A Queensland farmer, a Tasmanian journalist and a council planner from mid-coast NSW have been named among National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility’s (NCCARF) first Climate Adaptation Champions.

 

he new NCCARF Adaptation Champions program highlights the actions and achievements of individuals, groups, communities and organisations that are demonstrating leadership and innovation in adapting to, and preparing for, the impacts of climate change.

 

NCCARF Director Professor Jean Palutikof said the Adaptation Champions program recognised people and groups who are showing leadership and taking concrete steps to change behaviour, techniques, businesses practices and policies to adapt to an uncertain future.

 

“Late last year we issued a call through the thousands of members in our networks of climate change adaptation researchers and practitioners in every Australian state and territory,” she said.

 

“We invited them to nominate people and organisations that are already implementing creative, practical, grassroots actions to adapt their businesses or communities to climate change.”

 

The Adaptation Champions were selected by the NCCARF Management Committee, which comprises 10 leading Australian climate change adaptation researchers and policy makers.


Winners

 

Individual Category

  • Sid Plant — Farmer, Darling Downs, Qld
  • Norm Lenehan — Coastal & Flood Management Planner, Eurobodalla Shire Council, NSW
  • Peter Boyer — Journalist, blogger and speaker-presenter, Hobart, Tas

Organisational Category

  • Lake Macquarie City Council, NSW
  • City of Melbourne, Vic
  • Climate Champion Initiative (A program of Managing Climate Variability and Grains Research Development Corporation)

 

Finalists

 

Individual Category

  • Allen Kearns - CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences
  • Steve Wilson - Hunter and Central Coast Councils NSW (for the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Environmental Management Strategy)
  • Rachel Brown - Macquarie Franklin, Tas
  • Melanie Bainbridge - Western Australia Local Government Association, WA (for the Adaptation Toolkit) 


Organisational Category

  • Farm Services Victoria, Vic (for ‘Climate Dogs’)
  • Townsville City Council, QLD (for ‘Identifying Sustainability Behaviours’)
  • Ku-ring-gai Municipal Council, NSW
  • Port L.O.C.A.L.S (Local Organisations & Communities Actioning & Leading Sustainability) Port Kembla, NSW
  • Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (for the Great Barrier Reef Climate Change Action Plan)
  • Great Barrier Reef Foundation (for its research portfolio)
  • Eastern Metropolitan Regional Council (EMRC), WA for ‘Future proofing Perth’s Eastern Region – Adapting to Climate Change’
  • Zurich Insurance (for training insurance brokers to help SMEs adapt)
  • Australian Council of Social Service (for training community welfare sector professionals in climate change risks and adaptation)