While watching Zac Efron’s new documentary miniseries Down to Earth, it was groundbreaking to see so many cities make leaps towards climate efficiency and action.

It also brought a sense of discouragement, as some cities aren’t even close to this type of closed-loop renewable living. 

It got me thinking about what allows some cities to become more sustainable than others, how some world leaders are proactive about climate change when others aren’t and how we as a community can make a difference.

A major trend is government involvement, or advocating to our local governments. It can feel incredibly daunting to speak to your local leaders, especially when you don’t know what they’re responsible for or when information is either inaccessible or hard to digest. But as it turns out, city leaders actually have a lot of control over climate decision-making and we’ve found some awesome social media accounts that can help break down that political barrier and make all of the language and logistics more accessible.

If anything, we hope this compilation of resources can help community members understand how much effective change comes from within cities, while leaving members feeling empowered and confident to speak with their councillors about how their cities can be more climate efficient.

Resources

Peel Climate Council

“A non-partisan and youth-led community organization promoting climate literacy and political advocacy in the Peel [Ontario] Region.”

This feed shares resources such as: how to write to your elected officials, identifying key political terms and breaking down what members of parliament do and what they’re responsible for. Their step-by-step posts are easy to digest and since they’re a small organization, they’re extremely willing to help you along the way if you send them a message!

Cities and Climate Action

“Supporting those working for meaningful climate action by municipalities and local institutions in Ontario and beyond.”

Between youth workshops, expert profiles and Live Q&A events, this account connects youth to amazing community members working towards climate action. Since they’re connected to the Windsor Law school (Ontario), they’re a fantastic resource for any legal and climate-related questions.

880 Cities

“Create a city that’s great for an eight-year-old and an 80-year-old and you’ll create a city that’s great for all.”

880 Cities inspires those of all ages to be bold enough to transform their public spaces into accessible ones for all. They educate the public on resilient cities throughout the world and create tangible lists of how to execute those action plans.

Youth Council Coalition-Canada

“Not-for-profit supporting youth councils across Ontario to make tangible and sustainable differences in their communities."

YCC Canada encourages youth to create their own councils in order for their voices to be heard in the political sphere. They break down the barriers by providing youth with the knowledge to approach a city council, making sure they’re fully prepared and armed with questions and resources.  

Youth Action on Climate Change

“Empowering youth voices on climate change and cultivating the next generation of environmental leaders."

Today’s youth are motivated and eager to make change but that doesn’t mean the climate movement ends with youth—that’s just the beginning! This account breaks down the climate movement for beginners and shares accessible links to learn for everyone, no matter how climate literate you are.

C40 Cities

“C40 connects 96 of the world’s leading cities taking climate action to build #TheFutureWeWant.”

C40 cities is an amazing resource for people from around the world to be able to see which of their city mayors are engaged in climate action policy and which have yet to bite. This is a great one-stop-account to learn about zero-waste cities, green transport, vulnerable-resident resources and how cities are the key to building a greener world for all.