We can solve the climate crisis. Here’s how.

Solar photovoltaic (PV) power utilizes sheets or panels of semiconducting materials capable of capturing photons from the sun and turning them into an electrical current.

Solar thermoelectric technology utilizes mirrors or lenses to concentrate sunlight onto a small area, generating heat that drives a turbine or heat engine to produce electricity.

Geothermal power involves harnessing naturally occurring underground heat—typically found in regions near volcanic activity, geysers, or hot springs—to generate steam for powering turbines and producing electricity.

Onshore wind power is generated through the use of large wind turbines equipped with long blades that harness the kinetic energy of the wind to drive a connected electric generator. 

Offshore wind power involves the installation of wind turbines anchored to the sea floor, capitalizing on the consistently higher wind speeds over the ocean and enabling the use of larger turbines, thus enhancing their efficiency compared to onshore counterparts, ultimately generating electricity through the rotation of an electric generator.

Wave energy, or ocean power, involves harnessing the kinetic energy produced by the natural oscillation of waves, typically achieved through a weighted buoy system that converts the wave motion into electrical energy via a linear or rotary generator.

Sustainable hydropower refers to using smaller-scale dams that generate electricity through the controlled flow of water but preserve aquatic ecosystems and ensure unobstructed fish migration pathways.

Sustainable biomass power uses cellulosic waste products such as wood scraps, agricultural residues, and organic landfill materials for combustion in a thermoelectric generator to produce electricity while ensuring that harvested trees are not used as a fuel source to maintain forest sustainability.

Green hydrogen power involves the production of hydrogen using renewable energy to electrolyze water, which allows for the storage and on-demand use of hydrogen in a fuel cell to provide a clean and sustainable power source.

Solar heat is the process of harnessing thermal energy from the sun, commonly achieved through a sealed flat plate with copper pipes, utilized for residential, commercial, or industrial space heating or water heating.

Sustainable biomass heat refers to the controlled combustion of cellulosic waste products, including wood scraps, agricultural residues, and other organic materials, to generate renewable heat without depleting forests or croplands.

Geothermal heat involves the extraction and distribution of subsurface latent heat for residential or industrial heating.

Green hydrogen heat involves using sustainably produced hydrogen to generate heat through combustion for high-heat industrial needs or co-generation fuel cells for lower-heat commercial and residential markets.

District heat is a utility-scale system for distributing heat from renewable sources (such as bioenergy, solar thermal, heat pumps, or geothermal) through a system of insulated pipes for residential and industrial needs. 

Electric heat encompasses several technologies, such as heat pumps, space heaters, and induction ovens, that can convert renewable electricity into heat through electric resistance, radiation, induction, or efficient heat transfer. 

Green hydrogen fuel is produced using renewable energy to electrolyze water (splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen). The resulting hydrogen can be stored and used on demand in a fuel cell to create renewable power.

Sustainable e-fuels are combustible fuels similar to petroleum but synthesized using renewable power and abundant resources such as hydrogen and carbon monoxide, applicable for use in existing aircraft and maritime vessels without substantial engine modifications.

Sustainable biofuels are combustible liquid fuels produced from non-food feedstocks like algae and waste biomass, in contrast to those sourced from crops like soy and corn, which compete for critical agricultural land required for food production.

Electric transport refers to any mode of transportation, including trains, trams, cars, buses, and bikes, powered by renewable electricity either directly from the grid or through stored battery energy. About 80% of all energy used to power a gasoline vehicle is lost to various inefficiencies. In comparison, an electric vehicle only loses about 11% of the original energy used to power it. 

Built environment encompasses any constructed structure or system, including whole cities, residential homes, commercial buildings, government facilities, roads, bridges, and factories, designed with a focus on minimizing energy needs, material usage, and associated emissions.

Transportation efficiency involves strategies designed to reduce dependence on energy-inefficient modes of travel, such as automobiles and airplanes. These strategies include investments in public rail systems, buses, bicycles, and personal electric vehicles (PEVs), as well as policies that promote remote work, lightweight vehicle manufacturing, and other energy-saving measures that support sustainable transportation practices.

Transmission and storage measures refer to techniques that minimize energy loss during power transmission from production to consumption points, encompassing the deployment of smart grids, smart meters, demand response systems, integrated grid storage solutions, utility-scale batteries, and load-shedding techniques.

Industries and services encompass technological innovations, new systems, and upgrades that reduce the energy intensity and direct emissions from manufacturing chemicals, metals, electrical goods, textiles, materials, and cement.  

Protected lands are places already protected or recognized by governments, including all International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)-protected area classes and Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs) as defined by the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC).

