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The single largest lobbying event in Washington, DC, happens every June with members of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

I want climate change solved, and my bet is you do too!  

Unfortunately, it’s much easier said than done. Experts agree we all should lower our “carbon footprint,” which also sets an important example for our neighbors.  

Our individual efforts are important but contribute just a “drop in the bucket” toward reducing greenhouse gas pollution burning up our planet. Working together produces much more powerful effects, and creates stronger climate solutions, especially when using political influence. The biggest change happens when our governments enact permanent laws and policies.  

Successfully transforming from fossil fuels to a clean energy economy requires bipartisan support from our leaders to develop enduring, powerful solutions.  Strategically informing legislators with carefully framed facts makes bipartisan support for effective climate solution policies possible and helps develop stronger local community acceptance of important climate solutions.  

Getting members of Congress from both parties to agree on climate solutions is difficult but not impossible. Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) has been working for 17 years to successfully create bipartisan support for important Congressional climate actions.  

Philanthropist Marshall Saunders founded CCL in 2007 after recognizing climate change was the world’s single most important problem. His experience working with the RESULTS charitable organization to address hunger and poverty in America taught him the power of citizen lobbying to influence government leaders and policy.  

This gave him the vision for CCL, which now has more than 40 staff members and almost 250,000 volunteers in more than 400 U.S. chapters.  

My wife and I were introduced to CCL in 2014, where we found our “climate” voices and joined them with many others, exchanging our climate crisis despair for impactful action and hope.  

CCL’s thoughtful, strategic process focuses on building political will and positively influencing our political leaders to support beneficial climate solutions.  

CCL empowers everyday citizen volunteers, providing the tools to harness democracy for developing influential working relationships with our political leaders from both parties.  

CCL volunteers earn trust by building positive relationships with legislators and their staff members. Experienced and knowledgeable CCL staff on Capitol Hill help volunteers inform our members of Congress and ask their support for strategically important bipartisan legislative climate solutions – the “Lobby” in  CCL.  

CCL uses five proven “levers” to generate political will supporting major climate solutions:

• Lobbying Congress: Training citizens to lobby for strategic legislation by building trusted relationships with Congressional members.

• Media relations: Training citizens to work in the media. Writing letters to the editor and op-eds, meeting with editorial boards, and placing stories in all forms of media.

• “Grassroots” outreach: Recruiting and educating the public on climate solutions, citizen advocacy and participating with government.

• “Grasstops” engagement: Educating, building partnerships with and gaining support from community leaders and non-governmental organizations, nationally and locally.

• Chapter & volunteer development: Growing our local chapters and improving our skills as climate advocates, helping us push the other four levers for building political will.
CCL’s Federal Climate Solutions:

• Pricing Carbon with a proven, beneficial, environmentally just policy 

• Clean Energy Permitting Reform to accelerate connecting clean energy to our grid necessary for the “Beneficial Electrification” of America

• Promoting Electrification and Energy Efficiency of Homes, Businesses and Community Buildings using the Inflation Reduction Act

• Supporting Healthy Forests as a powerful climate solution benefiting our environment, rural and urban communities.

• Electing political leaders committed to climate action is another important climate solution; CCL partners with Environmental Voter Project encouraging many “dormant” climate-concerned voters to participate in elections.

CCL State Climate Actions: Minnesota CCL chapters support bipartisan state climate legislation reducing greenhouse gas pollution; empowering Minnesota’s national leadership in clean energy investments and policy.  

This complex process of creating our clean energy transformation is just beginning, with much more federal and state action required to meet our climate solution goals. 

CCL NE Minnesota Regional Work: Our Northland MN CCL chapter, covering Congressional District 8, meets monthly with in-person and Zoom hybrid meetings updating our widely dispersed members on CCL’s actions and planning regional activities.  

Our focus includes outreach and education for individuals and communities to use the unique Federal Inflation Reduction Act funding to improve the energy efficiency of homes, businesses, and community buildings, saving money and reducing pollution. 

Our Northland chapter includes a group focused on helping Minnesota’s traditional iron mining communities develop sustainable clean energy economy futures, promoting “green” iron and steel production, and related climate solution opportunities in Northern Minnesota with details described here.

CCL communicates online with volunteers through weekly email newsletters and monthly national online meetings.  Their website’s “Community” section has an extensive library and excellent training resources, including numerous online “Action Teams” of specific interest groups where volunteers can work with colleagues of similar interests for impactful Climate Actions.  

Each June CCL staff organize the single largest lobbying event in Washington, DC; recognized by members of Congress for its power, impact and our volunteers’ positive and respectful relationships with legislators and staff members. 

More than 1,000 volunteer citizen lobbyists gather to network and develop lobbying skills and strategies at this major conference and lobby event.  

Last June these volunteers had 442 meetings with their Congressional members, asking for support of two major legislative proposals.    

One of their “Asks” focused on the urgent need for clean energy permitting reform legislation critical for meeting our U.S. greenhouse gas reduction goals.  CCL volunteer lobbyists who delivered our unified “political will” messaging influenced accelerated action on this high-priority, bipartisan climate legislation.

CCL welcomes people from all communities, and political beliefs, to work toward a common goal addressing this immense climate problem by creating our clean energy future.  You can learn more about CCL at: cclusa.org/intro.

Climate change is our largest, most dangerous problem, magnifying the costs and suffering of almost all other problems on Earth.  

We can still fix it with urgent and united action.  Please join CCL; find your “climate voice” using your skills, passion and energy to build a better climate future by building positive relationships with your leaders.  

CCL brought us hope; it can do the same for you!

Mike Overend is a fortunate husband, proud dad, retired veterinarian and optimistic climate action volunteer. He believes that strategic action creates important solutions, builds critically important hope and resolves paralyzing despair about climate change. He enjoys working with others who share the love of our beautiful NE Minnesota region to build a better future for our children and all life on our planet.”