Our Managing Director, Sam Refshauge, recently attended the Climate Adaptation Conference in Newcastle, where he shared learnings from Plan C's Community Carers and Responders (CCR) program alongside Kate Van Saane from Healthy North Coast, which has supported the program over the past 18 months.
The conference brought together people working across climate science, policy, research and community practice. One message came through clearly: we have plenty of strategies and plans. Now we need to put them into action.
A few reflections stood out:
Climate impacts don't happen in isolation. Disasters and disruptions can compound one another, and we need to prepare for that.
Social connection matters. Strong relationships and connected communities are just as important as emergency supplies and infrastructure.
Communities need a seat at the table. The people doing the work on the ground need to be part of the conversations and decisions that affect them.
It was also wonderful to see Dr Jean Renouf facilitating a workshop on practical climate adaptation through Safer Future, and Dr Rebecca McNaught sharing learnings from the Northern Rivers, including the development of the Northern Rivers Community Resilience Alliance.
Sam returned with plenty to reflect on, particularly the importance of ensuring community voices are heard in decisions about climate adaptation.
