Environmental Responsibility: Government vs. Individual

The question

How to approach this opinion essay question

An opinion (agree or disagree) essay needs a clear position from the introduction to the conclusion.

1. Paraphrase the statement and state your opinion in the introduction.
2. Give two main reasons, one per body paragraph, each with an example.
3. Consider the opposite view briefly, then explain why you still hold yours.
4. Conclude by restating your position in different words.

How to plan this answer

Structure

1. Introduction: paraphrase the statement that international cooperation and government initiatives are more effective than individual action, and state how far you agree.
2. Body 1: the case that large-scale government and international action delivers the biggest reductions, with one example such as an international agreement.
3. Body 2: the case that individuals still matter, through consumer demand and political pressure, with a concrete example.
4. Body 3: a counter-argument that the two are linked, because government policy shapes what individuals can choose, with a specific policy.
5. Conclusion: restate your position on which approach is more effective and explain why the word 'rather than' is too strong, if it is.

Idea bank

• Montreal Protocol (1987): countries agreed to phase out ozone-depleting chemicals, and the ozone layer is now recovering, which shows what binding cooperation can achieve.
• Scale: a household's carbon emissions are a small share of national totals, while power generation and heavy industry produce much larger shares.
• Policy incentives: subsidies and carbon pricing can make cleaner options cheaper, as Germany's renewable energy programme showed in its early years.
• Consumer demand: growing demand for electric vehicles and plant-based foods has pushed companies to invest, although this demand is often shaped by policy and subsidy.
• Political pressure: citizens who vote for climate policies or join campaigns can make governments commit to targets, which links individual action to government initiatives.
• Weakness of voluntary pledges: non-binding national commitments have often fallen short of targets, which suggests that international rules need enforcement.

Useful vocabulary

• international cooperation: International cooperation is essential when pollution crosses borders.
• a binding agreement: Only a binding agreement can hold countries to their targets.
• to set emissions targets: Governments set emissions targets to guide long-term policy.
• large-scale investment: Large-scale investment in renewable grids can cut emissions quickly.
• to shift consumer behaviour: Clear pricing can shift consumer behaviour over time.
• a carbon tax: A carbon tax makes polluting activities more expensive.
• a drop in the ocean: An individual's savings can seem like a drop in the ocean.
• collective action: Collective action by citizens can push governments to act.
• to incentivise: Subsidies incentivise businesses to adopt cleaner technology.
• to phase out: The Montreal Protocol helped to phase out ozone-depleting chemicals.

Common mistakes

• Treating government and individuals as two separate worlds, when individuals also vote, campaign and shape demand.
• Using one example without explaining the mechanism that links the example to the claim.
• Writing 'the most effective' without defining effectiveness, such as speed, scale or cost.
• Missing the comparison built into the statement, which asks which approach is more effective rather than whether both matter.
• Repeating 'climate change is a threat' without naming a concrete action or policy.

Examiner tip: Define what 'effective' means early, such as cutting emissions fastest, and test each side of the argument against that definition, since the statement is a comparison that needs a clear answer.