I’m starting a series of articles aimed at understanding Canada’s plans to cut our emissions and prevent the worst effects of climate change.  There is no bigger threat to the well-being of humanity, so I feel a need to understand where my country is with our emissions and what our plan is to cut them.  

But – you might be thinking – isn’t climate change a global problem?  Why would you focus on what Canada is doing?  Shouldn’t we focus our attention on major emitters like China, the US, or India? After all, isn’t that where most of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions are coming from?

Well, yes – but hear me out:  To be effective and empowered in the face of very daunting challenges, we need to distinguish between things we control, things we influence, and those things that may concern us but lie beyond our reach. 

For climate change, that means focusing on what is happening in your country, region, city, community and household.

Philosophical origins

The concept of circles of control, influence, and concern was first described by ancient Stoic philosophers, such as Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius who emphasized that effectiveness and peace of mind come from focusing on what is within one’s control (one’s actions, thoughts, and responses) and accepting what is not.  

Today, these concepts are most widely associated with the work of Stephen Covey, particularly in his 1989 book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey’s model of concern, influence, and control provides a structured way for individuals to focus their energy where it can have the greatest impact.  It is a tool for increasing effectiveness and reducing stress by helping people recognize when they are wasting effort on things they cannot change.

The climate crisis is the perfect example of an issue where if we are not deliberate in our approach, it can leave us feeling overwhelmed and disheartened.

Many of the aspects of the climate crisis that concern us are outside our control but we can easily spend a lot of our energy worrying about them.  Is Trump going to be elected, withdraw the US from the Paris Agreement and then “Drill, baby, drill”?¹  Will Brazil and Indonesia be able to reign in rampant deforestation?  Will our homes be affected by storms, floods and fires? 

Worrying about what we cannot control is not a wise use of our limited energy.

To be effective and to preserve our mental energy, we need to distinguish those things that concern us vs. those things that we have a chance of influencing.  I may be concerned about China’s greenhouse gas emissions, but I have zero influence there.  I can worry about heat waves or their effects on the food supply, but just worrying does not really have any chance of doing something helpful.

“You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it”

Another thing to remember about climate change is this: You don’t need to solve the entire problem – you just need to do your part.  Solving the problem requires the cooperation of every nation on earth and, within each nation, the cooperation of every sector of society:  government, business, institutions and individuals.  Resolve to do your part and trust that everyone else will do theirs.  

But what if others are not doing their part?  That’s out of your control – so let it go.  By doing your part, your example increases the power of your influence and increases the likelihood that others will do theirs. 

In practice

In my case, I can be most helpful in taking action in my own country and communities.  I’m a Canadian so I have at least some influence here. I actually know people in this country.  I can speak to my elected representatives who make the plans and policies here.  I can speak to people in my communities and help influence the opinions of people who vote for the people who make the policies where I live.

My circle of influence then, where I need to concentrate is Canada, Quebec, Montreal, my household, and my personal actions.

So yeah, I’m super concerned about what the outcome of the US election will be, but I have no impact on that.  I can’t even vote – it is in my circle of concern but outside my circle of influence.  I do worry about the use of coal in India or whether China, the world’s largest emitter is making enough progress, fast enough.  But I can’t really do much in these parts of the world – my energy is better spent here where I have more of a chance of effecting change.

So that’s why I’m starting a series of articles on understanding Canada’s plan.  That is the part of the climate fight that is mine to do something about.  And if you live in Canada, the same goes for you.

To have any sort of influence, we need to know what the plan is, how it’s going and how we should feel about it.  And if we are not satisfied, we should speak up to try and set things on a better course.

In the coming posts, I’ll cover things like Canada’s goals and current progress in reducing emissions, the accountability framework that the Federal government has set for its emissions reduction plans and the content of the plans themselves.

By the end of it, we should have a pretty good idea of how Canada is playing its part in reaching net zero and helping avoid the worst effects of climate change.

1. Sorry – I originally wrote this before the US election – he was elected … sigh. ↩︎