How do we encourage parliament to adopt a Climate Income?*
Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a grassroots action group.
We don’t do petitions. We do positive actions, people to people. We feel optimistic that each one of us can influence the people, who make the laws, to value and protect our liveable world.
We do this with respect, gratitude and a supportive attitude – no matter our personal politics.
We provide training for all of these – just ask.
*Also known as Carbon Fee & Dividend
Make friends with your MP
Blue, green, red or orange? Leave your political colours at the door.
Keep your eye on the prize – make friends with your MP by sharing common values. This is the bedrock of our efforts to influence parliament.
Start with a simple email (or letter) – literally as simple as asking what they think of climate income as a way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Think of it as a conversation starter – bring out their initial arguments so you can see how to steer the conversation and find out what they care about or are concerned about – and tailor your reponse to chime with their passions or commitments.
The first reply – and they are obligated to send you one – will probably be a cut and paste brush off – don’t be put off! After swapping a couple more emails, you’ll really get down to it.
Then you can ask to meet them.
Here’s Vince sharing how to build a trusting relationship based on curiosity – it really does work!
Take part in a campaign
CCL UK regularly runs national campaigns, where we coordinate our efforts to amplify our message.
Previous campaigns include taking part in key consultations, talking to our MP about COP26, and supporting other campaigns.
Team up
Meeting in the flesh with other like-minded people is so important to staying motivated and taking positive action. It’s much easier if you are doing it as part of a team. Either join an existing CCL group, or, with our help, start your own. It could be in the flesh or via Whatsapp, Meetup, Facebook group (etc) – whatever suits. Contact Gina for more information.
Talk with people
There’s so many levels you could talk with people. Turn to your family member, friend or colleague and talk with them about their concerns about climate change and what could be done about it.
Then there’s these:
- give a talk to a local group
- take part in a local event and talking with participants
- give a talk to your work place
- give a talk to a regional or national organisation or company
- have a one-to-one with a key influencer
Remember: don’t go in looking for a cheering crowd of supporters or high level endorsement – that’s far too much pressure! Go in with curiosity and kindness and aim to develop good relationships. It sounds like the long way round but it is actually the quickest, and the one which enables everyone to feel good about themselves.
Use the media
Media is so diverse these days. There’s the old stalwarts, print, TV and radio. But now there’s digital news, podcasts, YouTube, Twitch, Ticktock, Instagram, Twitter, and onandon…
You could write a letter to your local paper, magazine, TV news programme or online news site, or be interviewed or have a news piece about an action you are taking part in locally, or ask them to list a local CCL event in their what’s on guide.
Or, if you are a specialist (scientist, doctor, teacher, business owner, accountant, writer, artist, etc) in some area, write to a magazine, website, journal relevant to you about why Climate Income could be a powerful tool in tackling climate change.
Comment on a digital news piece. Start a conversation on your local noticeboard. Join in or begin a local Facebook group. Create opinion pieces to share on YouTube. Tweet your thoughts and get into (respectful) conversations with influencers.
If you have connections with the national media, meet with them to gain their support and positive reports of CF&D.