Climate Policy Analysis
CLIMATE PROJECT/ LESSON 5.3ACTIVITY CLIMATE POLICY ANALYSIS1Unless otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY 4.0. Credit: “Climate Policy Analysis”, OER Project, https://www.oerproject.com/PurposeExplore climate policies and gather evidence to prepare you to advocate for the policy you think will have an impact.Process1.Choosea policy that you want to write a letter about. You have two options for policies:•Express support for an existing policy:Choose a current policy under review at the national, state, or local level.oResearch current legislative activity at https://www.congress.gov/or on the websites for your state or local offices.•Propose a new policy:Create a policy idea inspired by successful examples from other areas.oResearch policies from other placesthat could be adopted in your areawiththe Climate Policy Playbook, the International Energy Agency’s Policy Database (https://www.iea.org/policies), or other online sources.2.Choose one policy to research further and complete the table below. Use the guiding questions as a starting point for brainstorming—it’s OK if you don’t address each one.My chosen policy:Guiding questionsNotesPolicy overview •What is the goal of this policy?•What specific actions does this policy propose (emissions reductions, clean energy incentives, or conservation efforts, for example)?
CLIMATE PROJECT / LESSON 5.3ACTIVITYCLIMATE POLICY ANALYSIS2Guiding questionsNotesImpact•How does this policy address climate change?•Who will benefit the most from this policy (communities, industries, or ecosystems, for example)?•Are there any groups or industries that might oppose the policy? Why?Effectiveness and feasibility•What are the expected short-term and long-term impacts?•What challenges or obstacles could prevent implementation or success of the policy?3.Who has power to influence this policy? Go to https://www.usa.gov/elected-officialsto find the person or people who have the most power to enact this policy.NameTitleContact information4.Build a call to action for the individual or group you identified in step 3 by answering the questions below.•What specific action do you want the officialto take?
CLIMATE PROJECT / LESSON 5.3ACTIVITYCLIMATE POLICY ANALYSIS3•How can they be convinced that supporting this policy benefits them or their constituents?•What personal story or real-world example strengthens your case?•How can you encourage follow-up action or further engagement?