Each and every one of us contributes to climate change – but some of us are going to need to do more to fix it. 

To avoid climate catastrophe, we must invest in the most effective “emergency brake” climate solutions as quickly as possible—through philanthropy, private investment, corporate spending, and government funding.

This will take a strategic, ecosystem-style approach in order to mobilize more climate funding and align existing funding with proven climate science and solutions, such as Project Drawdown’s scientific analysis showing that there are nearly 100 technologically and financially viable solutions for reducing, avoiding, or sequestering emissions.

When it comes to climate change, does individual action matter? Emphatically, yes. 

While it’s true that eating less meat, biking instead of driving, or planting a tree only does so much to reduce emissions, actions like these are just the beginning when it comes to the impact that you as an individual can have.

Conversations about climate change and climate solutions often include traditional leaders while overlooking everyday people trying to effect change. But people – both individually and collectively – have a pivotal role to play in stopping climate change. So how can individuals take action to integrate climate solutions into their own lives? And how can they leverage that action to increase their understanding of and connection with the broader systemic changes our world needs?

The planet is now more than 1.1°C warmer than before the Industrial Revolution—and it shows. This summer, we’ve experienced punishing heat waves, devastating floods, and toxic levels of wildfire smoke filling our skies.

As temperatures climb, the risk of extreme weather rises, too. And we’re facing an even hotter, more dangerous future. Humans are conducting an unprecedented experiment on the entire planet, and no one is sure exactly how bad it will turn out.

The United States recently observed Labor Day, a celebration of the contributions of the American worker. It’s a time to acknowledge the people who build and maintain the foundation our country rests on—the people who, often without being noticed, enable us to power our lives, move from place to place, access food and shelter, and much more.