Ms Karen Ciesielski:

I thank Senator O'Reilly. Bringing the public along with us in addressing the climate and biodiversity crisis and in tackling inequality in these broader issues under which the SDGs align us all is a great challenge. As the Senator rightly said, we also see a rise in misinformation and disinformation. We in the civil society sector are certainly not immune to that. One thing we have found really useful is pooling our resources through Coalition 2030. That is where we can come together to address these challenges with one voice.

Regarding advice, we have found what works is engaging communities and people at an individual level. That takes time, money and resources. We are all experiencing the same challenges with breaking through the noise and reaching people where they are at. We have found that when we talk to people on a one-to-one basis or certainly at community level, they get it. Reinforcing the local authority climate action plans is an excellent way to reach people in their communities using the resources already in existence. The PPN is another excellent way to reinforce the messaging and drive policy at local level while still doing the work that needs to happen at national level.