How we can

drive climate
action collectively

Australian Centre for Education & Training

WWW.ACET-GLOBAL.COM
What we can do from communities to countries

Orlando Buttie
Monash University, School of Earth, Atmosphere & Environment

Larris Fernandes

August 2020

Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................ 1

Current Scenario: .................................................................................................... 1

Sustainable development: ....................................................................................... 2

How Existing Businesses Can Change Their Practices and Solutions: .................. 2

Business can focus on: .............................................................................................. 3

Services through which individuals can help out: ....................................................... 4

Further resources.................................................................................................... 5

TED Talks links ....................................................................................................... 6

References ................................................................................................................. 7

0
Introduction

Climate change is a collective problem requiring collective actions and solutions to

ensure climate justice. We need to do everything, all at once.

Our first three documents have outlined: climate change science, the impacts and
consequences of climate change and how individuals can drive climate action.

Climate change carries important social, economic and political dimensions in the
prevention, mitigation and adaption to climate change.

Conquering climate change requires many solutions, from many people in many
different areas of our global society and economy. These adaptations will
fundamentally change our perception of the environment from a ‘resource’ that can
be exploited to recognising that we completely depend upon it to survive.1

Current Scenario:

The ‘Climate Justice’ movement is growing in popularity as more and more people
feel a sense of injustice towards the impact that climate change will likely have on
those who have contributed the least but will suffer the most.

Climate change is exacerbating the frequency and intensity of natural hazards such
as heatwaves, floods, drought and extreme weather around the world. Collectively,
we can make a positive difference for people in these situations.

Governments do not have unlimited discretion to decide how to address climate

change. People have a right to seek legal protection from courts, and courts have an
important role to play in determining whether authorities are acting lawfully in
addressing climate change.

1
Sustainable development:

The idea of sustainable development is to create a well-balanced society that must

live and meet their needs without compromising the ability of future generations2.
Climate change presents the single biggest threat to sustainable development
everywhere and its widespread, unprecedented impacts disproportionately burden
the poorest and most vulnerable.

The issue of climate change intersects many of the United Nations’ Sustainable
Development goals such as quality education, clean water and sanitation, affordable
clean energy, industry innovation and infrastructure, international cooperation, life
below water and land. UN SDGs:
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

How Existing Businesses Can Change Their Practices and Solutions:

The consumption of natural resources to fuel the development of our modern society
has created an adverse effect on our climate system. Existing businesses need to
shift how they impact the environment and emerging businesses must innovate to
create new methods of maintaining prosperity whilst combatting climate change.

The first step for many companies is to develop climate action plans across the
company and for individual business units. The businesses should take into
consideration a few important aspects while designing the plans based on the type of
the company and their goals, but every company must face impacts of its few
general decisions, such as

• Choosing whether to implement a “top-down” or “bottom-up” process

• Choosing the targets to establish
• Ensuring that targets fit in with other environmental management activities
• Determining how to use company research and development resources.3

2
Business can focus on:

• Goals and Targets

It is now common for companies to adopt climate-related targets that assist them
in becoming more environmentally friendly. For example, a company may aim to
run entirely on renewable energy by 2025.
• Internal Carbon Pricing

One business strategy that is needed to follow is internal carbon pricing, which
assigns a price to carbon emissions attributable to the business.

Internal carbon pricing assists companies to shift towards emitting fewer

greenhouse gases.
• Energy Efficiency

Companies should take carbon footprinting and reduction strategies to see their
energy use in a whole new light. Energy efficiency refers to using less energy to
produce the same results.4 This is necessary for companies that are working to
lower their carbon footprint.
• Finance

Finance tools can also assist companies to achieve their sustainability-related

goals. This can be achieved in a variety of ways. One way is green bonds, which
fund projects that have benefits for the climate and the environment.5

Conclusion:
Climate change threatens our environmental sustainability, globally. Nevertheless,
there is still time and businesses today are innovating and pushing the boundaries of
what climate action means on the scale of organisations.
The emission of greenhouse gases, the use of natural resources and change in
human lifestyle and activities have accelerated the progress of climate change. It is
the time wherein we need to transfer our energy to renewable and adapt to the
changes that have already occurred.6 We need to prevent any future changes, but
adaptation is a must. Scientists, individuals, businesses, communities, as well as
policymakers, need to diligently and cooperatively build upon the progress made to
ensure a climate just future.

