In the fight against climate change, we can find cause for optimism in the fact that there are lots of solutions and promising innovations available: renewable and nuclear energy technologies, new types of batteries and transportation options, and better ways to feed people around the world, to name a few.

However, just because a solution or technology exists doesn’t mean it’s being used in the right places or the right ways. In fact, thinking about how we implement solutions can be just as important as coming up with the solutions themselves. With a problem as complex and global as climate change, effectively implementing climate action isn’t always easy. One way to figure out what actions are useful is to think in terms of the levers of action. These are types of actions people and organizations can take to promote climate solutions. By working in strategic ways at each lever, we can amplify the impact of our actions.

But not all actions have the same impact. That’s why it’s important to identify the levers that will actually make change happen. In this article, we’re going to discuss three types of levers: business, government, and individual. All three of these groups will need to work together to help us solve climate change.

Government levers

Governments are powerful actors when it comes to solving climate change because of the many ways they can drive action. Internationally, governments can come together to set goals that shape the planning, implementation, and evaluation of climate action. The 2015 Paris Agreement, in which countries agreed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming to 1.5° Celsius, is an example of the impact of international collaboration between governments. These goals then influence national and local leaders and inform policies that propel the transformations we need.

An important example of this is the way that 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 many complex problems of climate change but sometimes a new idea is so risky that private companies are afraid to invest in it. Businesses are primarily driven by profit; governments, however, can take on more financial risk. They can step in during the early stages of development to fund those innovations until they are profitable enough for private companies to adopt.

Government also plays an essential role in creating markets for emerging technologies. This can be done by offering financial incentives to companies developing new technologies. As we’ve already said, businesses are driven by earning money, so government tax credits or grants can motivate them to work on innovative technologies. Or, governments can use their power as a consumer. When governments decide that they will only build using green construction materials, or will only buy clean energy vehicles, they help to stimulate these sectors of the economy. Often, in the process, they reduce the price of these lower-carbon products so companies can follow them.

In many cases, governments can also use their power of regulation. Lots of regulations exist to ensure companies and communities follow basic guidelines—such as building codes and public transportation policies—that can collectively help reduce emissions. Government can also pass laws that require polluting companies to control their emissions. Can you think of other ways governments can make an impact supporting climate solutions?

Business levers

Businesses produce and sell the goods and services we rely on every day so they’re important levers in solving climate change. One of the biggest roles of business is conducting research and development into the new innovations we need. That’s because private businesses can often work faster and be more flexible than governments. Businesses are leading the way in creating innovative solutions for the hardest problems of climate change, in part because they often have highly specialized knowledge and expertise. Plus, because businesses want to maximize profits, they’re motivated to create solutions that can be adopted as quickly and broadly as possible. This is a good thing when it comes to spreading a low-emissions technology.

Another action companies can take is adopting low- or zero-carbon technologies in their own business practices. In particular, corporations can reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions by transforming their use of energy.

Making things takes energy, and reducing the amount a company uses, or turning to renewable sources, can make a big difference. In fact, corporations can employ a wide variety of strategies to produce fewer greenhouse gases. For example, they can demand that their suppliers—the companies who send them the raw materials they use to make their finished products—turn to technologies that reduce energy usage or use cleaner energy.

Private businesses can also help drive the demand for low- or zero-carbon products or services in the marketplace. Consumers are becoming more aware of the choices they have 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 choices in favor of more-sustainable options. While many companies are motivated to reduce their carbon emissions and boost their image and sales, some companies take advantage of the growing demand for environmentally friendly products. Greenwashing is the term used to describe what happens when a company exaggerates or falsely claims to be more sustainable than it actually is. Legitimate efforts to improve business practices can be undermined when companies mislead the public. What are other ways businesses might help support climate solutions?

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. Some people produce more greenhouse gas than others, of course, and reducing your own emissions can make a difference. You should absolutely try to eat, move, and purchase with climate change in mind. And you should encourage your family and others to think about emissions when choosing what to buy or eat and how to move around in the world. But these aren’t the only ways you can use your power and influence to combat climate change.

So, what else can you do?

You can encourage companies to reduce their climate impact through your power as a consumer. By purchasing low- or zero-carbon products, even if they’re a little bit more expensive, you can also send a message to corporations that climate change is a value you consider when making purchases. And you can hold companies accountable by calling for transparency and accuracy when it comes to reporting their climate impact.

You also have power and influence as a citizen. As a voter or a constituent 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 forums to show leaders it’s important to care about climate change. And who knows, you might decide you want to run for office yourself one day!

You can also work to educate others about climate change and how they can make an impact. While it may seem like the actions of one person can’t make a difference against a problem as big as climate change, the actions of millions or billions of people will create the change we need. There are other ways you can work with other people to power up your individual climate change actions. Can you think of any?

Working together

Here’s a fictional example of the kind of real-world action that can happen when all the levers work together:

A group of researchers in a large city figured out that a lot of emissions were coming from old 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.

But one of the biggest hurdles was the cost of these new systems. Although the new electric systems would save homeowners and renters lots of money over time, they cost a lot up front. This is the green premium—the additional cost for a clean technology over one that emits greenhouse gases. Additionally, the city government required a lot of paperwork for each household to replace these old systems.

So the researchers formed a company to find ways to finance the switch. This company lobbied government and financial corporations to help them. They found a bank that was willing to lend money to individuals who wanted to make the switch. They found manufacturers of the cleaner products who were willing to lower prices in order to sell them at a large scale. Finally, they convinced the local city government to subsidize the cost, which reduced it even further. The government also agreed to change their policies to reduce the paperwork needed to make the change. With individuals working in tandem with businesses and government, lots of people found it possible to exchange their polluting oil-heating systems for cleaner electric systems. We need this kind of united action—businesses, government, and individuals working in tandem—to take on climate change.