Rarity sites, or Conservation Imperatives, are unprotected areas that need to be protected immediately due to the presence of rare, threatened, or range-restricted plant and animal species.

Land habitats are unprotected land areas with groupings of plants and animals vital to maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Mammal assemblages refers to currently unprotected large mammal landscapes where seasonal groupings of animals occur, particularly megafauna.

Intact wilderness refers to unprotected areas with a large extent of intact wilderness, such as continuous forests, shrublands, and grasslands, that aren't identified in previous layers of the Global Safety Net. 

Climate refugia refers to unprotected areas not included in other designations of the Global Safety Net that help to stabilize our global climate system by absorbing and storing more than 50 metric tons of carbon per hectare of land.

Indigenous tenure refers to land currently occupied or managed by Indigenous People or Local Communities (IPLCs) that are legally recognized by governments as belonging to those communities.

Urban biodiversity refers to methods that reintroduce nature and wildlife back into urban or suburban areas, including tree planting, microforests, pollinator meadows, and river restoration.

Protected seas, or Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), are sections of the ocean that are currently protected or recognized by governments, with limits placed on human activity in an effort to conserve marine biodiversity and habitats. This includes all IUCN-protected area classes as well as Other Effective Conservation Measures (OECMs). 

Marine habitats are currently unprotected areas with groupings of plants and animals that are vital to maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems.

Sustainable fisheries are fishing operations managed in a manner that ensures the long-term health and productivity of fish stocks and the marine ecosystems in which they live. This involves harvesting at a rate where the fish population can replenish itself naturally, thereby avoiding overfishing. 

Marine carbon sinks are natural reservoirs in the ocean that absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through various physical and biological processes.

Reforestation involves planting native trees in areas affected by man-made disturbances (e.g., logging, mining, agricultural clearing, and development) or by natural disturbances (e.g., wildfires, drought, and insect and disease infestations).

Forest recovery refers to restoring previously logged or degraded forests through natural regeneration. This restoration can be unassisted or assisted, with the latter involving periodic clearing of invasive species, if present.

Sustainable forestry is a forest management technique that includes selective logging instead of clear-cutting. It is more expensive but results in high-quality timber products over the longer term, reducing carbon emissions from logging and benefiting wildlife. 

Grassland restoration includes a suite of practices that restore or enhance the health of grassland ecosystems, including managing and planting native species.

Wetland restoration refers to a combination of management practices and planting native species to restore and enhance the health of all types of wetlands, including marshes, swamps, bogs, fens, seagrass, and kelp forests.

Mangrove restoration consists of reviving or rehabilitating coastal mangrove ecosystems, which help sequester carbon, safeguard coastlines against storms and erosion, and foster biodiversity.

Coastal restoration is the process of rehabilitating degraded coastal ecosystems to restore their natural functions and ecological integrity. This hybridizing or reestablishing corals in areas that have experienced bleaching or other disturbances.

Species rewilding is the process of reintroducing species of wild terrestrial and marine animals that were previously driven out or exterminated from their native habitats.

Land corridors are landscapes that connect two or more wildlife areas, allowing animals to move freely between larger areas of intact habitat.

Buffers and greenways are areas of land used to separate cultivated or developed land from protected areas, Indigenous conservation areas, and wildlife habitats. Buffer areas can help meet a number of natural resource, economic, and social objectives, including providing wildlife habitat, protecting cropland and downstream communities from flood damage, and filtering nutrients, pesticides, and animal waste from agricultural land runoff.

Areas of land running alongside a river or a portion of a river bed that enable river-dependent species to feed, mate, and migrate. Conserving these can stabilize river banks and reduce the velocity of water to support wildlife.

Marine corridors serve as migration routes for sea birds, fish, and marine mammals free of interference from human activity.

Farm afforestation involves the strategic integration of diverse tree-based systems, such as windbreaks, pocket forests, orchards, or alley cropping, within croplands, contributing to enhanced carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and improved land management practices that promote sustainable agriculture.

Cropland restoration is converting degraded or abandoned agricultural land into sustainable use by applying regenerative agriculture practices that help regenerate ecosystems, promote biodiversity, and enhance soil quality for long-term food production. 

Soil management encompasses a range of holistic farming practices, including cover crops, erosion control, microbial inoculants, and non-fertilizer soil improvers, designed to foster soil health, resilience, and carbon content, ensuring sustainable and productive agricultural systems while minimizing negative environmental impacts.

Sustainable biochar refers to turning sustainably sourced biomass into charcoal, which can enrich and fortify agricultural soil, enhancing its fertility, water retention, and structure while sequestering carbon.

