Individuals make SFA difference other than bragging rights change can only come through government policy and big money acceptance. As we know the politics is poisoned and strangely fossil fuels are one of the few who are seriously resisting change.
Politics is toxic I fully agree.
In terms of the issue though I've a foot in both camps.
Individuals can't do much about, for example, influencing the means of generating electricity.
Individuals absolutely do choose what to do at home however and if they're business owners, or in a management position within someone else's business, they can influence that. Without putting anyone on a pedestal or claiming any brilliance, looking at things of relevance to me personally and who made the decision:
That I walk further each year than I drive = me
That there's a convenient bus service to the CBD = state government
That the car I own is old, petrol powered but moderately efficient (about 6.7 litres / 100km) = me
Means of heating the house = partly me / partly former owners.
That the house has an insulated ceiling = me. I not only made the decision, I did the installation work too - which was decidedly painful given the bags wouldn't fit through the tiny manhole, requiring them to be opened at ground level and each and every batt to be passed up one at a time. That plausibly explains why the former owners never did it.
That the house has uninsulated walls and single glazing = in practice the original builder.
Heat pump hot water = me
Electric cooking = previous owner
Solar power on the roof = me
Battery = me
Means of generating grid electricity I use = partly state government, partly private enterprise, partly federal government in practice. Noting that a small number of individuals within those groups disproportionately influenced the decisions in practice.
Garden tools are petrol = me. But in the context that battery ones weren't really a thing at the time of buying, and it's not rational to prematurely replace functional equipment that's only used on a relatively small area. But if I do need new ones, electric it will be.
That I've done plenty of flying for purposes that were ultimately not essential - me.
That I invariably use things until they're worn out and don't keep up with the trends - me.
For bigger stuff, I also had a fair bit of input to a state government's own use vehicle policy many years ago and yes that was pushing it toward more fuel efficient vehicles. Noting I wasn't the decision maker, though I had some ability to influence. That's not the only such thing of that nature I was involved with.
So a mix of good and bad but I've made most of those decisions. On the other hand, there are things, government policy, I've not been able to change despite trying. There's one in particular that I'd throw out without delay if given a chance but there's just too much resistance politically, bearing in mind its original existence was a deal between two parties which greatly complicates it.
So it's a mix as I see it. Individuals can't force changes in government policy but they can certainly change what they're doing and if everyone agrees and does likewise then that does bring change. Nobody's forced to drive a gas guzzler, anyone who owns their home can make at least some improvement to it usually, landlords can improve their properties, and so on. Individuals can collectively do a lot.
For business it sits in between. Individuals can't control big business but on the other hand, big business really hates being exposed for wrongdoing and tends to mend its ways when that occurs.