Most Australians know climate change is real. But there is a gap between knowing and feeling empowered to take action. Social research has shown that the most trusted sources of climate information are “friends and family” and “people like me” -  above even scientists. Each and every one of us has far more power to influence those around us than we give ourselves credit for! 

By having conversations with our family and friends, we can break the spiral of silence about climate change and unleash a wave of effective action and political pressure. What begins as one discussion can grow into broad community momentum and meaningful change.

Most Climate Conversations are held around a kitchen table, in a loungeroom, or over a cup of tea. But they can also happen in workplaces, pubs, libraries, online, at picnics or really anywhere you’re happy to sit and chat for a few hours. All you need to do is pick a date, round up some friends, and we’ll send a facilitator to lead the session. 

We’ve spent more than a decade bringing people together through Climate Conversations. Time and again, we’ve seen those conversations evolve into lasting climate action for friends, families and communities. You could be that spark in your network!

Get involved today by signing up to host a conversation, or training as a facilitator.

Our Climate Conversation Workshops

Introduction to Climate Change is a two hour workshop for people who care about climate change but haven't engaged much with climate action yet.

Your facilitator will guide the group through understanding climate science, exploring solutions, and discovering how to push for systemic change through democratic action. It's a safe space to ask any question, share concerns, and connect emotionally with the issue.

At the end, everyone gets resources and tools to continue their climate action journey.

Taking Climate Action is a two hour workshop for groups already concerned about climate change and ready to act.

You'll spend the first hour discussing what systemic climate action looks like. Then you'll spend the second hour actually doing it. You’ll leave feeling more confident and with a plan to embed climate action sustainably in your everyday life.

How it works

You host. We facilitate. You invite your friends to your home (or another location of your choosing, including online). We send a trained facilitator to present information, answer questions, and guide the discussion. You provide food and drinks if desired. The facilitator does the rest.

The ideal group size is six to twelve people. Allocate two to three weeks to organise your event. We encourage you to invite people outside the climate bubble - people who know climate change is real but haven't really engaged. Our conversations provide a friendly, nonpartisan space for people to share feelings, ask questions, and explore how they can be part of the solution.

Why conversations work

Humans process information through conversation, especially with people we trust. When we talk about climate change with friends and family, we build momentum. We shape what's acceptable. We create demand for real action.

Our impact studies show this approach works. Eighty-six percent of people feel more empowered to take action on climate change after participating in a Climate Conversation. More than half of participants have not been involved with any environmental organisation previously - our peer-to-peer model enables us to engage people who are new to climate action, that other organisations struggle to reach. Many go on to host their own conversations, reaching even more people. In the past decade, we've trained over 450 facilitators, delivered more than 1,350 conversations, and engaged more than 11,500 people.

Where action happens

Our conversations focus on systemic action — things like voting, writing to politicians, signing petitions, and choosing ethical super funds. We're nonpartisan and encourage engagement across the political spectrum.

Politicians answer to voters. But most people don't engage with their Member of Parliament (MP) beyond election day. With a disengaged public, lobbyists have outsized influence. We want to shift that balance. We give people encouragement that their voice matters, teach them how the system works, and provide templates to make advocacy easy.

If we want real change, we need the silent majority to speak up.

Get involved

Ready to host a conversation? Sign up here

Want to facilitate? Join our next training

"I've been truly surprised by the lasting impact of my conversation amongst friends who were previously silent on the issue. We are still talking about it nine months on!" – Jarrod, host