How to translate knowledge to action at the needed scale

As the urgency of environmental crises becomes increasingly clear, there is a growing need for effective action across public, private, and government sectors. However, how do we convert desires, pledges, and promises into action on the scale needed to stem environmental damage? We provide a perspective on key limits and amplifiers of effective action along the knowledge-to-action pathway and ways scientists can contribute to achieving the scale needed for change. We focus on how to disseminate knowledge and strategies for action to those who can mobilize it and how to build the tools to promote action. We consider actions to take when reliable facts are disregarded in favor of misinformation. Society must bring solutions to scale to meaningfully address environmental issues, in this process scientists have important roles to play in effective communication, networks, and using behavioural tools.