Climate Action Toolkit

Establishing a

Climate Action GroupToolkit

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Introduction to A Climate of Change……………………………………………………………………………………………pg 3

Building a Climate Action Group to change the world!.………………………………………………………………pg 4

Starting your group………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………pg 5

What does your CAG want to do?………………………………………………………………………………………….pg 6

Holding meetings…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..pg 7

Where to go for information………………………………………………………………………………………………….pg 8

Linking up with other groups and joining the climate movement…………………………………………..pg 9

Attracting new members to your group………………………………………………………………………………..pg 11

Suggested activities………………………………………………………………………………………………………………pg 12

Do you need a website? ………………………………………………………………………………….……………………pg 19

From strength to strength…………………………………………………………………………………….……………………pg 20

Corporate governance and Risk Management………………………………………………………………………pg 21

Incorporations, Tax Deductibility, Insurance. Why bother with all this stuff?……………………….pg 22

Incorporation……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….pg 22

Insurance……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………….pg 27

Financial management…………………………………………………………………………………………………….……pg 27

Fundraising…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..pg 28

Volunteer Support……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…pg 29

How to be an effective group for change – things all campaigners should know…………………..…pg 30

How to campaign ‐ Planning and Strategy………………………………………………………………….…………pg 31

Organisational Strategy……………………………………………………………………………………………………..…pg 35

Working with the Media……………………………………………………………………………………………………….pg 36

Blogs, and social networking media………………………………………………………………………………………pg 37

Writing a media release……………………………………………………………………………………………………..…pg 38

Communicating effectively……………………………………………………………………………………………….…..pg 39

Maintaining momentum………………………………………………………………………………………………….……pg 41

Meeting with your MPs…………………………………………………………………………………………………………pg 42

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………..…pg 45

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

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Climate change is the biggest issue facing our society today. If we are to reduce our greenhouse pollution far enough and fast enough to prevent runaway climate change, everyone will need to play a part.

Already millions of Australians have taken action to reduce their emissions and contribute to Australia’s action on climate change – you’re probably one of them. While we all must take action on a personal level, there is only so much we can do as individuals. We need leadership and decisive action from our governments to drive the widespread change across our society and economy needed to prevent runaway climate change.

Over the last few years communities across the country have been getting together to help their community understand and take action on climate change, and to call on their political representative to take the lead. In Victoria, over 40 of these Climate Action Groups now exist, driving change and making the call for a safe climate future for their families.

Climate Action Groups have been formed by groups of concerned locals, groups of friends and groups of mothers coming together to call for change.

Climate Action Groups across Australia have been started by regular people like you. You don’t have to be a climate scientist, policy expert or renewable energy buff to start a Climate Action Group. All you need is a commitment to creating change for future generations, and you’ll be surprised how easy it is to get started.

The A Climate of Change project

A Climate of Change is a BREAZE project supported by the Victorian Government Sustainability Fund, managed by Sustainability Victoria, and partners City of Ballarat, Environment Victoria, BRACE Education, Training and Employment, and the National Centre for Sustainability and the Centre for Regional Innovation and Competitiveness at the University of Ballarat. A Climate of Change has put together an online toolkit to help groups thrive as they facilitate sustainable behaviours within their own communities. In partnership with Environment Victoria, this toolkit provides information and resources covering topics such as group establishment and maintenance, running campaigns, communicating effectively, working with the media, suggested activities including bulk buy schemes, and working with your community.

Introduction

Introduction

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This section will cover:

Starting your group………………………………………………………………………………………………………..………pg 5

What does your CAG want to do?………………………………………………………………………………………….pg 6

Holding meetings…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..pg 7

Where to go for information………………………………………………………………………………………………….pg 8

Linking up with other groups and joining the climate movement…………………………………………..pg 9

Attracting new members to your group………………………………………………………………………………..pg 11

Suggested activities………………………………………………………………………………………………………………pg 12

Do you need a website? ………………………………………………………………………………….……………………pg 19

Building a Climate Action Group to change the world

Building a Climate Action Group

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Starting your group

There is no right or wrong way to start up a new Climate Action Group. Some of the ways we’ve found successful are listed below. All you need to do is decide which one works best for you and your situation and go from there.

1. Start with your friends

Lots of Climate Action Groups got started by a group of friends getting together and deciding that they wanted to take action on climate change. Often these groups start with a meeting of between 4 and 10 people at someone’s house, to talk about what they think they might like to do about climate change in their area and how to put pressure on their local politicians to take action. Once you get talking you’ll find there are lots of ideas, and heaps of energy. When you’ve decided on a couple of tasks, it’s time to get moving. Set the next meeting date for one or two months down the track, when everyone can get together and report back on what they’ve been doing. You might want to set up an email list to share information between meetings. Some groups want to keep it small to begin with, while others are happy to invite in new members from their networks or local community right away. Just remember, if you are going to claim that you represent the local community, you need to provide opportunity for new people to get involved.

2. Hold a public meeting

One of the most effective ways to get a good community focused CAG up and running is to hold a public meeting on climate change. Get together a small group of interested people (two or three is enough), book a date, book a hall (your local council, church or school should be able to help you out), and book an experienced speaker on climate change (Environment Victoria or other environmental groups will be happy to help you out). After advertising the event through local papers and community newsletters, you can expect to get anywhere between 10 and 100 people along. After your speakers have presented, propose to the audience forming a Climate Action Group. You’re sure to have a few people sign up, and many more will put their name down to be contacted by email when you are next doing something in the community. Set the first meeting date, and there’ll be no turning back.

3. Write a letter to the paper

One successful Melbourne based Climate Action Group got started when the now convenor wrote a letter to her local paper on climate change. This person was convinced that she couldn’t be the only person in her area concerned about climate change, and in the letter invited anyone else who wanted to see greater action to reduce greenhouse pollution to join her at a local cafe the following week. About 10 people showed up at the cafe, and the group has continued to grow, with over 100 local people now on their email list.


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What does your CAG want to do?

Deciding what your group wants to do is one of the biggest challenges of any Climate Action Group. There are always so many good ideas, and so many things that need to be done to reduce our emissions and get our politicians taking climate change seriously.

It’s always good to have an idea of what direction you think the group should take when you call the first meeting. Some people will come along looking for direction, and expect that you will have it. However, it is equally as important to let everyone have a say about what they think the Climate Action Group should focus its energy on to make sure that you work on the areas or activities that have the most support. Some people will want to work only on helping local people reduce their emissions and live more sustainably. Others might want to target your local council, lobbying for the council to reduce their greenhouse pollution. Others again may want to focus on State and Federal politicians or policy processes, where they see the biggest gains can be made. None of these directions is wrong, but if you are going to do any of them well, the group will need to narrow its focus in the short term.

Some suggested first actions:

1. Write a letter to your local council, local State MP and local Federal MP

Introduce your new Climate Action Group. Let them know that you represent people in your area who are concerned about climate change, and you would like to see them taking more action.

2. Write a letter to the local paper

You can write to your paper to announce the formation of your new group, with details about next meetings and how people can get in touch. Alternatively you could send in a media release with your comments on the government’s latest climate policies. Check out more about how to write a media release on page 38.

Meet with your MPs

Write to your local MP to request a meeting to discuss your concerns about climate change. For more about meeting with politicians, read the briefing on page 41.

3. Hold a stall

Local fetes and markets are great places to introduce the community to your group, and share information about climate change and how people can take action to reduce emissions. Environmental groups, and even some local councils and government departments have information and materials you can hand out to people. Make sure you have a sign‐up sheet for your email list.


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While these first actions might help you get some momentum, it’s important to make sure that you’ve got a clear plan of action so that you don’t get overwhelmed by all of the things you could be doing.

Planning is very important. What does your group want to achieve? What are your objectives? If half of you members want to lobby politicians for political change, choose a couple of key issues and focus on them. If others want to work with the local community raising awareness about climate change, map out a plan for how you want to start doing this and stick to it.

New opportunities and campaigns will come up. Other Climate Action Groups or environmental groups might ask you to help them out with an activity in your area. You might hear through the networks of a national event you want to be a part of that will take up much of your time. The government might introduce a new policy or make a decision you want to campaign on. Whatever the case, if you have a clear plan and objectives, you will find it much easier to compare and weigh up priorities for your group.

Developing and reviewing your plan every 12 months is recommended to keep your group focused, and to make sure you are active on the most important issues to you. For more information about strategic campaign planning, see page 31.

Holding meetings

Hosting a good meeting is an important skill to develop. Many Climate Action Groups have fallen over because their meetings were too long, too unfocused or too depressing. Your regular meetings are the focus point for many members to find out what others have been up to, and to attract new members. They’ve got to be worthwhile, and they’ve got to be fun.

‐ Set regular meetings in advance

Once a month generally allows for work to be done between meetings while being frequent enough to feel like a regular meeting. By allowing people to book meetings into their diary in advance, people can make sure they are available to attend.

‐ Set an agenda for each meeting, and circulate it to those who have RSVPed.

