If you care about climate change, one of the most powerful things you can do does not involve a protest march, a viral post, or a new gadget. It starts with a conversation — with the people who run your city, county, or state.

From city halls to state capitols, elected officials approve building codes, bus lines, bike lanes, tree-planting budgets, and energy-efficiency programs. They decide whether a new neighborhood locks in car dependence or supports public transport, whether a school district invests in fossil gas boilers or heat pumps, and whether flood-prone areas get protection or are left exposed. Taken together, these choices can add up to millions of tons of climate pollution avoided — or baked in for decades.

That local power is especially important when national politics grind to a halt. In a recent segment from Yale Climate Connections, Illinois Congressman Mike Quigley, co-chair of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition, argues that stalemates in Washington make state and local action even more vital Why talking to your state and local leaders matters. He stresses that every position matters, not just senators and governors: school boards, park boards, library boards, and city councils all influence how communities prepare for and cut emissions.

Around the world, that influence is already visible. Cities and regions are responsible for a large share of global greenhouse gas emissions, but they are also where many of the most ambitious climate plans are emerging. Networks such as the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy bring together more than 10,000 cities and local governments that have pledged to reduce emissions and adapt to climate risks. Their plans include everything from phasing out fossil fuel heating to expanding public transit and creating shaded, cooler streets as heatwaves intensify.

Evidence suggests that when local governments move, the benefits are huge. In the United Kingdom, government-commissioned research cited by the Local Government Association indicates that empowering councils to lead climate action could deliver net-zero by 2050 at roughly half the cost of a purely national approach, while generating far higher economic and social returns Back Local Climate Action. Studies of city climate plans also find that cutting emissions locally tends to come with cleaner air, new jobs, and better health outcomes for residents Local government and climate action.

But not every city or state is using that power — and that is where ordinary people come in. In London, for example, councils have been criticized for leaving more than £100 million of local climate funds unspent for years, money that was supposed to retrofit homes and cut emissions. It remains in limbo largely because of slow decision-making and a lack of clear political direction London councils yet to spend £130m in local climate funds. In other places, local leaders are moving aggressively, turning neighborhoods into real-world models of a low-carbon future. One recent report highlighted districts in Germany and the United States where deep energy retrofits, solar power, and efficient design have already created carbon-neutral neighborhoods and sharply reduced residents’ energy bills The Rise of Carbon-Neutral Neighborhoods.

These contrasting stories underline a simple but urgent point: what your local leaders choose to do — or not do — in the next few years will strongly shape your community’s future climate risks and costs.

Congressman Quigley says many people underestimate how much their voice matters in that process. Clicking on a mass online petition, he notes, has limited impact compared with reaching out directly. A short, thoughtful letter that links climate policy to your own life — your child’s school, your energy bills, or a recent flood or heatwave — forces officials to see climate change not as an abstract debate but as a real problem for real voters. Meeting them in person, or joining with neighbors who share your concerns, is even harder to ignore.

It is also important not to be disappointed if you do not meet the elected official themselves. In most offices, staffers are the ones who read emails, answer phones, take notes in meetings, and prepare summaries for their bosses. Quigley points out that his own agenda is often shaped by what his staff bring to him after being persuaded by constituents. In other words, convincing the aide who picks up the phone can be the first step toward shifting a vote or launching a new local program.

There are practical ways to make these contacts count. Start by finding out which level of government actually controls the issue you care about. State legislators might set building performance standards or renewable energy targets, while city councils control local zoning, transit routes, and tree-planting plans. Resources such as the Council on Foreign Relations’ explainer on climate governance outline how state and local governments can build green infrastructure, manage grants, and design policies that reduce emissions How State and Local Governments Can Fight Climate Change.

Then, choose one or two clear asks rather than a long list. That could mean urging your city to adopt a climate action plan, calling on your school board to electrify buses, or pressing your state to fully use federal climate grants instead of leaving them on the table. Point to successful examples in other places — such as cities that have shifted municipal buildings to renewable electricity or regions that have rolled out heat-resilience plans — and ask why your community cannot do the same Nine examples of local governments taking climate action.

The stakes keep rising. Climate impacts are no longer distant warnings; they are visible in record-breaking heatwaves, wildfire smoke, floods, and crop losses. At the same time, some national leaders are working to weaken or block state and local climate laws, as shown by recent efforts in the United States to challenge state-level climate regulations in court Trump declares war on state climate laws. That makes it even more urgent for residents to show that they expect their local officials to defend and expand climate protections, not quietly roll them back.

The window to avoid the worst climate damage is closing fast, but it has not slammed shut. The good news is that you do not need to be an energy expert or professional campaigner to influence what happens next. You can start with a single email, phone call, or meeting that ties global climate science to the streets you walk every day. When enough people do that — calmly, persistently, and with concrete suggestions — local and state leaders get a clear message: their communities are watching, and they want bold, immediate action.

You may not always see the results right away. Still, the next time your city council votes on a new development, your school board debates its bus fleet, or your state considers how to spend climate funds, remember that those decisions are shaped by what officials hear from their constituents. Speaking up now is not just a civic duty. In a rapidly warming world, it is one of the most direct ways to protect the places and people you love.