The Communities in a Changing Climate forum was hosted by VCOSS in conjunction with the McCaughey Centre and took place on February 25 2009. The event was attended by over 100 community sector, local and state government, academic and business representatives. Through presentations, workshops and discussions the forum delved into the social and equity implications of climate change, as well as climate change policy, and the role of the community sector in responding to the enormous challenges it presents.
The Governor of Victoria, Professor David de Kretser A.C. opened the forum speaking eloquently about the moral and ethical implications of climate change for the Victorian community and emphasising the importance of adopting sustainable behaviours at individual and community levels. The Hon. Peter Batchelor, Minister for Energy and Resources and Community Development, then officially launched the report Community Engagement and Climate Change: Benefits, challenges and strategies produced for the Department of Planning and Community Development by the McCaughey Centre.
Attendees were treated to a wide range of high-quality speakers including Univeristy of Melbourne academics Dr. Grant Blashki of the Nossal Institute for Global Health and Professor John Wiseman of the McCaughey Centre, both of whom addressed health and wellbeing impacts of climate change. Mark Zirnsak of the Uniting Church, Tony Westmore of ACOSS and Cath Smith of VCOSS covered the climate change policy context in Australia with a focus on the options and impacts facing the community sector. Other presentations by speakers from State government, community sector representatives and practitioners drew attention to issues of risk management, emergency management, bushfire recovery, green jobs and community development initiatives, painting a picture of real life climate change impacts and responses.
Workshops gave participants the chance to contribute to discussion around core themes of: impacts on health, engaging vulnerable communities, rural and regional services and changing cost demands for community services.
As noted by VCOSS, this forum highlighted the importance of the community sector in:
- raising awareness about the social justice implications of climate change and advocating for urgent action;
- advocating for equitable responses to climate change by applying a ‘fairness filter’ to policies, programs and investment; and
- assisting vulnerable communities to adapt to a harsher climate through engagement, community strengthening and providing critical community services.
The forum also identified the following key issues for the community sector:
- changing demands for services as the ‘slow emergency’ of climate change including increased drought and extreme weather continue to impact on Victorian communities;
- higher costs of service delivery;
- reducing our own environmental footprint and increasing community sector resilience to climate change.
Presentations and workshop notes are available on the VCOSS website: http://www.vcoss.org.au/what-we-do/climate-change/changing-climate.htm
For more information about the McCaughey Centre’s work on addressing the impact of climate change on community wellbeing, please click here.