2022 – 2023
Funded by Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance.
Across the municipality of Melbourne, on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung country, heightened social and economic stressors are combining with extreme weather events (such as heatwaves) to disproportionately impact already vulnerable communities. From a climate justice perspective, this means ensuring climate action is driven by fair, equitable and inclusive processes that bring together a range of place-based stakeholders including local communities, community sector organisations, and local governments.
The project
A community-led approach to climate justice was funded by the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance as a process and guide to enable deeper and more deliberative collaboration between local communities and local governments to address climate justice priorities. Developed over 12 months, the project was co-designed and supported by many place-based organisations and networks including the City of Melbourne, Jesuit Social Services’ Centre for Just Places, Kensington Neighbourhood House, Living Learning Australia, Transition Town Kensington, Unison and The Venny Inc.
The impact
This project produced a guidance document for the City of Melbourne, service providers, practitioners, and community members looking to initiate deeper and more deliberative collaboration on climate justice projects in the municipality. It outlines a collaborative process to support diverse groups in embedding climate justice across a range of policies, programs and strategies, including learnings from piloting a food relocalisation initiative led by a neighbourhood network: the Kensington Community Local Fresh Food Market. Aligned with both local and international calls to action, what emerged from this two-phased process was the need for shared understandings, well-defined roles and responsibilities, and sustainable resourcing to collectively navigate the intersecting inequities that are being experienced in our neighbourhoods.
For more information
Contact Katrina Dunn, Manager – Climate Justice, at [email protected] to discuss this project.