The Path Forward: State and Local Climate Leadership

The climate crisis can feel overwhelming, especially when federal leadership falters. But there’s tremendous opportunity for progress at the state and local level, and each of us has significant power to help make it happen.

Meaningful U.S. climate action is still on the table. State and local leaders are stepping up.

The new administration represents a big change in the federal approach to climate policy. However, it does not spell doom and gloom. Momentum now shifts to states and cities, where there is significant opportunity for progress. In fact, state and local government action alone (i.e. without any major federal policy) can achieve nearly 75% of U.S. climate goals under the Paris Agreement. (Read that again!)

Luckily, states and cities are already leading. For example, the state of Texas has led the country in deploying renewables. New York City’s Local Law 97 is set to cut building emissions by 40% by 2030. Energy efficiency measures in Michigan will save utility customers over $1.4 billion. 

Together, these efforts add up to a significant impact, even on the global stage:

“Coalitions of states, cities, businesses, and counties committed to climate action in support of the Paris Agreement… now represent 68% of GDP, 65% of the population, and 51% of GHG emissions. If these U.S. non-federal actors were a country, they would be the world’s largest economy besides the United States itself.” – Accelerating America’s Pledge, Bloomberg Philanthropies (2019)

Regular people, outsized influence.

State and local elected officials are relatively accessible and receive remarkably little outreach from constituents—on climate, and in general. The door is wide open for regular, climate-concerned people to make an outsized impact as advocates.

I’ll share an example from a recent Hour of Action in New York City, when I left a voicemail at my State Assembly member’s office. The next morning, I got a call back from her chief of staff; he thanked me for sharing my thoughts and asked if I wanted to continue the conversation over coffee. I was nervous, but it ended up being great! In most cases, our representatives genuinely want to connect with their constituents—in fact, it’s a big part of their job! 

Sadly, very few constituents take advantage of this superpower. I noticed in my state senator’s “year-in-review” newsletter last year that he only received ~5,000 calls and emails from constituents… total, all year, and this is in a state with nearly 20 million constituents. And guess how many of these calls were about climate? Fewer than 50. And these fewer-than-50 calls were lumped into the catch-all category of “other concerns”.

As people who care about climate change, we should recognize this as a huge opportunity. Elected officials gauge what their constituents care about based on the outreach they receive, and prioritize their policy agendas accordingly. When we reach out about climate, we influence the prioritization of climate relative to other issues. A city councilor who joined a recent Hour of Action put it well:

“The additional push is so, so critical. I get pushed in so many directions by my constituents—I wish more people were pushing on climate so that I could focus all my time and energy there and know that doing so was in total alignment with what folks I represent were demanding.” — City councillor at a recent Hour of Action

Every elected official could do more. You can help get them there. 

Whether your city or state is leading or lagging on climate, this moment demands that every elected official step up their leadership. What can we do?

Stick out your hand, politely introduce yourself, and explain—in your own words—why climate action is a top priority for you. Then, thank them for their service and their leadership, and ask them to do more. Encourage them to find a climate-aligned policy they can lead on and then own it to the max. As a constituent, it’s their job to listen to your perspective.

Importantly, we need to meet our reps where they are. After all, we want our message to land, not fall on deaf ears. So, take the time to learn a little bit about them first—their personal and professional priorities. What issues do they talk about most on their social media or website? Do they like getting outdoors? Maybe they love fishing, or taking their kids to visit our inspiring National Parks. Even a 5 minute Google search gives you enough information to effectively tailor your outreach and start off on some common ground. 

For example, elected officials who are proud ‘climate champions’ will be excited to hear you support further decarbonization or environmental justice initiatives. Those who are skeptical—or may even seem hostile—often still support some climate-aligned policies, like conservation, energy cost savings, or disaster resiliency. And those who are neutral may just not know where to start. They’ll may be glad to learn that—with a little thoughtfulness—they can make progress on climate via their existing priorities. 

With any policymaker, the key to unlocking progress is in your tone. Extend a hand; don’t put them into a defensive crouch. When you approach every email, call, or meeting as an opportunity to strengthen your constituent-representative relationship, you’re sure to nudge their leadership forward, no matter where they fall on the spectrum of climate ambition. 

What you can do, now.

Launching January 6th! Climate Changemakers has an Action Plan for anyone in the U.S. to encourage their state and local officials to level up their climate leadership in this critical moment. RSVP to the kickoff event or any January action event.

From emailing your mayor to meeting with your state legislator to pitching to journalists, there are step-by-step Action Playbooks and message templates to make it all simple. 

  • Take action anytime: Access resources here, 24/7.

  • Join an action event: RSVP to one of our weekly Hours of Action, on Zoom and in cities across the U.S. Expect an experienced facilitator and friendly faces – no prep required. Sign up here.

  • Host an action event: Wish there was an Hour of Action Team in your area? Want to gather friends for purposeful action in your own home? Talk about owning your power. Fill out this form to get started. 

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How to lock in U.S. climate progress before 2025