ACTCOSS Wins National Climate Award
28 October 2026
| The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) has been named Australia’s 2026 Climate Adaptation Champion at the Climate Adaptation Conference in Newcastle on 27 October.
The CSIRO-led award recognises outstanding leadership in climate adaptation across Australia and acknowledges ACTCOSS’s work supporting the ACT community sector to prepare for the challenges of a changing climate. ACTCOSS Acting Co-CEO Jenny Sandilands said the award highlighted the importance of building a community sector that is prepared, supported and equipped to meet future climate challenges. “ACTCOSS is proud to receive this national award which highlights the commitment of the ACT community sector to adapt to a changing climate. The ACT is really punching above its weight in leading this work. We’re a small jurisdiction and ACTCOSS is a small organisation, so receiving this national recognition is a significant achievement.” “Community organisations provide the essential services people turn to when they’re doing it tough. It’s these people who are most disadvantaged that will be most impacted by climate change and least resourced to adapt. This award recognises the important work we’re doing to help ensure ACT community organisations are prepared and resilient so Canberrans can continue to access the support they need as climate changes.” As climate impacts become more frequent and severe, the community sector is facing growing pressures. ACTCOSS climate adaptation lead and Acting Head of Policy Natali Koerbel said community organisations are also increasingly affected by climate impacts. “Community organisations are on both sides of the challenge. They are supporting disadvantaged people experiencing the impacts of climate change while also managing climate risks to their own operations, workforce, buildings and service delivery.” The most recent ACTCOSS State of the Sector report found that 35 per cent of organisations had already experienced climate-related impacts on their operations over the previous five years. Despite this, only 14 per cent felt adequately prepared or resourced to respond, while 80 per cent reported they were either not adequately prepared or were unsure of their preparedness. To help address these challenges, ACTCOSS has led groundbreaking work to strengthen climate adaptation across the ACT community sector. This includes a pilot program supporting ten community organisations to better understand their climate risks and develop climate adaptation plans. Building on this crucial work, ACTCOSS will launch the first dedicated climate adaptation plan for the ACT community sector at the Adapting Together: ACT Community Sector Climate Adaptation Forum on 26 November, providing a coordinated roadmap to help community organisations prepare for the impacts of a changing climate. Acting Co-CEO Jenny Sandilands said the progress achieved to date had been made possible through strong collaboration across the sector and with government. “The partnership with the ACT Government has been essential to strengthen the community sector’s capacity to respond to climate change. The ACT Government has shown national leadership by recognising that a strong community sector is an essential part of climate resilience and by investing in this work which ultimately will help ensure those most vulnerable to climate risks will not be left behind.” While ACTCOSS welcomed the national recognition, Ms Koerbel said the award also highlighted the significant work still required to build climate resilience across the community sector. “ACTCOSS has started an important conversation about the role community organisations play in building resilient communities and supporting vulnerable people. This is just the beginning. There is significant work ahead to ensure the sector has the capacity, capability and resources required to meet future climate challenges.” “We hope this recognition encourages governments across Australia to continue investing in community sector adaptation and resilience. Building resilient communities requires building resilient community organisations.” Adapting Together: ACT Community Sector Climate Change Forum ACTCOSS invites community sector organisations, climate policy makers, researchers and representatives of the ACT Government to attend the Adapting Together: ACT Community Sector Climate Adaptation Forum. The forum will be held on 26 November at the Ainslie Arts Centre. Registrations can be made at the ACTCOSS website here: ACTCOSS Adapting Together: ACT Community Sector Climate Adaptation Forum _____________________________________________________________ ACTCOSS advocates for social justice in the ACT and represents not-for-profit community organisations. Follow us @ACTCOSS on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. For more information or comment, please contact Authorised by Jenny Sandilands on behalf of the |