3
Services through which individuals can help out:

1. GoVolunteer [https://govolunteer.com.au/environment-conservation-
volunteering]
A site which lists various volunteering opportunities which include the
category - “Environment & Conservation”

2. Environment Victoria [https://environmentvictoria.org.au/get-

involved/volunteer/]
Independent charity with many member groups that help out with a wide
variety of climate change issues. Volunteering and paid membership are both
available.

3. 350 Australia [https://350.org.au/getinvolved/#volunteer]

Aims to decrease fossil fuel usage and speed up the transition to renewable
energy.

4. Australian Forests & Climate Alliance

[http://forestsandclimate.org.au/membership-networking/membership-
application/]
Climate change campaigners with a special interest in Australia’s forest
protection.
Note: The volunteering form is at the end of the page in the link provided.

5. Australian Youth Climate Coalition

[https://www.aycc.org.au/volunteer_aycc]
A youth-run organization that aims at working towards a sustainable world
that has a safe climate for everyone.

6. Climate For Change [https://www.climateforchange.org.au/volunteer]

An organization that aims to strengthen the social and political will that is
required to streamline our lifestyles to tackle climate change effectively.

4
Further resources

Resources and links

• What you can do about climate change. Collective action.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSgXcFdHxFI&t=189s

Groups to join or support

• Australian Youth Climate Coalition. https://www.aycc.org.au/about
• Climate Action 100. http://www.climateaction100.org/
• Climate Council of Australia. https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/
• Environmental Justice Victoria. https://www.envirojustice.org.au/
• Greenpeace Australia. https://www.greenpeace.org.au/
• Friends of the Earth Australia. https://www.foe.org.au/

Videos
• Short documentary. “Climate Hackers”.
https://www.abc.net.au/foreign/climate-hackers/10850542
• Drawdown TED talk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4vjGSiRGKY
• What Can I Do to Stop Climate Change? Klaus Lackner. TEDx.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oOMRl8RLGI
• Learn the human impact and consequences of climate change for the
environment, and our lives.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/global-
warming-solutions/
• Climate action for sustainable development https://vimeo.com/243068082

Podcast
• Nori: Reversing climate change. https://nori.com/reversing-climate-change

Articles
• Opportunities and Risks in Australia -
http://www.climateinstitute.org.au/verve/_resources/cliamte_change_policy_u
ncertainties_creates_risk_for_australian_business_report_10_aug_07.pdf

5
TED Talks links

• A Climate Change solution that is under our feet

https://www.ted.com/talks/asmeret_asefaw_berhe_a_climate_change_solution_that_
s_right_under_our_feet

• 100 Solutions to reverse global warming

https://www.ted.com/talks/chad_frischmann_100_solutions_to_reverse_global_warm
ing

• A climate solution where all sides can win

https://www.ted.com/talks/ted_halstead_a_climate_solution_where_all_sides_can_wi
n

• The Revolutionary power of diverse thought

https://www.ted.com/talks/elif_shafak_the_revolutionary_power_of_diverse_thought?
rid=ZCxWUvegIygp

• How we can make world better place by 2030 (Sustainability)

https://www.ted.com/talks/michael_green_how_we_can_make_the_world_a_better_
place_by_2030

• 5 transformational policies for a prosperous and sustainable world.

https://www.ted.com/talks/johan_rockstrom_5_transformational_policies_for_a_pros
perous_and_sustainable_world

• Climate Change is happening. here’s how we adapt

https://www.ted.com/talks/alice_bows_larkin_climate_change_is_happening_here_s
_how_we_adapt#t-92581

6
References

1 Greenpeace. (2018). Climate Justice. Retrieved from

https://storage.googleapis.com/planet4-international-
stateless/2018/12/4fdd4d8a-peoples_guide_fnl_2.pdf
2 Nunez, C. (2019). Global Warming Solutions, Explained. National Geographic.
Retrieved from https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-
warming/global-warming-solutions/
3 Centre for Climate and Energy Solutions. (2020). Business Strategies to Address
Climate Change. Retrieved from https://www.c2es.org/content/business-
strategies-to-address-climate-change/
4 Ovo Energy. (2010). What is Energy Efficiency? Retrieved from
https://www.ovoenergy.com/guides/energy-guides/what-is-energy-
efficiency.html.
5 Climate Bonds Initiative. (2020). Explaining Green Bonds. Retrieved from
https://www.climatebonds.net/market/explaining-green-bonds.

6 Kaddo, R. (2016). Climate Change: Causes, Effects, and Solutions. A with Honors
Project, Retrieved from
https://spark.parkland.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1163&context=ah