utility to therapy. Compared to the classic retail therapy trip to the mall, online shopping has now been simplified down to just a few clicks on our screen, delivering instant gratification. When retail therapy becomes a daily routine, coupled with the neverending stream of product ads, you get short-lived consumerist trends like PopMart blindboxes and Sonny Angels, which are essentially just overglorified pieces of plastic. This constant demand for new things is what fuels the unsustainable consumption and production practices across the globe.
To counter this, we must be mindful of our purchases; again, considering the life cycle of the things we purchase and the purpose of those purchases. TikTok told you that the Hydroflask and Stanley didn’t cut it, so now you have to get a Montigo or Owala in its place; while realistically, you’re being sold 4 of the same products with the same functions, just with a different brand attached. Start realising that! Refuse to be victims of malicious advertising and microtrends. Rather than letting the internet tell you what your interests should be, start curating your own style and taste, make purchases that you know you’ll truly value. Not only will this lead to more fulfilling consumption on your end, it’s also better for the planet overall when less junk is being mass produced for manufactured desire.
Adopt new practices
Now that we’ve remembered our old habits and reflected on our harmful ones, it’s time to adopt some new, more beneficial ones. Here are some eco-friendly habits you can start implementing in your life as soon as right now!
- Composting (SDG 12, SDG 15)
Composting is a good way to ensure that food scraps and other natural waste doesn’t end up in landfills with the sole job of releasing methane gas into the atmosphere. There are many do’s and don’ts to composting, but most importantly, a good compost pile will consist of the right ratio of “greens” and “browns”, but what does that mean? And where can you find them?
Y’know those times where you’re unable to finish your food… or perhaps when preparing a meal you’re left with lots of vegetable peels and eggshells to be thrown out… or maybe even fruits that you’ve left on the counter for too long that they’ve now turned mushy. These food scraps are perfect as your compostable “greens”.
Many neighbourhood landscaping services will have fallen leaves and withered plants bagged up in plastic, preventing them from biodegrading naturally. If you observe this happening, don’t hesitate to ask your gardener for a handful of those leaves to add into your compost. These will act as your “browns”, along with other dried, biodegradable material such as twigs, paper, organic fabric scraps, even dryer lint!
See how these are not only easily attainable, but also contribute to reducing our environmental impact?
There are countless beginner guides to composting available online; but if doing the dirty work isn’t for you, there are also several local brands offering home composters that are both mess and odour free. Overall, composting is a great way to take back some autonomy over the life cycle of the waste we create.
- Adopt a Plant-Based Lifestyle (SDG 12, SDG 14, SDG 15)
The animal agriculture industry is one of the leading causes of climate change; it checks all the boxes when it comes to things affecting our planet’s health.
✅Air pollution from greenhouse gasses released by livestock and their manure
✅Land pollution and deforestation to create pastureland for livestock grazing
✅Water pollution from livestock waste matter seeping through the ground and into water systems
✅Resource depletion from intensive water, land, and energy use
✅Health hazard from antimicrobial drugs given to livestock, fuelling antimicrobial resistance in humans
Greenhouse gas emissions per kg of food product
And this is without including the damage done from our fishing and aquaculture industries.
Cutting out meat from our diets can significantly reduce our environmental impact while also letting the meat industry know, through the laws of supply and demand, that we want less of food that does our planet harm, and more sustainable agricultural practices.
That being said, we can’t ignore the fact that Malaysians simply love their meat dishes, so cutting out meat consumption entirely can seem daunting. Fret not, because similar to composting, there are so many resources out there to guide us through this intimidating process. Meatless Monday, for example, advocates for starting off with eating meatless just one day a week! There’s also the website Your Vegan Fallacy Is, to counter any and all excuses you may have and keep you right on track. As long as you’re willing to put in the effort, there’s no doubt that sooner or later you’ll rid yourself of those meat-craving tastebuds (because taste is in the seasoning anyway).
- Join the Circular Economy (SDG 11, SDG 12)
As it says in the name, a circular economy is a system where products and materials are kept in circulation through processes like maintenance, reuse, recycling, and even composting.
