Climate Justice on the Frontlines

Aim: Deliver two place-based workshops in Dandenong and Brimbank, and create a Climate and Ecological Justice Resource Pack to help build community resilience and adaptive capacity in CSOs.

Outcome: A grant was awarded to Jesuit Social Services to investigate the knowledge and awareness of climate change and adaptation responses among social services and care providers in Greater Melbourne. That research was then used to design and deliver workshops to learn, share, plan and prepare in ways that are relevant to the community services sector.

The project partners adopted a participatory approach in sharing networks, research, resources and experience to co-design the project and workshops. Drawing on a VCOSS 2019 survey of climate change impacts and responses among community service organisations (CSOs), the project team interviewed a range of CSOs to better understand their awareness, organisational cultures and adaptive capacity.

The results informed the design and delivery of a series of workshops. This included a sector-wide workshop open to social and care service providers across Greater Melbourne, plus two place-based workshops involving partners (CSOs, health organisations and local governments) in Dandenong and Brimbank.

Two sets of purpose-designed resources were provided to participants following the workshops, including an adaptive capacity reflection tool and a climate and ecological justice resource pack, co-designed by Jesuit Social Services, the Climate Change Exchange and VCOSS. Both offer practical tools for addressing climate change adaptation within homes, organisations and government jurisdictions.