That way people know what is to be discussed, and can come prepared. At the end of each meeting, flag a few suggestions for the next agenda. Make sure your agenda is action focused. If you need to use the meeting for information sharing, make sure the information is new and relevant. Too many Climate Action Groups have burnt themselves out with meetings that continually spend the first hour talking about how depressing the latest climate science is.

‐ Make sure you have someone to cover the following roles:

o Facilitator – to keep everyone on track and keep the meeting to the agenda


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o Time‐keeper – to make sure the meeting doesn’t go over time. Meetings should be less than two hours. Any longer, and you’ll find that attendance starts to drop off.

o Minute‐taker – it’s important to keep a brief record of what decisions were made at the meeting, and who was going to do what. You’ll be surprise how many people forget what they committed to doing at the meeting. Make sure you email the minutes to everyone afterwards.

‐ Don’t forget to have fun

If all of your meetings are the same, it can get a little dull. Try inviting a guest speaker on a topic you are all interested in, or invite someone from another Climate Action Group or environmental group to talk about what they are doing in their communities. You might even want to make some of your meetings social events to keep people enthusiastic. Some Climate Action Groups hold every fourth meeting at the pub. Others met before going for a bike ride together.

For more information about hosting effective Climate Action Group meetings, see the following links:

http://www.thechangeagency.org/_dbase_upl/climate_action_groups.pdf

http://www.thechangeagency.org/_dbase_upl/tCAresource_effectivefacln.pdf

Where to go for information

It’s hard when you’re starting out to know if you’re heading in the right direction. Sometimes it’s good just to know there is someone else who’s done it all before, and can lend you a hand.

Environment Victoria has been working to establish and assist Climate Action Groups across Victoria for years. We’re familiar with the ups and downs community groups can face. If we can’t help you ourselves, we usually know who can.

Other Climate Action Groups either in your area or elsewhere are also a great source of information and support. They’re always more than willing to share advice and offer support where they can. For more information about Environment Victoria and other Climate Action Groups across the state, go to http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/content/join‐climate‐action‐group

Environment groups are always happy to share information and send your group materials, as are local and state governments. It can be expensive and very time consuming to reproduce materials for your group to use, particularly when they are already available. Not sure where to look for information on a particular topic? Contact Environment Victoria and we’ll point you in the right direction.


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Linking up with other groups and joining the climate movement

With so much to be done on climate change, there is a lot of merit in working together. As a movement, Climate Action Groups and environment groups can be most effective when we combine our efforts as much as possible.

Make sure your group knows what is going on in the broader climate movement by joining some of the many networks or online lists that are available.

Some of these networks include Environment Victoria hosted networks, the Climate Emergency Network, regional networks as well as national networks. To find out more about how to get your group linked up, go here http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/content/join‐climate‐action‐group

Existing Networks

The following provides a list of existing network opportunities, but it is by no means comprehensive due to the dynamic and rapidly evolving nature of community climate action.

The two main roles they perform are to keep groups informed about each other's work and, in some cases, to share resources.

National

At the national level, there are two main networks:

o The National Climate Summit, held in Canberra from 31 Jan – 3 Feb 2009, strengthened and formalised communications between climate action groups across the nation. Its primary means of communication is the Grassroots Climate Oz email list. The summit has recently released its proposal for a national network, to be called Community Climate Network (Australia) or CCN. This proposal, if enacted, will create a structure for ongoing organisation of climate groups across the country. Organisation of annual summits and preparation and dissemination of policy proposals and media content are primary goals of the of the network.

o The Climate Action Network Australia (CANA) provides networking opportunities for member organizations. CAGs can become members alongside environmental NGO's and business groups.

State

o Within Victoria, several communication channels operate to inform climate action groups of political and policy developments: Environment Victoria (EV), a peak body for Victorian environmental groups, provides opportunities for groups to update each other on the latest local developments within their area and supplies resources for advocacy on key policy issues. EV has set up the Victoria Climate Action google group mail which provides an avenue for emailing other groups who have registered in the site. The Climate Action Centre provides information on some of the latest


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advocacy campaigns. Its website links to the Climate Emergency Network Calendar and a list of Victorian climate action groups

o The Climate Emergency Network has been actively working to facilitate group communication and action and has established the Victorian climate action calendar of events.

Regional Victoria

Following on from the National Climate Action Summit, a Regional Climate Action Summit was held in Daylesford on 21 March 2009. The event was very well attended by groups and individuals, mainly from Western Victoria.

One of the outcomes of the day was to begin an informal regional advocacy alliance. Through their community‐based work, regional Victorian CAGs have developed significant membership numbers, with financial membership of the three largest groups in the region exceeding 2500 people in total. It was recognised that this membership base provides real legitimacy when groups advocate for strong government action on climate change. It was determined to explore this opportunity further.

In the central Victorian region, the Central Victorian Greenhouse Alliance (CVGA) was established to network local government and other organizations, setting aspirational targets for emission reductions, acting to implement government policy on climate change initiatives and providing a significant advocacy role in the region. Until about a year ago, climate action groups were not on their membership list, but recently climate action groups have begun to join CVGA. There is an opportunity for CVGA to operate in a supporting and linking role between climate action groups and other member organisations in central and northern Victoria and this remains to be fully developed. This model may be equally applicable to other regions and Greenhouse/Sustainability Alliances across the state, and would complement other climate action group networks.


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Attracting new members to your group

While you may find that a core group of people emerge in your new group as the main coordinators of any actions you take, it’s always important to continue speaking with your local community about climate change, and to seek to engage new people.

Attracting new members has a number of benefits – it helps to spread the load of things to do ‐ many hands...light work... But it also means that you can show your local representatives that the number of people in their electorate concerned about climate change is growing. Some people won’t want to take on too much. They might be happy on your email list, and occasionally coming along to events you are promoting. Others could turn out to be that fundraising expert you were looking for, or experienced in giving presentations or writing letters to politicians.

If we are going to get the change we need from our governments, we are going to need to significantly grow the climate movement, meaning the more members, the better.

Ideas for engaging new people:

‐ Give presentations about climate change and how people can get involved in your local area

Probus groups and Rotary groups are often looking for presentations. School communities, church groups and even local business groups are often interested in climate change, and in what community groups in their area are doing.

‐ Hold an event or creative campaign to engage new groups of people

For example, you could organise for all the Primary Schools in your area to paint onto a banner solutions to climate change that they want to see. Sew these banners together, and present it to your local MP with a letter from the schools calling for greater action on climate change to protect the future of these children.

‐ Run a petition in your local area. Start your own petition, or use one developed by another group

Host a public meeting, inviting along keynote speakers on climate change that will interest people outside of your members. Advertise this through your networks, local media or posters and flyers in your area.


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Suggested activities

We’re sure your new group will have plenty of ideas for activities and campaigns to get you started. However even the most experienced Climate Action Group will sometimes struggle for inspiration.

If you’re not sure about what the most important priorities for action are, contact Environment Victoria, or another environment group working on climate change. They should be able to give you an outline of what the more pressing issues are on the climate campaign agenda at any point.

Know what you want to campaign on, but lacking activity ideas? Below is a list of activities we’ve seen work really well for Climate Action Groups across the country. Got another idea that isn’t listed? You can put this up on our suggested actions blog ‐ http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/blog/posts/climate‐action‐groups‐take‐charge

‐ Visit your local member of Parliament

Face to face visits are very powerful as they demonstrate how you, the constituent, feel about this issue. Remember, you don’t need to be an expert on the issue to have an opinion that your representative should listen to. A list of sitting members of is available here:

Federal Members of Parliament: www.aph.gov.au/house/members/member_photo_state.asp

Senators: www.aph.gov.au/Senate/senators/homepages/index.asp?sort=state

State Members of the Legislative Assembly (lower house): www.parliament.vic.gov.au/mlas1.html

State Members of the Legislative Council (upper house): www.parliament.vic.gov.au/mlcs1.html

You can also find out who your local State member is by visiting: http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/handbook/menupage.cfm?menuId=1

In an election year, it is also worth contacting candidates other than the sitting member to let them know that their policies on climate change may influence your vote. To find out who your local candidate is contact the various parties listed below:

Australian Democrats: http://www.vic.democrats.org.au or ring 03 9419 5808 Australian Greens: http://www.vic.greens.org.au or ring 03 9602 1141 Australian Labor Party: http://www.vic.alp.org.au or ring 03 9933 8500 Liberal Party: http://vic.liberal.org.au or ring 03 9654 2255 Family First: http://www.familyfirst.org.au/victoria.htm or ring 03 9800 5393

‐ Write a letter to the Prime Minister, the Premier and to Ministers responsible for climate change and energy policies, but don’t forget your local MP

Letter writing is another extremely powerful tool, especially if your letter is in your own words. If you and your members feel strongly about an issue, the more letters your MP receives on the topic, the more they will understand that they need to do something about


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it. Try not to send all of your letters to the Prime Minister and Premier. While they are obviously important, the only MP answerable to you directly is your local representative. They are the ones who will really feel the heat from your efforts.

