Scientists And the News Media Are Presenting Ever More Evidence of Climate Change - IELTS Task 2 Band 9 Model Essays

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Model Essay 1

The growing body of scientific research and media coverage makes it undeniable that climate change is accelerating, yet there is intense debate over who should take responsibility for addressing it. In my view, while governments play an important coordinating role, lasting solutions cannot be achieved without fundamental changes in individual lifestyles. This essay will argue that government action is often constrained, and that personal behavioural change is both more immediate and ultimately more effective.

To begin with, it is unrealistic to expect governments alone to resolve climate change, because their actions are frequently limited by political, economic, and social pressures. Climate policies often require long-term sacrifices, such as higher energy prices or restrictions on industry, which are deeply unpopular with voters and powerful corporations. As a result, many governments prioritise short-term economic growth over environmental protection, even when scientific warnings are clear. For example, despite repeated international climate summits, global carbon emissions continue to rise because agreements are weakened by national self-interest. This demonstrates that relying solely on state-led solutions is insufficient. Without widespread public support and behavioural change, even the most ambitious environmental policies risk remaining symbolic rather than transformative.

More importantly, individuals have a direct and cumulative impact on the environment through their everyday choices, making lifestyle change a crucial weapon against climate damage. Personal decisions regarding transport, energy use, diet, and consumption collectively shape market demand and production patterns. For instance, when large numbers of people reduce meat consumption or switch to renewable energy, companies are forced to adapt by offering more sustainable products. In my own experience, simple habits such as using public transport, minimizing plastic waste, and conserving electricity significantly reduced my household’s carbon footprint without lowering our quality of life. These examples show that individual action is not merely symbolic; when adopted on a mass scale, it can drive systemic change from the bottom up.

In conclusion, although governments have a role in setting frameworks and regulations, they cannot be expected to solve climate change on their own. Political constraints often limit their effectiveness, whereas individual lifestyle changes produce immediate and scalable benefits. Ultimately, meaningful progress depends on people accepting personal responsibility and aligning their daily behaviour with environmental sustainability.

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Model Essay 2

Mounting scientific evidence and relentless media coverage have made climate change one of the defining crises of our age, alongside a growing belief that governments alone cannot be relied upon to fix it. I strongly agree that individuals must shoulder primary responsibility, because climate change is driven by consumption culture and because personal action reshapes social norms that governments eventually follow. These two ideas will form the basis of the discussion below.

The central reason individuals must take responsibility is that climate change is fundamentally a by-product of modern lifestyles rather than isolated government failures. Emissions are generated not only by factories and power plants, but by millions of daily choices: private car use, fast fashion, excessive air travel, and energy-intensive diets. Governments may regulate industries, yet they cannot micromanage personal behaviour without provoking public backlash. For example, even in countries with strict environmental laws, demand for disposable products and luxury consumption continues to soar, directly fuelling emissions. Unless individuals consciously reduce unnecessary consumption and reassess what constitutes a “normal” lifestyle, structural reforms will have limited impact. In this sense, climate change is less a policy problem than a behavioural one rooted in individual priorities.

Equally important is the fact that individual action plays a decisive role in shaping social norms, which ultimately determine political will. Governments rarely lead radical change; instead, they respond when public attitudes shift decisively. Historical examples such as smoking regulations or plastic bag bans show that policy follows cultural transformation, not the other way around. When citizens begin to treat waste reduction, energy efficiency, and sustainable transport as moral obligations rather than optional gestures, political leaders gain both the mandate and pressure to act decisively. In my own observation, communities that embrace recycling and shared transport create expectations that influence even reluctant participants. Thus, individual action functions as a catalyst, turning environmental concern into a collective standard that governments can no longer ignore.

In conclusion, expecting governments to solve climate change independently overlooks the behavioural roots of the crisis and the social dynamics of policy-making. Since environmental destruction is driven by personal consumption and corrected through shifting norms, individuals carry the greatest responsibility. Only when lifestyle changes become widespread and culturally entrenched can meaningful and lasting climate solutions emerge.

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