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Climate News 25:06

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“I can’t stand Facebook. Used it last about five years ago.”

This came up at a recent workshop we were running in the context of how to reach new audiences. It was from a community environmental stalwart and was at a table that included a lot of new, young locals.

They probably don’t use Facebook either, it being viewed as boomer media. I did point out that some of the local suburb-based groups had over 11,000 members and might be worth engaging with if we wanted to increase the size and scope of environmental action.

Whichever channel is best, the key is to go to where people are, not expect them to come to you.
On Facebook, that will likely include you being labelled as a “woke waste of space” (thanks Anonymous Poster 4169!) but it’ll also generate new contacts who don’t look at council social media or regularly attend festivals.

It’s partly a result of underselling the practice of recruitment in community engagement. Engagement is the thing you are doing (e.g. a workshop, a festival, a wildlife walk etc.); how to get people there can sometimes be an afterthought that encourages the use of comfortable spaces (e.g. our sustainability newsletter, posters in libraries etc.).

If we want to reach beyond the usual suspects, recruitment should be slightly uncomfortable, and it should be structured with clear targets and measurable impacts. Otherwise, we’re talking to ourselves.

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More political movement in Victorian councils, with the Borough of Queenscliffe the latest to vote to conduct a review of its Climate Emergency Response Plan, despite it being updated two years ago.
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Interestingly, there’s common language being used in these motions across different councils, which suggests a level of coordination.

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Meanwhile, other councils are shifting away from a reliance on offsets to reach their net-zero goals. 

Both Surf Coast and Whitehorse declared a change of strategy to reduce buying offsets and instead invest in local planting and climate action.
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This doesn’t necessarily equate to backtracking – Banyule has long had a policy of not using offsets for its corporate emissions.



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The latest floods in northern New South Wales have highlighted that some regions are becoming close to uninsurable.

Climate retreat is often cited as a potential, if politically unpalatable, strategy for coastal communities facing inundation but it seems less discussed for internal regions.

​Does that conversation need to start?




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Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions were up again in 2024, rising 0.5 per cent.
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Much of the rise was due to an increase in fossil fuel-based power plants, increasing domestic air travel and rising freight and passenger transport usage.

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The fact that modern houses have increasingly been built with dark roofs that consume rather than reflect heat, isn’t an accident.
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In the US, dark roof roofing materials manufacturers have successfully lobbied against cool roof ordinances in local government building regulations.

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The City of Monash is looking for a Sustainability Officer.
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Permanent part-time position and applications close on 18 June.

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  • Home
  • Engage
    • Behavioural Demographics
    • Project Management Support
    • Project Management Database >
      • Database Guide
    • Monitoring and Evaluation
    • Communications Support
    • Community Group Support
  • Services
    • Strategy Development
    • Project Database
    • Behavioural Analysis
    • Climate News >
      • 25:01
      • 25:02
      • 25:03
      • 25:04
      • 25:05
      • 25:06
  • About Us
    • Our Team
    • Sustainability
    • Thesis
    • Contact