‐ Write at letter to the editor

Keep your letters short, sharp and witty and they’ll have a much better chance of getting published. Local newspapers can be really influential, so don’t forget to write to your local paper. Why not tell them about what you are doing to reduce your greenhouse pollution, and challenge your representatives to do more? If you want to comment on a topical issue, it has to be timely. Try to get your letter sent off the same day as the story you want to comment on emerges, or first thing the next morning. For more about letters to the editor, see our briefing on page 35.

The Age: Email to [email protected]

Herald Sun: Use the form online at www.news.com.au/heraldsun/opinion

The Australian: Email to [email protected]

The Weekly Times: Use the form online at www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/forms/letter‐to‐the‐editor.html

Leader Newspapers: Go to http://leader‐news.whereilive.com.au/ to find your local paper’s details.

‐ Call Talkback radio

Talkback radio reaches a huge audience so it’s a good opportunity to spread the word about why Victoria should get serious about reducing emissions and making the shift to a clean energy future. Remember, you don’t have to be an expert to have an opinion. You might want to say that as a parent you’re worried about your kids’ future and that you want the government to make action on climate change their top priority.

3AW – 03 9696 1278 (frequency 693)

774 ABC – 1300 222774 (frequency 774) You can also send an SMS to 19 774 774

‐ Have local community groups and local councils pass a resolution on climate change

Your council, union, sporting club, local school or church group could pass a resolution supporting a transformation for a clean energy future and urgent action on climate change. Send the resolution to the Premier, Opposition Leader and your local MP. You might even want to send it to your local media.

A sample resolution: We the X committee urges the Victorian Government and all Victorian political parties to take the strongest possible action on climate change. We know that Victoria is going to be particularly hard hit by climate change. As a community, we’ve been working to reduce our impact on greenhouse gas emissions. However in the absence of


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strong government action we won’t as a community be able to make the cuts to our emissions necessary to prevent runaway climate change and ensure a safe climate future for our families. All parts of our society must play a part, and government must lead the way. We call on Premier Brumby and Opposition Leader Ted Ballieu to commit to slashing Victoria’s greenhouse pollution by at least 50 percent by 2020, overhauling Victoria’s entire building stock for energy efficiency, and investing in renewable energy to ensure Victoria is at the front of world action on climate change.

‐ Leaflet local residents on a specific issue, or look to help out other groups who might be leafleting in your area

If you want your community to know about a particular issue, leafleting is a great way to spread the word. Unfortunately, leafleting is also expensive and can take a lot of effort. If your group wants to get involved in leafleting, why not team up with another Climate Action Group or environmental group who is already active in your area.

‐ Community Bulk Buy schemes

A number of community groups have expressed interest in starting community bulk buy schemes for sustainable technology within their community.

BREAZE is particularly experienced in community bulk buy schemes and is able to share their experience and learnings with other climate action groups.

If your community or group is considering a bulk buy of sustainable technology there are

some basic questions to ask before you decide to go ahead:

o Why are you doing it?

o Can someone else do it better?

o Will it provide best value and quality?

o Does it help achieve the strategic objectives of your group?

o Do we have the capacity to deliver?

The BREAZE website holds a comprehensive review of the BREAZE experience with bulk buy

processes, and draws from the experiences of other groups where possible. If your group is

interested in investigating the potential for bulk buying within your community, check out

the review and summary on the BREAZE website at http://www.breaze.org.au/groups/bulk‐

buy

‐ Host a social event like a Trivia or Film night

Showing a film about climate change, or the action we need to stop it is a fun way of getting people together to talk about climate change. You can attract new members, and even use it as a fundraiser to get some money together for your group.


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‐ Write a Petition

A petition is a great way to show your representatives that the community wants action on a particular issue. It gives concrete evidence that you have support for your campaign. Unfortunately, a petition has no legal force, no matter how many people sign it. So while you’re entire school committee, church congregation, or even electorate might sign your petition, the government or MP it is directed at isn’t actually required to do anything about it. It’s therefore really important that you consider what impact you want your petition to make, and what level of support you think you’ll need for your petition to grab the attention of the government or your MP.

Once you’ve decided that a petition is the best next‐step for your campaign, it’s important to get the structure right. Decide who the petition is going to. Keep the wording short and direct. For petitions to the Victorian and Federal Government, certain drafting requirements must be met for the petition to be received.

For more information about petitions to the Victorian government, read a briefing paper from the Victorian Parliament on our website at ‐ http://www.environmentvictoria.org.au/library/presenting‐petitions‐legislative‐assembly

For more information about petitions to the Federal House of Representatives, click here ‐ http://www.aph.gov.au/house/work/petitions.htm

For more information about petitions to the Senate, click here ‐ http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/work/petitions/index.htm. Note: The Senate Petitions Officer recommends that any petition drafted for the Senate be emailed to them first to check that it is in the right format. It’s much easier to check you’ve got it right, than to gather names for a petition that can’t be received.

There are even online services that will host your online petition for you. See GoPetition to find out more at http://www.gopetition.com.au/howtowriteapetition.php

If you want to know more about the power of petitions in Victoria’s history, you can read about the ‘Monster Petition’ to give women the vote at http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/WomensPetition/

‐ Visual petition

If you find that a written petition just isn’t what your campaign needs, perhaps you could consider a visual petition. A visual or picture petition gathers together pictures of individuals or groups calling for an action. It might not be submitted formally to parliament like a written petition, but can be just a powerful directed at an MP or government.

A Climate Action Group in NSW started a visual petition in 2008 calling for policy that would cause Australia’s greenhouse emissions to peak in 2010, and decline steadily after that. They called the campaign Turn The Tide, and asked other Climate Action Groups and community groups across the country to send in their pictures all with the same message. For footage of the Turn The Tide campaign, go to http://turnthetidekevin.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html.


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A visual petition can also come from individuals, and doesn’t have to rely on other groups getting involved. Some Melbourne Climate Action Groups are now running a visual petition where individuals can tell the Prime Minister what they want done about climate change. See this link for more information: http://www.flickr.com/photos/getthepicturekev/3427842829/in/set‐72157616484902891/

‐ Protest or rally

Holding protests and demonstrations are important parts of our democracy. Some people don’t like to attend protests as they might see it as too confrontational. But protests allow for a group of people to join together and show their support for or opposition to a particular issue in a way that is sure to get the attention of decision makers. You’ve written letters, held meetings and made submissions but still the government doesn’t listen. A well formed and well attended protest outside your MP’s office is certain to get their attention – particularly if you can get a story about it into your local paper.

Protests have formed an important part of almost every social or political movement in modern history. From civil rights demonstrations in the US to the Save Our Sons rallies here in Melbourne against the Vietnam War. Focused on climate change, the Walk Against Warming rallies have been held in capitol cities around Australia for the last four years, peaking in 2007 when over 50,000 Melbournians and 100,000 people across Australia hit the streets to call for action on climate change.

A local protest doesn’t need to be about ‘angry greenies’ – in fact, most of them aren’t. They’re just regular people like you who want the government to take stronger action on climate change. Keep your messages simple, and targeted. Make sure you’ve got a good attendance from across your community. Have colourful banners and signs. Try to have an activity planned that is the focus of the protest. You might like to place sandbags outside your MPs office to hold back rising sea levels. Some protests for renewable energy have lined up solar panels outside Parliament House. Others have children making a banner or sign which is presented to the MP. Whatever you do, remember to let the local paper know what you’ve got planned, and remember to bring your camera!

To see what a local protest outside your MPs office could look like, check out this footage from outside the office of a Federal MP in Melbourne’s outer east: http://www.envict.org.au/inform.php?menu=5&submenu=722&item=2024

‐ Hold a Sit‐In

A Sit‐In is a form of direct action where protestors ‘sit‐in’ either outside or inside the office of the government or MP they are targeting. Protesters will either sit‐in for a set period of time or until their demands are met.

In early 2009 Climate Action Groups around Australia held Sit‐Ins in the offices of their local MPs in protest against the Rudd Government’s proposed 5‐15 percent emissions reduction targets.


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For more information about that action, and how to prepare for a Sit‐In at your MPs office, click here:

http://www.climateemergencynetwork.org/images/resources/step_in_to_step_it_up_on_climate_change.pdf

‐ Media release

Sending out a media release to your local papers is a great way to get coverage for your group, attract new members, and get the issue of climate change onto the agenda. Try to develop contacts with local journalists who are interested in your views on current climate change issues. With a little bit of practice and a little bit of luck, you could end up with a monthly column on climate action in your local paper.

You can send out a media release to announce the formation of your new group, to comment on new or proposed government policies, to draw attention to an issue you are campaigning on, or to let people know of an event you are running. Anything that you are doing that you think is going to be new and interesting to your community is worth a media release.

For more information about writing a release and interacting with the media, go to the Working with the Media section of this document on page 35.

‐ Submissions

Writing submissions are an important way you can let the government know what you think of their planned actions or policies. When the government is preparing a new policy or infrastructure investment etc, they will often open the process to submissions from the public. Your CAG can make a submission as a group, or you can encourage your members to make individual submissions.

The more submissions a government receives on any planned policy or action, the more they know that the community cares about it. Therefore, it you want more support for renewable energy instead of coal, it’s important that you say this in a submission if the government is developing a new energy policy.

