ACTION PLAYBOOK
Activate Your Network
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Inspire at least one person close to you to take meaningful civic action on climate.
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Write why you care
Add an ask to your script
Choose who to reach out to
Call or text them!
Follow-up and follow-through
1. Clarify why you care about climate
Research has shown (and common sense confirms!) that some framings really motivate action, while others don’t as much. The biggest motivator is “protecting what we love.” So what do you love? Why do you care? The most compelling way to engage others is to explain why you feel called to act.
📓 Open a blank drafting space. Let’s craft a template message that you’ll use in Step 2.
✍️ In a few sentences, answer these questions:
What do you love that you feel called to protect?
Why have you chosen to act on climate?
Why do you want to share this part of yourself with the person?
For more prompts, check out the Write Your Climate “Why” exercise.
☀️ Optional: write 1-2 sentences on a specific climate solution and why you’re enthusiastic about it. Sometimes, it’s easier to articulate your climate motivations when you tether them to a particular climate solution you care about. If nothing immediately comes to mind, borrow inspiration from our blog.
2. Add the ask to make it a “script”
To get our friends to take action with us, we need to give them something concrete to say “yes” to. This is called a direct ask. Compare these two invitations. Which one would you say yes to?
Hey! I came across this group that hosts climate action events and I was thinking about going. It seems fun!
Hey! I was thinking of going to this climate action event after work on Monday.
Are you free to come with me?
The former is warm and friendly; the latter is warm, friendly, and actionable. To have the best chance of getting a “yes,” be sure to include a direct ask.
➡️ What should my direct ask be? Don’t waste your time or their time — ask them to do something that’s actually impactful. One of the most impactful things individuals can do is to engage civically on climate. Think: encouraging candidates and decision makers to prioritize bold climate policies.
That’s individual action with systems-level consequences, and it’s exactly what we do at Climate Changemakers. Invite your friends to join us. (Learn more about what we do here!)
🖼️ How should I frame my direct ask? Make your ask as easy to say “yes” to as possible. Invite your friend to join you at an upcoming Climate Changemakers Hour of Action. All you have to do is pick a date from this event schedule and send them the link. You could also suggest you meet up in person to chat and do a Climate Changemakers Action Playbook together from the current campaign. Anything where you spend quality time together should be an easy “yes”!
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Ever since Amanda was born, I keep thinking about the world she is going to inherit, and lately, it’s started to feel like climate anxiety. I feel like I have to do more, and I’ve been trying to figure out how.
Obviously, you and I have always been very conscious of our own carbon footprints. But now I’m really feeling emboldened to do more. There are so many no-brainer solutions and policies that should be happening at scale! But clearly more people like us need to push for that.
I just got connected with a group called Climate Changemakers that meets for one-hour facilitated co-working sessions every week to take action on this. It’s really simple; we just have to show up, no prep needed, and they provide productive, timely action plans to do within the hour. It would mean a lot to me if you joined me on the next Hour of Action. Is there a time slot here that works for you?
Done drafting? Excellent! You now have a personal message template. After selecting your recipients in the next step, expect that you’ll probably want to customize this script to resonate with each of them uniquely.
3. Pick 3–5 close contacts to reach out to
Start by considering the “spectrum of support” below. It’s a way of classifying how active people are on a given issue. The goal in getting friends, family, colleagues, or followers involved is not to convince people who are neutral or opponents. A much easier path is to move people from “Passive Supporters” to “Active Allies.”
Identify 3–5 people who fit into the “Passive Supporters” category. These are people you know who care deeply about climate change but don’t know what to do about it or have not carved out the time. Perhaps these are folks who work in clean energy or climate technologies but aren’t civically engaged. They may identify as eco-conscious or an “ethical consumer.” Or they might already be making sustainable lifestyle choices, like driving an EV, eating a plant-based diet, or adding solar panels to their roof, but aren’t getting political.
These contacts can be in your neighborhood or people from other towns, regions, or states. It’s incredibly valuable to bring in people from all over the country, and many Climate Changemakers events are virtual.
Reminder: climate action is not partisan (despite what public narratives might make us think)! There is widespread public support for climate solutions. Climate policies also have wide-ranging benefits, from job creation to public health to fiscal responsibility of public funds (by, for example, reducing the cost and severity of future climate-driven weather disasters).
Choose 3-5 people that fit this definition, then move on to Step 4!
4. Pick up the phone
Call or text the people identified above and try out your script! We encourage you to call on the phone or video since those formats lend themselves to more intimate conversation. But if you strongly prefer, you can send a text.
Don’t forget to make the direct ask! Some people might say no, but if you ask 3–5 people, you’ll almost certainly get one yes!
If people are on the fence: share your own experience of becoming active through Climate Changemakers or other avenues for political climate action. You can also share this article that includes real screenshots of fellow changemakers getting meaningful results from their advocacy and explains how 60% of members are new to political action too!
5. Prepare to follow up and follow through
Doing something for the first time feels intimidating, so folks often find many reasons not to go. This is where your follow-up and support is so crucial. Start with:
If you both RSVP’ed to an Hour of Action during your phone conversation, the event should be on both of your calendars! Bonus to create a personal calendar invitation as an extra nudge.
Consider starting a group chat or email thread if a few of your friends are excited to join you. Going with a group is more fun!
Set an alarm reminder (right now) for yourself to message them the day before the next Hour of Action to let them know you will be there and it means a lot to you that they are joining.
And that’s it, playbook complete! Feel accomplished.
Thank you for taking action.
🎉 CUE CONFETTI by clicking COMPLETE! 🎉
Want more action?
Go to the current Action Plan
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