Climate change is a major topic of concern globally. Countries have come together to identify some of the things that can be done to combat climate change and its effects. On the national level, the United States executive headed by the president and its branches has been instrumental in enforcing and implementing laws and policies on climate change. The major branches of the executive that are concerned with climate change are the departments of defense and transport. The Department of Transport oversees the transport system in the whole country. Emission of carbon from the burning of fossil fuels is one of the major contributors of global warming and consequently climate change. The Department of Transportation intervenes on the issue of climate change by setting standards in the fuel that reduce carbon emission and encourage the use of non-fossil fuels such as electric vehicles.

The Department of Defense is tasked with planning for consequences of climate change. For example, events such as wildfires, earthquakes, and floods al pose a threat to the security both nationally and globally. The third department of the executive that is concerned with fighting climate change is the Department of Energy. Fossil fuels are the main source of energy in many countries. The generation of electricity and fuels in motor vehicles release carbon and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The greenhouse effect from these gases contributes to global warming. The Department of Energy implements policies of efficient energy use, such as the use of nuclear energy to generate electricity. Climate change is a collective action problem because everyone contributes and is affected in one way or another, and therefore it takes collective responsibility to address it. It is difficult to encourage people to make changes in their lives to address climate change. The main reason for this is that they think their individual actions make no difference compared to the billions of people on earth.