Australian Youth Climate Coalition
Encyclopedia
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition (AYCC) is a youth organisation in Australia
. The coalition consists of 25 other youth organisations, which includes the National Union of Students
amongst many. The organisation aims "to build a generation-wide movement to solve the climate crisis, through uniting diverse youth organisations around this common challenge" Internationally, the coalition is part of the Global Youth Climate Movement
.
, began to come together. Following on from the formation of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition
in September 2006, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition formed in November 2006 with 27 youth organisations from across the nation at a founding youth summit.
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition is a non-partisan, non-profit coalition with the aim of "educating, inspiring, empowering and mobilising an entire generation in the struggle for climate justice and a clean energy future."
In 2009, the then Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner awarded the Australian Youth Climate Coalition's co-founders, Amanda McKenzie and Anna Rose, as well as the current National Director, Ellen Sandell, with the Environment Minister's Young Environmentalist of the Year Award for their efforts.
, Poland
, the Australian delegation travelled through ten nations to reach the summit. Similarly in December 2009, the organisation will send a second youth delegation to the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference
along with other members of the Youth Climate Movement
.
Power Shift is the name of an annual youth summit which was held in the United States
for the first time in 2007. Two years later in 2009, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, in partnership with the University of Western Sydney
, GetUp
and Greenpeace
, organised the Australian Powershift Conference on 11 to 13 July 2009. Guests included the swimmer Ian Thorpe
and the actress Brooke Satchwell
. The event concluded with a gathering outside the Sydney Opera House
.
The aycc also ran Power Shift in 2010 in Adelaide, Canberra and Geelong. In 2011 Power Shift was held in Brisbane and Perth which included a range of speakers, events and workshops.
2010 Election Campaign
During the 2010 election campaign the aycc mobilized hundreds of young people to put climate change back on the political agenda. This included automated phone calls to politicians, hanging out scorecards rating the three main political parties climate policies and the very popular climate elephant, which was featured widely in the media and is now used as an example of excellent grassroots election campaigning.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. The coalition consists of 25 other youth organisations, which includes the National Union of Students
National Union of Students of Australia
The National Union of Students is the peak representative body for Australian university students. Most student unions in Australian campuses are affiliated to NUS...
amongst many. The organisation aims "to build a generation-wide movement to solve the climate crisis, through uniting diverse youth organisations around this common challenge" Internationally, the coalition is part of the Global Youth Climate Movement
Youth Climate Movement
The Youth Climate Movement or International Youth Climate Movement refers to an international network of youth organisations that collectively aims to inspire, empower and mobilise a generational movement of young people to take positive action on climate change.- Formation :Since the Rio Earth...
.
History
In 2004, organisations, which would later form the Youth Climate MovementYouth Climate Movement
The Youth Climate Movement or International Youth Climate Movement refers to an international network of youth organisations that collectively aims to inspire, empower and mobilise a generational movement of young people to take positive action on climate change.- Formation :Since the Rio Earth...
, began to come together. Following on from the formation of the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition
Canadian Youth Climate Coalition
The Canadian Youth Climate Coalition is a non for profit youth organisation in Canada. The coalition consists of various youth organisations, which includes the Canadian Federation of Students, the Canadian Labour Congress The charity aims to politically prioritize climate change as an important...
in September 2006, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition formed in November 2006 with 27 youth organisations from across the nation at a founding youth summit.
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition is a non-partisan, non-profit coalition with the aim of "educating, inspiring, empowering and mobilising an entire generation in the struggle for climate justice and a clean energy future."
In 2009, the then Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner awarded the Australian Youth Climate Coalition's co-founders, Amanda McKenzie and Anna Rose, as well as the current National Director, Ellen Sandell, with the Environment Minister's Young Environmentalist of the Year Award for their efforts.
Campaigns
Every year since the formation of the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, the organisation has sent a youth delegation to the United Nations Conferences on Climate Change to advocate on behalf of young people. For the 2008 conference in PoznanPoznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, the Australian delegation travelled through ten nations to reach the summit. Similarly in December 2009, the organisation will send a second youth delegation to the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference
2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference
The 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly known as the Copenhagen Summit, was held at the Bella Center in Copenhagen, Denmark, between 7 December and 18 December. The conference included the 15th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate...
along with other members of the Youth Climate Movement
Youth Climate Movement
The Youth Climate Movement or International Youth Climate Movement refers to an international network of youth organisations that collectively aims to inspire, empower and mobilise a generational movement of young people to take positive action on climate change.- Formation :Since the Rio Earth...
.
Power Shift is the name of an annual youth summit which was held in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
for the first time in 2007. Two years later in 2009, the Australian Youth Climate Coalition, in partnership with the University of Western Sydney
University of Western Sydney
The University of Western Sydney, also known as UWS, is a multi-campus university in the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, GetUp
GetUp
GetUp! is a left-leaning Australian activist group that campaigns on issues important to its members. It was launched in August 2005, the week that the Coalition took control of the Australian Senate....
and Greenpeace
Greenpeace
Greenpeace is a non-governmental environmental organization with offices in over forty countries and with an international coordinating body in Amsterdam, The Netherlands...
, organised the Australian Powershift Conference on 11 to 13 July 2009. Guests included the swimmer Ian Thorpe
Ian Thorpe
Ian James Thorpe OAM , nicknamed the Thorpedo and Thorpey, is an Australian swimmer who specialises in freestyle, but also competes in backstroke and the individual medley. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and with three gold and two silver medals, was the most...
and the actress Brooke Satchwell
Brooke Satchwell
Brooke Kerith Satchwell is an Australian actress, model, and environmental spokesperson.-Early life:The first of two children of Andrew Satchwell, a real estate agent and Jane Satchwell, a school teacher. Satchwell has lived on the Mornington Peninsula for most of her life...
. The event concluded with a gathering outside the Sydney Opera House
Sydney Opera House
The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in the Australian city of Sydney. It was conceived and largely built by Danish architect Jørn Utzon, finally opening in 1973 after a long gestation starting with his competition-winning design in 1957...
.
The aycc also ran Power Shift in 2010 in Adelaide, Canberra and Geelong. In 2011 Power Shift was held in Brisbane and Perth which included a range of speakers, events and workshops.
Youth Decide
In September 2009 the aycc organized Youth Decide with World Vision Australia. It was Australia's first national youth climate vote. 2,000 volunteers ran 330 Youth Decide events with over 37,500 young people voting.2010 Election Campaign
During the 2010 election campaign the aycc mobilized hundreds of young people to put climate change back on the political agenda. This included automated phone calls to politicians, hanging out scorecards rating the three main political parties climate policies and the very popular climate elephant, which was featured widely in the media and is now used as an example of excellent grassroots election campaigning.
See also
- Community youth developmentCommunity youth developmentCommunity youth development, or CYD, is a philosophy emphasizing the uniquely symbiotic nature of youth development to community development by situating the two practices in a common framework...
- Energy Action CoalitionEnergy Action CoalitionThe Energy Action Coalition is a North American non-profit organization made up of 50 partner organizations in the U.S. and Canada that runs campaigns to build the youth and student clean energy movement and advocate for tangible changes on local, state, national and international levels in North...
- Youth Climate MovementYouth Climate MovementThe Youth Climate Movement or International Youth Climate Movement refers to an international network of youth organisations that collectively aims to inspire, empower and mobilise a generational movement of young people to take positive action on climate change.- Formation :Since the Rio Earth...