Championing equitable and just climate actions for all
Climate justice is one of three themes that Climate Action Beacon research seeks to address. The climate justice theme aims to develop knowledge, leadership, capacity and responses to enable effective and just climate action through: communities for climate justice and human rights action; climate diplomacy; and community safety.
Climate Action Beacon public events, seminar series, educational activities, and Climate Justice Observatory tools, connect expert researchers with the wider community to facilitate action for climate change while protecting human rights.
For an overview of climate justice listen to the ABC Radio National interview from 5 April 2022 with Prof Sue Harris Rimmer, Head of Research, Climate Action Beacon.
Communities for Climate Justice and Human Rights Action
Helping communities take action to promote and protect human rights. An introduction to Climate Justice from Prof Susan Harris Rimmer.
Justice in Oceania
Climate Politics in Oceania
Until Australia demonstrates that it is serious about tackling the climate crisis, it will struggle to pursue strategic interests in the Pacific. Bringing together diverse Australian and Pacific Island voices and perspectives, Climate Politics in Oceania reflects on the shifting debates, and highlights the potential for Australia to engage constructively with regional partners to secure Oceania's interests now and in the future. Canberra must embrace the opportunity while it still can.
Geographies of climate justice in Oceania
This special edition of the new Nature journal “Climate action" brings together authors from the Oceania Region and is a curated collection of research papers which constitutes a ground-breaking interdisciplinary contribution. The Special Issue is motivated by the desire to ensure that climate action is fair, equitable and just globally, and contributes toward the broader sustainable development goals (especially Goal 13B), while also welcoming critique of those goals. Editors - Dr George Carter; Prof Susan Harris Rimmer (Griffith University); Kirstie Petrou (Griffith University)
Picking fruit is not climate justice
To disrupt ongoing colonialist, racist narratives of Oceania as a source of cheap labour in which climate change is increasingly interwoven, it is necessary to firmly align Oceania workers’ rights with climate justice. Oceania workers’ crucial role in Australia’s food security is minimised when temporary labour mobility opportunities are framed as a ‘solution’ to Oceania’s complex climate change challenges. Furthermore, climate justice demands, at a minimum, greater attention to structural reform of temporary labour programs to eliminate exploitation of migrant workers. Engaging the Tuvaluan concept of fale pili, meaning to care for your neighbour as if they were family, we consider how this concept can facilitate greater support for workers’ rights and for climate justice.
The Climate Justice Observatory
Griffith University’s Climate Justice Observatory aims to deliver accessible data and analysis about climate change to empower impacted communities to make informed decisions and collaborate on climate solutions.
It was launched in 2022 and named a "top innovator" by the Word Economic Forum for its work to empower communities to take action on climate change.
Deep Listening Tour and Difficult Conversations
Deep listening tour
Recording people’s stories to be shared, the Climate Action Deep Listening Tour learnt about the impacts of climate change on communities.
Giving people the opportunity to be heard, communities at the forefront shared their hopes and fears in a changing climate.
With a focus on gender, culture, community and activism, the tour aimed to help communities take action, in terms of promoting and protecting human rights.
Project leads: Prof Susan Harris Rimmer and Dr Elise Stephenson
Difficult conversations
During public events held over five days in 2022, the Difficult Conversations seminar series, led by Professor Susan Harris Rimmer, explored:
- What are the ethics of climate protest?
- What becomes of the uninsurable?
- Will Australia end up with ghost towns?
- What kind of health risks will climate change bring?
- What does urban climate justice look like?
Climate Diplomacy
Experiences and interactions of Australia and the Pacific
Equip policymakers and diplomats with practical insights that will enable them to understand and engage effectively with climate diplomacy practices and protocols in Australia and the Pacific. This will allow those working in this space to collaborate with a diverse range of state and non-state actors, while aligning national interests to a more ‘just’ set of climate outcomes that advance the principles of climate action.
COP 31
The Australian government has officially bid to co-host with one or more of its Pacific island neighbours the 31st UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 31) in 2026, and the announcement of the winner will made in December 2023. What diplomatic issues, climate negotiations and foreign policy hurdles will need to be overcome for a successful event and what does success look like for Australia and Oceania?
Community Safety
Keep communities safe and thriving during a rapid climate transition, while creating new definitions of human/climate security.
Impact of Disasters on the Experience of Violence
Tracking reports of violence during and post disasters to inform future disaster management responses and strengthen community well-being.
Explore the temporal and spatial patterns in violence, with a particular focus on gendered violence, prior, during and post natural disasters and other crises to better inform disaster management in the short term, and planning community well-being in the longer-term.
Project leads: Prof Christine Bond and Assoc Prof Jennifer Boddy
Cruel summer ahead – why is Australia so unprepared?
Professor Susan Harris Rimmer of the Climate Action Beacon writes about extreme heat and - access to health, impact on homeless populations, mental health, impact on 'decent' work, electricity bills and rights to cooler spaces.
Federal Budget 2025: Future Generations Analysis
