As climate change drastically alters the land, sea, and how humans subsist in the face of a changing environment, governments are finding that traditional methods of development are no longer sufficient or sustainable. To adapt, governing bodies around the world are turning to their citizens - especially those most at-risk to the effects of climate change - to lend their ideas and experiences to ensure better, more sustainable development for the future.

While climate change continues to complicate the realities of creating seasonal viable crops, farmers in Malawi are adopting conservation agriculture in at attempt to salvage what they can from their crops. Through a variety of "climate change resilience farming methods," local farmers have seen an increase in their crops' resiliency.

Studies have shown that U.S. Latinos are one of the mostly highly invested groups in helping fight against climate change, yet are also often left out of the conversation. Philadelphia’s Office of Sustainability as well as other local agencies are making an effort to bridge that gap and engage Latinos through better targeted environmental outreach efforts.

It's not easy sustaining historical agricultural practices amidst a backdrop of climate change. Nate McCaffrey of eastern Colorado knows this all too well. So, instead of continuing the conventional ways of farming he had grown up to know, he decided to try out a no-till farming approach, and then went a step further and planted cover crops. Although not without its limitations, this switch in both mindset and practice has allowed him to cultivate healthier soil and save on fuel costs previously allocated towards his old tilling machinery.

Boasting one of the top five largest greenhouse gas cap-and-trade programs that has raised over $6.5 billion, California is leading the way in financially successful renewable energy initiatives. One of the state's more recent projects now aims to allocate a percentage of those funds to bringing renewable energy resources to lower socioeconomic communities.

Even if Blacks and Latinos are more vulnerable to environmental pollution and disasters, very few groups have been working to build awareness around this issues. Fortunately, green groups and foundations are mobilizing energy policies and are becoming more inclusive by shifting the narrative to focus on the effects of environmental pollution and disasters on minority populations.

Setting the bar high for environmental sustainability can encourage innovation and experimentation. Developers of Paris’ new Clichy-Batignolles eco-district are reducing the neighborhood’s carbon footprint in nearly every way imaginable. Solar panels and vegetation cover the energy-efficient buildings, the water table under the 10-hectare (25-acre) park provides geothermal heating, deliveries are directed to a central drop-off site, and much more.

While news of failures in the fight against climate change make headlines daily, there are many steps the everyday citizen can take to reduce their impact. Many don't know where to start though. That's where Project Drawdown comes in. This project is a global coalition of researchers, scientists, economists and others, that rate the impact of solutions, creating a way for people to see how they could possibly fit into the equation of climate solutions.

Protecting forests against deforestation is key to reducing CO2 emissions, which is what the UN mechanism- REDD+ aims to do by creating contracts with rural areas for them to protect their area's forest for 30 years in exchange for compensation. So far several problems have arisen that question the effectiveness of this mechanism which need attention going forward.

With the threat of climate change, environmentalists are worried about the development of new technology and finding new ways to protect the environment. At Petra Nova, Carbon Capture technology removes carbon before it reaches the atmosphere and can be used for oil recovery, making it both productive financially and environmentally, to hopefully be a new solution and a way to maintain the coal industry.

In colonial times, diets and agricultural work in Kenya focused on corn and rice, alongside produce grown elsewhere. Health-consciousness is now restoring nutritious local fruits and vegetables to Kenyan tables, in part by teaching horticulture students in university.

Despite a reputation as coal country, West Virginia's communities throughout the state are taking back their energy independence and going solar.