While the stories are as diverse as the people behind them, I found common ties, some of which I’ve shared below, that connect us all in our collective effort to create a sustainable future. From grassroots advocacy to transforming personal loss into action, the Global Solutions Diary is a powerful reminder that while no one has all the answers, each of us has a vital role to play.
Community-Centered Solutions
One of the most inspiring threads I found throughout the submissions is the focus on local, community-driven solutions. Whether advocating for water stewardship in St. Paul, Minnesota, or expanding solar energy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, many of the stories show that effective climate action is often rooted in the places where we live, work, and connect. It’s not about working for a community but working with them.
Intersectionality in Climate Action
Climate action doesn’t exist in a vacuum – it touches every part of society. I found it striking how frequently multiple sectors were woven together in the same story. Over half of the submissions I reviewed highlight more than one sector from the Drawdown Solutions Library. To meet the scope and scale of the crisis, our climate actions must be similarly interconnected and interdisciplinary. Take, for example, Nada Mohamed’s work in Alexandria, Egypt, blending climate education with art and advocacy. Her use of diverse creative forms – photography, poetry, and games – helps engage people on an emotional level, no matter their preferred medium.
The Power of Personal Experience
For some, the impetus to act comes from the pain of personal loss – whether it’s the devastation of natural disasters or the long-term impacts of climate change on health and livelihoods. In these moments of hardship, we see the resilience of the human spirit. Gail Woon's video, sharing her efforts to restore mangroves in the Bahamas after the destruction of Hurricane Dorian, beautifully illustrates how personal grief can fuel powerful action. Similarly, Emilia Aguinaga, who experienced the impacts of flooding in New Orleans, channels her heartbreak into work that invests in environmental justice leaders. These stories show that personal experiences – especially challenging ones – can be a catalyst for profound change.
Education as the Foundation for Change
Many individuals use education to raise awareness, empower their communities, and inspire the next generation of climate leaders. Whether they’re working to integrate climate education into school curricula like Dave Finnegan or holding regeneration soil workshops like Hailey Lampe, these stories remind us that knowledge is one of our most impactful tools. Dossiya Dakou, an Indigenous leader in Benin, exemplifies this by teaching sustainable agricultural practices in his rural community to tackle food insecurity and create a culture of climate-conscious decision-making.
Resilience Through Collective Action
The myriad challenges wrought by climate change often bring communities together in ways that strengthen bonds and build solidarity. From organizing local cleanup efforts in Ghana to passing climate policies in Denver public schools through student-led action, these stories show that while climate change may cause disruption, it also sparks collective responses that can result in unexpected resilience.
Watching more than 100 Global Solutions Diary stories has given me a newfound perspective on how we navigate the changing climate. I am more certain than ever that people sharing their stories have the power to inspire others, as was the case for me. It’s a lot easier to take action when you see that you’re joining a global community. One of the Global Solutions Diary prompts is, “Who or what inspires me to take climate action?” and I now have a new answer – the extraordinary people from around the world who have already shared their stories! To see for yourself, check out the Global Solutions Diary and upload your own story or share one that inspires you.
Daphne Prodis is a Project Drawdown fellow who works on the Global Solutions Diary and the Drawdown's Neighborhood series. Currently a master’s student of environmental science and management at UC Santa Barbara, she specializes in business and sustainability with a focus on strategic communications.
This work was published under a Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license. You are welcome to republish it following the license terms.
