Selecting Climate Actions for Your Campaign

Deciding to implement a climate action campaign in your community is often easy – but determining the actions you want residents to take can be a difficult process. It is often difficult to estimate the on the types of actions that are most effective in their potential to impact climate change – effects can differ based on location or time of year, and many actions can have a huge impact (e.g. solar panels, getting rid of a car, etc.) but are relatively difficult for the average person to achieve.

One of the most valuable resources in this process will be your city’s existing utility or municipal programs addressing the issues related to climate change – energy efficiency, water use and conservation, transportation and commute reduction programs, etc. Enlist the staff members who operate these initiatives early on in the planning process. Cooperation across programs and departments will help ensure that the actions you ask residents to take are consistent with established priorities and will convey a unified climate message for your area.

You can also use the results from a greenhouse gas emissions inventory to help you determine which areas in your community are responsible for the largest amount of emissions – thereby helping you to more effectively target your campaign.

Key factors in selecting calls to action for a climate campaign include:

Energy Mix – what types of energy create the most climate pollution in your area? Different actions can have a different impact in areas that produce electricity by burning coal vs. areas that primarily use hydropower, etc.
Geography – It is extremely important to consider the local climate when determining what actions will have the greatest impact on climate change. Sealing up your home in the spring might keep the heat out in Arizona – but in Boston or Seattle, people may opt to throw open the windows to stay comfortable.
Opportunity – how well developed your transit system is and how dense your city is can have a large impact on how likely people are to use public transit or walk to the store or library, etc.
Existing level of information in your community– Think about how much information your audience has already been exposed to about energy and climate change. Eco-savvy consumers may be more receptive to tackling tougher ‘actions’ than those who fall into the ‘going green’ category.
Selectivity – There are countless possibilities for taking action to impact climate change, but be careful not to overwhelm the audience with options. “101 Ways to Take Climate Action” may offer many choices, but it also makes it difficult for consumers to choose which actions might make the biggest impact in their communities.
Existing Programs – what has your city already done and what programs are already in place? Top actions may be different in a community with a well-developed system of bike lanes than in an area where cars are king.

The creators of the Climate Action Toolkit considered these factors and developed a core list of 12 climate actions that are likely to make a big difference in a variety of communities. The supporting messaging identified can be used in the creative templates, in campaign messaging and press materials, etc. The team also created a longer list for organizers to choose from, based on the situation in their individual communities – some municipal staff might even consider the factors above and come up with some climate actions of their own.

These actions were selected based on:

Potential impact on greenhouse gas emissions
Feasibility and convenience for a wide variety of people, in particular our target audience of ‘going greens’
A wide variety of applications in daily life – at home, in the car, at work, at the store, etc.

The actions were categorized into two broad categories – Home and Transportation. Research shows that the bulk of individual carbon emissions come from products and behaviors associated with these two categories.

From there, we created two sub-categories under each – Energy-Saving Behaviors and Energy-Saving Products.

Then, three primary recommended actions were selected for each of the four total categories, with the first action being the easiest; the middle a bit more difficult; and the last action in each category requiring more commitment from the consumer. Remember the best list for your community might be different.

Top Recommended Climate Actions for Residents

The core list of 12 recommended climate actions is below, along with supporting messaging for each.

Top Recommended Climate Actions
At Home
Energy-Saving Behaviors
Action	Description	Supporting Messaging (Note: Wherever possible, customize messaging/stats for your local community, state or region by filling in the [X])*
Unplug	Always turn off your lights and unplug electronics, appliances and chargers when not in use – using power strips makes it easy	A surprising amount of energy can be used by your electronics even when they’re turned off - standby power accounts for 5% to 10% of total electricity use in most homes and about 1% of global CO2 emissions Unplug battery chargers or power adapters from the wall when equipment is fully charged or disconnected from the charger To make unplugging easier, use a power strip as your master “on/off” switch for a variety of products, and keep those ‘energy vampires’ from sucking power when it isn’t needed
Make an adjustment	Set your thermostat lower in winter and higher in summer. Upgrading to a programmable thermostat makes savings automatic	Programmable thermostats save time, energy and money (up to 10% of your bill) – set it once, and then you can forget about it How to set your programmable thermostat: When you're home: 68° (Winter) 78° (Summer) When you're sleeping or away: 55° (Winter) 85° (Summer)
Be an energy sleuth	Request a home energy audit from your utility	An energy audit will help ensure that all the energy in your home is put to good use and you aren’t wasting money Sealing and insulating the "envelope" or "shell" of your home — its outer walls, ceiling, windows, doors, and floors — is one of the best ways to improve energy efficiency and comfort Some common sources of leaks and drafts are the spaces around doors or windows, and holes in attics, basements, or crawlspaces Homeowners can save up to 20% of heating and cooling costs—and up to 10% of total energy costs—just by sealing and insulating
Energy-Saving Products
Action	Description	Supporting Messaging
Make the switch	Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs and fixtures	Like setting your programmable thermostat, switching to energy-efficient lighting is a simple change that can have a big impact CFLs have improved in quality and variety – you can now find the perfect CFL for almost any of your home’s lighting needs CFLs last longer than traditional incandescents—they use 75% less energy and create 75% less heat, so they're safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling If each American household replaced its five most frequently used lights with energy-efficient ones, we would save close to $9 billion each year in energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equal to those from nearly 10 million cars CFLs do contain a trace amount of mercury, so they don’t go in the trash – check with your utility about recycling and disposal options
Use water sense	Use low-flow showerheads and faucet aerators and wash your clothes in cold water	Water heating is one of the largest energy users in the home because we need it for so many domestic activities – bathing and washing dishes, to name a few Look for the EPA’s WaterSense label on products like toilets, faucets and showerheads, which use up to 20% less water If you have a gas hot water heater, check out an on demand system. You’ll never run out of hot water again and you won’t be heating water when you aren’t using it
Upgrade to efficiency	When replacing refrigerators, water heaters, dishwashers and clothes washers, choose energy-efficient models	Upgrading to energy-efficient appliances is a simple, one-time way to save energy—and it can have a huge impact When it’s time to replace your major appliances, look for new ones that have the ENERGY STAR If every refrigerator, dishwasher and clothes washer bought in the U.S. this year were ENERGY STAR qualified, we would prevent 4.5 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year and save $640 million on our energy bills
Transportation
Explore Your Transport Options
“Chain” up	Link your errands to reduce car trips	Planning trips ahead of time will ensure you get the most out of your car—and your time! Reducing just one car trip per week by linking errands can save [X] lbs of greenhouse gas emissions a year – if everyone in [city] did it, we’d literally take [X] cars off the road!
Get on your feet (or bike)	Walk or bike to destinations nearby	Reducing just one car trip per week by walking or biking can save [city] residents [X] greenhouse gas emissions a year Walking and biking to nearby destinations promotes community, improves health and helps the environment Walking and biking saves money on gas – and if done enough, possibly the price of a gym membership!
Share the ride	Carpool or use public transit whenever you can	Make a friend (or more) and combine trips to work, activities or to run errands Driving 10 percent less, by walking, cycling, carpooling, or taking public transit, can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by [X] tons per year
Drive Smart
Drive smoothly	Drive the speed limit and avoid sudden braking, accelerating or fast turns	Driving smoothly promotes fuel efficiency and reduces emissions from our cars up to [X]% Driving the speed limit not only saves you gas, it can help keep you safer as well
Turn it off	Don’t ‘idle’ your vehicle when stopped for more than a minute or so	Contrary to popular belief, it doesn’t use up more gas to turn your car off and back on than just turning it off if you’ll be stopped for longer than a couple minutes If every [city] motorist avoided idling their vehicles for just five minutes a day, more than [X] tons of carbon dioxide and other toxic substances would be kept out of the air per year
Save gas	Buy a fuel-efficient car or hybrid	When it’s time to buy a new car, look for models with gas mileage of 25 mpg or above Don’t discount used cars—some older models still get good mileage and buying used ensures that more natural resources aren’t being used to make a new car Each gallon of gas burned equals 20 lbs of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere. EPA estimates that a car that gets 25 mpg rather than 20 will prevent the release of about 17 tons of greenhouse gases over its lifetime

