Some people hold a belief that individuals should take responsibility for addressing environmental problems while others believe this duty should belong to governments. From my perspective, I argue that each of these two sides is important in its own ways, so responsibility for solving environmental issues should be allocated equally to both individuals and governments.
On the one hand, the view that individuals should have responsibility for tackling environmental problems is attractive for two main reasons. The first reason for this is that people can actively reduce the amount of energy and waste they use on a daily basis, which can greatly contribute to long-term environmental protection. To be specific, they can buy products that do not harm the environment or turn off power sources when not in use. Secondly, individuals need to cooperate to follow environmental laws, which can lessen the burden of environmental protection on the government. This is due to the fact that the government cannot control all actions of individuals so cooperation between each citizen is very crucial in addressing environmental problems. Therefore, the responsibility of individuals for addressing the issue of the environment is obviously needed.
However, equal responsibility should also be taken by the authorities. For one, only governments can enact or change laws to deal with environmental problems. For example, in 2016, the Canadian government implemented a commitment to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Thus, governments can make every effort to solve environmental problems nationwide by introducing stricter rules; more positive changes could be achieved in the near future.
In conclusion, both governments and individuals have the responsibility of addressing environmental problems and one side should not be prioritized over the other. It is advisable that politicians and citizens should work together on the process of solving environmental problems for sustained protection.