Alert: Young leaders from climate impacted communities converge on Parliament to demand strong climate action after a summer of disastrous weather.

MEDIA ALERT: NOT FOR PUBLICATION

7th February 2024

Young leaders from climate impacted communities converge on Parliament to demand strong climate action after a summer of disastrous weather.

This summer, we’ve seen the impacts of the climate crisis unfold across the continent: from devastating cyclones and flooding to sweltering heat waves. As the Federal Parliament sits for the first time in 2024, young leaders from climate impacted communities across every state and territory will join politicians for a week of storytelling and bold action.

On Thursday 8th February, a cross-section of Federal politicians will join the Australian Youth Climate Coalition for a Press Conference to share their stories and ensure climate justice is at the forefront of the political agenda this year.

DATE: Thursday, 8 February 2024

TIME: 8:30am

LOCATION: Senate Courtyard -  28L, Canberra ACT

MEDIA OPPORTUNITY:

Press conference with Federal politicians and young people impacted by climate change

• Adam Bandt, Leader of the Greens, Member for Melbourne

• Sophie Scamps, Independent Member for Mackellar
  
  
• David Pocock, Independent Senator for the ACT
  
  
• Pranikaa Gulati, 17 year old volunteer with AYCC Cairns
  
  
• Jazmin Bingham, 15 year old Gomeroi person from Mount Gambier and volunteer with AYCC SA
  
  
• Al Cabry, 25 year old volunteer with AYCC Darwin, who grew up close to the proposed Middle Arm Gas Hub
  
  
• Maya Farmer, 18 year old volunteer with the AYCC in Coffs Harbour, NSW

“Nearly every year of my high school life has been affected by the impacts of climate change, from bushfires and droughts to supercell hail storms and floods. Australia is already experiencing the worsening climate crisis, and yet those in power are allowing fracking for gas - a fossil fuel - to go ahead. A transition to renewable energies is critical to mitigate climate change, and so I have travelled down to Canberra to demand that Australia prioritises a safe, fossil fuel-free future for everyone.” said Maya Farmer, 18 year old from Coffs Harbour.

Across two days in Parliament, young people with lived experience of climate disasters will meet with over 25 Federal politicians, sharing stories of growing up facing escalating climate impacts and an uncertain future. 

“Where I’m from, in regional South Australia we can already see the effects of climate change and what it is doing to our community with blocked rivers and dead fishing. My vision for the future is one with clean and fresh water and air, but our leaders are still letting us down and putting the profits of corporations over people.” said Jazmin Bingham, a 15 year old Gomeroi young person from Mount Gambier, SA.

With a new year of Parliament starting up, the Albanese government has an opportunity to listen to the voices of young people calling for strong climate action, or give fracking the green light and side with big corporations.

“This week, we as young people gather in Canberra to make it clear to politicians that we will continue to fight and advocate for a safe and just future for all. Fracking projects have been staunchly resisted for decades by Traditional Owners and local communities, and we are standing with them in this fight.” said Jemima Williamson-Wong, 21 year old AYCC volunteer from Western Australia.

“We are demanding that the government listen to people on the frontlines of climate change. We want to see local communities leading solutions from the ground up, and the billions of dollars spent on fossil fuel subsidies each year shifted to projects that make much more common sense; renewables.” Finished Jemima.

Al Cabry, Jemima Williamson-Wong, Maya Farmer and other youth leaders are available for interview and comment.

For more information please contact  Natasha Abhayawickrama on 0481 090 405 or email: [email protected]

The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (‘AYCC’) is Australia’s largest youth-led not-for-profit organisation with over 200,000 supporters across Australia. We act as an independent, non-profit, non-partisan organisation to benefit the Australian community by building a generation-wide movement to solve climate change by educating, inspiring, empowering and mobilising young Australians around the issue.