Sustainable fertilizers are organic-based fertilizers, including compost, herbivore manures, vermiculture, microbial soil amendments, and domestic sewage, fostering nutrient-rich soil, promoting healthy crop growth, and minimizing detrimental environmental impacts.

Natural pest control refers to environmentally friendly methods of managing pests—such as harmful insects, weeds, or plant diseases—by leveraging ecological processes instead of synthetic chemicals. By integrating natural pest control into agriculture and land management, we can foster ecosystems that are both productive and resilient, helping to mitigate climate change while preserving biodiversity.

Sustainable rice farming employs a variety of eco-friendly practices that minimize resource usage, enhance productivity through improved seed selection and reduced crop loss, and mitigate methane emissions by implementing water management techniques that limit the duration of flooding in rice paddies.

Agritecture refers to the innovative integration of agricultural practices into built environments. It encompasses methods such as vertical farming, advanced greenhouses, and green roofs, offering sustainable and efficient urban farming solutions that optimize land use and promote local food production in urban settings.

Using AI and data modeling to determine the optimal location for various crops, increasing overall yields and crop resilience while reducing water consumption. 

Dryland irrigation refers to identifying presently rainfed cropland that could be irrigated to increase yields and reduce food insecurity without increasing land needed for agriculture or depleting sustainable water resources. 

Agroforestry is the practice of cultivating trees, crops, and sometimes livestock in a complementary manner, allowing for multi-story production of diverse products that promote biodiversity, improve soil health, and enhance ecosystem resilience.

Polyculture is the practice of cultivating multiple crops, often with symbiotic properties, in the same area, which helps sequester carbon, enhance biodiversity, and improve yield resilience.

Perennial superfoods, including acai, goji, and moringa, are exceptionally high in nutrients and beneficial for human health but do not require replanting each year, reducing soil erosion and increasing carbon sequestration relative to annual crops.

Seed diversity refers to practices that increase the genetic diversity of plants available to farmers by restoring heirloom crops or creating new strains through hybridization, which bolster food security and enhance crop resilience to pest and climate impacts. 

Smallholder farming refers to family or community farms on less than five acres, which aid food security and climate change by allowing for micro-management of a diversity of crops adapted to a specific region with much lower carbon footprints than industrial agriculture.

Silvopasture refers to intentionally integrating trees and grazing livestock to optimize the production of forest products and forage, enhancing biodiversity, carbon sequestration, and diversifying farmer's outputs. 

Sustainable Grazing is the strategic control of livestock grazing (such as cattle, bison, goats, and sheep) on pasturelands that promotes pasture regrowth, supports biodiversity, and enhances soil health by mimicking the natural grazing behaviors of wild herbivores.

Healthy feed refers to a nutritionally balanced diet provided to livestock that contains essential macronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and adequate fiber, fostering animal well-being, reducing reliance on antibiotics, and mitigating methane emissions.

Meat-free proteins represent an emerging sector in the food industry focused on plant-based protein alternatives sourced from pulses, seaweed, moringa, and other high-protein sources that can be produced and processed sustainably. 

The planetarian diet emphasizes a nutritional approach outlined by the EAT-Lancet Commission, promoting sustainable and healthy dietary habits, including reduced red meat consumption, increased vegetable intake, and decreased food waste, aiming to support global food security and environmental sustainability for a growing population.

Storage and logistics solutions, including technologies like solar-powered refrigerators, contribute to significant reductions in crop losses due to inadequate or inaccessible cold storage, ensuring the freshness and quality of produce before it is sold or taken to market.

Bioregional sourcing emphasizes the procurement of food from local farms and regional ecosystems, promoting sustainable and resilient food systems that support local economies and reduce the environmental impact of long-distance shipping.

Food upcycling involves the creative repurposing of food byproducts, surplus food, and cosmetically imperfect food into new edible products in an effort to reduce food waste.

Urban gardening encompasses the conversion of turf grass into gardens and cultivating herbs and vegetables in urban spaces such as rooftops, balconies, or community gardens to promote local food production, boost public health, and lower carbon emissions. 

Meal planning involves the strategic preparation and organization of meals to save money, improve health, and reduce food waste.

Composting involves the natural decomposition of organic matter, such as plant debris and food scraps, into a valuable fertilizer and soil amendment, contributing to soil health, improved water retention, and carbon sequestration. 

Sustainable fiber and pulp is the responsible procurement of natural fibers, like linen, wool, hemp, and jute, from environmentally sustainable and ethically managed sources that support soil health, waterways, and biodiversity and enhance carbon sequestration.

Green textiles refer to textiles produced through eco-friendly fiber processing and dyeing methods, emphasizing reduced energy consumption and the avoidance of chemicals harmful to human and ecological health.

