Four years ago, in November 2016, I was giving a talk on Canadian social innovations at San Francisco’s Social Impact Week when Donald Trump won the U.S. election. I saw people of all ages and backgrounds crying, at parks, on the sidewalks, and at the airport. I also remember that Canada’s immigration website crashed due to higher than normal levels of traffic. We often hear that choosing a new head of government or retaining one will be one of the most important decisions of our lives, and this is true in part — but can placing so much weight on the actions of one (albeit very powerful) person obscure the power the rest of global society has for change?

Last week, the U.S. became the first and only country to officially exit the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, the landmark 2015 commitment by almost every country to curb greenhouse gas emissions and keep globa