While submissions are very important, it’s equally as important not to spend too much time on them. With all the various policy processes and planned activities by both the Federal and State governments, it’s easy to slip into submission obsession. You’ll find that you’re doing less and less campaigning in the real world and haven’t got time to be speaking or working with your community about climate change.

Some groups avoid this by finding a volunteer who has a good understanding of policy and enjoys writing submissions (surprisingly to some, these people do exist). Others will sign onto the submission of another group, or encourage their members to make one page submissions with a simple message of greater action on climate change.

Not sure of the submission process? Government departments will usually have information online, but you’ll also hear about the various processes open to submissions through the


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climate group networks. If you want more information, contact an environment group working on climate change for advice.

‐ Human Sign

Human Signs are a fun way to get a community to make the call for climate action. People gather together to form the shape of letters spelling out your message, and a picture is taken from above. Human Signs can be created with a school group of 50 people, or a whole community of thousands. Two Climate Action Groups in Australia have been leading the charge on Human Signs over the last couple of years, and now have the logistics down to a fine art.

Read more about how to create your own Human Sign in this briefing from climate group Clean Energy For Eternity, based in NSW. Victorian based group Bayside Climate Action are also happy to provide advice about Human Signs.

LINK http://austcom.org.au/humansign.html

‐ Candlelight vigil

Candlelight vigils provide an alternative way for large groups of people to gather in a call for action. These can be held with large or small groups, in a park, at a public landmark, at a church or school service, outside an MPs office etc. You can have speakers and maybe even a choir or prayer, or it can be silent.

The same general principles apply as for other events you might host. Make sure your vigil is well advertised, the messages are clear, there is a positive vibe, and that you notify the local paper. You’ll need to remember to bring banners, a camera and importantly candles and a lighter.

‐ Holding a Stall

Climate Action Groups and environment groups have been holding stalls to provide their community with information about climate change, their group and how people can get active for years. If you’ve got the people to man it, stalls are a great way to get out into the community and sell your message.

You can ask an environmental group as well as your local council and government for information and materials you can hand out. Environment Victoria and other groups have campaign materials you can use, and ideas to get you started with you stall. You might also have a specific activity that you are asking people to do to attract them to you stall. It could be to sign up to your email list, sign a petition, have your photo taken as part of a visual petition. The more creative you get with this, the better. Think about your target audience, and what would attract them.

You can host stalls at local fetes and markets, community events, or on the street where there is lots of pedestrian traffic. You might need permission from your council and possibly even public liability insurance, so it’s always worth checking.


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There is lot’s of information online about how best to prepare for running a stall, and some local councils will have documents you need too. Try these websites for information:

http://www.viva.org.uk/campaigner/stall.html

http://www.freedomchallenge.org.nz/wp‐content/uploads/2009/05/holding‐an‐effective‐stall.pdf

Do you need a website?

Sooner rather than later, your Climate Action Group will need a website to engage and communicate with its members, both old and new.

A website is a cheap, effective way of keeping people up‐to‐date with news and events. Websites require regular maintenance and updating, and are an ever‐evolving mechanic that will grow and expand with your group’s requirements.

The community will look to your website for easy access to information such as membership subscription, news, events, campaigns, documents, policies, links and contact details.

Websites open up avenues for interaction and sharing with a wide audience, including Media and other Climate Action Groups.


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Corporate governance and Risk Management………………………………………………………………………pg 21

Incorporations, Tax Deductibility, Insurance. Why bother with all this stuff?……………………….pg 22

Incorporation……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….pg 22

Insurance……………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………………….pg 27

Financial management…………………………………………………………………………………………………….……pg 27

Fundraising…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..pg 28

Volunteer Support……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…pg 29

From strength to strength


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Corporate governance and risk management

Governance is the system by which organisations are directed and managed, including community groups. As your community action group grows, its governance and management functions (if you have paid staff) may become more complex. Good governance is essential to ensure that your CAG:

o Has a clear mission and that its operations are consistent with this (e.g. to maintain

not‐for‐profit or tax deductibility status)

o Complies with legal and financial obligations

o Operates in an ethical manner, consistent with the organisation’s mission

o Undertakes regular monitoring and review

As a start it might be useful to recruit someone to your committee who as governance experience and may be able to support your group with this aspect of your operation. You may be able to get some help from a professional in your local area who is interested in corporate volunteering or probono support such as through the Oxfam Skillshare Program

Understanding risk is a key aspect of governance, and a good place to start when working out your CAG’s governance priorities. Risk management can relate to the sustainability or health of your group and volunteer support as well as considering personal or physical riska.

The Our Community website includes a Boards, Committees and Governance Centre that provides a number of useful tools and fact sheets to help groups with governance. Also for more information on Risk Assessment and Management, Our Community provides some helpful guides

If you need legal advice, PILCH (Promoting Law in the Public Interest) may be able to assist through their PilchConnect program that provides free and low cost legal information for not‐for‐profit community organisations.


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Incorporations, Tax Deductibility, Insurance. Why bother with all this stuff?

BREAZE Committee Member, Michele, sums this up nicely... In the paddock next door to my house stands beautiful, huge old tree. She must be well over two hundred years old. Through the intense heat and dryness of summer to the cold and howling winds of winter she stands true and strong, surviving and thriving where many other have failed. Many years ago she would have fallen to the ground, had she not started to grow roots and anchor herself firmly into the earth. Developing strong, robust and flexible roots; a solid foundation is why this tree has continued to flourish.

That’s why you bother.

For a community based group to flourish it needs to start with solid foundations. Not all of the structures you put in place may have an immediate benefit. By appropriately building foundations, you provide a stable platform from which to work and equally importantly, allow room for the organisation grow if it so chooses.

Bothering with this ‘stuff’ shows you respect those you interact with by protecting their safety, both physically and financially. For example, having insurance in place if the unthinkable should happen is a tanglible example of financially supporting your volunteers. This ‘stuff’ identifies to others your commitment and professionalism and demonstrates your capacity to ‘get the job done’.

Incorporation

Incorporation is a voluntary, simple and inexpensive means of establishing a legal entity, separate from the individual members. It is particularly suitable for small, community‐based groups. The association is considered by law to have a distinct identity that continues despite changes to its membership. Incorporation is a system of registration that gives an association certain legal advantages in return for accepting certain legal responsibilities. Incorporated Associations are not for profit organisations. Any profits made should be kept by the association and should not used by members for personal gain.

Some of the advantages of incorporation include:

o Protection of the members and office holders against personal liability for debts and other legal obligations of the organisation

o The ability to buy and sell property in the name of the organisation o The ability to accept gifts or bequests o Greater certainty and acceptability to potential contracting parties such as lenders,

leasers, employees and suppliers of goods and services o The ability to sue and be sued in the name of the association o The ability to invest and borrow money o Greater eligibility to apply for grants

Particular benefits of incorporating as an Incorporated Association under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (compared to a company limited by guarantee under the Corporations Law) include:


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o Easier and less expensive to set up o Less onerous regulatory obligations and office‐holder duties

Some of the disadvantages of becoming incorporated include:

o The expense of becoming incorporated and meeting ongoing statutory obligations o The necessity to comply with legal formalities and the possibility of penalties for

innocent breaches of the law o Restrictions on the ability to carry on business or trade o Less flexibility to cope with changed circumstances

Your relevant state government or territory agency will step you through the process of becoming incorporated, just Google ‘incorporations’ in your state to get to the correct department. In Victoria it is a simple three step process. The Consumer Affairs website will help you through the process.

What you’ll need first

To become an incorporated association under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (the Act), you must have at least five members and be a not‐for‐profit association.

You will also require:

o A suitable name ‐ your proposed name must not be too similar to an existing registered business name or a name already taken by another incorporated association or company

o A written statement of purpose ‐ a document that sets out the proposed objectives of your association

A written set of rules

A written constitution that deals with the matters set out in the Schedule to the Act. You can adopt the Model Rules, or, if your association has more specific requirements, modify the Model Rules or draft your own. For more information see Rules of an Incorporated Association.

Steps of the incorporation process in Victoria

There are three main steps to incorporation:

1. The association must hold a meeting of which all members are given at least 21 days notice.

2. At this meeting, a majority of votes cast by members, whether personally or by proxy (if proxies are allowed), must: a) authorise a particular person to incorporate the association. This person must be at least 18 years old and reside in the State of Victoria b) approve a proposed statement of purposes c) approve proposed rules that comply with the Act or approve the adoption of the model rules.


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3. The person authorised to apply for incorporation must complete and lodge with the Registrar: a) the Application for Association Incorporation form together with the prescribed fee b) a copy of the proposed statement of purposes c) a copy of the proposed rules of the association (unless adopting the Model Rules unmodified, in which case a copy of the rules is not required) The rules must contain the matters specified in the Schedule to the Act d) copies of any trusts that may affect the association e) the application fee (for the current fee, see Fees and forms.) Notes: If the association has approved the adoption of the Model Rules without any amendments, there is no need to attach a copy of the Model Rules to the application.

