Lobby Day
Lobby Day is our biggest advocacy event of the year, where hundreds of CCL volunteers come to Capitol Hill for in-person meetings with Congress. It’s your chance to talk about climate and clean energy with the people who have real power to change things.
The big day
Every year, CCL holds our Conference and Lobby Day in Washington, D.C. Lobby Day is the day our volunteers actually go into congressional offices on Capitol Hill to meet with U.S. Senators, Representatives, and their staff about climate solutions.
Before you head to Capitol Hill on Tuesday, first you’ll attend CCL’s Summer Conference on Monday. You’ll spend the day learning from policy experts and CCL’s own Government Affairs staff about our “asks.” If you’ve never lobbied with us before, you will attend our Climate Advocate Lobby Training session. In short, we’ll provide all the info and tools you need for successful lobby meetings the next day.
Also during the conference, you’ll gather with the other volunteers who will be on your lobby team for each meeting. Together, your group will decide on your roles for the meeting: who will take notes, who will keep time, who will make the ask, and who will lead the meeting overall. You’ll plan your agenda, and practice it together.
CCL’s early Lobby Days had just a few dozen people. These days, we have hundreds! Each year, we meet on the Capitol steps to take a big group photo. It’s a special moment and a powerful reminder that we are not alone in working for a safe, stable climate. After the photo, lobby teams fan out to the House and Senate office buildings for their scheduled lobby meetings.
Your schedule will usually have anywhere from one to four lobby meetings on it. Each meeting typically lasts 15 to 30 minutes, often with a staff member but sometimes face-to-face with the Member of Congress. You’ll stick to the roles you and your team planned ahead of time, including making the “asks” set by CCL’s Government Affairs staff. Remember — by the time you make it into the room, we’ve given you everything you need to have a successful meeting.
After you leave the meeting, your team will debrief together a bit: How did the meeting go? What did we promise to follow up on? You’ll make plans to turn in your meeting notes so CCL’s Government Affairs team can keep the conversation going, and you’ll also sign a thank-you card. Between meetings, you can also grab lunch in one of the congressional cafeterias, which will be full of other CCL volunteers and staff.
Back at the conference hotel, CCL hosts a post-Lobby Day reception for all attendees. With light bites and drinks, it’s a chance to catch up together after a busy and exciting day. A staple of this event is open-mic sharing from first-time lobbyists — optional, of course, but people are often feeling inspired and energized to share what this transformative experience was like. We hope you join us!
Our annual Lobby Day on the Hill is the headliner, but it’s not your only chance to lobby with us.
The big one. Volunteers walking the halls of Congress together, holding more than 400 meetings in one day, feeling empowered and pushing climate progress forward in a way few Americans ever do.
Register for the conferencePart of our Fall Virtual Conference. You have top notch CCL training, a team alongside you, and a scheduled meeting with your Member of Congress — but you can participate from wherever you are.
Learn moreExclusively for our right-of-center advocates: link up with the broader eco-right, then lobby Republican offices on climate and clean energy policy.
Learn more
“Getting to be involved with this group of people was such an amazing experience for me. It didn’t take me long to realize that bipartisan climate action really is possible.”
No. CCL’s team chooses the policy focus for the meetings and provides you with the materials to bring to the congressional offices. The conference trains you on exactly what to ask for and how.
No problem! You can say, “That’s a great question — we’ll follow up.” That’s a perfectly good answer, and experienced volunteers use it all the time. Following up with accurate, thoughtful responses is part of our core value of integrity, and congressional offices appreciate it.
Usually a staffer. Staffers play vital roles in a congressional office and are sometimes closer to specific policy issues than the members themselves. Meetings with both MOCs and staffers are wonderful ways to advance CCL’s relationship with an office as well as our policy goals.
That might happen, and that’s okay. We meet with both parties in roughly equal numbers, and our respectful, appreciative approach lets us have productive meetings even when an office doesn’t agree with our perspective. You being there and sharing your perspective as a constituent goes a long way toward building a relationship that can ultimately bridge that disagreement and build common ground.
No. Our fall and conservative lobby days are fully virtual — you’ll still get training and be placed with a team, but you’ll lobby in an online meeting from the comfort of home. That said, if you can get to the summer Lobby Day at least once, we recommend it! Walking the halls of Congress alongside hundreds of other volunteers is an experience that just doesn’t compare to being on Zoom.
Most volunteers have one to four meetings, arranged in advance with the offices that represent you. You will receive a Lobby Day schedule in advance of the Lobby Day so you can meet your team(s) and plan your meetings.
Most people haven’t! Everyone in CCL remembers their first lobbying experience and will be happy to encourage you. It’s tough to stretch out of your comfort zone, but that’s how we transform ourselves from spectators into engaged citizens. For an issue as important as climate change, it’s worth it — and we’ll be with you every step of the way.
Real posts from volunteers, CCL, and members of Congress from our most recent day on the Hill.
Your turn
CCL hosts three coordinated lobbying efforts each year, whether on Capitol Hill or virtually. Plan to join us for an upcoming Lobby Day!
Volunteers like you are working together for national climate action. Join today to be one of them!