Band 8 model answer

Who bears responsibility for tackling climate change is a question that divides opinion. Some place the burden on individuals and their daily choices, while others insist that only governments command the necessary levers. In my view, both must act, but the decisive power lies with governments.

The case for individual responsibility is intuitively appealing. Billions of personal decisions about what we eat, how we travel, and how much we consume collectively shape emissions, and changes such as flying less or adopting a plant-based diet genuinely reduce a person's carbon footprint. Equally, individuals acting as voters and consumers can pressure companies and politicians to behave more responsibly.

Those who stress government action, however, make a more compelling case. The scale of the problem dwarfs what private choices can achieve. Decarbonising electricity grids, redesigning cities around public transport, and regulating heavy industry are simply beyond the reach of any individual. Expecting people to act voluntarily is also unreliable, because the cheapest option is often the most polluting. Only governments can change that calculus, through carbon taxes, binding emissions targets, and large-scale investment in renewable infrastructure.

My own position is that the two are not genuinely in competition. Individual effort is valuable and helps build the political will for tougher measures, but it cannot substitute for systemic change. A household that recycles diligently achieves little if the national grid still runs on coal.

In conclusion, while individuals have a real part to play and should not be excused from it, meaningful progress depends primarily on decisive government policy, because only the state can deliver change at the scale the crisis demands.