Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA)
$50,000 | January 2020
Who is ELCA?
ELCA is a growing cohort of former senior Australian fire and emergency service leaders who have observed how Australia is experiencing increasingly catastrophic extreme weather events that are putting lives, properties and livelihoods at greater risk and overwhelming our emergency services.
Why is this work important?
Climate change, driven mainly by the burning of coal, oil and gas, is worsening these extreme weather events, including hot days, heatwaves, heavy rainfall, coastal flooding and catastrophic bushfire weather. Australia has just experienced a summer of record-breaking heat, prolonged heatwaves, and devastating fires and floods – there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind: climate change is dangerous and it is affecting all of us now.
Tackling climate change effectively requires rapidly and deeply reducing greenhouse gas pollution here in Australia and around the world. We have the solutions at our disposal, we just need the political will to get on with the job. ELCA works strategically to create more public awareness of climate change risks and build political will for climate action.
How is Groundswell supporting this work?
This seed funding made sure former NSW Fire Commissioner Greg Mullins and his team were front and centre of nightly news during this period, making it clear that worsening extreme weather is being aggravated by climate change, driven by burning fossil fuels.
Through a carefully executed media strategy, meetings with decision-makers and policy submissions, Emergency Leaders for Climate Action has had a transformative impact on the public debate. Some achievements during this time included:
78,000 Traditional & social media mentions.
165 Policy recommendations.
Hosted ELCAs first National Bushfire and Climate Summit.
Released the Australian Bushfire and Climate Plan.
Established a Bushfire Royal Commission Accountability Tracker.