Empowering local leaders to drive climate action

Lasting change starts from the ground up. Local leaders—mayors, community leaders, civic organizations, and more—are the changemakers of their cities, dedicated to building a safe and healthy future for generations to come.

Environmental Defense Fund is committed to mutual learning and continuous exchange with local leaders to ensure they have the tools and support they need to advance climate action, build resilient infrastructure, drive economic progress and champion environmental justice.

Contact the Community Engagement team

Explore opportunities for deeper learning

EDF is proud to work with local leaders on achieving their climate action goals through informational webinars, educational cohorts, and sustainability fellowships.  

• Our webinars connect EDF’s experts directly with mayors on topics that matter to their communities, like lead pipe service line replacement, climate action planning, and electricity transmission. Check back on this webpage to stay up to date on upcoming webinars.
• Mayors looking for a deeper dive can join their peers in the Mayors Climate Action Training Program, which convenes a small, committed group of mayors over several months to explore climate solutions and share best practices. Thanks to world-class instruction from ICLEI USA – Local Governments for Sustainability, our 2025-2026 inaugural cohort helped ten mayors from across the South connect on local issues and enhance their cities’ approaches to climate and sustainability.  
• Climate Corps fellows are a great option for cities with established climate goals. Passionate graduate students spend a summer designing tools and recommendations that help cities reduce emissions, electrify city vehicles, and reduce energy consumption. In 2026, two AAMA cities are hosting fellows: New Rochelle, NY and Dumfries, VA. 

Celebrate local accomplishments 

EDF’s Community Engagement team is eager to work with local leaders to tell their stories and share their results with their peers. 

• In Milwaukee, resident-led non-profits have driven change from the ground up, addressing environmental, economic, and public health challenges through long-term engagement. Watch the short film highlighting their accomplishments and their ongoing work.
• Detroit demonstrated effective community engagement with its Solar Neighborhoods Initiative, transforming abandoned lots into solar gardens. Neighbors helped design the gardens and received energy efficiency upgrades to their homes, bringing immediate benefits to longtime residents.
• In November 2025, Mayors in the Climate Action Training Program attended the COP30 Local Leaders Forum in Rio de Janeiro and met their global peers, from Toronto to Ghana. The exchange of stories, ideas, and best practices gave them new inspiration to face their cities’ biggest challenges. 

Get started on climate action

Local leaders can jump right into climate action! The resources and tools here offer information for specific solutions or as alternatives to federal resources that are no longer available.  

Climate action and resilience planning 

• Climate Action for Local Leaders
  • Local leaders seeking climate solutions can use this toolkit to better understand how EDF can empower their goals with resources and support.
• Climate Action for Policymakers
  • Policymakers at all levels of government, from local to federal, can turn to EDF for support navigating complex legislation and policies that affect your communities.
• Climate Vulnerability Index
  • The U.S. Climate Vulnerability Index (CVI) uses 184 data sets to rank over 70,000 census tracts, helping local leaders identify climate risks and prioritize actions to strengthen community resilience. The CVI incorporates datasets from EPA’s EJScreen and CEQ’s Climate & Economic Justice Screening Tool, which are no longer available.

Public health and pollution monitoring 

• The Community Data Health Initiative (CDHI)
  • CDHI serves to expand cities’ capacity to take on environmental challenges that directly affect people’s health. Their resources on air pollution, extreme heat, and lead exposure offer evidence-informed strategies for mayors and chiefs of staff tackling these issues.
• Lead Service Line Replacement Program Map   
  • EDF’s Lead Service Line Replacement Program Map highlights over 200 communities working to replace lead service lines, showing progress and areas of inaction. Local leaders can use the map to see if their community has a replacement program.
• Chemical Exposure Action Map
  • EDF's Chemical Exposure Action Map visualizes industrial chemical exposures and health impacts in communities, helping local leaders advocate for safeguards that are truly protective of public health.
• Petrochemical Air Pollution Map
  • The Petrochemical Air Pollution Map shows where petrochemical air pollution is coming from, who’s responsible for it and where it’s driving the greatest health risks.
• Air Quality Data Directory
  • This tool orients users to the world of air emissions data related tools. By applying filters to narrow down the many available datasets, advocates can identify which source(s) of data can help advance a goal or solve a specific problem.