Many solutions and promising innovations are available to fight climate change. Renewable and nuclear energy technologies and new transportation options are just a few.

How we implement solutions can be as important as creating the solutions themselves. One way to determine what actions are useful is to consider the levers of action.

In this article, we'll discuss three types of levers: business, government and individual. All three need to work together to help us solve climate change.

Government levers

Governments play a powerful role in climate change and can drive action in many ways. Internationally, governments can come together to set climate action goals. The 2015 Paris Agreement, in which countries agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, is an example. Greenhouse gases, particularly carbon dioxide, cause global warming, which drives climate change. Once emission-reduction goals are set internationally, they shape the national and local policies, creating the changes we need.

Government policy can promote the research and development of climate solutions. We're going to need a lot of breakthrough technologies to take on the complex problems of climate change. But sometimes a new idea is so risky that private companies are afraid to invest in it because they are afraid of losing money. However, governments are willing to take more financial risks. Governments can step in during the early stages of development to fund innovations until they are profitable enough for private companies to adopt.

Governments also play an essential role in promoting emerging technologies. They can offer financial help to companies developing new technologies. They can also use their power as consumers. When governments decide they will only build using green construction materials or will only buy clean energy vehicles, they help grow these parts of the economy. Often, in the process, they also reduce the price of these products.

Governments can use their regulatory power to ensure companies and communities follow basic guidelines, such as building codes and public transportation policies. Taken together, these regulations can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The government can also pass laws requiring polluting companies to control their carbon emissions.

Business levers

Businesses produce and sell the goods and services we rely on every day, which makes them important levers in solving climate change. One big role of business is to research and develop new things. Private businesses can work faster and be more flexible than governments. They lead the way in creating innovative climate change solutions through things like low-carbon cement, large-scale energy storage, and advanced biofuels.

Companies can also adopt low- or zero-carbon technologies and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by transforming their use of energy. Making things takes energy, and reducing the amount of energy a company uses or turning to renewable sources can make a big difference.

Private businesses can also help drive the demand for low- or zero-carbon products or services. Consumers are becoming more aware of their choices when buying a product and prefer options that are better for the environment. Companies manufacturing low-carbon products may label them as "climate-friendly," allowing consumers to make environmentally friendly purchases.

Individual levers

That brings us back to you — the individual. There are almost 8 billion people in the world today, each with our own carbon footprint — the total amount of greenhouse gases created by our actions. Reducing your emissions can make a difference. You can try to eat, travel, and purchase with climate change in mind and encourage others to do the same.

As a consumer, you can encourage companies to reduce their climate impact by purchasing low- or zero-carbon products. You can hold companies accountable by calling for transparency and accuracy when it comes to reporting their climate impact. You have power and influence as a voter in a democratic society. You can influence your representatives to make policies that enact climate solutions both locally and globally. You can make phone calls, write letters, and attend public talks to show leaders that climate change is important. And who knows, you might decide you want to run for office yourself one day!

You can also educate others about climate change and how they can make an impact. It may seem like the actions of one person can't make a difference. However, the actions of millions or billions of people will create the change we need.

Working together

Here's a fictional example of a real-world action that can happen when all the levers work together: A group of researchers in a large city discovered that a lot of emissions were coming from oil-burning heating systems in people's homes. They wanted to help people exchange those old systems for new electric systems that produced far fewer emissions..

One of the biggest hurdles was cost. Although the new electric systems would save homeowners and renters money over time, they cost a lot up front. This is the green premium — the additional cost for a clean technology over one that produces greenhouse gases.

The researchers formed a company to find ways to finance the switch. This company lobbied the government and financial corporations to help them. They found a bank that was willing to lend money and manufacturers who were willing to lower their prices in order to sell the heating systems on a large scale. Finally, they convinced the local city government to help pay for the systems. In the end, people found it possible to exchange their polluting oil heaters for cleaner electric systems. We need this kind of united action — businesses, government, and individuals working together — to take on climate change.