In 2019 I wrote about a report from C40 Cities, Arup, and the University of Leeds titled “The Future of Consumption in a 1.5°C World.” It was a fairly dry document that discussed how we have to cut emissions by dealing with consumption and not production, reducing our demand in buildings, transport, clothing, electronics, and aviation.
It was one of the inspirations for my book, “Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle,” where I wrote: “The C40 report is prescriptive and sometimes silly (you can only buy three articles of clothing per year! Keep your computer for 7 years! You may fly only one short-haul flight every three years!)”
But I was wrong. It is not silly at all. Especially when it is reframed as a movement where you take the jump—a movement fittingly named The JUMP.
Tom Bailey is the co-founder of The JUMP and spent six years with C40 Cities as Head of Research and then Head of the Sustainable Consumption program, which certainly explains the similarity between the programs. The science page is clear that “while this research forms the basis for the six shifts, The JUMP itself has been developed entirely independently of these three organisations, with no formal input, oversight or funding from any of them (but plenty of goodwill!)”
“Taking the JUMP” is all about a favorite topic on Treehugger—sufficiency—where you question how much you really need. Like the C40 Report, The JUMP involves making six shifts, but they make it feel positive and fun. Bailey tells Treehugger they looked at the environmental movement and groups like Extinction Rebellion and concluded: “We’re not pointing fingers saying you’re evil, you are destroying the planet; that approach just alienates people. It is enough to get people to try, just to start, even if you can’t be perfect.”
They are promoting the benefits of consuming less and the opportunities that come from this. Bailey explains: “Jump for Joy has been catalyzing, for people and businesses, the message that if we spend less time consuming, we have more time for creativity, care, craft, connections, camaraderie, celebrations, contentment—all these things that make life really good.”
This is the key point:
It is also about equitable distribution. The JUMP notes: “Taking the JUMP is not turning your back on progress. Consumption and material progress are not fundamentally bad things. In fact they’re vital, ask anyone without enough to meet their needs. It’s just that in many parts of the world and society there is excessive consumption which is devastating our planet while not bringing substantial extra benefit.”
The positivity extends to the way they describe the six shifts.
Dress Retro
Limiting your purchases to three articles of new clothing per year actually makes a lot of sense when you recognize that “the clothing and textiles industry now accounts for more greenhouse gas emissions than international aviation and shipping combined” and “fast fashion means we are buying and replacing clothing more frequently than ever before.” But what’s brilliant here is that they don’t frame it as doing without, but put it under the button titled “Dress Retro.” They turn it into positive action.
End Clutter
Similarly, instead of just saying you should keep everything for seven years, the big button says “End Clutter.” The reason for keeping electronics so long is right out of Treehugger: embodied carbon. They even use the same model of iPhone as I did.
Holiday Local
The positive spin on not flying as much is limiting it to a short flight every three years and a long haul every eight years. The JUMP is from the United Kingdom, where many people hop on short flights to the continent for weekend breaks. But they also note that this is not spread evenly: “In the UK, 70% of all flights are taken by just 15% of the population.”
They conclude: “It is unjust that a small proportion of citizens flying regularly use up carbon budgets whilst some people can’t afford to fly at all. Alongside this, providing viable alternatives like affordable high speed rail would support everyone to travel better. "
This doesn’t work in North America with its long distances and crappy alternatives, but one can still cut back and enjoy local holidays.
Eat Green
The JUMP calls for a plant-based diet, reducing food waste, and eating healthy amounts. It writes: “Changing our behaviours around food is the most impactful of all the shifts. And an added bonus is that we can all save money! More than 25% of total global emissions arise from the food system. And it’s not just about climate change; there is a biodiversity crisis too.”
This is the one section where they do not go for incremental improvements but go all the way to plant-based, instead of looking at a “climatarian” diet where one switches to foods with lower impact. A plant-based diet of air-freighted vegetables is no improvement and can be worse than eating chicken.
The recommendation on healthy portion sizes is controversial, and I took some criticism for making the same suggestion in my book, because people have different metabolisms and needs, and you can’t put a number on it. The JUMP does note, “This of course varies from person to person, body type and level of exercise.”
Travel Fresh
Use your car less, ride a bike or walk—and again, sounding like it’s right out of Treehugger, except for the “whilst” and “tyres,” understanding the importance of upfront carbon:
Change the System
As Treehugger’s Sami Grover keeps saying, we need to work on system change as well as personal change. Here, The JUMP calls for using ethical and green banks (do these exist?) and making at least one life shift to change the system. It writes: “If you feel comfortable and able to, you could consider pushing for change through activism or peaceful protest. For example, write to your political representative with the change you want to see.”
There is a lot of information buried in the science page, drawn from the C40 report, and also the founding evidence for the design of The JUMP, including who it is directed at: the biggest emitters, the top 10% who emit almost half the carbon.
The JUMP notes: “The focus is on comfortably off individuals and households, not everyone and not everywhere. The target levels are actually set as convergence points and for many this is an increase. We must be clear that given there is inequality in consumption and wealth, there is inequality in responsibility.”
Now Is the Time to Take ‘The JUMP’
In a kind of manifesto published on the website, Bailey makes a persuasive case for The JUMP:
As Bailey notes, there have been many movements that have tried to get people to live more sustainable lives, to live with less, to follow a lifestyle of sufficiency, none of which exactly made anyone jump for joy. That’s why there is a lot for a Treehugger to love about The JUMP. It is nothing that we haven’t been saying for years but is presented in such a fresh, upbeat, and positive way that I hope it will make people want to jump right in.
Sign up for The JUMP and follow on Twitter at @takeTheJUMPnow.
