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Act on Climate update: Shifting gears to pressure the Feds


Victoria is in lockdown again as the state tackles another COVID-19 cluster. But it hasn't shaken Act on Climate's commitment to climate justice. We're about the take the final steps in our year-long People's Climate Strategy project and pivot to the national arena. 

Here’s a quick update on our efforts over the last month and upcoming actions...


MOMENTUM BUILDING TOWARDS DELIVERY DAY, FRI 18 JUNE:

The community has written the plan for how to tackle the climate crisis and we're on the cusp of delivering it to every state and federal MP in Victoria.

But due to the statewide lockdown, we made the decision to delay the mass delivery by a fortnight. The rescheduled Delivery Day will now occur on Friday 18 June (fingers crossed).

With a bit of extra time on our hands, we may as well use it to our advantage. 

We're a little short of our crowdfunding target of $5,000 to cover printing and organising costs. And we're still looking for community champions to deliver the climate strategy to their local MPs on the big day.  

Watch this video, chip in to the crowdfunder, and 
sign up for Delivery Day to get involved.  


ACT ON CLIMATE TO PRESSURE MORRISON GOVT AHEAD OF COP26: 

International pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Scott Morrison to lift Australia's climate ambition.

We think it's time for the PM to feel pressure on the home front too—particularly in the lead up to the critically-important COP26 climate summit. 

In April, President Joe Biden announced that the US will halve its emissions by the end of the decade. Conservative British Prime Minister Boris Johnson went even further by committing to an ambitious 63 percent emissions cut by 2030.  

We think it's time for Scott Morrison to match Boris and Biden on climate. 

If you agree, please share our Facebook and Twitter posts to set the scene for this important campaign. 


CLIMATE IMPACTS CONTINUE IN INVERLOCH: 

Community members in Inverloch have been tracking the impact of rising sea levels and intensifying storm surges since 2012.

Locals are now observing dramatic erosion in the inlet where there's no surf. The damage comes a year after the Bunurong Road (connecting Inverloch with Cape Patterson) was almost undermined by a storm surge.

If you've seen climate impacts at your local beach or favourite holiday spot, please get in touch with campaign coordinator, Leigh Ewbank: [email protected]


ACT ON CLIMATE LAUNCH END-OF-FINANCIAL-YEAR APPEAL:

Act on Climate has been campaigning for climate justice since 2017 thanks to the generosity of supporters like you. Yet funding is precarious when you're a grassroots outfit. 

We're kicking off our annual End-of-Financial-Year appeal by looking at campaign highlights over the last year. Keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter accounts for some great graphics whipped up by Tahlia, one of the committed members of the Act on Climate collective.  

Please chip in if you have a few spare bob. Donations are tax-deductible and will help keep Anna Langford and yours truly on the campaign trail.

CLICK HERE to make a donation today.


ONLINE POLL: VOTE FOR ACT ON CLIMATE'S FIRST T-SHIRT: 

The time has come for the Act on Climate collective to get some t-shirts.

Bailey Sharp of the Workers Art Collective has drafted four incredible options for our first ever run of t-shirts. We wanted a design that represents our community-driven campaign and emphasis on Climate Justice.

We think they all look great and can't make up our mind about what design to get printed. Will you help us pick which mockup gets finished and printed?...

CLICK HERE to vote in the online poll.


GOOD GRIEF SERIES WILL RETURN IN 2021:

In 2020, Act on Climate stalwarts Liz Wade, Sarah Powers, and Will Hargreaves facilitated a ten-week workshop series exploring climate grief, personal resilience, and empowerment.

We've received incredible feedback about the sessions and are pleased to announce that the Good Grief Series will return in July 2021.  

In addition, Liz will run some Collective Care stand alone sessions, beginning with a session on 'Managing Stress and Avoiding Burnout - Strategies for Rest and Nourishment.'

Email [email protected] (with "Good Grief" as the subject line) to express interest in participating. 


LANDMARK COURT RULING A WIN FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE:

In response to a legal action brought by Friends of the Earth and 17,000 co-plaintiffs, a court in The Hague has ruled that Royal Dutch Shell must cut its global emissions by 45 percent by 2030. 

The court has determined that Shell is responsible for emissions from customers ('scope 3') and suppliers, and ruled that the oil giant must comply with the judgment immediately, because its current climate policy is not concrete enough.

"This is a landmark victory for climate justice and will impact Shell’s operations globally, including here in Australia by requiring their business to be in line with global carbon targets," said Sam Cossar-Gilbert of Friends of the Earth Australia (pictured).

"Our hope is that this verdict will trigger a wave of climate litigation against big polluters, to force them to stop extracting and burning fossil fuels."

Hats off to Milieudefensie, Friends of the Earth International, and everyone involved in the legal action. The verdict is a major victory for climate justice!


UPCOMING EVENTS:

The Climate Justice event calendar is packed this June. We'd love to see you at the following:


And remember, you're always welcome to join us for our weekly Act on Climate meetings.

In 2021 we're rotating between face-to-face meetings at Friends of the Earth's home base in Collingwood and online meetings via Zoom. Please email [email protected] for the Zoom link. 

That's all from us for now. See you on the campaign trail... 

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