Supporting climate action at the local level
Tweed Shire Council partnered with Griffith University on a community-led project for climate action (to support SDG 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts).
Through a program of events, outreach, campaigns, and educational activities, as well as surveys and interviews, this project aimed to support the Tweed community:
- be prepared for local climate risks and impacts eg. floods and bushfires
- build the capacity to act on climate-related events
- reduce greenhouse gas emissions
"With the 2020s hailed as the ‘Critical Decade’ for climate action to keep global warming below a dangerous level of 1.5 degrees, many communities are looking for ways to ramp up their climate action at the local level – both in preparing for impacts and reducing their emissions".
"This partnership with Tweed Shire Council is important as some of our researchers are local Tweed residents. After experiencing the floods firsthand, we wanted to interact with our community to support TSC in co-creating innovative local climate action strategies."
Dr Melissa Jackson, Interdisciplinary Research Fellow, Griffith Climate Action Beacon, local resident of Tweed and a Griffith alumni
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is committed to taking action on climate change and strengthening global partnerships to address this issue, collaborating on innovative solutions for a sustainable and resilient future.
Release of Final Report
In July 2023 the final Tweed Climate Ready Project Final Report was presented to the Tweed Shire Council by the Griffith University, Climate Action Beacon.
The Report contains key findings concerning:
- Attitudes and experiences with climate change
- Community climate action
- Tweed comparison with the National Climate Action Survey
- Barriers to climate action
- Enablers of climate action
The Report also contains 10 Recommendations:
- Incorporate community-based climate action in climate action responses
- Prioritise climate action at the intersection of impact and interest (transport and clean, efficient energy)
- Establish a Community Climate Action Reference Group
- Establish a Community Sustainability/Climate Action Hub
- Establish a Program of Community Climate Champions
- Initiate a Climate Communication and Education Series
- Progress baseline understanding through local risk and vulnerability assessments across key infrastructure
- Update emergency governance procedures
- Seek sustainable funding for climate action in the Tweed
- Continue place-based projects and research
Project stages
The project team listened and talked to local residents of the Tweed Shire and the following shaped the Final Report:
Community events
The project was launched at the Tweed Eco Festival on 13 November 2022. Presentations and practical workshops were held throughout the project to help people prepare for local climate impacts and reduce their environmental footprint.
Survey
Tweed residents, some of whom had been displaced during the 2017 and 2022 floods, told the project team about their climate readiness and views on climate change via a Survey. The Survey closed 30 January 2023.
Community Conversations
A series of community conversations was undertaken in early 2023.
Co-Design Climate Action
The project team coordinated the co-design of local community-led climate action and disaster preparedness strategies throughout 2023.
Supplementary Report - Community Climate Action Workshops
During May 2023, community climate action and outreach workshops were run by Griffith University at Tweed Heads, Uki, Murwillumbah and Cabarita. These workshops included educational activities, which supported community members to refine and prioritise climate actions to assist with adapting to climate change risks and reducing the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events. This document collates the outputs produced by participants during the workshops.
Snapshot - Community Survey
Between November 2022 and January 2023, Griffith University surveyed residents of the Tweed Shire to understand perceptions and experiences with climate action, including greenhouse gas emissions and preparedness and adaptation strategies for climate events such as floods and bushfires.
Technical Report - Community Climate Action Readiness
In April 2023, Griffith University presented the Tweed Shire Council with a detailed Technical Report about the Tweed Shire Community Climate Action Survey.
Report - Tweed Eco Festival 2022
The project and survey were launched at the Tweed Eco Festival on 13 November 2022, Knox Park, Murwillumbah. The event helped the community learn how to build resilience to natural hazards and reduce their environmental footprint. It was the first step in the research project Griffith University undertook to learn about Tweed Shire residents’ current climate resilience and viewpoints and to recruit attendees to participate in a follow-up survey, interview, and co-design session.
This project follows the two biggest floods on record (2017 and 2022) for the Tweed region. In the February 2022 floods, more than 2,100 homes were damaged and an estimated 1,600 residents displaced.