The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has additional requirements for non‐profit organisations seeking exemption from income tax. It is important that you are aware of these prior to incorporation, as certain clauses may be required in the organisation’s rules. See Australian Tax Office page for non‐profit organisations

o the person who lodges the application for incorporation is the first public officer of the incorporated association, unless another person has been nominated as first public officer.

o unless the rules otherwise provide, the committee members of the unincorporated association form the first management committee of the incorporated association.

o a Certificate of Incorporation will be issued by the Registrar after the application for incorporation has been accepted. This will bear the name of the incorporated association, the registration number and the date of incorporation.

o cheques must be made payable to Consumer Affairs Victoria. Receipts will only be issued upon request.

Upon incorporating, you should consider:

o setting up a post office box for mail o obtaining a common seal o opening a bank account in the incorporated association’s name o taking out public liability and other insurance, and o setting up systems to record the transactions, assets and liabilities of the

association.

Your association’s new name, including the word ‘Incorporated’ or ‘Inc’ must appear on all stationery and documentation.

Charity status

A sustainable organisation needs to act sustainably (not just in the toilet paper you use). If you want to be around longer than 5 minutes you need to look after your people. Unfortunately, in a world that revolves around money you need some money to be able to look after you people, to pay for insurance and purchase toilet paper! It’s neither fair or realistic to expect volunteers can, or are able to, continually contribute 100% to the organisation ‐ they have families, they have jobs, they have bills, they need leisure time. In a nut shell, having Charity Status ‐ in particular deductible gift


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recipient endorsement and income tax exemption ‐ makes it easier to obtain larger government grants, philanthropic donations and member donations.

1. Before you apply for Environmental Charity Status.

2. Your organisation needs to be Incorporated (see previous section)

3. You need an Australian Business Number (ABN) You can apply online

4. Then you can apply to become an Environmental Charity with deductible gift recipient endorsement

5. Finally you can apply to the tax office for endorsement of charity tax concession.

What is a charity?

A charity is an entity established for altruistic purposes that the law regards as charitable. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) does not set the criteria to decide whether or not an organisation is a charity. To become an Environmental Charity, you apply to the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. They have a fabulous easy‐to‐use guide that steps you through the process – don’t be put off by the size, not all of it will relate to your organisation.

To check if your organisation would qualify as an Environmental Charity, work thorough the ATO non‐profits organisations guide. Well worth the time and easy‐to‐use ‐ again, don’t be put off by the size, not all of it will relate to your organisation.

CHECKLIST: Is your organisation a charity?

To be a charity your organisation must:

o be an entity (corporation, unincorporated association, trust or partnership etc) o be a trust fund or an institution o be able to demonstrate from its constituent or governing documents and the

organisation’s activities (if applicable) that it is carried on for the public benefit or the relief of poverty

o be non‐profit. This means the organisation is not carried on for the profit or gain of its owners, members or other private people

o not be ‐ carried on for sporting, recreational or social purposes ‐ carried on for political, lobbying, promotional or illegal purposes ‐ carried on for a commercial purpose to generate surpluses, or ‐ a government instrumentality carrying out the ordinary functions of government

Environment

Non‐profit entities that operate for the public benefit to protect, preserve, care for, and educate he community about the environment are charities. Lobbying and political bodies are not charities. Examples of charities


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o conservation bodies that help protect the environment provided they are not for lobbying or political purposes

o environmental associations whose purpose is to educate the public about environmental issues

o flora and fauna conservation societies that are not political or lobbying in nature o friends of botanic gardens o Landcare groups and other greening organisations involved in tree‐planting and

revegetation o marine conservation societies that are involved in the conservation of Australia’s

coastal areas or coral reefs o natural resource organisations that educate the public about the wise use of

Australian resources, such as soil, water and forests, and o support groups for national parks.

Non‐charities – examples

o bushwalking clubs o government instrumentalities carrying out the ordinary functions of government o lobbying bodies even if their activities may have consequences for the environment o outdoor recreation clubs o political bodies o resident action groups set up to oppose planning policies detrimental to their

lifestyle, and o watersports clubs

Charities are not automatically exempt from income tax. There is an endorsement system under which charities apply to the Tax Office to be income tax exempt charities. Charities also need to be endorsed if they want to access charity concessions under the goods and services tax (GST) and fringe benefits tax (FBT) laws. Endorsement provides an organisation with access to concessions. For example, an organisation that is endorsed to access income tax exemption is exempt from paying income tax, removing the need to lodge income tax returns

Applying for endorsement of charity tax concession

Before an organisation can apply for endorsement it must have an Australian Business Number (ABN).


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Insurance

Even with the best of intent and rigorous attention to minimising risk, accidents still happen. Because an accident is an unexpected and unintended event that happens despite all of your planning, a responsible organisation must mitigate extremes by having insurance. Insurance is a tangible expression of respecting and protecting those that interact with your group by going through the processes to reduce risk and in the worst case diminishing financial hardship.

It’s an interesting experience purchasing insurance, it puts you in the mind of buying a lottery ticket and hoping it doesn’t win. It can be a painful experience handing over hard earned dollars, to pay for annual insurance premiums when nothing has gone wrong. BUT, when something goes wrong, you will be glad you had the foresight to organise insurance.

Our Community is a world‐leading social enterprise that provides resources, advice, tools and training for Australian community groups. Amongst its amazing range of on‐line resources there are 13 fact sheets dedicated to insurance and risk management. The fact sheets help groups work thorough the confusing language and understand the choices available to them.

Financial management

Sound financial management is crucial no matter how small and focussed or large and complex your CAG is. If your group has responsibility for or managing member funds, grants or a bulk‐buy scheme you will need sound financial management processes. This does not mean that you will necessarily need an accountant or book keeper on your committee, but you must have clear processes for maintaining reliable and detailed records that are documented in a way that matches any reporting or auditing requirements your group may have.

o In planning and managing your CAG’s finances, you need to: o Make sure have funds to pay any bills – don’t commit to spending if you have not

yet raised the funds! o Have processes to protect against fraud – e.g. have more than one signatory for your

accounts, include detailed financial reporting at committee meetings o Make sure you have complied with relevant legislation, particularly if you are

incorporated, have not for profit status etc o Have clear and transparent reporting processes for your members.

It may be worth checking in with an accountant or other financial professional to make sure that your finances are being managed well. You never know, there may be a local accountant prepared to sit on a Finance Sub‐Committee or equivalent with your group.

The Our Community Finance Centre provides some great tips for establishing sound money management procedures.

There are many benefits to being an incorporated and registered not for profit, such as being able to apply for grants, not having to pay tax and being able to apply generous fringe benefit tax rules for employees. Make sure you make the most of your legal status when managing your finances.


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Fundraising

In thinking about fundraising for your group it is important to consider:

o Do you really need to fundraise o What you need funds for o What is the best source of funding for each activity/function o How much money you need o Whether you can manage the funds securely and professionally

There are many ways you can raise funds for your community climate action group:

o Grants – Government, Corporate, Philanthropic o Affinity – members, friends, supporters, o Individuals – donations, wills, bequests and life insurance o Community events – ticket sales, merchandise, raffles etc o Partnerships and sponsorship – business, other community groups/schools, councils,

service clubs o Business enterprise – bulk buys, merchandise etc

Victorian legislation requires registration of some fundraising events. The Consumer Affairs Victoria website contains detailed information on fundraising, including:

o Changes to the registration legislation o The Public Register o Exemptions from registration o Guidelines on administrative expenses o Fundraiser responsibilities

Don’t forget to think about what you need the money for and to match with the best funding sources. It is best to not build your organisation around government grants as these are generally only available for specific purposes, and do not provide you with flexibility in how you use these funds. Don’t forget to include a project management component for the administration of grants if the guidelines allow this.

The Our Community Fundraising Centre provides information about seeking funding For 10 top fundraising tips

There are a number of grant newsletters available that you can subscribe to, for example the Easy Grants newsletter comes out every month and provides you with an overview of all grants available in Australia. It also includes advice and tips for seeking funds. Through Our Community, an annual email subscription to this newsletter costs $85 for a not for profit community group.

You might also think about subscribing to the Australian Philanthropy newsletter to find out about non‐government grants.

There are a number of organisations that can assist you in reviewing and providing advice on your grant applications – try Granted which is a not for profit organisation providing free and confidential advice on grant applications to community sector organisations.


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Volunteer support

Volunteer Handbook and other resources

All of the resource files can be downloaded below, or viewed and downloaded from the BREAZE Document Library.

Volunteer Handbook & Policies ‐ Aug 2009

Volunteer expenses form Travel Claim 31 Aug 09

Volunteer Hazard Report ‐ 31 Aug 09

Volunteer Incident Report Form ‐ 31 Aug 09

Volunteer Orientation Checklist ‐ 31 Aug 09

Volunteer Out of pocket expenses Claim Form 31 Aug 09

Volunteer Registration and Contact Details ‐ 31 Aug 09

Volunteer Roles Questionnaire ‐ 31 Aug 09


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How to campaign ‐ Planning and Strategy………………………………………………………………….…………pg 31

Organisational Strategy……………………………………………………………………………………………………..…pg 35

Working with the Media……………………………………………………………………………………………………….pg 36

Blogs, and social networking media………………………………………………………………………………………pg 37

Writing a media release……………………………………………………………………………………………………..…pg 38

Communicating effectively……………………………………………………………………………………………….…..pg 39

Maintaining momentum………………………………………………………………………………………………….……pg 41

Meeting with your MPs…………………………………………………………………………………………………………pg 42

How to be an effective group for change (things all campaigners should know)

How to be an effective group for change

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How to campaign: Planning and Strategy

Your new Climate Action Group might have a range of activities you want to focus on. Your group might want to work to help your local community understand climate change, and to take action to reduce emissions. Other groups want only to lobby their politicians for political change. In reality, we need both. Unless we are working with community, we cannot engage new people and build the climate movement. Unless we are lobbying our politicians and community leaders for change, we will not deal with the climate crisis in time to prevent runaway climate change.

