Voice
Tell Your Politicians
What
If we are to avoid the worst of climate change, we need our governments to do their part. You can help by letting your politicians know how you feel and pushing them to be part of the solution.
Vote with climate and nature in mind. Aside from voting, you can email your politicians, and sign petitions shared by those in your community.
Benefits
For people
Although it can feel intimidating to speak to your politicians, many people find it a positive experience that helps them understand local issues, connect with others and feel part of broader efforts in their community.
For planet
Whilst there are many things we can do as individuals to improve air pollution and global heating, we really need politicians' clout to put carbon reducing policies in place. The impact of this has the potential to be life changing, for all of us and our ecosystems.
How
Vote with climate in mind
2024 is the year of elections. Use your vote. Commit to vote only for politicians that will act for climate and nature. The Commitment is a fantastic UK organisation - unassociated to any political party - encouraging politicians to take action for climate and nature. Sign up.
You can also check out the record of how your local MP has voted on key issues on They Work for You.
Outside of voting, to raise a specific issue with a politician, firstly decide on a topic
Begin by deciding on a particular subject you’d like to talk to your politicians about - perhaps one of the Do Action on Do Nation, such as On yer bike, Drive Electric. It’s good to choose a step that you feel passionate about - and that your local politicians can act on.
Then decide on a request
Once you’ve decided on a topic, you need to decide what you are going to ask them to do. Ideally this request should be SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, realistic and timely). For example, if you chose Drive Electric, you might want to ask your politician to vote in support of a new piece of legislation, or invest in public charge points for electric cars.
Use this handy template from the climate coalition.
Finally, arrange a conversation
In many areas, local politicians will offer opportunities to meet with them face to face. Although this can feel daunting, it’s one of the most powerful ways to take this step - giving you and your politicians a chance to understand each other’s perspectives first-hand. If this isn’t possible, find out what platforms your politician uses to talk to constituents and send a message to them.