Influence Your Goverment

Make your voice heard. Encourage your local and state representatives to support climate-friendly policies that reduce pollution and prepare for the effects of climate change.

image of climate change protest

Why is this important?

Decisions made locally have a global impact. Energy, transport, waste, and zoning policies can either lock in climate pollution or grow good jobs which transition to a zero-carbon future. Exercise your democratic power and tell your representative you want to see climate action in your area. It’s powerful and it works.



Key Actions

Contact your local representative

Politicians expect to hear from citizens. Make it clear to your representative that you care about the environment.

Action:

  1. Make a plan for how you are going to contact your representatives and what you are going to say. An email, letter, phone call, meeting request or even a DM can all make a difference.
  2. Read these useful tips on writing to your representative, with a clear framework for writing.

Stay up to date on the latest climate news

Knowledge is power. Join an email list to receive the most recent scientific updates and to find inspiring examples of communities tackling climate change around the world.

Action:

Follow one or more of these great resources
  1. The YEARS Project Weekly action list
  2. Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)
  3. Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
  4. Citizen Climate Lobby

Join a climate movement

We are powerful when we work together. Participate in the climate movement by volunteering your time, assistance, or money to an organization.

Action:

  1. Check out this Map of local sustainability initiatives near you.
  2. Check out Climate Action Platform's Join a Climate Movement guide for more in-depth info.

Create your own climate initiative

Action:

  1. Identify a local climate issue that you feel passionate about and work backwards what steps would need to be taken to achieve the policy change.
  2. A quarter of global emissions come from transport, ask your transport planning agency to invest more in public transport and support electric vehicles.
  3. Urge your local Government to formally declare a climate emergency and develop an action plan, so they can join 1781 other jurisdictions from around the world who already have.
  4. Investigate if your local council has an investment arm or invests itself and urge it to divest from fossil fuels.
  5. Carbon Neutral Cities have some great ideas for other local initiatives