It’s unavoidable: if you are a local government or community group representative, taking part in upcoming Earth Month and Earth Day events is a must.
And for good reason: every April, there is a surge of interest in eco-friendly solutions – in fact, Google searches surrounding climate change and sustainability often peak this time of year. Unfortunately, many Earth Day promotions and events are focused on surface-level, individualistic solutions (think re-usable straws) that don’t truly match the urgency of the climate crisis.
This is where our approach to local climate action comes in: a laser-focus on the high-impact actions that will yield the greatest impact in terms of GHG emissions reductions or climate resilience. It’s why we work with our partner communities to ensure climate action plans don’t become a laundry list of projects that require the creation of unnecessary committees or drawn out approval processes that siphon resources and shift focus from the work (like electrification and clean energy) that will make a difference.
And that same rationale holds true for Earth Day community engagement. By all means: stick with a tree planting, river cleanup, park beautification, or reusable bag giveaway if it’s already in the works or is a community favorite.
Just don’t stop there.
Pitch the event as “Step One” and map out other milestones that help community members connect with actions that have tangible and long-lasting impacts on emissions and resilience.