In our current economy, stuff is obtained through a linear process—material extraction creates products that eventually get thrown out as waste. By contrast, a circular economy stops waste from being produced in the first place. We can’t expect infinite resource extraction from a planet with finite resources; that’s why it is important to adopt such a system to ensure that we make full use of what we have extracted from mother nature and appreciate the longevity of what we already have in hand.
Some circularly-economical-habits include repairing things when they are broken, rather than replacing them by buying new ones. Repurposing is also a great way to keep things within a circular economy. For example, a torn shirt could be repurposed into a table rag, or you could turn books you no longer read into a knife block, like how this person did.
Another great way to partake in the circular economy (and one of my personal favourites) is through thrifting. Purchasing or swapping pre-loved clothes is a great way to combat fast-fashion, showing that the clothes that already exist are more than enough to serve us without new ones needing to be made. The same applies for almost any other item! From books to electronics, most things can be found second-hand for decent prices.
- Take Public Transport (SDG 9, SDG 11)
In this car-centric country, taking a car is considered the default to many—even for short distances. But when everyone is using a private vehicle, what results is worsened traffic jams and parking problems; meaning that vehicles are spending more time on the road, leading to higher emission of air pollutants. Not only does this affect the efficiency of urban transport systems, it also affects our health, the environment, and the overall sustainability of urban areas.
Despite the ails of sitting in traffic jams for hours, many still opt out of taking public transport. This is due to the perception that it requires extra time, extensive walking, and is an overall hassle considering interchanges and weather unpredictability. For those who have never used public transport, the notion of navigating through complex bus routes and LRT lines on top of all this can feel more troublesome when compared to simply taking a car.
A seasoned public transport taker will tell you that overtime, these worries turn out to not be much of a worry at all. Weather grievances can be easily solved by bringing an umbrella; ride durations and route transfers can be easily figured out, especially now with the help of online navigation tools; and as for walking, you’ll probably end up enjoying the leisure activity with the absence of queue cutting and road rage.
Besides, for the betterment of our planet, any small hassle is worth it.
- Be Aware of Greenwashing (SDG 12, SDG 13)
Greenwashing occurs when a company conveys the false impression that it and/or its products are more environmentally sound that they really are. This relates to consumerist culture, where companies will use green-marketing tactics in order to bolster their image and encourage sales, using eco-jargon like “sustainable” and “low carbon footprint”; terms that can’t really be measured due to the lack of guidelines and standards surrounding them.
For example, Nestlé and Google can have whole sections on their websites dedicated to sustainability; but when they are investing in one of the most environmentally damaging crises of our lifetime—genocide and ethnic cleansing in Palestine—it’s clearer than day that their priorities lie not with planetary protection, but with profit. The same applies for many other companies, and the best way we can combat this is to buy only out of necessity, and not just because something has a green label slapped onto it. Another way to avoid greenwashing would be to use shopping guides like Ethical Consumer and Commons, that provide in-depth analyses on brands’ dedication to sustainability, and help us make informed choices about which brands we choose to support.
Let’s Do This!
While the cataclysmic reality of climate change can feel immense, remember that the power to ignite change lies within you. Every conscious decision you make contributes to a movement much bigger than yourself. The journey to sustainability isn’t just an individual endeavor, nor is it solely the responsibility of our governments. Each person and every power plays a significant role in achieving the SDGs.
This handbook merely illustrates the small steps you can take that will open up doors to bigger opportunities. Remember, climate solution is no one man’s job; build community, find your people, organise—create a communal composting station in your neighbourhood, organise clothing swaps with your friends, coordinate carpools—and make valuable change happen! And once people are on board with you, get together to push our higher-ups to do something—make cities more livable as opposed to drivable, improve our public transport systems—hell, go do some guerilla urbanism if that’s what it takes.
So what are you waiting for? Go out there and change the world!
Written By: Felicia & Sarah Tan
Edited By: Tisyha
