10 Years on - why should councils declare a climate emergency in 2026?
Go straight to the recording. Presentation and resources below.
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On 5 December 2016 Darebin City Council made the world's first climate emergency declaration. Since then more than 100 Australian councils have followed Darebin’s lead, as have over 2,300 national, subnational, regional and local government bodies around the world.
In 2026, ten years on, the political landscape has changed in many ways. The climate emergency movement has enabled huge changes, achievements and lessons, but recently, some councils and communities have seen a shift back towards more conservative views and away from progressive climate action.
On Thursday 20 August we heard from three of the people who were instrumental in catalysing the world's first climate emergency declaration. We heard about how they made it happen, some of their reflections on the difference declarations have made, and why it’s still relevant for councils to declare in 2026. We all brainstormed strategies for communities and councils to catalyse new declarations or enable climate action and advocacy in other ways.
Featuring:
- Former Councillor Trent McCarthy, mover of the world’s first climate emergency declaration
- Jane Morton, one of the initiators of the climate emergency declaration campaign and author of Don't mention the emergency?
- Adrian Whitehead, co-director of Council and Community Action in the Climate Emergency (CACE), who have supported many councillors to move climate emergency motions
Moderated by Sally MacAdams, Coordinator of Climate Emergency Australia.
Recording (1h 26m)
Presentation:
Resources:
Highlights from the chat:
- The bumper El Nino that we're expecting this summer might focus some councils
- Do you think the cost of inaction is a conversation that works? When you look at Northern Rivers Region, the 2022 floods cost $6.9 billion in socio-economic and health costs.
- Double negatives can be problematic, but "We cant afford not to act"
- I think the current narrative can be to focus on the benefits, and co-benefits of action, such as creating beautiful sponge cities
- Could this be where the Make Big Polluters Pay campaign comes in? could raise billions of dollars annually
- What can the emergency response look like in terms of councils working together at scale? Here's a positive story: Home - VECO | The Victorian Energy Collaboration
- The Adaptation Game
- I’m part of community groups in QLD trying to spur our councils here to declare. They’re all very growth & expansion focused here & concerned about being associated with ‘radical environmental movements’. Any advice to soften their perception/reluctance to adhere without watering down the goals of the declaration. To reiterate Mitzi’s point …the climate compensation fund seems to be getting their attention though!
- The climate compensation fund does have support across party lines. A few councils have voted unanimously to support "polluter Pays" motions
- I think finding the values of Councillors and community is an important way to frame the work. Common Cause Handbook — Common Cause Australia
- Victorian Climate Resilient Councils - VCRC - is a program of support for Victorian local government to help them be climate resilient and tackle climate change adaptation.
- Governments and insurers worldwide are building shared risk pools, but they only work if they reduce underlying threats, according to Insurance Council of Australia climate, social policy and engag... Insurance Council of Australia climate expert Alix Pearce reveals peril pool blueprint - Insurance …
- A good training tool is an interactive, game-based workshop called "Climate Fresk". We in Nillumbik are running a workshop on Saturday 5 September in Eltham: https://events.humanitix.com/climate-fresk-melbourne-september-2026
- Yes climate fresk is doing wonders in giving people a real perception of climate change impacts
- There are climate fresks happening all around Australia, dates & locations on their website
- Rebecca, Fresk is card based - statements based on science are arranged in a "cause and effect" relationship that shows compounding interrelationships. Fresk is international and is being introduced to Australia, so enquire with People for Nature
- We’re running and ev community showcase - residents who own and drive them sharing
- If you're a councillor, ask your council's audit and risk committee to look at your council's future insurance exposure due to climate risk. This is a good primer: Insurance industry calls for $30b flood defence fund as fees cripple households - ABC News
- We have a Community Resilience Network who come together quarterly to continue to build capacity and find ways that we can be climate resilient, connecting to neighbours etc.
- Training for champions (councillors and senior leaders): Governing in the Climate Emergency – CEA: https://www.climateemergencyaustralia.org.au/training.html
- How does Climate Fresk compare with TAG Mitzi? And is Fresk able to be ‘facilitated’ outside of VIC?
- After attending a fresk you can also become a facilitator with some training. The Climate Fresk is about the science of climate change, where the second half of the workshop can be about whatever you'd like it to be (say Net Zero Actions or Adaptation), the TAG is about Adaptation in your community (as I understand it).
- Randwick City Council (Sydney NSW) declared a Climate Emergency in 2019.
- Keeping the sense of urgency going is a challenge. I will be taking a Motion to the August Council meeting...based on Make Polluters Pay