2024 is a pivotal election for climate.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: this year’s election is among the most important of our lifetimes. It sounds like a broken record, but it’s true yet again.

The policies we’ve enacted in the last two years have generated historic U.S. climate progress, but they need time to really do their job. Plus, the existing laws won’t be enough on their own—we need increased climate ambition and more climate champions in government to get us to net zero.

What keeps us up at night is that so much of what we’ve accomplished could be undone. Truly. Almost half of 2024 election candidates are determined to repeal landmark legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act, restrict federal agencies’ ability to regulate greenhouse gas emissions, and seek anti-climate laws at the state level. (Don’t believe us? Check out Project 2025).

If climate obstructionists are elected to the majority of seats in various levels of government it could set U.S. climate efforts back decades.

We expect pivotal races to be decided by narrow margins, and the stakes for climate and democracy could not be higher. The composition of Congress, as well as several state legislatures and governorships, could shift dramatically and profoundly influence the direction of climate policy across the U.S.—for better or worse, depending on the state. (Considering what we’ve accomplished at the federal level… we’ve got nowhere to go but down!) This is far from trivial.

Now is the time to protect everything we love. Despite perceptions of polarity, climate action is wildly popular according to the actual data – an overwhelming majority of Americans want action. Grist did an article on the popularity of climate action back in 2022 and another article in August 2024 about politicians’ misperception gap on how popular climate action is. If it feels like we’re in a time of heightened political volatility, or that frustration and disillusionment are high, we as climate advocates have an opportunity to help break through the noise. Already climate activists are rallying behind the new top ticket with a renewed sense of energy and hope.

Together, we’ve got to do more than vote, from now until Election Day.

Our two-part strategy to elect climate champions:

First, we’re getting out the vote in the most competitive states and districts. We’re concentrating our voter outreach efforts in places where we can make an outsized impact (so we can avoid spreading our efforts too thin). These are select states and districts stacked with high-stake races at multiple levels of government, with a climate champion on the ballot. Action-oriented events are happening daily to get out the vote and this new Climate Vote calendar aggregates opportunities from across the climate movement – phone banks, registration drives, letter-writing parties, and more!

Then, we’re tapping our own networks. Friends don’t let friends sit this election out. If you have friends in swing states, now is the time to check in with them and ask if they have a plan to vote. We’re also pulling our friends and family off the sidelines in September and tapping them to join Hours of Action. That might look like a phone banking pizza party (hosted by you!), writing postcards to voters, or donating to our favorite climate candidates. It might be a Zoom event with new and friendly faces. It could also be a gathering of friends over wine and cheese to walk through a sample ballot in late October. Anything goes. The theme is action.

Recent polling indicates that swing voters are increasingly diverse in terms of race and age, and their concerns are varied. This underscores the critical need for direct, person-to-person engagement rather than relying solely on traditional mass media outlets to mobilize voter turnout. It also means that “swing voters” could be among your own friends, family, and community. You can bet we’ll be continuing to amplify the incredible climate wins that could be jeopardized by the election, in addition to trying to pull folks off the sidelines. Many people want to know the most productive ways they could contribute to an election cycle. Personal 1:1 outreach from someone they know (you and me!) is always the most effective catalyst.

Engaging local voters needs to happen early and frequently. Let’s go!

By starting now, time is on our side. We all need to do more than vote this election, and friends don’t let friends wait until October. We need a surge of electoral action in September – a September Surge! Attend a Climate Changemakers kickoff event (there will be virtual and IRL options!) the week of September 8th or host your own get-together to get friends fired up and in on the action! This new ‘Host a Party’ Action Playbook — and our Climate Changemakers team— will support you every step of the way.

The Climate Vote’s entire 2024 Elections Action Roadmap is now live. Use it to take action whenever works for you, or join an Hour of Action to do it alongside fellow changemakers. It’s go time!