The Queensland Climate Summit

13th of Nov, 2008

The Queensland Climate Movement Summit was a community convergence hosted by Six Degrees on the 25th October, 2008.

The impetus for the Summit came from a series of conversations between people from a range of organisations concerned about climate change, and also about the implications of climate change for peace, justice and sustainability.

We were aware of what could be described as a growing international climate action movement, of literally hundreds of thousands of individuals and organisations, with an incredibly wide range of concerns and perspectives. We were also aware that in Brisbane and right across Queensland, there were passionate and committed individuals affected and concerned about climate change issues, but who work in relative isolation from others who share their concerns.

The Summit was conceived, in the initial phases, as a communication forum, to allow these varied groups and individuals to connect with each other and begin a dialogue for taking meaningful collective action on climate change. It would also serve as a preparatory session for the National Climate Action Summit, to be held from January 31st to February 3rd, 2009.

Invitations were sent out, with activists, thinkers and citizens from across Queensland invited to meet to discuss ideas, issues, opportunities, campaigns and strategies in response to the impacts of climate change.

The overall aim was to encourage discussion and co-operation between groups and individuals who are working on or interested in working on climate change in order to strengthen and build a movement for change across the state. But we also hoped that through those discussions, we would be able to provide:

an opportunity for information sharing about key issues and campaigns
an opportunity to develop ‘cross movement’ strategies
an opportunity to debate tactics, strategies and politics
an opportunity to discuss visions and alternative energy futures
an opportunity for people who are new to the movement to gain an understanding of who is doing what, how, and why.

Sixty people from Queensland and across the country converged upon a small community hall at a local primary school, and participated in an open and self-organised forum space; which resulted in more than 26 workshops and discussions.

The proceedings from the Summit (downloadable here) provide a glimpse of the inspiring moments that resulted from the multitude of spontaneous, dynamic and abundant interactions made possible by the convergence. These pages contain the vision,the hope and the promise of a committed and resilient people’s movement for change.

Participating Organisations

ABC Carbon
Australian Students Environment Network
Australian Youth for Climate Change Coalition
bestfutures
Climate Action Brisbane
Climate Emergency Network
Community Action for Sustainable Transport
Conservation Volunteers Australia
Critical Mass Brisbane
Engineers Without Borders
Ethos Foundation
Ferny Grove Relocalisation
Food Not Bombs
Friends of Pooh Corner
Friends of the Earth (Brisbane)
Green Cross
Greenleap Strategic Institute
Humanist Society, Queensland
Just Rights Queensland
Make Poverty History
National Tertiary Education Union
Oxfam
Pine Rivers Climate Action Network
Queensland Climate Emergency Network
Queensland Conservation Council
Queensland Environmental Activists Network
Queensland Environmental Defenders Office
Quest 2025
Refugee and Immigration Legal Service (RAILS)
Save the Mary River (Brisbane Group)
Social Action Office
South Queensland Bio Con
St John's Wood Sustainability Group
TEAR Australia
The Greens
Transition Towns Kenmore
University of Queensland Environment Collective
UQ Climate for Change
Six Degrees

Open Space Workshops

Workshops conducted in the open space at the Queensland Climate Summit are
listed below.

Session One

A Queensland community-owned mobility bus service
Targets to save the Great Barrier Reef: how to get to 350ppm
How our food consumption effects our environment and impacts climate change
Population and climate change
Human displacement through climate change
Urban sustainability

Session 2

Nightly climate news: a campaign project
Improving our forms of communication around climate change and responses
Queensland energy generation and use
Global safe climate covenant and coalition
Why no-one's fooled by so called "Clean Coal": the science of CCS and geosequestration

Session 3

Solar energy in the kitchen
Queensland coal production and the actions and activities on coal in the
next year
Local re-skilling and lifestyle transformation (including sustainable homes)
Illustrated overview of global issues and solutions: the need for a new holistic paradigm
Greenhouse sceptics: where have they gone?

Session 4

Grief and sadness: how to look after ourselves and each other in this crisis
Step-in to step it up: how to stage an effective meeting in MPs offices
Opposing the Greenhouse Mafia: creating a powerful people’s climate change lobby
Radical rethink: following the paradigm shift
Climate justice and development: international perspectives and actions