Trump has derailed American climate commitments under the Paris Agreement, so we're asking state and local leaders to step up –– here’s how you can help:

1. Send emails to your local officials!

For maximum impact, there are five officials you can email: your state senator, state assembly member, city council member, governor, and mayor.

To find out who your state legislators are, use Common Cause’s handy tool: www.commoncause.org/take-action/find-elected-officials/  

Common Cause will either list your legislator’s email or provide a link to their website, which will have contact information and/or an email form.

To find out who your city council member is, google “find my city council member.” New York and other cities have search websites to help you out. Visit your council member’s website to find their contact information.

To find your governor’s email, google his/her name + “contact.” To find your mayor’s email, do the same.

Once you’ve found your elected officials’ emails, here’s a sample email for you to use as a starting point:

Dear (INSERT OFFICIAL’S NAME),

I am a constituent from (INSERT YOUR TOWN), and I am writing to ask you to stand up to the Trump administration by pledging to support climate action.

Coalition Z, a youth-led activist group launched after Trump’s inauguration, is asking local leaders to sign a Pledge for Our Future. By signing the pledge, elected officials promise to support climate action and work to ensure that the US meets its commitments under the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement, regardless of federal policies.  

Here’s the text of the pledge:

“I pledge to help the United States fulfill and exceed its commitments under the Paris Climate Change Agreement. I understand that it is essential for subnational actors to ensure that the US collectively meets and exceeds its commitments under the Paris Agreement, even if the federal government abandons emissions reduction policies. I will support and/or introduce policies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and bolster clean energy. I also pledge to push the subnational government of which I am a member to sign the Under2 MOU and join the Under2 Coalition, if it has not already done so.”

To sign the pledge, please submit this brief form: coalitionz.org/pledge-for-our-future. If you have any questions, Coalition Z will follow up shortly, or please email info@coalitionz.org.

Scientists have warned that in order to avoid disastrous climatic shifts, we must limit the rise in global temperature to well below 2 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. The Paris Agreement commits countries to doing so, with countries submitting national climate action plans (INDCs) as a baseline. However, as Trump shreds environmental regulations and repeals President Obama’s climate regulations, he has jeopardized the US’s INDC goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 26-28% from 2005 levels. I’m asking you to pledge to help keep us on track.

Sincerely,

(INSERT YOUR NAME)

2. Follow up with a phone call!

Visit your elected officials’ websites to help you find phone numbers in addition to emails.

Then, make a phone call! Here’s a sample script:

“Hi, my name is [NAME] and I’m a constituent from [NAME]. I’m calling to ask [OFFICIAL NAME] to stand up to Trump and address climate change by signing Coalition Z’s Pledge for Our Future.

This youth-led pledge sends a signal to the world that the US will uphold its commitments under the Paris Agreement, even if Trump will not.

I sent an email to [OFFICIAL’S NAME] with more information and a link to sign the pledge. Please let me know if [OFFICIAL’S NAME] will protect our climate by signing this pledge, and Coalition Z will follow up to answer any questions you might have. Thank you.”

3. Fill out the quick form above to let us know who you contacted (either via email or phone call)! We’ll follow up and keep track of who signs the pledge.