Extended Climate Actions List

Below, you’ll find a longer list of climate actions to choose from. Some of these may work better for your particular community than those in the list above. However, keep in mind that “more” is not necessarily better when it comes to asking your audience to take action. People are more likely to act when they are given a small, well-chosen list of actions to take – your audience often doesn’t have the time or the know-how to choose from a long list of actions, and can get overwhelmed. A few, well-chosen actions can seem more feasible for busy residents.

Extended Climate Action List
Energy-Saving Behaviors	Description
Unplug	Unplug electronics and other appliances overnight or when you go on vacation to avoid ‘phantom’ energy use
Turn off	Turn off lights, radios, computers and other products when you leave a room
Knowledge is power	Read and understand your energy bill – it’s the first step in controlling your costs and consumption
Call in the experts	Request a home energy audit from your utility
Fill the gaps	Go on the hunt for drafts and other efficiency killers with a DIY home energy audit: - Check for air leaks around windows, doors, floors, ceilings and ducts (use weatherstripping, caulk, etc. to ‘plug’ leaks) - Add insulation where needed - Service and maintain heating and cooling equipment
Insulate	Add insulation to your attic, walls or crawlspace, around pipes and water heaters– and ask your utility if they offer insulation rebates
Make an adjustment	Set your thermostat lower in winter and higher in summer, and use a programmable thermostat to make savings automatic When you're home: 68° (Winter) 78° (Summer) When you're sleeping or away: 55° (Winter) 85° (Summer)
Weatherize	Go on the hunt for leaks and drafts, and seal them up to keep the heat out during the summer and the cold during the winter
Maximize the energy you’re already using	A full load of laundry or dishes uses as much energy as a half load, so fill up your washer before running it

Energy-Saving Products
Make the switch	Switch to energy-efficient light bulbs and fixtures
Use water sense	Use low-flow shower heads, toilets and faucets
Get with the program	Use a programmable thermostat
Upgrade to efficiency	When replacing refrigerators, water heaters, dishwashers and clothes washers, choose energy-efficient models
Demand efficiency	Choose an on-demand hot water heater
Go solar with water	Install a solar hot water heater
Go solar-powered	Install solar panels on your home

Transportation – Explore Your Transport Options
“Chain” up	Link your errands to reduce car trips and save time, energy and money
Get on your feet	Walk to destinations in your neighborhood and take the stairs when you can
Share the ride	Use public transit whenever you can
Drive smoothly	Always drive the speed limit and avoid sudden braking, accelerating or turns
Go with a friend	Carpool one day a week
Ride a bike	Bike to work, school or errands once a week
Telecommute	If your employer allows it, work from home a few times a month

Transportation – Drive Smart
Put on the pressure	Maintain your car’s tire pressure and keep your car tuned up to improve gas mileage
Turn it off	Don’t ‘idle’ your vehicle when stopped for more than a minute or so
Save gas	Buy a fuel-efficient car
Buy a hybrid	When shopping for your next car, consider a hybrid

Downloads

Download a copy of this information:

Selecting Climate Actions for Your Campaign.pdf

Selecting Climate Actions for Your Campaign.doc

Climate Action Campaign Toolkit

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Selecting Climate Actions for Your Campaign

Top Recommended Climate Actions for Residents

Extended Climate Actions List

Downloads

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