Climate Change Network

About Us 

The Climate Change Network (CCN) is a network of staff and students at UNSW who are interested in connecting with others to address climate change. Our members come from various parts of the university. We hold regular events and activities throughout the year to share, discuss and plan ways to take action on climate change at the individual level, the workplace and community level, and even broader. 

What We Do 

The Climate Change Network is a supportive environment where everyone can contribute ideas and start initiatives with like-minded colleagues and students, and you can get involved at any stage. Events to date include networking and working-group formation events on topics such as Eco-Anxiety, and How to Declare a Climate Emergency. Eight of our members attended the Citizens' Climate Lobby Conference and lobby day in Canberra, and we also got involved in Green Impact on campus in 2019. We ran a discussion forum event on 'Communicating Climate Change,' and a student society on campus, the Marketing Society, ran a competition for who could come up with the most effective marketing campaign to promote climate action in 2019. More highlights below.

Get Involved 

If you would like to get involved, sign up for all the details on upcoming events and initiatives. Send an email to climatechangenetwork@unsw.edu.au and we'll add you. 

Contact Us

The Network is coordinated by a small group of staff from across the University. If you have any suggestions for the Network, ideas for events don't hesitate to contact one of the Network Coordinators below: 

Event Highlights

In November 2018, we officially launched the CCN with key speakers from across UNSW including Ian Macadam, Climate Change Research Centre; Alistair Sproul, School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering (SPREE), William Syddall, UNSW Environmental Sustainability, and Linda Romanovska, Built Environment. At the popular event, we formed working groups around special interests such as recycling, waste reduction, policy-work, and advocacy.

In February 2019, eight CCN members attended the Citizens' Climate Lobby Conference and lobby day in Canberra. We had opportunities to meet parliamentarians and talk to them about the government's climate and energy policies. This event engendered many valuable introductions and connections with local councils and councillors, and community activists.

In June 2019, we held a discussion forum for members to learn more about how marketing, social media, and related technologies can be used to raise awareness about climate change. Our speakers included Karen Armstrong on Greenpeace: A Case Study; Louise Burland on Positivity in Messaging; Rebecca Green on Emotions on Social Media; Stephen Summerhayes on Low Carbon Living and Youtube as well as Alvin Stone, Media & Communications Manager, ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes and Prof. Ben Newell - School of Psychology UNSW. Over 100 members registered for this evening.

In November 2019, we celebrated our first anniversary of the Network. Our special focus topic was Water Issues in NSW. Our presenters included Dr. Ian Wright, Western Sydney University expert on water management; Aaron Eger, UNSW Higher Degree by Research candidate who spoke on kelp seaweed restoration, carbon capture and the health of the oceans; as well as Clare Stephens, UNSW Higher Degree by Research candidate who spoke on ecological responses to climate change and interactions with the water cycle.