Earth Day 2026: What you can do in your community to promote conservation, climate action
Collective action will be imperative to mitigating the climate crisis.
Global warming is a looming threat that will require collective action to mitigate, according to experts.
While the vast majority of the greenhouse gases that cause climate change are emitted by the burning of fossil fuels for energy -- about 75% globally, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency -- individuals can still participate in actions that have reverberating impacts on their regional environment and ecosystems.
Collective action -- including taking part in community-led events -- is a "key" tool in building climate resilience, according to the World Economic Forum.
The theme for Earth Day 2026 is "Our Power, Our Planet" -- emphasizing the power of community mobilization and collective action to defend progress in protecting the environment.
Here are some actions people can partake in to conserve and decarbonize the planet:
Participate in a beach cleanup
Tidying up a local beach can have impacts far beyond the shore.
Every year, up to 23 tons of plastic waste leaks into aquatic systems around the world, including lakes, rivers and seas, according to the United Nations Environmental Programme. The volume of plastics in the oceans has been estimated to be up to 199 million tons, UNEP said.
Actively removing litter from the coasts can reduce the amount of debris that may degrade into harmful microplastics. A 2022 study by Norwegian researchers found that removing large, visible plastic items from coastlines reduced local microplastic pollution by 99.5% within one year.
Removing trash from beaches can also lead to pro-environmental habits, such as increasing awareness of personal plastic consumption, according to a 2016 study published in the journal Environment and Behavior.
Volunteers who participate in beach cleanups report that they found the experience meaningful; learned more about the marine environment; and intended to engage in more pro-environmental behaviors, the study noted.
Cleaner beaches also support safer recreation, stronger local communities and healthier ecosystems, Vishnu Chandran, CEO of Wild Republic, told ABC News.
"It creates collaboration, and I think it helps us learn more about what we're doing and why we need to leave the planet better," Chandran said.
Scientists are using several models to understand how to meaningfully reduce the amounts of plastics entering the environment, said Britta Baechler, director of ocean plastic research at Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit that focuses on protecting the ocean through science-based solutions.
The actions boil down to cutting down the amount of plastic being produced, better managing and recycling plastics already in circulation and cleaning up the plastic that gets into the natural environment, Baechler told ABC News.
Vote in your local elections
National elections tend to garner the most media attention and turnout, but people who engage in local elections can help make long-lasting policy changes that drastically improve their environmental circumstances.
While voter turnout in the U.S. is about 60% for presidential elections and 40% for midterms, local elections often garner less than 20% of voters, according to the University of Chicago's Center for Effective Government.
Voting in local elections can lead to cleaner air and less traffic as city councils prioritize walkable, transit-friendly neighborhoods; protect water supply by offering incentives to save water on landscaping and new development; and reduce pollution by keeping major sources, like oil and gas drilling, away from communities, according to conservation experts.
Places like "Cancer Alley" in Louisiana and Port Arthur, Texas have been heavily impacted by pollution and industrialization from petrochemical plants and oil refineries, leading to high cancer risks for residents who live in the region. Communities of color and low wealth are disproportionately impacted, according to the Southern Environmental Law Center.
About 59% of registered voters prefer to vote for a candidate who supports action on global warming, while about 41% of voters would like to hear more often from political candidates about efforts to reduce global warming, a 2025 analysis by the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication found.
The "number one" thing voters can do is look up their next local election and bring 10 friends with them to vote, Adam Met, executive director of climate nonprofit Planet Reimagined, told ABC News.
"These local elections put people in power that decide what local transportation looks like, how waste is collected, what types of energy your neighborhood uses and more," Met said.
The Sierra Club -- a 133-year-old environmental group with chapters in all 50 states -- encourages voters to research candidates' positions and support those who best represent their commitment to environmental sustainability.
"We almost always know these candidates who live in and represent our communities," the environmental nonprofit said.
Voters can also help to fight climate change by donating to candidates whose promises align with the decarbonization efforts, a 2021 study found.
Plant a tree or garden
People can turn to their own backyards to make a difference in keeping the air around them clean.
Trees and plants sequester carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, filter pollutants from the air and reduce urban temperatures through shade, according to The Nature Conservancy.
Trees can also help manage stormwater and water quality as the roots absorb excess rainfall and reduce runoff into waterways; prevent soil erosion because trees stabilize the earth; and support biodiversity by providing essential habitats and food for pollinators and wildlife, according to the Arbor Day Foundation.
Greenery can also play a critical role in creating healthier, safer communities.
They have been found to boost mental and physical health. Spending a short amount of time in nature can lead to a drop in anxiety and reduce the risk of depression, according to a 2018 study.
A large-scale experiment that involved the planting of more than 8,000 new trees in Louisville, Kentucky, between 2019 and 2022 found that the additional greenery improved local peoples' health conditions linked to heart disease, stroke and cancer. The plants serve as a physical barrier against dirty air, absorbing chemicals into their cells and collecting particles with their leaves, according to the researchers.
Planting a tree or tending to a garden is a simple way for individuals to contribute to the climate fight, Chris Cerveny, a soil science and agronomy expert and co-founder of Just Good Soil, an agricultural company that focuses on regenerative gardening practices, told ABC News.
"This is a great opportunity for any climate-activist gardener to bank carbon in the soil for future air quality," he said.
In addition, gardening is an "incredibly rewarding" hobby, Cerveny added.
Make composting a part of your household waste management
Food waste is contributing to one of the most destructive greenhouse gas emissions in existence.
When organic material like fruits and vegetables break down, the decay releases methane. This greenhouse gas is about 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide at trapping heat in the atmosphere, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency notes.
About 45% of net global warming today is caused by anthropogenic methane emissions, according to the World Resources Institute, which notes that methane is considered a "super pollutant" because of its impact on global warming.
Composting is the managed biological decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms, the EPA said.
People who compost their food scraps and yard trimmings can contribute to reducing landfill methane emissions; improving soil health; and sequestering carbon, according to the EPA.
Some municipalities offer composting programs, in which residents can just place their compost into separate bins to be taken away.
But there are options for composting at home as well, including backyard composting or worm composting, the EPA notes.
The EPA offers instructions on how to compost at home, including how to collect and store browns and greens, how to build and maintain a composting pile and how to harvest the finished compost.
Related Topics
Popular Reads
ABC News Live