There is a lot to learn about running educational activities and behaviour change programs or events in your community. A lot of ideas are listed in this toolkit, and other Climate Action Groups will be able to help you get going.

Running campaigns for action on climate change are different. Climate Actions Groups can campaign enthusiastically and successfully without much experience or knowledge about the most effective campaign strategies and methods. These groups will no doubt have their ups and downs as they learn from experience along the way, but wouldn’t it be so much easier if you had the right tools and strategy to start with?

We can’t outline a full campaign training manual here, but we can offer some general advice and planning strategies for your campaign. We have also included a list of great manuals, websites and books that will be able to help you as you develop into an experienced, strategic and effective campaigner.

If your Climate Action Group would like to discuss training opportunities in campaigning and campaign strategy, please contact Environment Victoria.

Campaign Planning and Strategy

1. Plan for planning

If you want to your campaign to be a success (and who doesn’t?), it’s important you put the time into planning and organising the rollout of the campaign. Set some time aside, call a meeting and get planning. You’ll need to have the right people with you at the planning stage to make sure you’re taking advantage of your group’s strengths, and that key decision makers in your group are involved. You’ll also need to know that the key people are committed to the campaign. There will be challenging times ahead as you seek to create change, and you’ll need a good team around you.

2. What’s your focus, and why?

You can clearly see the problem. But what are you going to do about it? Campaigns should be big enough to matter, and small enough to take on. Define your problem, and define your solution. When you look at the problem, what is it about that problem that makes you want to act? Can you articulate why someone else should act? Will it motivate your members and supporters to act?


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You’ve possibly come to this stage with a campaign in mind. Is it the best thing you can spend your time campaigning on? Is this campaign feasible, winnable, able to make a difference? If so, you need to build the story as to why this campaign matters.

Are there other considerations to account for? Can you afford to run this campaign? Does it fit with the mission of your group? Is it a key priority? Do you have the skills to undertake this campaign?

This is also the time to gather information about the problem you’ve identified and the solution/s you’ll be campaigning for. What are the opportunities this creates? What other groups might be working on this issue? What can your group add to their work that is different or value‐adding?

3. The Campaign Objective

It’s now time to articulate your campaign objective. This is different to your long term vision. Your campaign objective must be SMARTA – Specific, Measurable, Ambitious‐Achievable, Relevant‐Realistic, Time‐bound and working with internal and external Alliances.

S – Specific: You objective must clearly and concisely articulate what your campaign will achieve

M – Measurable: You objective must be one against which your success can be measured at the end of the campaign

A – Ambitious: Achievable: Your objective must be ambitious enough to make it worth campaigning on, but not so big that it becomes unachievable. Your objective should not be for something you have no control over. For example, your vision might be that no new coal power stations are built in Victoria, but your objective would be that your group will campaign for a bipartisan commitment that no new coal fired power stations will be built in Victoria.

R – Relevant‐Realistic: Your objective should be relevant to your group, and what you want to achieve more broadly. Is it realistic that your group run this campaign? Do you have the resources to support the activities?

T – Time‐bound: Your objective should be specific about when you will have achieved your objective. For example, your objective could be that your group will campaign for a bipartisan commitment at the next state election that no new coal fired power station will be built in Victoria.

A – Alliances: To win campaigns it is important to make sure we are working with strong alliances wherever possible. These alliances should never compromise your ask or objective, but support and strengthen your voice. You will find alliances both within the climate movement, and outside of it. Accordingly, the style of alliance you form internally and externally will be dependant on who you are aligning with, and their commitment to the objective.


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Once your objective has been decided, it is also essential to outline your success criteria or benchmark. How will you judge your success at the end?

4. Power mapping

Power mapping is an important tool used in campaign planning to highlight who has the power to make the change you want, who your campaign targets should be, who will be supportive of your campaign, who will be oppositional, and how you should focus your efforts. While some of this might seem fairly obvious, you’ll be surprised at how useful power mapping is for clarifying your next steps.

Power mapping is a fun and engaging tool that should be done in small groups and will take about one or two hours.

For a simple explanation of power mapping and how to go about it, click here: http://www.thechangeagency.org/_dbase_upl/tCA_power_mapping.pdf

5. Communicating your campaign

Communication is one of the most important facets of a campaign. Unless you can effectively communicate the issue, the solution and the motivation for people to act, reaching your campaign objective will be near impossible.

Your communications strategy will probably be different for different targets. A government department is going to respond differently to certain styles of communication compared with a community meeting. However, regardless of your target, the campaign message you deliver to them must be consistent with the overall campaign Ask.

What do you want them to do? This is your Ask. But remember, your Ask is not a slogan or media message. This must be developed separately.

A common trap for campaigners in communication is being too close to the issue to be able to see what motivates other people. What motivates us now as committed and informed campaigners is unlikely to be what will motivate the majority into action. Large environmental organisations are able to run message testing to see what messages the community responds too. Keep an eye on the language these groups use when communicating to a broad audience. As a general rule, communicating on the values that the community already holds dear is effective. Think about ‘family values’ and ‘jobs’. The Victorian community is very concerned about water issues, and attaches a strong value to this problem. Communicating with people on the link between water and climate change is one way of using this community value to communicate your message.

Don’t be afraid to use emotive messaging. While it’s important to offer logical, well argued climate solutions, most people are motivated more by emotions than logic. Concern for the future of someone’s children will usually be more motivating than a logical argument about emission reduction scenarios.

For more about communication styles, strategies and values, see the Communicating Effectively section in this toolkit on page 39.


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6. Tactics and the Critical Path

The tactics of the campaign are the tools that you will use to build support, spread your message, and motivate people into taking the actions you define. The critical path is the sequence of events or changes that you will need to drive in order to achieve your objective.

In planning your tactics and critical path, you need to identify what could go wrong at various points along the way, what opposition you could face, and how you will deal with that.

Campaigners usually love to develop tactics. This tends to be the fun part. Do you want to lobby politicians, hold protests, conduct a letter writing day etc? What education methods will you use? Online information, flyers, public meetings etc? It is important to map out an order in which you aim to deliver these, and to make sure the tactics you are choosing are the most strategic to help you achieve your objective.

Too many campaigners spend time and money on tactics that are fun, without much thought for the strategy behind it.

For more information about tactics and critical pathways, there is a lot of information online and in books listed on page 40. See the earlier part of this toolkit for a list of suggested activities on page 12.

7. Get going

So now you are ready to go. You’ve thought through the risks, developed your objective, know who the power holders are and how to reach them, and are prepared with the pathway and tactics to help you win.

Make sure you go through the plan and perform the activities you identified. Keep the team motivated, and the workplan on track. While it’s important to have you plan laid out at the start, it is equally as important to review, evaluate and update it as the campaign continues. New opportunities or challenges may arise, a power holder may move on, or another emerge. Whatever it is, your campaign plan will need to be responsive and able to adjust to the new reality.

8. Evaluate

Don’t forget to evaluate your campaign at its end. Your campaign will end either when your objective is reached, or it ends for another reason. Review your activities and other influences in the campaign. How did the campaign outcome stack up against your benchmark? What worked? What didn’t? Was the timing right? Was your communication clear? What can we learn for next time? Ask others for their thoughts and feedback on the campaign. And at the end of all of this, congratulate yourselves. Win or lose or compromise, you’ve just run a community campaign that is an essential part of our collective actions towards a safe climate future.


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Organisational Strategy

The above section outlines some of the strategic thinking you will need to run a campaign. More information is provided in the links and documents attached. However it is also important for Climate Action Groups to think strategically about how your group is run and organised, your vision, what issues you will focus on and how you’ll engage with your community.

Some parts of the campaign planning described above can be applied more broadly to analyse the strategic options for your group. However, some larger groups may find that your organisational strategy needs to be developed separately.

http://www.thechangeagency.org/01_cms/details.asp?ID=58

National Council for Voluntary Organisations, UK ‐ http://www.ncvo‐vol.org.uk/strategy‐impact/learn/strategy

Centre for Participatory Change – The Toolbox: http://www.cpcwnc.org/Toolbox/orgplanning.html

ACTCOSS Organisations Information Kit. The section of this link titles Strategic Planning: An Overview could be quite useful http://www.actcoss.org.au/oik/sections/strategy.html

Sandwell Community Information and Participation service http://www.scips.org.uk/grocont.html

There is a lot of information about communicating effectively and for campaigns in books and online. Try some of these, or go exploring:

Rose, Chris (2005). How to win campaigns: 100 steps to success, Earthscan, UK and US.

