How can we stop climate change?

by Elissa Tennant

It’s not your imagination. It’s getting hotter. Climate change is caused by burning fossil fuels, which releases climate pollution that traps heat in the earth’s atmosphere. The earth is overheating, just as if it were wearing a heavy blanket in the middle of summer. 

To stop this from happening, we have to reduce our dependence on dirty energy and move to clean, safe alternatives like renewable electricity. One of the biggest myths about climate change solutions is that responsibility falls mostly on the consumer. There are things you can personally do to help, like recycling, driving less, or using less plastic, but they don’t address the root of the problem: systemic carbon pollution.

We need to stop letting companies burn the fossil fuels that cause global warming, and instead encourage a system-wide adoption to use other forms of clean energy. We can actually reduce climate change through policy change.

Here are three key policy areas that will drive down carbon pollution and help stop climate change.

#1 Moving our economy to clean energy

Our economy is using more and more energy every day, for several reasons, including an increase in artificial intelligence data centers and U.S. manufacturing growth. Clean energy sources are the cheapest, fastest, and healthiest way for us to fuel this growth. 

The U.S. government has the power to propel a transition to clean energy through legislation. Subsidizing and incentivizing energy sources like solar, wind, nuclear, and geothermal, as well as energy storage solutions, would encourage companies to use cleaner sources and ditch fossil fuels. 

Another major roadblock for clean energy is the current permitting process. The U.S. needs to speed up the approval process for clean energy projects like wind, solar, and transmission lines. Current regulations often delay necessary projects for years. Reforming permitting laws can help deploy clean energy faster, which will improve air quality and help us meet our climate goals. 

Citizens’ Climate Lobby supports energy permitting reform policies that:

• • add to America’s capacity to transmit clean electricity.
  • speed up the approval of clean energy projects that are waiting to be built.
  • allow communities to make their voices heard on the environmental and other impacts of proposed energy projects.

We saw several permitting reform bills introduced in the 118th Congress. The 119th Congress is expected to address clean energy permitting reform again. 

Urge Congress to move forward on clean energy permitting reform with a quick email.

Let’s reform America’s clean energy permitting reform process

#2 Protecting our forests

America’s natural resources like forests, grasslands, and oceans are natural climate solutions that pull carbon out of the air, reducing the impacts of climate change. We can manage these natural resources in urban and rural areas to maximize their ability to prevent climate change.

Trees, specifically, are a major natural resource that support America’s emissions reductions goals. Forests act as carbon sinks, absorbing CO₂ from the atmosphere. Protecting, restoring, and expanding forests nationwide is crucial for long-term carbon sequestration. 

Protecting America’s trees has major bipartisan support. There are a few proven methods we can use to keep our nation’s trees healthy.

Planting trees

“Afforestation” is the term used to describe the process of planting new trees and forests. “Reforestation” is the act of re-planting trees in an area where a forest used to exist. Both are excellent methods for mitigating climate change.

Supporting urban forests

More trees in cities, known as urban forests, means cooler temperatures as the earth’s average temperatures increase, lowering the risk of heat stress. It’s important to plant trees in cities, focusing on neighborhoods that suffer from a lack of tree equity.

Mitigating wildfires 

Wildfires are getting bigger, faster, and harder to contain. Their increasing frequency and intensity has become a burning issue in recent years. While wildfires are a natural part of many ecosystems, their growing destructive power is not natural. 

Climate change is worsening wildfires, which release massive amounts of carbon. As climate change makes the weather hotter and drier, wildfire seasons last longer, creating more fires and burning more land. Forest management programs reduce wildfire risk. These include controlled burns, forest thinning, and other wildfire risk reduction measures.

The Fix Our Forests Act aims to help address the forest management side of the problem. CCL has advocated for this bill since its introduction in January 2025. Among many other provisions, the legislation would simplify and expedite the most critical forest management projects while maintaining strong environmental standards and providing support for wildland firefighters.

In addition to CCL, the Fix Our Forests Act is supported by many organizations including American Forests, the National Congress of American Indians, the Western Fire Chiefs Association, the Federation of American Scientists, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, and many more.

Learn more about the Fix Our Forests Act and write Congress in support of it.

Help Fix Our Forests

#3 Driving down carbon pollution

To stop climate change, it’s imperative we drive down the root cause: carbon pollution. The best way to do this is through an economy-wide carbon price, where the money is given to people. This policy is typically referred to as a carbon fee and dividend. 

Here’s how it works: 

• • Companies are charged for the amount of carbon emissions they create.
  • This fee (minus administrative costs) is returned to households each month as a dividend.
  • Companies are incentivized to reduce their emissions to avoid the fee.
  • We reduce carbon pollution.

A price on carbon is the single most powerful tool available to reduce America’s carbon pollution. A fee is applied wherever fossil fuels enter the economy. This price flows through the economy, incentivizing businesses and people to switch to clean energy. 

Many economists and major companies advocate for carbon pricing as an effective way to cut emissions. A price on carbon will help us lower America’s carbon pollution and spur the transition to clean energy while putting extra money in the pockets of consumers. This policy saves lives, creates jobs, and (as a market-based solution) maintains a strong economy. 

Learn more about our favorite policy for tackling carbon pollution.

See why a price on carbon works

Can we reverse climate change?

Yes, it is possible to stop, and even reverse, global warming if we take serious action. While the change will not happen overnight, we can slow the rate of climate change and protect ourselves from even more damage. Reducing the worst effects of climate change requires systemic solutions, not just individual actions. 

Policies that reduce carbon pollution, accelerate clean energy, and protect natural carbon sinks are key. Everyone can play a role by advocating for these policies.

How to take action on climate change NOW

There are policies, and even proposed legislation out right now that will help us stop climate change. By moving to clean energy, protecting America’s trees, and putting a price on carbon, we can make a serious dent in reducing our carbon emissions and meeting America’s climate goals. These long-term solutions are what will protect the health of our climate.

Once you’ve written Congress in support of the bills and policies mentioned in this article, there’s always more to do! Take action for climate right now:

✅ Volunteer for the environment locally 

✅ Electrify your home with clean energy

✅ Write or Call Congress and let them know which policy you support

✅ Attend one of our climate change conferences this year

✅ Spread the word on social media

✅ Support candidates and policies advocating for clean energy infrastructure and permitting reform

✅ Talk to your friends and family about climate change

✅ Support organizations working on reforestation and land conservation

✅ Share this blog!

✅ Join one of our weekly Informational Webinars

We welcome students, seniors, and everyday citizens to join us and thousands of volunteers around the world in our collective goal of climate action!