Working in a climate-focused VC, sustainability is the most obvious difference between home and London that I interact with every day. A lot of what I’ve noticed has to do with urban planning and policy. London, with its size, density, and public investment, naturally performs better in these areas than a smaller city like Pittsburgh. Even when compared to New York City, which is similar in scale, London seems ahead when it comes to walkability and public transport. The Tube and train networks are efficient and clean, and using them is second nature for most people here.
There are also small things I’ve picked up on. Wooden utensils and compostable packaging are standard in takeaway food. Plastic bags are discouraged or come with a charge. These are simple changes that feel normal here but are only just beginning to catch on in the US. Pittsburgh’s recent plastic bag ban is one example, and I imagine more of these policies will make their way across American cities over the next few years.
That said, I’ve been thinking more about whether my experience reflects the UK as a whole. Coming from Western Pennsylvania to central London, it would be easy to assume that the UK prioritizes climate and social issues more than the US. London is filled with people who live without cars, talk about emissions, and make personal choices based on environmental concerns. But I’ve only been in major cities and university towns like Cambridge, Edinburgh, and Oxford. These places are politically progressive, well-funded, and filled with students, researchers, and professionals who tend to be more engaged with climate and equity issues.
Because of this, I’ve started to question how much of what I’m seeing is representative. In both the UK and the US, cities and universities are often where new policy and cultural shifts start. But that doesn’t mean those values are shared nationwide. I would guess that rural communities in the UK face many of the same challenges as those in the US, including limited access to public transit, fewer environmental regulations, and different cultural priorities. There are probably places in both countries where climate change feels distant or irrelevant to daily life.
This has made me more cautious about drawing conclusions. It’s tempting to compare countries based on the most visible examples, but those examples often come from places with the most resources and the loudest voices. My experience in the UK so far has been shaped by where I’ve gone and who I’ve been around. That doesn’t make it less valuable, but it does mean I have to be careful about generalizing it. Seeing how things function in a city like London has been incredibly useful, but it’s only one piece of a much larger picture.
