At home

What is 'hidden' impact?

We as Western consumers have much more impact than we think. Not only in our daily activities in and around the house or weekly at the gaspump, but mostly on the other side of the world, by producing and transporting the things we buy and use daily. Most of the impact has already taken place even before we buy a product in the shop.

If you include that hidden impact, you can effectively improve the sustainability of your lifestyle. Let’s go!

 

Furthermore, we often only look at one type of impact, such as CO2 or plastic. Suppose you only pay attention to packaging, you could theoretically continue to eat meat and fly.

Think Big Act Now takes all types of impact into account, thus tackling the blind spots in our thinking about sustainability. That way, your sustainable choices actually make a difference.

The impact top 10

The top 10 shows us where we cause most of our impact. But more importantly, it also shows us what we can best work with if we want to become more sustainable.

It turns out that the average Dutchman’s stuff is number 1 in the Impact Top 10. Our car takes up number 2. Thereafter come the impacts of our housing and eating meat and fish. At number 5, there’s flying and at number 6, all food except meat, dairy and eggs, is listed, meaning vegetable food and drinks. After that, clothing and textiles, dairy and eggs, personal care in the bathroom and public transport, being the smallest of the impact top 10.

In the spring of 2020 research bureau CE Delft re-examined the top 10 categories. The new data has caused a number of shifts compared to the previous impact top 10. The top 10 shown on the right and described above is the most recent version (2020).

Would you like to know more about the top 10? Let us know if you have any questions via info@thinkbigactnow.org.

You can download the report that CE Delft created in 2018 for The Hidden Impact regarding the average Frenchmen here (in English).

 

Calculate your own Impact Top 10

Tips: the big five

Have you identified your biggest opportunities for a more sustainable life?

This big five will help you take the biggest steps. See what suits you and create your personal mix of actions and challenges.

What would you like to try? Enjoy!

Read all about it

The happy 2050 scenario

How do we create a safe, stable world in which we can wish each other a heartfelt happy 2050? That is the question Babette Porcelijn curiously researched. The happy 2050 scenario is the result; a complete roadmap for a safe planet, an inspired crew, policies of integrity, eco-positive production without hidden impacts, a healthy economy and equal opportunities for well-being for all.

Babette deepens these foundations of happiness and exposes their interconnectedness. This creates a clear overview of everything we can work with for a happy 2050.

We are the crew of the planet and this is our manual. Let’s go!

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The happy 2050 scenario is currently only available in Dutch. We’re looking for opportunities to make the book available in English. We’ll keep you posted!

Order the book (in Dutch)