One of the most well-known examples of grassroots climate activism putting pressure on governments is the youth climate strikes movement inspired by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg. Beginning in 2018, Greta started regularly striking from school every Friday to protest outside Swedish parliament and demand stronger climate policies. This snowballed into a global movement, with millions of youth around the world joining strikes and marches calling for climate action.
The scale and passion of the youth climate strikes movement succeeded in propelling the climate crisis up political agendas across the world. Governments felt growing public pressure to take the issue more seriously and advocate for stronger emissions reduction targets. For example, in the UK the movement put climate change at the forefront of political debates during the run up to the 2019 general election. All major parties announced stronger climate plans in response to public opinion shifted by the strikes.
Another high-profile activist campaign that achieved policy changes was the opposition to Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines in North America. Indigenous communities and environmental groups led sustained protests against the pipelines, claiming they threatened water supplies and facilitated further oil extraction. After over a decade of grassroots resistance, US President Biden revoked the permit for Keystone XL in 2021, partly due to pressure from climate and Indigenous rights advocates.
At the local level, community groups have also achieved notable successes through direct action. In Australia, a grassroots campaign called Lock the Gate Alliance organized citizens opposed to coal and gas mining projects threatening farmland and groundwater. Through demonstrations, lobbying and public education, Lock the Gate helped galvanize political support against further expansions. The campaign contributed to several projects being cancelled or denied approval.
Divestment campaigns targeting large fossil fuel holdings of financial institutions offer another example. Active since the early 2010s, groups like 350.org and Go Fossil Free organized students and shareholders to pressure schools, churches and governments to pull investments from coal, oil and gas companies. So far, over 1,500 institutions and subnational governments with assets totaling over $39 trillion have committed to divest. This movement put moral pressure on fossil fuel investing and made climate impacts a financial concern for large portfolios.
Activism can also directly influence corporate behavior. In 2015, Greenpeace activists occupied and scaled an oil drilling rig in Arctic waters to protest Royal Dutch Shell’s plans. The operation gained global media attention for highlighting dangers of Arctic drilling. After years of shareholder pressure and legal action from environmental NGOs as well, Shell announced in 2022 it would stop oil and gas exploration in the Arctic. Corporations respond not just to direct regulations but public image impacts from determined campaigners.
On transport policies, cycling advocacy organizations have pressured many cities to invest more in bike lanes and pedestrian pathways. Groups like Cycling UK organize communities and lobby local councils for safer cycling infrastructure as part of efforts towards carbon neutral mobility. Sustained activism of this kind contributed to London announcing a “Mini-Holland” program which substantially expanded the capital’s cycling network between 2014-2020. Similar cycleway campaigns took place internationally, enabling modal shifts away from high-emission driving.
Grassroots climate activism has effectively compelled raised awareness, shifted public opinion, influenced political debates, achieved direct policy and project changes, targeted investments, placed corporations under social pressure, and helped mainstream climate actions like cycling. While governments must lead major transformations, community groups and social movements play a vital role in uplifting societal ambition on emissions reductions through diverse and inspiring activism. Their organizing offers lessons for scaling up civic engagement on climate worldwide.