Bobo, K., Kendall, J., and Max, S. (2001), 3rd edition. Organizing for social change: Midwest Academy Manual for Activists, Seven Lochs Press, US.

Thompson, Peter (1998). Persuading Aristotle: The timeless art of persuasion in business, negotiation and the media, Allen and Unwin.

Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (2009). The Psychology of Climate Change Communication: A Guide for Scientists, Journalists, Educators, Political Aides, and the Interested Public, Columbia University, New York. Available at http://www.cred.columbia.edu/guide/

Lakoff, George (2005). Don’t think of an Elephant! Know your values and frame the debate – The essential guide for progessives, Chelsea Green Publishing, US.

Lakoff, George (2009). The Political Mind: A cognitive scientist’s guide to your brain and it’s politics, Penguin.

Delany, Colin (2009). Learning from Obama: Lessons for online communicators in 2009 and beyond, available at www.epolitics.com.


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Working with the Media

As a Climate Action Group or anyone who wants to put climate change on the agenda, working with the media is an important part of reaching the community. If handled well, the media can be an effective way to spread your message, or let people know about upcoming events. If not, working with the media can end up very time‐consuming, with little result.

Once your group is established you may find that local media knows you as the people to go to for comments on climate change and climate change policy.

Writing a letter to the editor

Letters to the editor are an effective and simple way to show that the community is concerned about climate change. You can write a letter in response to a recent event, announcement or story, or simply because it is an issue you’re concerned about.

Keep your letter short, sharp and witty and it will have a much better chance of getting published. State and National media are often the target of letter writers, and reach a larger audience, but local media can be very influential and reflects the concerns of local residents so don’t forget to send letters to local papers too.

Think about who reads the paper, and what is likely to influence them. If you are commenting on a topical issue or story, try to get your letter off the same day as the story is first published, or first thing the next morning. You’re letters must be timely to be relevant for publication.

Below are a few contacts for State and National media in Victoria. Note down the contact details from your local media and have them ready by the computer for when you next hear that climate change story you want to comment on.

The Age: Email to [email protected]

Herald Sun: Use the form online at www.news.com.au/heraldsun/opinion

The Australian: Email to [email protected]

The Weekly Times: Use the form online at www.weeklytimesnow.com.au/forms/letter‐to‐the‐editor.html

Leader Newspapers: Go to http://leader‐news.whereilive.com.au/ to find your local paper’s details.

Leader newspapers online now have a section that allows you to write the news! You no longer have to wait for the paper to report your story. Write your own news online, and help set the community agenda. The more stories about climate change entered, the more papers will know that this is one of the community’s biggest concerns. Go to http://leader‐news.whereilive.com.au/your‐news/new/


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Call Talkback Radio

Talkback radio reaches a huge audience so it’s a great medium to use to spread your message on the need for action on climate change. Political parties even monitor the issues that are raised on talkback to keep up with what issues are of greatest concern to the community. Remember, you don’t have to be an expert to have an opinion.

Have the radio stations number ready so that you can call in anytime you hear a story you want to comment on, or you want to talk about the need for climate action. Pay attention to what the presenter or host likes and dislikes. Have your key point prepared in your mind, but try not to read from a script – talk back is about having an informal conversation with the public.

When you call, you will first speak to a producer who will want to know your name, suburb and what you want to talk about. You will either be placed on hold until they put you through, or they might offer to call you back if there is a slot. When you are in the queue, turn your radio off. You will be able to hear the conversation through the phone, but your radio will create feedback when you are on air.

When you are on air, remember that you will only about 30 seconds to make your point. Talk clearly and concisely, and get to the point. Be polite. If the presenter or host is rude or trying to wind you up, don’t take the bait. Remain calm, and politely tell them your concerns.

Some Victorian radio stations that take talkback are listed below. Check local radio stations for local numbers, or local ABC contacts.

3AW – 03 9690 0693 (frequency 693) – Outside Melbourne the line is 131332. The Victorian Government takes comments on 3AW particularly seriously as they recognise this station as being representative of the Victorian community.

774 ABC – 1300 222774 (frequency 774) – You can also send an SMS to 19 774 774.

ACB local radio – go to www.abc.net.au/local/ to find your local ABC radio station and contact details

Blogs and social networking media

Online blogs and social networking media are a great way to spread information and get people involved in your campaigns.

Blogs

According to wikipedia, a blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with regular commentaries, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or videos. Many blogs will publish comments on a particular subject, others are personal blogs that function more as online diaries.

While you might want to host your own blog on behalf of your group, the best thing about blogs, or ‘blogging’ from a Climate Action Group point of view is that you can comment on them. A number of online newspapers now have blogs attached to their websites where readers can comment on the


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bloggers original article. Online papers also often have space for readers to comment at the end of articles. Many of these papers are able to judge as to which articles are the most popular (and therefore the most important to keep publishing), but the number of comments or ‘blogs’ in response.

All sorts of groups and organisations including environmental groups host blogs on their websites. If the blog receives lots of comments, groups are able to show that they are engaging the community.

Try to make sure that if you are reading newspapers online or visiting the websites of environmental groups that you blog your comments on articles and features to show that the community is engaged on climate action.

Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and social networking

Facebook, Twitter and MySpace are popular forms of social networking that allows people online to set up a profile and contact their ‘friends’ or ‘followers’. Go to www.facebook.com , www.twitter.com , or www.myspace.com for more information about each of these sites.

This can be particularly useful for campaigning by allowing you to spread information through your online networks, that can then be spread further by people connected to you. If your CAG wants to set up a Facebook group or event etc, it’s best to allocate the job of setting it up to one person who has the online skills and interest to keep it up‐to‐date.

Writing a media release

Writing a media release is an art that once perfected will be of great use to your group.

You can write a release to try and get media coverage on any issue you think is newsworthy. This could be the formation of your new group, an event you are holding, an event that you as a group are all attending and would like others to join, or to offer your response to a government decision or policy announcement.

The first sentence of your media release should sum up the whole point of your release. The most important, punchy, newsworthy part must come first. It should also include an attribution – the person or group who is saying this. For example, Australian supermarkets could save $41.6 million annually, reduce checkout times and help the environment if ‘green bags’ were universally adopted, an Environment Victoria audit has found.

Introduce the main speaker by their full name and title before any quotes. Finish off the first quote with reference to that person. For example, Environment Victoria’s Zero Waste Campaigner Jenny Henty said years of voluntary agreements have not fixed the problem. “What we need is compulsory measures with very few exemptions to ensure we see the end of plastic bags”, she said.

Make sure that your media release answers the key questions – Who, What, When, Where, and Why. Try to exclude any jargon or difficult concepts that the average person wouldn’t understand.


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The Herald Sun writes for an average reading age of 12, so keep this in mind as you think about how to communicate your message.

Back up your argument with facts and figures. Journalists like to have ‘proof’ before they will publish a story.

Your media release should be no more than one page long. Any longer, and journalists wont read it. Read your quotes aloud to see how they sound, not just how they read on paper. Are they interesting, concise and snappy?

Always check that you have included all the correct mobile phone numbers of people for comment, the date and a headline. Do a final spelling and grammar check before sending it out.

Before sending, compile a list of contacts that you want to send it to. Open a new email. Insert the email addresses into the BCC Blind Copy area. Put your own email address into the To section. The subject line should read Media Release: “insert headline of release here”. Paste the media release into the body of the email and attach a PDF version of the release as well.

Communicating effectively

A key focus of your campaign should always be how to communicate your campaign in a way that changes how people think, feel and act about the issue. To do this, you will need a clear communications strategy to help you articulate in the most effective way what the problem is, what the solution is, and what they need to do to help you get there.

A good communications strategy is clear and credible. It is well targeted and kept simple. It must understand its audience, and be relevant to them. It must be memorable, and must have an ask.

Your communications strategy must tell a story, and to do this in a way that is motivating, it needs to make an emotional connection with the audience. This about recognising the values that motivate people such as ‘family’ or ‘money’, and linking your communication to these values. If you want someone to believe your story, it has to make sense and be real to them.

Your communications strategy must also have a well articulated Ask. This is what you want your target to do about the issue. You may have a different ask for each of the targets of the campaign, but regardless of who it is, it must be simple and clear.

Support your communication with proof. This can be facts and figures as well as personal anecdotes. Maybe someone has just released a report that supports your argument that you can refer to. Just because you are referencing facts and figures doesn’t mean that you need to use jargon or difficult language. The simpler your message, the better.

And repeat it. Repeat, repeat, repeat. Repeat. Using too many messages at the same time will lose the impact that could have been had with one clear simple and concise message. Repeat.


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Finally, be prepared for opposition. Your opposition will likely try all tactics in the book to undermine you, destroy your credibility, divide your supporters, or deny there is a problem entirely. Try to be prepared in advance for obvious points of attack from your opposition.

There is a lot of information about communicating effectively and for campaigns in books and online. Try some of these, or go exploring:

Rose, Chris (2005). How to win campaigns: 100 steps to success, Earthscan, UK and US.