Recycle and Reuse refers to the adoption of sustainable fashion practices, including the concept of "slow fashion," which encourages the use, repair, and repurposing of second-hand apparel, along with the recycling and upcycling of fibers for additional purposes, all aimed at mitigating the environmental impact of the prevailing culture of "fast fashion."

Gender Equity means ensuring that people of all genders have the rights, resources, safety, opportunities, and decision-making power they need to shape climate solutions. It recognizes that women, girls, and gender-diverse people often face unequal access to land, finance, education, technology, political power, and protection from violence, even as they play essential roles in food systems, community resilience, caregiving, environmental stewardship, and local climate action.

Social Justice means ensuring that climate solutions reduce harm, expand opportunity, and center the communities most affected by pollution, extraction, climate disasters, and environmental degradation. It recognizes that the burdens of the climate crisis are not distributed equally, and that low-income communities, communities of color, Indigenous Peoples, frontline workers, and other marginalized groups often face the greatest risks while having the least power over the decisions that affect them.

Youth Leadership means ensuring that young people have the education, resources, platforms, and decision-making power they need to shape climate solutions and the future they will inherit. It recognizes that young people are not only future beneficiaries of climate action. They are already organizers, innovators, storytellers, researchers, community leaders, and advocates pushing institutions to move with greater urgency.

Sustainable Livelihoods means ensuring that people can meet their needs and build stable, dignified lives in ways that also protect the climate and the living world. It includes good jobs, fair wages, local economies, land-based livelihoods, regenerative farming, sustainable fishing and forestry, clean energy work, restoration jobs, and other forms of work that support both human well-being and ecological health.

Public Health means recognizing that climate solutions are also health solutions. It focuses on the ways clean air, safe water, healthy food, stable housing, cooler neighborhoods, resilient healthcare systems, and protected ecosystems help people live longer, safer, and healthier lives.

Water Stewardship means caring for water as a shared source of life, not just a resource to be extracted or managed. It focuses on protecting freshwater systems, using water responsibly, restoring watersheds and wetlands, reducing pollution, and ensuring that people and ecosystems have access to the clean water they need to survive and thrive.

Biodiversity, or biological diversity, is the variability of living things that makes up life on Earth—from plants and animals to fungi and bacteria— and the ecosystems that house them.

Finance & Incentives is the work of directing money toward climate solutions and changing what economic systems reward. It includes philanthropy, public funding, private investment, subsidies, payments, credits, markets, insurance tools, and other financial mechanisms that can make solutions easier to fund, adopt, and sustain.

Policy & Governance is the work of changing the rules, responsibilities, and public decisions that shape everyday life. It determines what gets built, what gets protected, what gets funded, what gets phased out, and who has a voice in those choices. This includes laws, public plans, agency decisions, energy regulations, land-use rules, food and agriculture policy, public budgets, and the institutions responsible for managing land, water, energy, food, species, and ecosystems.

The world's biggest challenges cannot be solved by guesswork. Science & Intelligence is the work of gathering, interpreting, and applying knowledge so climate and nature solutions can be guided by evidence rather than guesswork. It includes research, modeling, monitoring, mapping, measurement, data analysis, and the tools that help people understand where action is needed, what is changing, and what is working.

Technology, Products & Services is the work of creating and providing the practical tools that help climate solutions happen. This includes software, platforms, equipment, materials, monitoring systems, technical products, and professional services that support renewable energy, conservation, restoration, regenerative agriculture, efficiency, circularity, compliance, and reduced pressure on ecosystems.

Rules only matter if they are enforced. Legal Empowerment is the work of making rights, protections, and commitments real. It uses law, legal defense, compliance systems, watchdog pressure, and rights-based strategies to stop harm, defend communities, and hold powerful actors accountable. This can include challenging unlawful pollution, defending land and water rights, enforcing environmental protections, exposing misconduct, or helping communities use legal tools to protect the places they depend on.

Community Action & Coordination is the work of organizing people, building local power, and helping groups act together to advance climate and nature solutions. It includes grassroots organizing, civic participation, volunteer mobilization, coalitions, training, technical assistance, and the behind-the-scenes coordination that helps communities, organizations, and practitioners move from shared concern to collective action.

People protect what they understand and value. Education & Culture Shift is the work of helping people understand the climate crisis, learn about the solutions already available, imagine a different future, and feel more connected to one another and the living world. It includes environmental education, public learning, storytelling, outdoor experience, cultural programming, and the creation of rituals, events, symbols, and shared experiences that connect who we are and what we care about to climate action and ecological protection.