Sustainability Heroes with Ayesha Shujahi

What does sustainability mean to you?

To me, sustainability means meeting the demands of the present generation without affecting the future generation whilst also keeping the balance between the Economic, Social, Human and Environmental pillars of sustainability.

For me, sustainability is making environmentally conscious decisions in my day-to-day life.

What challenges do you face when trying to be sustainable (lack of time, resources, knowledge etc.)?

The biggest challenge I face is having the willingness to be sustainable, and other times it's about lack of knowledge.

What steps do you take to be sustainable in your everyday life?

I have added lot of steps into my daily life to be more sustainable, these are:

1.   Using lids while cooking
2.  Turning off lights when they're not needed
3.   Turning off the power when electrical appliances are on standby
4.   Getting public transport instead of driving my car, when possible
5.   Brigning reusable bags and cups when doing grocery shopping or getting coffee
6.   I try to say ‘No’ to plastic
7.    I take shorter showers
8.   Using leftovers to make another meal to avoid food waste 

What advice would you give to someone who is trying to be more sustainable? 

If you want to be more sustainable, here are my tips:

1.     Make actions that are easy and enjoyable
2.     Say 'No' to plastic
3.     Recycle
4.     Donate unwanted items
5.     Save energy where possible and take it one step at a time

Is Deloitte helping you be more sustainable? 

Yes, Deloitte has helped in increasing my knowledge about sustainability which I apply daily to make more environmentally conscious decisions.

Has the Giki app helped you in making more sustainable choices? If yes, how?

I am one of the winners of the Giki app challenge. My favourite thing about the Giki app is that you can add very simple and easy steps into your daily routine and then measure your Carbon footprint.

It’s very encouraging seeing the impact you can make by taking small steps.

What are the key learnings you’ve gained from the Giki app? How will you take these with you and continue using in your day-to-day life?

My main learning is that even small and easy steps can make a big impact. This makes me proud, as I'm playing my part to save our planet.

I choose the 5-day challenge option and take it one step at a time so I can make these steps habitual. 

If you could recommend one step that everyone should take to be more sustainable, what would it be?

Say ‘no’ to plastic and use reusable bags when you go grocery shopping. Also turn off the lights when they are not needed.