Bobo, K., Kendall, J., and Max, S. (2001), 3rd edition. Organizing for social change: Midwest Academy Manual for Activists, Seven Lochs Press, US.

Thompson, Peter (1998). Persuading Aristotle: The timeless art of persuasion in business, negotiation and the media, Allen and Unwin.

Center for Research on Environmental Decisions (2009). The Psychology of Climate Change Communication: A Guide for Scientists, Journalists, Educators, Political Aides, and the Interested Public, Columbia University, New York. Available at http://www.cred.columbia.edu/guide/

Lakoff, George (2005). Don’t think of an Elephant! Know your values and frame the debate – The essential guide for progessives, Chelsea Green Publishing, US.

Lakoff, George (2009). The Political Mind: A cognitive scientist’s guide to your brain and it’s politics, Penguin.

Delany, Colin (2009). Learning from Obama: Lessons for online communicators in 2009 and beyond, available at www.epolitics.com.


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Maintaining momentum

As your Climate Action Group matures and members come and go, you will find at some point that momentum and energy in the group starts to fade. This doesn’t mean that you are a bad Climate Action Group. Nor is it the fault of the group coordinators. This is a natural part of being involved in a community group, and of campaigning for change on such an enormous scale. However, there are lots of strategies and ways to avoid or minimise this that your group can try.

1. First step, is to recognise when you need a break

As individuals we must be responsible for our own health and energy. It’s important to recognise that all the members of your group will have competing priorities such as family, work and social commitments that they may feel need to take priority for a while. When campaigning, it’s easy to get caught up in all the work you need to do and neglect other parts of your life. Take time out to enjoy yourself and spend time with the people you love. Encourage others in your group to do the same if they seem like they are losing energy.

2. Recognise that while you are slogging away for real action on climate change day in and day out, this is not a battle that will be won in the next couple of years

Changing the world will take a lifetime. Pace yourself, and recognise that just because you didn’t win today, doesn’t mean you won’t win tomorrow.

3. Try not to play the blame game

It’s very easy to look around and see that greenhouse emissions are still rising and that politicians aren’t taking climate change seriously, and conclude that those who’ve come before you have failed, that their strategies are wrong, and that they are responsible for the mess that we’re in. Without those who’ve come before, we’d be in a far bigger mess. Reflect on your strategy, and strategies used elsewhere, and consider where you think we can get break‐though.

4. Importantly, understand that solving climate change isn’t solely your responsibility

While you might feel at times like the only person in the world (or at least in your community) who understands how serious the climate crisis is and what we need to do about it, there are others. You are part of a broad movement for change. Individuals and Climate Action Groups spread out across the State, across the Nation and across the world are working tirelessly for the same objectives as you. Link up with these networks, get a sense of the activity happening all around you, and feed off some of that energy until you get your own back. Working together to achieve our biggest impact is the only way we will get there.


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Activist burn‐out is a well understood and widely recognised phenomena. In 1987, Bill Moyer, a US activist, developed the Movement Action Plan (MAP) to describe the eight stages that a successful social movement goes through. The MAP allows you to recognise where the climate movement is on the timeline, and that burn‐out is a natural part of all movements.

To read the MAP, go to this link: http://www.socialinclusion.sa.gov.au/files/Day2b_MovementAP.pdf

For further information about how to minimise and handle burn‐out in your group, The Change Agency has a wealth of information and materials available online. www.thechangeagency.org

Meeting with your MPs

Visiting your MP to talk about climate change and the action you want them to take is an important part of many Climate Action Groups. Politicians work with competing pressures, and if you want your MP to push for more action on climate change, you’ll need to be one of those pressures. We all know that ‘the squeaky wheel gets the oil’, and if the only people your MP has heard from on climate change are industry lobbyists calling for delays or more cash hand‐outs, it seems likely that real action on climate change will fall down the list.

While visiting your MP might seem a little daunting at first, it’s important to remember that politicians are people just like you. They have families and work pressures just like you, and it’s important that they are hearing from ordinary Australians.

1. Book your meeting

The first thing you will need to do is book a meeting to see your local MP. Phone the MP’s office and ask to speak with the Diary Secretary. They’ll want to know who you are, and why you want to meet with the MP. Explain simply that you are a member of their constituency, and that you would like to speak with your representative about climate change. You may be asked to put this into an email, with your name and address, and the issue you would like to discuss.

It might take a few attempts to get your meeting. Don’t give up. MP’s are busy people, however as your representative they should be able to make time to meet with their constituents.

2. Get ready

Now that you have your meeting time locked in, you’ll need to prepare for your meeting. Decide who is best to come to the meeting with you. As a general rule, you should never meet with an MP alone. Having another person with you helps to keep you on track, and this person can bear witness to any commitment that the MP might make. Get to know who you will be meeting with. Your MP might have a website with information about themselves, their interests, background and if they have a family. Think about what


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sorts of things you have in common, and what it is about climate change that might motivate them. For example, an MP who has a background as a union delegate is likely to respond well to information about the job opportunities that come with the transition to a clean economy. Someone with a young family is more likely to respond to the threat that climate change poses for their children’s future.

Be clear on what you want to talk about in the meeting. There is a lot of information about climate change, the solutions, and what we need to do to get there – too much for this one meeting. Pick the topic that you want to discuss. Refresh yourself on background information. Pick two or three key points that you want to make in the meeting, and stick to them. Perhaps you might try a practice interview where your friend or family member pretends to be the politician, and you try to make your case. It can be a good idea to type up a one‐page summary of your points, and the background information and justification for action that you can leave with them following your meeting. You should also include in this exactly what you are asking your MP to do.

3. The meeting

Now it’s time for the meeting. Don’t worry if you are a little nervous. Remember – politicians are just ordinary people.

Make sure you arrive on time. Politicians are busy people and if you are late, you might find your meeting is cut short. If you are meeting with your MP as a group, it’s a good idea to arrange to meet outside the office or at a café close by 15 minutes before the meeting. Make sure you are clear on what each person’s role is – performing the introductions, leading the discussion, taking minutes etc. It is important to make sure someone is allocated to take notes from the meeting so that you can follow up on questions and report back to your group accurately.

Keep your information simple, and try not to stray off course too much. Be friendly, polite and patient. While you might not feel like an expert, chances are your politician isn’t either. If you are asked a question you don’t know the answer to, make a note and tell your MP you’ll get back to them with that information. Try not to get sidetracked. Politicians can be good at talking at length about a topic vaguely related, but separate to that which you are there to discuss. Politely pull the conversation back to your topic, and try to make your points clear. Try to find out the MPs position on the issue.

Keep it personal by telling your MP about why climate change matters to you, and what you’ve already done to try to limit your impact on global warming. If you are representing a group, mention how many members and supporters you have, and talk about action that your community is taking to show your MP that the whole community wants action on climate change.

Make sure you stay calm at all times. While you might strongly disagree with their government’s position or what your MP is saying, this is not the time for a yelling match.

Ask your MP what they would be prepared to do about your issue. You might have specific asks that you can put to them such as forwarding your briefing to the Minister responsible,


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supporting the action in parliament, or voting for a particular amendment. Try to draw a commitment from them before leaving the meeting.

Thank them for the meeting, and any commitments they’ve made before leaving.

4. Follow up

After your meeting, debrief with your group, or the person you attended with. Look over your notes from the meeting, and make any others you need to so as not to forget what was said or committed to.

Think about how you felt the meeting went. Did you make your point clearly? Was the politician interested? Were there any problems? Is there anything you would do differently next time?

If you committed to get back to your MP with an answer to a question or more information, make sure you follow up within a week. Likewise, if your MP committed to do something for you, feel free to follow up with a polite email thanking them for the meeting and outlining their commitment if you haven’t heard back within a week or two.

Don’t feel that now that you’ve had your meeting, you’ve achieved your aim of engaging your politician. This is only the beginning of your relationship. Engaging your politician on climate change is an ongoing job. One meeting will let them know you’re interested, but ongoing communication, emails and meetings into the future will let them know that your community is committed to change, and that you will be watching to see whether or not they deliver.

Sometimes your MP may catch you out with a curly question, or a reason that can be hard to argue with. If you’re not sure where to go for a response, or are wondering how to handle that question better, you can contact Environment Victoria to talk about tactics for meeting with your MP.


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So you’ve read the toolkit, had a coffee, re‐read the toolkit, and now you’re ready to get started. Good luck!

While it might seem daunting at first, thousands of other people have done what you’re doing now, and have been an integral part of our growing climate movement in Australia. You’ll have successes and likely a couple of failures along the way. But remember that when it all seems too hard and you don’t know what to do next, there is always someone who’s been there already and who will be more than happy to share their experience and lessons.

Environment Victoria are some of those people, so feel free to get in contact if you’re looking for information, assistance or ideas about what to do next. The networks are also a great place to search for information, so make sure your group gets linked up.

And finally, congratulations. You’ve got this far. You’re about to join a growing and vibrant community that is pushing for transformational change across our society. It doesn’t get any more exciting than that.

Conclusion

Conclusion

Documents

Climate Action Toolkit