COP26: Local solutions to a global climate crisis

It's a wrap! The COP 26 climate change conference has come to an end. For two weeks in Glasgow, global leaders discussed how to address the climate crisis that we are already experiencing—and that will only get worse unless we act now. Commitments were made and goals were set.

Now comes the hard part: working at the local level to make these promises a reality.

As the second-largest greenhouse gas emitter in the world, the U.S. has a duty to bring real solutions to the table. President Biden went into the conference with an ambitious goal to cut more than 50 percent of U.S. emissions below 2005 levels by 2030. In Glasgow, the president doubled down by pledging to cut methane emissions and end deforestation, all within the next decade.

Public lands can help to achieve these goals. And what's more, help communities and wildlife adapt to the worst effects of the climate crisis. Here are 3 actions the Biden administration can take right now:

Now is the time to turn words into action. Now is the time for the administration to rapidly end fossil-fuel development on public lands and connect and protect large landscapes, all while transitioning communities to a more just and equitable economy.