Strengthening organisations, supporting communities

From extreme heat and poor air quality to growing pressures on services and infrastructure, climate impacts are already affecting the way community organisations operate in the ACT. This forum, themed strengthening organisations, supporting communities, will provide practical insights and opportunities to connect across and beyond the community sector.

We will bring together community sector leaders, practitioners, policy makers and researchers to explore how organisations can support their communities in an increasingly challenging climate.

The forum will be opened by Minister Suzanne Orr MLA, as Minister for Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water. Minister Orr is also Minister for Housing and Homelessness, and until recently held the Community Services portfolio. We look forward to her thoughts on how our sector and government can work together to ensure the sector can continue to protect Canberrans as the climate changes.

Keynote speaker: Emeritus Professor Mark Howden AC

Professor Howden is a globally recognised scientist, whose work addresses comprehensively both climate change issues and their translation into real-world impact. His research covers the spectrum of the underlying science of climate change and variability, their impacts, and adaptation responses. 

 He is a Vice Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), where he has been a major contributor since 1991, with a record number of roles across all dimensions of the IPCC including climate science, impacts and adaptation, and mitigation. In 2007, Professor Howden shared the Nobel Peace Prize with other IPCC contributors and Al Gore.

 With 40 years of experience working on climate variability, climate change, innovation and adaptation, Professor Howden brings a strong understanding of the ACT context and the adaptation challenges community organisations face. He previously served as Chair of the ACT Climate Change Council and Director of the ANU Institute for Climate, Energy and Disaster Solutions, and has worked in partnership with many industry, community and policy groups via both research and science-policy roles. He is also a high-profile public communicator nationally and internationally.

We acknowledge the ACT Government's for the support of this project.