Endorsements and Resolutions

Endorsements and Resolutions

Grassroots Outreach
Endorsements Resolutions

Members of Congress are influenced by powerful voices in their district or state. We can ask those with powerful voices to speak on behalf of our climate solution.

Endorsements

Do you know people who are community leaders, or know people who might know people? Are you willing to use your powerful youth voice and ask for a leader’s support of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act?

If so, asking for an endorsement is one of the most powerful ways you can influence your Member of Congress! Endorsements are statements of support, and they show Members of Congress that leaders in their district are in favor of this bill as a climate solution.

Here are some steps for seeking endorsements.

  • Think of youth-oriented organizations, faith leaders, local businesses, sports figures, and other community leaders you could approach.
  • Contact them by email, phone, or in person and ask them to endorse the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. Send them some information about the Act. You can use the templates listed in our Resource section as a starting point.
  • Use your powerful youth voice to let them know how important this is to you.
  • Have the endorser sign on to the form on the Energy Innovation Act website. Once the endorser signs on, and they are verified by CCL, their name or organization name will appear on the website under “Supporters.”
  • Celebrate the endorsement by thanking the endorser and sharing your appreciation on social media.

SPOTLIGHT: Katharine Gage, 17, New Hampshire

“CCL NH heard from our Senators in June that they would like to see more grasstops support for the Energy Innovation Act, so a group of about ten kids from three schools came together like an unofficial CCL chapter to collect grasstops endorsements. Those of us with CCL experience reached out to people in our school and trained new members on the science, economics, policy, and politics of climate change. We met weekly over Zoom to hang out, talk about making sourdough bread, play a climate Kahoot, and make plans for the next week.

We created a Sample Email Meeting Request. We sent out emails to local businesses who have sustainable practices and State Legislators involved in energy policy or in our district, asking them to meet with us on Zoom. Eventually, Sam coded an emailing bot so we could send out requests in larger quantities. We have had about a dozen meetings with leaders and have collected seven grasstops endorsements for the Energy Innovation Act (five State Representatives, one State Senator, and one Business)."

Resolutions

Would you like to get to know how your local town or city council works? Are you willing to use your voice to ask them to express their support of a powerful climate solution?
If so, then Local Resolutions are for you! You can ask local decision-makers to express their support of the general idea of “carbon fee and dividend” as a climate solution, or their support of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act itself.
  • You can work with Schools for Climate Action to seek endorsements from student councils, PTA’s, educational organizations, and school boards.
  • You can work with your chapter to seek a resolution in support of the Energy Innovation Act from your local city council.
  • Once you have a resolution signed, celebrate with lots of media and social media attention!

SPOTLIGHT: Caroline Sandberg, 17, Nevada

"In September 2020, I helped pass two Resolutions for Climate Action. First, we approached the Student Board at my school and gained their support. Next, the School Board reinforced our school’s commitment with their own resolution. I am thrilled for the opportunity to present our resolutions to Congress.

The resolutions posted on SchoolsforClimateAction.org helped me to see examples before drafting ones for my school. Next, came a series of virtual meetings before all of the members agreed on the resolution and signed it. The advice I would give to students wanting to pass a resolution in their school community is to be persistent. When I first proposed the idea of a Schools For Climate Action Resolution to the school board, not everyone was in agreement with it. I had to stay determined and organized to continue with the emails, calls, and meetings until the resolutions were officially signed and passed."

Are you ready to solve climate change?