Bill Clinton has urged young people to turn off lights and appliances when not in use, which could cut their homes carbon emissions as well as their energy bills.
The former president of the US called climate change the biggest challenge facing young people and urged them not only to take steps themselves but to push adults to combat growing carbon emissions.
Rising temperatures have already affected food and water supplies and caused more frequent and more intense severe weather conditions, the respected statesman wrote in the Sun.
He added: "The good news is that we already know what causes global warming and what we have to do to stop it."
While big-scale research is being carried out to increase renewable energy capacity and cleaner cars, Mr Clinton urged young people to take the matter into their own hands" by encouraging our families, friends and communities to recycle our waste, turn off lights and appliances when not in use and replace old-fashioned lightbulbs with compact, fluorescent and other energy-efficient lightbulbs".
We also suggest that households that want to cut their energy bills and carbon emissions install radiator reflectors, heavy duty curtains and use draught excluders under doors.
